Anyone do Dorney Park in Allentown, PA?

[spima3]

DS wants to go this weekend for the Halloween Haunt.

I've never been there, and I've heard it isn't the greatest park; not clean, rowdy crowds, and, of course, very expensive!

Anyone been there and can offer any tips or advice?

 

[jenny105]

I like Dorney Park. It's on the small side since it's paired with a waterpark but there's enough to keep you busy for a day. There are a lot of school groups that go there & unsupervised kids running around but I've never thought it was not clean. In comparison to Six Flags Great Adventure, it's immaculate, less expensive, and less crowded. Six Flags is closer to our home and I prefer to go to Dorney and Hershey even though they're farther away.

 

[marcyinPA]

I live in the area, and we never go. Not fans at all. My kids don't even like it there.

We prefer Hershey and Knoebels.

 

[Erin1700]

I would not say it wasnt clean.

If your son is little I think you would have a really fun time! Get there right when it opens though as it does get crowded! And if he is little, leave at 5PM because the nights are not geared towards little ones.

 

[LuvsDragonflies]

We went this summer and had a blast. It was clean, food was okay, yes extras were expensive. Par for the course. I went to Knoebel's a few years ago and didn't really care for it. So I'm thinking it's all in what you like.

Went to Great Adventure this summer too, it also was clean and fun, but the rides are much closer together in Dorney so I felt like it was less walking, even it a bit of it was up hill.

 

[katrina1122]

We live in Trenton, NJ so it was a bit of a drive for us, we will NEVER do it again. Yes, Six Flags isn't great, but at least it's close.

DP was so overcrowded when we went, we couldn't get on anything. Even the lesser attractions had an hour wait. We were there in the summer and the waterpark was wall to wall people. We got on 4 slides the whole day.

Also, not to sound uppity, but we felt like we were super rich, high class people there, not our normal middle income city dwellers compared to the guests. They were trashy, wore trashy clothes, cursed constantly, cutting in line was the rule, not the exception. If you said something you were yelled at, not the line cutters. The high up managers were walking around on trash pick up patrol because regular staff couldn't keep up with the amount of garbage hitting the ground. No one used the trashcans.

While it was a pretty landscaped park and had some historical rides, I'll never waste my money there again. It was 2 days of total aggravation I'll never get back.

 

[marcyinPA]

We live in Trenton, NJ so it was a bit of a drive for us, we will NEVER do it again. Yes, Six Flags isn't great, but at least it's close.

DP was so overcrowded when we went, we couldn't get on anything. Even the lesser attractions had an hour wait. We were there in the summer and the waterpark was wall to wall people. We got on 4 slides the whole day.

Also, not to sound uppity, but we felt like we were super rich, high class people there, not our normal middle income city dwellers compared to the guests. They were trashy, wore trashy clothes, cursed constantly, cutting in line was the rule, not the exception. If you said something you were yelled at, not the line cutters. The high up managers were walking around on trash pick up patrol because regular staff couldn't keep up with the amount of garbage hitting the ground. No one used the trashcans.

While it was a pretty landscaped park and had some historical rides, I'll never waste my money there again. It was 2 days of total aggravation I'll never get back.

I just wanted to comment on this, because this is one of the reasons we don't go. I will tell you that although we have our share of interesting people in this area, I'm willing to bet that most of the people you witnessed that day were NOT from around here. I just wanted to throw that out there....so you aren't thinking that your day at Dorney was a good representation of the people of the Lehigh Valley- because it is not.

 

[LuvsDragonflies]

I didn't experience any of that when we went this summer, must have been a good day. either that or I'm just part of the rabble.

 

[quentina]

I live about 10 minutes away. I only go if someone gives me free tix. I wouldn't say the park isn't clean, the problem I have is the clientel (SP??) seems to be going down. I have witnessed some of the most obnoxious people here (and I am in HR lol).

I do think that you will enjoy the park, just ignore the crap going on around you.

 

[spima3]

I didn't experience any of that when we went this summer, must have been a good day. either that or I'm just part of the rabble.

Well, I'm sure hoping we have "your" experience and not that of others!

DS is 14, and he has been there on a school trip, but he and some of his friends wanted to do the Haunt.

Since I know of it's poor reputation on regular days, I was really worried about going there at night.

I don't know of anyone who has ever done it, and so far no one here seems to have either.

Guess if it gets bad, we can just leave. I think though I will tag along with them rather than letting them have free rein, just in case. DS might not be too crazy with that, but I know I'll feel better.

Might be another, "mom has to take the fun out of everything" days. Oh well.

Thx for all the input, if anyone cares to comment on the night time haunt, you still have time.

lori

 

[GraysMom]

I just wanted to comment on this, because this is one of the reasons we don't go. I will tell you that although we have our share of interesting people in this area, I'm willing to bet that most of the people you witnessed that day were NOT from around here. I just wanted to throw that out there....so you aren't thinking that your day at Dorney was a good representation of the people of the Lehigh Valley- because it is not.

I agree. DS6 and I have had DP season passes for the last 3 years, and the majority of the obnoxious teens we have encountered waiting to enter the park (since we spend most of our time in Camp Snoopy where the teens are not) come in on buses, often from camps or Philly. There is little to no adult supervision (I don't count the older teen "counselors" as adult supervision) and the kids know it . I will say the park is generally trash free and well landscaped.

Personally, I prefer Knoebels, but it's not feasible for us to drive up there every week during the summer (though I wish it was!). Knoebels is having their Halloween weekends this month.

 

[katrina1122]

I just wanted to comment on this, because this is one of the reasons we don't go. I will tell you that although we have our share of interesting people in this area, I'm willing to bet that most of the people you witnessed that day were NOT from around here. I just wanted to throw that out there....so you aren't thinking that your day at Dorney was a good representation of the people of the Lehigh Valley- because it is not.

Didn't think that all, there were tons of out of state plates in the parking lot.

 

[Spinning]

This is the first year in about 4 years we didn't go for the haunt.
I have no complaints! Every! Last year it was the most crowded but we went very late in Oct. Kids had a blast during the day and liked everything at night. We really enjoy it and never found it to be trashy, nasty people, or not a good place to be.
Hope next year we will not have such a busy Oct so we can go again!

 

[rotlex]

We live 10 minutes from it and get season passes every year. It's a nice park, small, but quite a few decent rides, and frankly, one of the best water parks I've ever been too in the summer.

As far as the Haunt? It' s great. One of the better amusement park Halloween scare things around. During the day, they do a little kids version, call Boo Blast, with trick or treating, kids games etc. At night, the kids stuff shuts down, and the Haunt are goes active. I think this year there are like 13 scare areas, from outdoor walks, to indoor houses. Really good stuff actually.

Dorney in general is evolving every year. I've been going there for probably 40 years, and remember when it was a free admission\ticket park. It's now akin to a smaller six flags type place. (It is owned by Cedar Fair). It's well maintained, but can get VERY crowded in the summer with the Philly, New York and Jersey crowds. The most pleasant time to visit is definitely spring or fall.

 

[rotlex]

I just wanted to comment on this, because this is one of the reasons we don't go. I will tell you that although we have our share of interesting people in this area, I'm willing to bet that most of the people you witnessed that day were NOT from around here. I just wanted to throw that out there....so you aren't thinking that your day at Dorney was a good representation of the people of the Lehigh Valley- because it is not.

Very true regarding the people that frequent Dorney, as opposed to the people actually from the area. This is one reason we enjoy the early spring and fall there, and usually avoid the mid summer, unless it's a week night or something for just a few hours with the kids.

 

[It'sWDW4me]

I live about 15 minutes away from DP but I REFUSE to go there. The layout is unplanned at best. I went a few years ago with my brother and his 3 kids only because he needed help with the kids. The place he worked at the time had rented the park for the day for the employees and their familes so we all got in for free. Before that, the last time I was there had been about 15 years earlier - that's when I had had enough. I'd rather drive an hour and a half to Hershey.

 

[Mom3girls]

We went on a Friday during the last week of August and we had a great time. It wasn't crowded at all and practically walked onto all rides without a wait. Kids had a blast and so did we. We stayed all day and til about 10 at night. The food was a bit pricey but we expected that since it is a theme park. We would definitely go back!

 

[Erin1700]

With our season passes, we treat it like Disney. Get there when it opens and leave before the crowds. I completely agree with all of you about the people. It is not the park that is unclean, it is it's guests!

 

[ckay87]

I'm local to Dorney also. I'm not the hugest fan (although I absolutely worship Steel Force ), but it's okay. During the summer we 100% always do a weeknight evening pass, when the nastier guests seem to be gone and the lines are non-existent.

Anyway, one year we were invited to go to the haunt and I was not looking forward to it. But it was actually really good! I mean, if you want to do a haunted attraction kind of thing, you may as well do one with rides and rollercoasters (as opposed to Shocktoberfest, etc. also in this area). The year we went, they did some crazy fog down in the Thunderhawk area and it was pretty creepy.

You have a 14 year old son? He will love this, mark my words (I know of what I speak, I have boys too). They tend to not be as picky about a lot of the things we do.

Have fun!

 

[englishteacha]

I think it depends on the day you go. We went once on a dreary (not rainy) Friday in Aug. 2004 and had NO crowds at all. It was a great day! We stopped in on a Saturday evening in Aug. 2005 on our way through to Ohio to Cedar Point and whoa. What a difference. It was packed, lots of large groups, and LOTS of yelling, screaming, and foul language. It was everywhere. We only stopped in because we were getting season passes there that would get us into Cedar Point. We only rode 2 or 3 rides (had to try Hydra!) and then left. It was a rough crowd that night and we decided we won't go back on a weekend ever again!