Dorney Park & Wildwater Kingdom

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Dorney Park & Wildwater Kingdom
Dorney Park & Wildwater Kingdom Logo.svg
Dorney Park entrance.jpg
Entrance to Dorney Park & Wildwater Kingdom in August 2007
Location Dorneyville, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Coordinates 40°34′40.59″N75°31′53.50″W / 40.5779417°N 75.5315278°W / 40.5779417; -75.5315278
StatusOperating
Opened1884; 140 years ago
Owner Six Flags
General managerJessica Naderman
Operating seasonMay through October
Area200 acres (0.81 km2)
Attractions
Total44
Roller coasters8
Water rides3
Website www.dorneypark.com

Dorney Park & Wildwater Kingdom is an amusement and water park located in Dorneyville, Pennsylvania, United States, outside Allentown. Owned and operated by Six Flags Entertainment Corporation, the park features 64 rides, including eight roller coasters, several thrill rides and kiddie rides, and a waterpark, Wildwater Kingdom, with 19 water rides. [1]

Contents

It features some of the world's most prominent roller coasters, including Steel Force, the eighth-longest steel roller coaster in the world and the second-longest on the U.S. East Coast. Dorney Park is one of only fourteen trolley parks still operating in the United States.

History

A 1910 postcard photograph of Dorney Park's picnic grove and pavilion 1910 - Dorney Park Grove.jpg
A 1910 postcard photograph of Dorney Park's picnic grove and pavilion
The Allentown-Kutztown trolley at Dorney Park in 1922 1922 - Dorney Park Allentown-Kutztown Trolley.jpg
The Allentown-Kutztown trolley at Dorney Park in 1922
Main entrance to Dorney Park in 1950 Dorney-park-night-1950.jpg
Main entrance to Dorney Park in 1950
Dorney Park's swimming pool in 1950 1950 - Dorney Park Swimming Pool.jpg
Dorney Park's swimming pool in 1950
Dorney Park's Flying Dutchman roller coaster in 1972 1972 - Flying Dutchman - Dorney Park - Allentown PA.jpg
Dorney Park's Flying Dutchman roller coaster in 1972

19th century

Dorney Park traces its history to 1860, when Solomon Dorney built a trout hatchery and summer resort on his estate outside of Allentown. In 1870, Dorney decided to convert the estate into a public attraction. The facility initially featured games, playground-style rides, refreshment stands, picnic groves, a hotel, and a restaurant. By the 1880s, Dorney had added a small zoo and garden. [2] The Allentown-Kutztown Traction Company completed its trolley line from Allentown to Kutztown in 1899, and the company added a stop at Dorney's park. Two years later, in 1862, the traction company purchased the park.

20th century

The first drops of the Steel Force and Thunderhawk roller coasters at Dorney Park Dorney Park Steel Force Thunderhawk.jpg
The first drops of the Steel Force and Thunderhawk roller coasters at Dorney Park

The Allentown-Kutztown Traction Company operated the park until 1923, when it was sold to Robert Plarr and two other partners. Plarr soon bought out his partners and ran Dorney Park independently until his death in 1966. Ownership then passed to Plarr's son, Stephen, who died within a year. Robert Ott, Plarr's son-in-law, took over as owner in 1967. In 1985, Ott sold Dorney Park to Harris Weinstein. Weinstein owned it until 1992, when he sold the park to Cedar Fair. [2]

In 1932, the Philadelphia Toboggan Coasters (PTC) Grande Carousel debuted at Dorney Park. The Whip opened in 1918, and is still in operation today and is the park's oldest ride. Dorney Park also had a swimming pool from the early 1900s until 1963. The park's first roller coaster opened in 1923. It was originally known as "The Coaster" or "the yellow roller coaster" until 1989, when it was renamed Thunderhawk. It still operates today. [3]

Near the lower entrance to the park was the Tunnel of Love, which later was rethemed as The Journey to the Center of the Earth. The ride was a Bill Tracy mill chute. It was razed following the 1992 season, after Cedar Fair acquired the park.

In the mid-1940s, PTC built a Cuddle-Up ride at the park, which was later enclosed and heavily air-conditioned in the late 1970s when it was rethemed as The Iceberg, featuring strobe lights and loud music. It was removed after the 1993 season. The Gold Mine was a dark walk-through located near The Iceberg until the former's closure in 1980. The Flying Dutchman was a Pinfari compact steel coaster located where the Ferris wheel is currently located. It was the largest of its kind, and was removed following the 1988 season due to mechanical problems.

In 1980, Dorney Park Road, a former two-lane state highway which cut through the park, was closed to traffic and converted to a midway. [4] Dorney Park Road became a local street and the access road to the park. Prior to the road's closing, Dorney Park's narrow-gauge railroad crossed the road, which caused traffic stoppages every time the train crossed.

The road closing led to the enclosure of the park by fence and the introduction of a single-price admission fee, which eliminated individual ride tickets. The park previously maintained groves for family picnics. While the groves remained outside the park's fences, patrons were no longer allowed to bring outside food into the park.

In 1982, the park opened its log flume ride, Thunder Creek Mountain, which holds the record for the longest drop on a log flume ride at 210 feet.

In the fall of 1983, a major fire destroyed a large section of the park, including the Carousel, Bucket O' Blood dark ride, Flying Bobs, and several food stands. The park replaced the rides in 1984, its 100th anniversary, with the addition of Enterprise, Musik Express, Ranger, and Apollo. New skeeball alleys, gift shops, and food stands were added.

In 1985, Dorney Park was sold to Harris Weinstein, who also bought a neighboring automobile racetrack, which was razed and replaced by a water park named Wildwater Kingdom. Its admission fee was separate from the amusement park, and its attractions included a wave pool, a family water raft ride, body slides, tube slides, and a children's water play area. Season passes were also introduced in the same year.

In 1986, a looping roller coaster designed by Anton Schwarzkopf called Laser, featuring two loops, was added to the park's lineup. It was originally designed as a portable ride for fairs, but Dorney Park used it as a permanent attraction. The coaster was named after a local Hot AC radio station known as Laser 104.1 at the time. In 1988, a kiddie coaster was added across from Laser and named Little Laser. Following Laser's removal in 2008, Little Laser was renamed Steel First, after Steel Force.

In 1989, the park further grew with debut of Hercules, a wooden terrain coaster, which was built on the top of the hill lining what was then the back of the park, near what was Wildwater Kingdom's parking lot. This coaster was the tallest wooden roller coaster in the world until Cedar Point's Mean Streak debuted in 1991. Hercules proved a big hit for Dorney Park in its first four seasons, but became known for its rough, often jarringly shaky ride, due in large part to significant modifications made to Hercules after the park was purchased by Cedar Fair in 1992. Hercules was removed in 2003 due to high maintenance costs and low ridership. A steel coaster, Hydra the Revenge, is located where Hercules once stood, and pays tribute to the former coaster in its slogan, "It's the ride that brought down Hercules."

In 1992, Cedar Fair purchased the park for $48M. [5]

In 1993, a new midway began construction, intending to connect Wildwater Kingdom directly to Dorney Park. Also in 1993, the park built a flume ride called White Water Landing that plunged riders in 20-passenger boats down an 80-foot (24 m) drop.

In 1994, the midway was completed on the top of the hill near Hercules and White Water Landing. Several concession stands and a carousel were added to this new midway. The parking lot for Wildwater Kingdom was doubled in size and converted to serve both Dorney Park and Wildwater Kingdom. A new entrance was also built to Dorney Park. Dorney Park and Wildwater Kingdom were still separately gated until the end of the season.

In 1995, admission to both Dorney Park and Wildwater Kingdom was offered at a single price for the first time. That year also saw the addition of Thunder Canyon, a river rapids ride consisting of eight-passenger rafts that plunge and rock along a 16,400-foot (5,000 m) path through a canyon, propelled by approximately 1 million US gallons (3,800 m3) of water.

In 1996, construction began on a steel hypercoaster known as Steel Force. It was designed by D.H. Morgan, a former employee of Arrow Dynamics. Morgan previously was involved with designing Magnum XL-200 at Cedar Point in 1988. Steel Force follows a similar out-and-back layout, but features a smoother braking system. It opened in 1997 as "the tallest and longest roller coaster on the east coast." Several new attractions were added to Wildwater Kingdom, including several waterslides and a second lazy river.

In 1998, Dorney Park added a top spin ride called Hang Time. At the end of the season, the Monster ride was relocated within the park. This was also the last year for the Sky Ride, which was removed at the end of the season. During the off-season, Laser was repainted.

In 1999, a 200-foot (61 m) combined turbo drop and space shot tower called Dominator was added. One tower blasts riders straight up 15 stories before dropping them back down, while another tower slowly lifts riders to 170 feet (52 m) before dropping them.

21st century

Dominator at Dorney Park & Wildwater Kingdom in September 2007 Dominator DP.jpg
Dominator at Dorney Park & Wildwater Kingdom in September 2007
Planet Snoopy at Dorney Park & Wildwater Kingdom in July 2012 Planet Snoopy at Dorney Park.jpg
Planet Snoopy at Dorney Park & Wildwater Kingdom in July 2012
White Water Landing at Dorney Park & Wildwater Kingdom in July 2012 White Water Landing at Dorney Park.jpg
White Water Landing at Dorney Park & Wildwater Kingdom in July 2012

In 2000, Dorney Park debuted Camp Snoopy, a themed children's play area. A junior coaster called Woodstock Express was added that year, bringing the park's coaster count to eight. A Wild Mouse coaster was also added this year. Additionally, a new upcharge attraction, Skyscraper, a Booster thrill ride by Gravity Works, Inc., was installed.

In 2001, a coaster designed by Bolliger & Mabillard (B&M) called Talon was added near the front entrance of park. The ride is a steel inverted looping coaster. In 2002, the park added Meteor, a flat ride built by Zamperla.

In 2003, Wildwater Kingdom was overhauled. Several older body slides were removed and replaced with four modern colored body slides, two of which were open and two of which were enclosed tube slides. Three inflated tube slides were also added. A new children's water play area was also added. In July, the park announced that Hercules would close after the end of the season, and be replaced in 2005 by Hydra the Revenge, a $13 million steel floorless B&M coaster.

In 2004, construction on Hydra the Revenge began soon after the razing of Hercules. Around the same time, Skyscraper was relocated to Valleyfair, and operated there for two years before again being relocated to Cedar Point.

On May 7, 2005, Hydra the Revenge, a coaster half a mile in length and features a 105-foot (32 m) drop, opened. It is the first and only floorless roller coaster in Pennsylvania.

On September 22, 2007, Dorney Park announced it would be opening a twisted impulse coaster from Intamin. The coaster, previously located at Geauga Lake in Aurora, Ohio, debuted in 2000 as Superman: Ultimate Escape, and was renamed Steel Venom when the park was purchased by Cedar Fair in 2004. Steel Venom was removed from Geauga Lake in 2006 and opened as Voodoo at Dorney Park on May 17, 2008. The ride was renamed Possessed after the 2008 season to resolve a conflict with Six Flags, which held the rights to the name Voodoo.

In 2008, Dorney Park announced that Laser would be removed after end of the season. Laser gave its final ride at Dorney Park on November 1, 2008. It now operates in Germany as Teststrecke, where it travels to various German fairs. In 2009, Dorney Park added the Good Time Theatre. This theatre was announced in February 2009 and broke ground in April 2009. [6]

In 2010, the park removed its bumper car ride to make room for the Demon Drop freefall ride from Cedar Point. Additionally, the park announced that Planet Snoopy would open for the 2011 season. [7] [8]

In 2011, Dorney Park completed an $8M overhaul to the former Camp Snoopy children's area. The new area was named Planet Snoopy, and included seven new rides and an amphitheater.

In 2012, Dorney Park added Stinger, a Vekoma inverted shuttle coaster formerly located at California's Great America as Invertigo. The park also added the new Fast Lane virtual queue system, and the Dinosaurs Alive! walkthrough attraction that guests paid an additional fee to access. Dinosaurs Alive! featured life-sized animatronic dinosaurs that moved and produced sound effects.

In 2013, Dorney Park introduced a new Fast Pay wristband, allowing guests to add money to an RFID prepaid wristband, allowing them to pay for food and merchandise without carrying cash. [9]

On August 28, 2013, Dorney Park announced a new 65-foot-tall (20 m) tall waterslide complex known as Snake Pit would be opened for the 2014 season. Snake Pit features six water slides. [10] [11]

Also new for 2014 was an in-park television channel called FUNtv. FUNtv is shown on television screens in the queue lines of many of the park's major attractions. [12] [13]

On November 17, 2014, Dorney Park announced a new attraction for 2015, Cedar Creek Flyers, manufactured by Larson International, Inc. [14] In 2015, Hang Time was removed, and in 2016, Screamin' Swing was removed.

In 2017, Dorney Park reopened their Dodg'ems ride, as well as adding Kaleidoscope, a HUSS troika. This season would be the final operating season for Stinger.

In 2018, Dorney Park removed Stinger. Additionally, they retracked 150 feet on Thunderhawk. Both the amusement park and waterpark received various new concessions areas. [15] In August, the park announced that Dinosaurs Alive! would close after the 2018 season.

The 2019 season held two large events: Grand Carnivale, a large international-themed festival which ran at the beginning of the season, and Monster Jam: Thunder Alley, a truck-themed event which ran in the fall. Halloween Haunt also ran in the fall. [16] [17]

On March 11, 2020, the park announced that it would open normally for the season, expecting the COVID-19 pandemic to be resolved by the summer. The park later announced on March 20, 2020, that it would not open as scheduled for the 2020 season, but would open later in the season.

On June 26, 2020, the park announced that it would be reopening with new safety protocols due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Dorney Park reopened to season pass holders on July 8, 2020, and to all guests on July 11, 2020. It was also announced that Wildwater Kingdom would not open with the park. New safety procedures included pre-arrival health screenings, temperature checks, social distancing, limited ride capacity, and mandatory masks. [18] The opening of Seaside Splashworks was pushed back until 2021. Additionally, Halloween Haunt did not occur in 2020.

On March 12, 2021, the park announced another delayed opening for the 2021 season. Dorney Park opened on May 22, and Wildwater Kingdom opened a week later. Seaside Splashworks officially opened Memorial Day weekend. It was also announced that daily operations would begin on June 16. The park was closed on Mondays and Tuesdays throughout the duration of the summer due to staffing issues. Grand Carnivale returned in July. [19] In July 2021, the park announced that Halloween Haunt and The Great Pumpkin Fest would return in fall 2021. [20] [21]

In 2022, The Whip underwent renovations. Daily operation returned for the first time since the 2019 season.

In 2023, general park upgrades and changes to the park's live entertainment and food and beverage options. Dorney Park saw the addition of a stage on the main midway, and several upgrades to Wildwater Kingdom. [22] [23] Dorney Park announced via social media on July 21, 2023, that a new B&M steel dive coaster called Iron Menace would open the next year. [24] The ride will feature four inversions, with a drop of 152 feet (46 m) and a track length of 2,169 feet (661 m). [25] [26] Iron Menace opened in May 2024. [27]

On July 1, 2024, a merger of equals between Dorney Park owner Cedar Fair and Six Flags was completed, creating Six Flags Entertainment Corporation. [28]

Attractions

Dorney Park first added a Dentzel Carousel in 1901, and has since grown to include 44 rides as of the 2023 season. [29]

Roller coasters

Intensity rating (out of 5) [30]
  1 (low)  2 (mild)  3 (moderate)  4 (high)  5 (aggressive)
NamePictureOpenedManufacturerDescription
Hydra the Revenge Hydra (Jo-Jo Roll).JPG 2005 Bolliger & Mabillard A steel floorless roller coaster. It is notable for having an inversion before the lift hill. This is called a "Jo-Jo Roll."5
Iron Menace 2024 Bolliger & Mabillard A steel dive coaster with a 152-foot drop and 4 inversions, including "the world’s first tilted loop on a dive coaster".5
Possessed Possessed (Back 2).jpg 2008 Intamin A steel launched inverted impulse roller coaster. It was previously located at Geauga Lake as Steel Venom and Superman: Ultimate Escape.5
Steel Force Steel Force (Return).jpg 1997 D.H. Morgan Manufacturing A steel hypercoaster. It is over a mile long, making it the eighth-longest steel roller coaster in the world.5
Talon Talon (Dorney Park & Wildwater Kingdom) 08.jpg 2001 Bolliger & Mabillard A steel inverted roller coaster with a vertical loop, a zero-G roll, an Immelmann, and a flat spin.5
Thunderhawk DP-Thunderhawk.jpg 1924 Philadelphia Toboggan Coasters A wooden roller coaster. One of the oldest operating roller coasters in the world.4
Wild Mouse 2000 Maurer Söhne A steel wild mouse roller coaster.4
Woodstock Express Woodstock Express (Dorney Park) 1.jpg 2000 Zamperla A steel family roller coaster.3

Thrill rides

NameOpenedManufacturerDescription
Demon Drop 2010 Intamin A first generation freefall ride. It was previously located at Cedar Point.5
Dominator 1999 S&S Worldwide A combo turbo drop and space shot tower.5
Enterprise 1984 HUSS A classic Enterprise ride.4
Revolution 2004 Chance A Revolution ride.5

Family rides

NameOpenedManufacturerDescription
Antique Carousel1995 Dentzel A 1921 Dentzel carousel featuring a 66 piece menagerie of animals and two chariots. It opened at Cedar Point in 1972 and was relocated to Dorney Park in 1995. A Wurlitzer style #153 Military Band Organ provides the carousel's music.1
Apollo1984 Soriani and Moser A Swing Around ride.3
Cedar Creek Cannonball1993 Crown Metal Products A 2 ft 6 in (762 mm) narrow gauge [31] replica steam engine train ride.1
Dodgem2017Soli Bumper cars.4
Ferris Wheel1991 Chance Rides A classic Ferris wheel ride2
Kaleidoscope2017 HUSS A HUSS troika featuring three arms of seven gondolas moving counterclockwise against the ride's main clockwise direction.3
MT Buckets2015Larson InternationalA Flying Scooters ride with eight carriages that each have a paddle, enabling guests to change the movement of their carriage. Formerly called Cedar Creek Flyers from 2015 to 2023.3
Musik Express1984 Mack Rides A music express ride.3
Road Rally1994 Morgan A car ride that features gasoline-powered vehicles that are modeled after classic sports cars.2
Scrambler1970 Eli Bridge A Twist ride.3
Sea Dragon1984 Chance Rides A pirate ship ride.3
Tilt-A-Whirl2002SellnerA classic Tilt-A-Whirl ride.3
Wave Swinger1985 Zierer A classic swing ride.3
The Whip1920W.F. MangelsRiders travel in carts through an oval that whips them around 180-degree turns. The Whip is the oldest ride in the park.2
Zephyr Railroad [32] 1935N/AA gas-electric train that takes riders on a scenic trip around the park.1

Water rides

NameOpenedManufacturerDescription
Thunder Canyon 1994Barr EngineeringA river rafting water ride.4
Thunder Creek Mountain1982Barr EngineeringA classic log flume water ride.4
White Water Landing 1993 Arrow Dynamics A shoot-the-chutes water ride.5

Kids' rides

NameOpenedManufacturerDescription
Camp Bus2000 Zamperla Crazy Bus2
Charlie Brown's Wind-Up2000 Zamperla Swing Ride2
Flying Ace2000 Zamperla Jr. Pirate Ship2
Flying Ace Balloon Race2011 Zamperla Smba Balloon2
Kite Eating Tree2000 Zamperla Mini Drop Tower2
Linus Launcher2011 Zamperla Kite Flyer3
Peanuts 5002011 Zamperla Speedway2
Peanuts Road Rally2000 Zamperla Car Ride2
Sally's Swing Set2011 Zamperla Happy Swing2
Snoopy's Cloud Climbers2011 Zamperla Aerial Carousel2
Snoopy's Junction2011 Zamperla Rio Grande Train1
Snoopy's Rocket Express2011 Zamperla Aerial Ride2
Woodstock Whirlybirds2011 Zamperla Midi Tea Cup2
Woodstock's Wagon Wheel2000 Zamperla Midi Ferris Wheel2

Defunct roller coasters

NameManufacturerTypeDesignIn operationDescription
Scenic Railway Frederick Ingersoll WoodenSit Down1903–1920Demolished.
Wild Mouse B.A. Schiff & Associates SteelSit Down1964–1965Demolished.
Flying Dutchman Pinfari SteelSit Down1972–1988Demolished.
Hercules Dinn Corporation WoodenSit Down1989–2003Demolished.
Laser Anton Schwarzkopf SteelSit Down1986–2008Sold to Meyer & Rosenzweig, now operates on the German fair circuit as Teststrecke.
Steel First Allan Herschell Company SteelKiddie1990–2010Demolished.
Dragon Coaster Zamperla SteelPowered1992–2010Relocated to Valleyfair as Cosmic Coaster.
Stinger Vekoma SteelInverted2012–2017Demolished.

Other retired attractions

NameManufacturerTypeIn operation
Berenstain Bear CountryN/AThemed children's area1995-1999
Care Bears: Care-A-Lot Castle Sally Industries Animatronic stage show1988-1992
HangtimeHuss Top Spin 1998-2014
JokerZamperlaJoker1988-2004
Monster Eyerly Aircraft Company Monster ride 1995-Unknown
Paratrooper N/AParatrooper1960s-2000
Screamin Swing S&SScreamin Swing2005-2015
SkyscraperGravity Works Inc. Booster 2000-2004
Sky RideVon RollElevated gondola rideUnknown-1998

Wildwater Kingdom

Wildwater Kingdom opened in 1985 and is located on the park grounds. It has many water attractions. Admission to Wildwater Kingdom is included with admission to Dorney Park.

Wildwater Kingdom has 22 water slides, three aquatic play areas for children, a water funhouse, two tubing rivers, two wave pools, and other water rides. In the 2006 season, Wildwater Kingdom introduced an additional wave pool, called Wildwater Cove, to accommodate the immense popularity of the park's existing wave pool.

Attractions

RideOpenedManufacturerHeight requirementStyleRating [30]
Aquablast1991Fred LangfordOver 46"Multi person slide.5
Aqua Racer2007WhiteWater WestOver 42" Multi-lane mat racer.4
Boa Blasters2014WhiteWater WestOver 48"Two enclosed tube slides featuring sharp drops5
Cascade1990Fred LangfordOver 54"Double tube slide.4
Constrictor2014WhiteWater WestOver 48"Enclosed slide with four 360 degree tight turns.5
Jumpin' Jack Splash2003WhiteWater WestOver 40"One open air and two enclosed body slides.2
Kids Cove1992Fred LangfordUnder 54" or with childChildren's area.1
Lightning Falls1990Fred LangfordOver 48"Two tube slides.5
Lollipop Lagoon1990sUnknownUnder 54" or with childChildren's area.1
Patriot's Plunge2003WhiteWater WestOver 48"Three water slides.5
Python Plummet2014WhiteWater WestOver 48"Three trap door slides.5
Runaway River1987UnknownOver 42" or with adult Lazy river.2
Seaside Splashworks2021WhiteWater WestOver 36" or with adultMulti-level play structure with 6 slides.1
Splash Landing2003WhiteWater WestUnder 54" or with a childChildren's area.1
Wave Pool1985UnknownOver 42" or with an adult Wave pool.4
Wildwater Cove2006ADGOver 42" or with an adult Wave pool.4
Wildwater Rapids2003WhiteWater WestOver 46"Two enclosed and two open air body slides.4
Wildwater River1990UnknownOver 42" or with adult Lazy river.2

Fast Lane

Fast Lane is a secondary queue system available at amusement parks owned by Six Flags. For an additional cost separate from park admission, visitors can purchase Fast Lane passes in the form of a wrist band, which grants them access to a shorter queue available on many popular attractions.

Halloween attractions

Halloween Haunt

Halloween Haunt at Dorney Park is an annual event on weekends in September and October, featuring haunted mazes, scare zones, live shows, and seasonal food and drink offerings. Halloween Haunt also features special lighting and fog effects used throughout the entire park, aimed to create an eerie atmosphere for park guests. Most of the park's rides and attractions are also open for night rides during the event. [33]

Dorney Park's Halloween Haunt event was introduced in 1998 as HalloWeekends, but was overhauled and rebranded to Halloween Haunt in 2008. Halloween Haunt is intended for mature audiences and is not recommended for guests under the age of 13.

In 2024, Dorney Park's Halloween Haunt runs in the evening on Fridays and Saturdays from September 13 through October 27, as well as Sundays in October. [34]

Current attractions

Halloween Haunt currently features 13 attractions including seven mazes and six scare zones, as well as roaming Street Talent sliders and actors, and three live mainstage shows (Opening SCAREmony, Skeleton Crew, The Shrieks). [35]

Tricks and Treats

Dorney Park's family-friendly Halloween event, Boo! Blast, was introduced along with Halloween Haunt in 2008 as its daytime counterpart.

Since its introduction, the event has gone through several name changes and overhauls. The scare-free event was re-branded and upgraded as Snoopy's Halloween Party in 2015. It was rebranded again in 2016 as The Great Pumpkin Fest. In 2024, The Great Pumpkin Fest became Tricks and Treats, offering completely different games, experiences, and activities from the previous events. [36]

In 2024, Tricks and Treats occurs in the day on Saturdays and Sundays from September 14 through October 27.

See also

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California's Great America is an 112-acre (45 ha) amusement park located in Santa Clara, California, United States. Owned and operated by Six Flags Entertainment Corporation, it originally opened in 1976 as one of two parks built by the Marriott Corporation. Great America features over 40 rides and attractions, with Gold Striker among its most notable, which has ranked as a top wooden roller coaster in the world in the annual Golden Ticket Awards publication from Amusement Today. Other notable rides include RailBlazer, a single-rail coaster from Rocky Mountain Construction, and Flight Deck, an inverted coaster from Bolliger & Mabillard. The park made appearances in the 1994 films Beverly Hills Cop III and Getting Even with Dad.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Worlds of Fun</span> Theme Park in Kansas City, Missouri

Worlds of Fun, is a 235-acre (95 ha) theme park located in Kansas City, Missouri, United States. Owned and operated by Six Flags Entertainment Corporation, it was founded by American businessmen Lamar Hunt and Jack Steadman under the ownership of Hunt's company, Mid-America Enterprises in 1973. Oceans of Fun is a water park that opened in 1982 and is next to the amusement park. Admission to Oceans of Fun is included with the price of admission to Worlds of Fun. Mid-America Enterprises sold both parks to Cedar Fair in 1995 for $40 million.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Michigan's Adventure</span> Amusement park in Muskegon, Michigan

Michigan's Adventure is a 250-acre (1.0 km2) amusement park in Muskegon County, Michigan, about halfway between Muskegon and Whitehall. It is the largest amusement park in the state and has been owned and operated by Six Flags since 2024. The park was previously owned by Cedar Fair from 2001-2024. As of 2024, Michigan's Adventure has over 60 rides, slides and attractions, more than any other park in the state.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Steel Force</span> Steel roller coaster at Dorney Park

Steel Force is a steel roller coaster located at Dorney Park & Wildwater Kingdom in Allentown, Pennsylvania. At 5,600 feet (1,700 m) in length, Steel Force is the eighth-longest steel coaster in the world as of 2024.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hydra the Revenge</span> Floorless coaster in Pennsylvania, US

Hydra the Revenge, or simply Hydra, is a steel Floorless Coaster at Dorney Park & Wildwater Kingdom in Dorneyville, Pennsylvania. Manufactured by Bolliger & Mabillard, the coaster opened to the public on May 7, 2005. Hydra was built on the site of the former wooden coaster Hercules, which was closed and demolished at the end of the park's 2003 season. The ride's name comes from the mythological Greek story where Hercules battled the Lernaean Hydra.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Talon (roller coaster)</span> Inverted roller coaster at Dorney Park

Talon: The Grip of Fear, or simply Talon, is an inverted roller coaster located at Dorney Park & Wildwater Kingdom in Dorneyville, Pennsylvania. Manufactured by Bolliger & Mabillard (B&M) and designed by Werner Stengel at a cost of $13 million, Talon opened to the public in 2001 and was marketed as the tallest and longest inverted coaster in the Northeastern United States. It stands 135-foot (41 m) tall, reaches a maximum speed of 58 mph (93 km/h), and features four inversions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Thunderhawk (Dorney Park)</span> Roller coaster

Thunderhawk is a wooden roller coaster with an out-and-back layout located at Dorney Park & Wildwater Kingdom in Allentown, Pennsylvania. Originally opening as The Coaster in 1924, Thunderhawk is the oldest operating roller coaster in the Cedar Fair chain, and one of the oldest in the world still in operation. It was manufactured by Philadelphia Toboggan Coasters (PTC) and designed by Herbert Paul Schmeck.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Steel First</span> Roller coaster

Steel First was a junior steel roller coaster located at Dorney Park & Wildwater Kingdom in Allentown, Pennsylvania. Manufactured by the Allan Herschell Company, the ride opened to the public in 1985.

SeaWorld Ohio was a theme park and marine zoological park located in Aurora, Ohio. It was owned and operated by Busch Entertainment Corporation. The Ohio location was the second SeaWorld park to be built in the chain, following SeaWorld San Diego, which opened six years earlier. The park was developed by George Millay, founder of the SeaWorld brand. After being purchased by Six Flags, the park was merged with Six Flags Ohio, an adjacent amusement park, to create Six Flags Worlds of Adventure. Later, after the property was purchased by Cedar Fair, it was converted to a water park known as Wildwater Kingdom, which occupied the property until its closure in September 2016.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Possessed (roller coaster)</span> Launched roller coaster at Dorney Park

Possessed is an inverted impulse launched roller coaster located at Dorney Park & Wildwater Kingdom in Allentown, Pennsylvania. Manufactured by Intamin and designed by Werner Stengel, the roller coaster originally debuted at Six Flags Ohio amusement park as Superman: Ultimate Escape on May 5, 2000. After Cedar Fair purchased the park and restored its Geauga Lake name in early 2004, the coaster was immediately renamed Steel Venom. The ride closed in 2006 and was moved to Dorney Park. It reopened in 2008 briefly under the name Voodoo, and was renamed Possessed for the 2009 season. The model is identical to five other impulse coaster installations at other amusement parks. A larger version called Wicked Twister was located at Cedar Point until its closure in September 2021.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Invertigo (roller coaster)</span> Dutch designed roller coasters

Invertigo is an inverted shuttle roller coaster model developed and manufactured by Dutch company Vekoma. Four roller coasters based on this model were built, with the first installation opening in 1997 as HangOver at Liseberg amusement park located in Sweden. Three of the four are still in operation. Invertigo is designed as an inverted variation of their traditional Boomerang model, which first appeared in 1984. Invertigo's seat configuration is also a departure from its predecessor, in that riders sit back-to-back, resulting in all rows facing one another with the exception of the first and last.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Impulse roller coaster</span> Form of roller coaster manufactured by Intamin

An Impulse roller coaster is a form of a launched inverted roller coaster manufactured by Intamin. The first Impulse roller coaster appeared in Japan, and the ride type has since evolved to include four specific layouts, three of these varieties being built in the United States. It uses LIMs to launch a train out of the station and up a vertical spiral. The train then falls backward, is powered again through the station, and heads up a back tower. The train then falls forward, and continues in this fashion for a total of 2½ cycles per ride. On the final forward launch, with a slightly reduced speed, the train is sent up the front tower, and brakes then deploy on the launch track. The train then slows down and heads back into the station.

Wildwater Kingdom was a water park located in Aurora and Bainbridge Township, Ohio, United States. Owned by Cedar Fair, the park opened in 2005 as part of the larger Geauga Lake and Wildwater Kingdom resort. The site was previously the location of SeaWorld Ohio (1970–2000) and later served as the marine life section of the larger Six Flags Worlds of Adventure (2001–2003). Worlds of Adventure was purchased by Cedar Fair in 2004 and the marine life area was converted into a water park for the 2005 season.

References

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Further reading