Dorney Park & Wildwater Kingdom
| File:Dorneypark logo.png | |
| Location | South Whitehall Township, Pennsylvania  |
|---|---|
| Opened | 1884 |
| Owner | Cedar Fair Entertainment Company |
| Slogan | Two Great Parks for the Price of One! |
| Area | 200 acres |
| Attractions | |
| Total | 59 |
| Roller coasters | 9 |
| Water rides | 18 |
| Website | http://www.dorneypark.com/ |
Dorney Park & Wildwater Kingdom is a United States amusement and water park. It has a large number of elaborate roller coasters, children's rides, and features one of the largest water parks in the country, Wildwater Kingdom.
Dorney Park is one of the most popular amusement parks on the East Coast of the United States. It is a popular recreational destination for residents from Philadelphia and New York City, both of which are less than 90 miles from the park.
Dorney Park is located in South Whitehall Township, Pennsylvania, just outside of Allentown, Pennsylvania, in the Lehigh Valley region of the state. It is accessible in Allentown from both Interstate 78 and Cedar Crest Boulevard.
History
Ownership
Dorney Park is owned by Cedar Fair Entertainment Co.. Cedar Fair purchased the park in July 1992. Previous owners included Harris Weinstein 1985-1992, Robert F. Ott 1967-1984, Robert L. Plarr prior to 1967, and, before him, Jacob Plarr. The park originally was founded in 1884 by Solomon Dorney, for whom it is named, as a fish hatchery.
Ride history
Rides have come and gone at Dorney Park, such as the Philadelphia Toboggan Company's Grande Carrousel which debuted at Dorney in 1932 from Shellpot Park in Wilmington, Delaware, but was destroyed in a September 1983 fire at the park. The "Bucket O' Blood" dark ride burned in the same fire. Luckily these fires occurred after the park was closed for the season, and questions of insurance fraud have left a cloud over these fires.
"The Iceberg" was a cuddle-up ride which was cold inside and had strobe lights and loud music. It was painted black and retitled "Meteorite" at the end of the 1980s and removed after the 1993 season. "The Journey to the Center of the Earth", which was a Bill Tracy dark ride located by the Coaster (now "Thunderhawk"), started out as the "Mill Chute" in 1927 and was rethemed in 1960. It was a boat ride through a dark tunnel with scary scenes behind glass, and a lift and drop at the end. It was razed following the 1992 season, after Cedar Fair, LP acquired the park. "The Gold Mine" was a scary walk-through under the arcade in the middle of the park near the Iceberg and "PTC Carrousel". It closed in the mid-1980s. "The Flying Dutchman" was a Pinfari compact steel coaster located where the Ferris Wheel is now. It was the largest of its kind. It was removed following the 1988 season due to mechanical problems and the debut of the Hercules wooden coaster in 1989. Hercules was later demolished at the end of the 2003 season due to high maintenance costs and low ridership. It was replaced by "Hydra the Revenge" in 2005.
Hydra the Revenge
On May 7, 2005, Dorney Park opened "Hydra: the Revenge", which is a $13 million floorless roller coaster. The half-a-mile length floorless coaster features a steep 105-foot drop. With the opening of Hydra, Dorney Park became home to nine roller coasters.
Dorney Park in movies
Dorney Park is featured as the park backdrop in the 1988 John Waters' film Hairspray. In the film, the character Franklin von Tussle, played by Sonny Bono, owns an amusement park.
Also, the 1968 film, Where Angels Go, Trouble Follows features scenes of Dorney Park including the old Alfundo entrance over the coaster, the Pirate's Cove (Bucket O' Blood), Journey to the Center of the Earth, the Scrambler, the Coaster (Thunderhawk), and other Dorney Park scenes.
In Summer 2006 a video for Kidz Bop ("All-American Rejects") was filmed at Dorney Park.
Wildwater Kingdom
Dorney Park's Wildwater Kingdom, located on the park grounds, is one of the largest water parks in the country, with over a dozen water rides and pools. It opened in 1985. It has become a major summer attraction and is especially popular with residents from the local Lehigh Valley, as well as Allentown's two closest major cities, New York City and Philadelphia.
Wildwater Kingdom has 18 water slides, three aquatic playlands for children, a water funhouse, two tubing rivers, 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. For the 2007 season, the park is adding a six-lane mat racing waterslide.
Dorney Park roller coasters
Dorney Park's five primary roller coasters are among the world's most recognizable and popular. They include:
Current
| Name | Manufacturer | Type | Design | Year Opened |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hydra: the Revenge | Bolliger & Mabillard | Steel | Sit Down (floorless) | 2005 |
| Laser | Schwarzkopf | Steel | Sit Down (looping) | 1986 |
| Steel Force | Morgan | Steel (hypercoaster) | Sit Down | 1997 |
| Talon: the Grip of Fear | Bolliger & Mabillard | Steel | Inverted | 2001 |
| Thunderhawk | Philadelphia Toboggan Company | Wooden | Sit Down | 1923 |
| Wild Mouse | Schiff | Steel | Sit Down | 1964 |
Past
| Name | Manufacturer | Type | Design | In operation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hercules | Dinn Corporation | Wooden | Sit Down | 1989-2003 |
| Flying Dutchman | Pinfari | Steel | Sit Down | 1977-1988 |
| Scenic Railway | Frederick Ingersoll | Wooden | Sit Down | 1903-1920 |
New coaster for 2008
Dorney's plans have recently been approved to build a new roller coaster for 2008. The roller coaster is believed to be Steel Venom (formely Superman: Ultimate Escape) from Geauga Lake in Aurora, OH.