NewsPlusNotes

Legends Panel 2025

noreply@blogger.com (Scott and Carol) — Mon, 17 Nov 2025 18:16:00 +0000

Legends Panel 2025

My how quickly a year goes by. Bob Rogers has brought forth another fantastic Legends Panel for IAAPA this year. This year will be a report from Epic Universe, in case you have lived in a cave for several years, Epic Universe is the new addition to Universal Orlando.

The program features three (3) people from the talent pool at Universal. The first is Eric Parr, who is willing to share a few things from his twenty-five (2)5 years in the themed entertainment business. His proven excellence is only out shadowed by his continuing curiosity to learn new things. As the Senior Vice President, Creative Studio, Universal Creative, he is know for inspiring teams to deliver unforgettable attractions.

Next up is Jody Keller, Vice President, Advanced Technology, Media and Immersive Experiences, Universal Creative. Jody is always pushing to define new limits by pushing the boundaries of what is possible. Overseeing the new technologies that define Epic Universe, she helped the project teams take guest immersion to another level.

Of course we have to have a safety guy. Steve Blum, Executive Vice President, Engineering & Safety, Universal Creative. Not you ordinary engineer, Steve helped refine the creative solutions that allowed the creative visions to shine, while keeping the show both safe and reliable. With over three (3) decades of experience in themed entertainment, he knows how to reliably keep guests enthralled with new things.

Katy Pacitti was the creative lead for bringing us the Isle of Berk. As Senior Director, Executive Producer, Universal Creative, she brought in the rich details and delightful discoveries for guests to explore. With a memorable sense of humor, (she coined the phrase "it takes a village to build a (Viking) village," she is bound to have outstanding stories to share.

So there you have it, Wednesday 4:00 PM, upstairs at room S320ABEF. Just look for the big crowd and you will know you are at the right place. Enjoy!

It's IAAPA time again!

noreply@blogger.com (Scott and Carol) — Mon, 11 Nov 2024 16:11:00 +0000

Legends Panel 2024

The show floor opens 11/19/2024 but one of the highlights is always the Legends Panel curated by Bob Rogers, who has won virtually every award available in the theming industry. One has to feel sorry for the companies that get stuck with the late Wednesday afternoon time slots for their press conferences. Based on seeing people lining up for this presentation nearly one (1) hour early, that is very tough competition for attention indeed.

This year is no exception. Presenting will be Bob Weis, former President of Walt Disney Imagineering. Margaret Chandra Kerrison, who worked as a former Disney Imagineer and also for the Bob Rogers Company. Completing the panel is Joe Pine, a cofounder of Strategic Horizons LLP, a thinking studio.

Finding the Learning Hub, sponsored by Miral should be very easy. Just go to the top level of the South Concourse and look for the long line. Specifically, S320ABEF. The knowledge is scheduled to begin flowing at 4:00 pm. See you there, (early.)

Dorney Park Ready to Unleash Iron Menace to Eager Visitors

noreply@blogger.com (NewsPlusNotes) — Thu, 18 Apr 2024 00:14:00 +0000

Dorney Park has been hard at work over the last year and a half on making it to this day, when visitors to the park were able to ride Iron Menace for the first time. The media opening was held today, to be quickly followed by a series of preview events that will let a legion of eager ride fans experience the Northeast's first Dive coaster over the next couple weeks.

For more videos and photos from today's festivities make sure to check out NewsPlusNotes' Instagram and X accounts!

Before we get to the ride proper we must recognize the amazing job that the park did on creating an all new themed area surrounding Iron Meance, known as the Steel Yard. The area hearkens back to the Steel Mills that populated this part of Pennsylvania, and has seen several existing locations transform into newly themed outlets. The entire section features plenty of relaxing areas and and grand opening up of the view of the adjacent Cedar Creek. It's a wonderful change.

A former closed employee area has reopened as Steel Yard Gifts, a really nice gift shop that features an extensive amount of Iron Menace merchandise, but also Dorney Park and other thrill ride items. The Steel Menace merchandise being offered is really nice and one of the largest offerings we've seen for an attraction at the park. Make sure to stop in and pick up a souvenir (or two or three) when at the park.

A highly renovated food location is now going to be known as the Iron Mill Bar & Grill, seen above. The location is entering the final stages of construction, and already looks beautiful compared to the former version of the building. The location features a large patio next to it with covered seating so that visitors and relax and eat.

MT Buckets is also up and running, a nicely renovated and repainted family attraction that sits directly next to Iron Menace. It's a great ride that has been underutilized up until this year, when many, many more visitors will find it on their way to the new coaster.

There is much more to explore in the Steel Yard area, and we'll be certain to show a lot of those details in future stories. For now though, let's dig in to the ride of the day, Iron Menace!

Iron Menace is a B&M Dive Coaster that stands 160 feet tall and after the beyond-vertical 95 degree first drop the 21 passenger trains soar at a cool 64 miles per hour. The ride is imposing and has forever changed the look of the lower midway at Dorney Park with its 4 inversions and 2,169 feet of track. The section of the park feels alive like it never has in the past, and it is all thanks to this new coaster.

Riders approach and walk past about half of the coaster's layout to arrive at the station, giving them a chance to check out the ride's imposing first plunge and soaring Immelman loop.

This is the entrance to Iron Menace's station. I will openly admit I'm pretty obsessed with the coaster's station because of the theming that has been added to it. This type of theming is new to the modern Dorney Park, and it's fantastic.

When you first enter the queue you pass under the actual station for the coaster and there's a ton of theming in this section, as the photos above will show. There are real relics from the Steel industry mixed in with props, and lots of easter eggs as well - make sure to check out the names of the employees' time cards!

The extended queue goes out toward the back half of the ride's layout, and here we see the bloggers vehicle that has been ditched in a hurry near the steel factory. More to come on this story as much of it will be fully told in the queue.

Iron Menace's station is pretty dang neat, too. The station has a lot of theatrical lighting that is synced to a unique soundtrack that features the evil Hiram McTavish himself - and if you pay attention and you hear him as you climb the lift hill as well. Also, you'll know when you're about to plunge if you listen for the factor whistle blasts! You'll see when I mean when you ride!

Okay but how ABOUT THE RIDE! It's great! Iron Menace is a perfect fit to Dorney Park's existing line up, and the park's 3rd B&M. By that standard you know you're going to get a great ride, and the manufacturer did not disappoint. If found that riding in the center of the train gives a more gentle ride, and moving to the outward seats gives a bit more of an aggressive thrill feeling through the elements.

The first drop is a true standout. Hanging facing the ground for those three or so seconds is a pleasure and really reminds you you're alive! The drop is filled with air as you float downward, and yes, the 95 degrees is noticeable to me! The extended zero-g roll gives more hangtime as well, and the first-of-its-kind-on-a-dive-coaster Tilted Loop gave way more forces than I expected!

Are you hyped to ride Iron Menace? If so you can, and soon! The park is holding a special charity event this Friday and tickets are still available! Follow this link to snatch your chance to ride Iron Menace before the public!

The park is opening for special season preview days on April 27th and 29th and May 4th and 5th. Limited rides will be open, but Iron Menace will be open and both daily ticket and season passholders are welcome!

Congratulations to Dorney Park on their new coaster, and special thanks for having us out to ride today. We'll be back soon - see you there!

Dorney Park's Thunderhawk Turns 100!

noreply@blogger.com (NewsPlusNotes) — Sun, 31 Mar 2024 20:00:00 +0000

Yesterday, March 30th, marked the official 100th birthday of Dorney Park's classic wooden roller coaster, Thunderhawk. Not many coasters get to survive to see their 100th birthday, so this is a very big occasion for the park!

The Coaster, as it was known at the time, opened to park visitors on March 30th, 1924 with construction having started the year before in 1923. The ride originally had an out and back layout but was changed years later into the twisted layout that we know today.

“Thunderhawk is a national landmark and an integral part of our park’s history,” said Dorney Park Vice President and General Manager Jessica Naderman. “We are proud of the generations of men and women who have preserved this roller coaster over the years, and we’re excited to celebrate its centennial.”

The Coaster was created by Philadelphia Toboggan Coasters, and to this day that same company refurbishes the ride's trains each winter.

“We’re glad that Dorney Park is recognizing Thunderhawk’s 100th anniversary,” said President of Philadelphia Toboggan Coasters, Inc Thomas Rebbie. “It means a lot when you reach a milestone like this. We are proud to help preserve this amazing piece of history.”

In 2024 Dorney Park will celebrate the coaster's centennial with a lot of special signage around Thunderhawk but also a celebratory look for the trains. Seen above, they are decked out with the ride's 100th anniversary logo along with some slick new decals.

More details on the ride's celebration will be available at a later date, but the park does plan to have special merchandise and a weekend dedicated to the ride's big birthday during the summer.

Iron Menace First Rider Event + Early Season Opening Revealed

noreply@blogger.com (NewsPlusNotes) — Thu, 28 Mar 2024 23:09:00 +0000

If you're looking to be one of the very first to ride Iron Menace at Dorney Park, AND support a wonderful charity, then check out Dorney's Ride For A Cause event, taking place the evening of April 19th at the park. The separately ticketed first rider event will benefit the Eagles Autism Foundation, and come with way more benefits than just being some of the very first riders on the park's new B&M dive coaster!

The event will appeal not only to coaster fans (our obvious target here) but also Eagles fans, of which there are plenty in the area. The park is rightly proud to hold the event to raise funds for the Eagles Autism Foundation, which "is dedicated to raising funds for innovative autism research and care programs. By providing the necessary resources to doctors and scientists at leading institutions, the Eagles Autism Foundation will be able to assist those currently affected by autism as well as future generations."

“Dorney Park is proud to share the spotlight created by excitement and enthusiasm for our new roller coaster Iron Menace with the Eagles Autism Foundation,” said Dorney Park Vice President and General Manager Jessica Naderman. “Through our Dorney Park Cares and Cedar Fair Charities initiative, we are committed to giving back to our community and providing better fun for children and families across our region. We can think of no better partner than the Eagles Autism Foundation, which has shown an inspiring level of commitment and care for many years.”

The park is offering three different levels of tickets that have a ton of benefits beyond the new coaster - these include (depending on ticket level purchased) meeting an Eagles player, photos with the Eagles cheerleaders, tickets to return to the park this Summer, food and beverage, and special gifts. The interest and buzz on social media for the event is huge, so if you're pondering tickets I'd suggest doing it soon!'

Not to overshadow this awesome event, but Dorney Park also updated their calendar today to show that the park will open early to guests (both season pass holders and daily ticket guests) starting on April 27th for Preseason Preview Days. Not all rides will be open, but Iron Menace will be and isn't that the most exciting ride anyway! I kid, but most of the park's coasters will be open plus a bunch of family rides, Planet Snoopy, and several Food and Retail locations (including those in the new Steel Yard themed area).

The park will be open Sat/Sun April 27th and 28th and Sat/Sun May 4th and 5th from 11am until 5pm. See you there!

Dorney Park's Iron Menace Official POV Released

noreply@blogger.com (NewsPlusNotes) — Mon, 25 Mar 2024 22:35:00 +0000

Dorney Park has released a brand new point of view spin on their dive coaster, Iron Meance. The clip can be found below, but be sure to know that the park is not yet testing with the initial holding brake turned on. It will be tested soon, however and is definitely coming!

"This morning the park released the first official on ride point of view video. It shows one of the 21-seat trains diving down the 160 foot high, 95-degree drop, before flying at speeds of up to 64 miles per hour across the brand-new track. Iron Menace boasts four inversions including a tilted loop, which is the first of its kind for a dive roller coaster, in addition to some dynamic theming that pays homage to the Lehigh Valley’s rich industrial history.

“2024 will be a historic year for Dorney Park with Iron Menace and some of the story-telling that comes along with it,” said Dorney Park’s Public Relations and Communications Manager Ryan Eldredge. “A new restaurant and bar, a new gift shop, and Iron Menace’s breath-taking station will really bring our new Steel Yard themed area to life.”

Take a spin below!

Iron Menace Takes First Test Run at Dorney Park

noreply@blogger.com (NewsPlusNotes) — Thu, 21 Mar 2024 01:04:00 +0000

Iron Menace is officially alive! The park confirmed that the new B&M Dive Coaster made its first test run successfully around 4:24 pm today. The ride has been under construction for about 8 months, so it was super exciting for members of the Dorney Park team and construction crews to see Iron Menace run for the first time.

“We cheered. It was a special moment,” said Communications and Public Relations Manager Ryan Eldredge. “This park is a huge part of our lives and this community and we are beyond grateful to be a part of history. Based on that test run, this ride is going to be an absolute hit.”

Iron Menace's official opening date is May 10th, but park officials have stressed that if at all possible they intend to open the park early for previews of the ride. With this successful first test run, those early preview dates certainly look like a good bet right now!

Dorney Park has released some awesome B-Roll footage of the ride testing. Iron Menace is much zippier than I expected, and in all the right ways! I cannot wait to ride!

Dorney Park's Winter Chill Out - Menace + 2024 Changes

noreply@blogger.com (NewsPlusNotes) — Wed, 20 Mar 2024 00:45:00 +0000

Dorney Park held their first-ever Winter Chill Out event this past weekend, and it was an amazing backstage look at the park and the new Iron Menace roller coaster. Best of all, the event raised a cool $10,000 for the Lehigh Valley Reilly Children's Hospital!

The event featured a great presentation and q&a session with the park's Communications and Public Relations Manager Ryan Eldredge, and the park's Vice President and General Manager Jessica Naderman. They were very frank in answering some great questions about the development of Iron Menace, including other rides that were in the running along with a B&M dive coaster, how the ride's name was developed, colors chosen and much, much more. Huge props to the park for really connecting with their fans in this way!

But how about that new roller coaster, eh? Iron Menace looks fantastic up close and personal, just as you'd expect. The lower part of the park has been forever changed again with the addition of this ride. It's going to be the start of a new chapter for the park, no doubt.

As you approach the ride you immediately notice how much further out into the midway it is than Stinger used to be. They've also widened the start of the midway heading toward the ride to account for the thrill seekers passing through this way. Above is the area where the ride's marquee will be, we didn't get a preview of it but knowing Dorney's graphic artists and amazing sign shop we know it will be impressive.

The park also had out this test seat for visitors to sit in for photos - this is NOT the test seat's final location.

At the base of the first drop there is a concrete pad poured just like we saw in the original drawings. The park did confirm that some sort of theming element will be placed here, but I wasn't able to get a full description of exactly what is planned. Looking forward to seeing what happens here!

Iron Menace's station is coming along quickly, and it's looking more and more detailed with additional theming being placed. One of Cedar Fair's designers was on hand as well to explain more about the elaborate backstory of the ride. Visitors will be entering the old steel mill after some bloggers already went exploring there - and disappeared. There will be traces of them in the queue and some of their findings on the queue monitors. But they're gone...

The park recently installed that 39 foot tall smoke stack on the side of the station - it will be themed now that it's standing. They're not messing around with theming for this ride!

This side view of the station is pretty cool not only to see inside at some of the theming but also to note that the large tank on the far right of the photo is actually one of the air compression tanks from the park's old Screamin' Swing attraction. Its being reused and rethemed to be part of the steel mill vibe. Awesome!

The views from all around the station area are impressive. The park did mention that two of the other top names that were in the running for the coaster were Iron Inferno and Iron Raven. They've both cool and maybe it's just because I feel like I know the ride now, but I'd still choose Iron Menace.

Legit theming! This is really and truly a new era for Dorney Park! And honestly, I'd never have had "park adds a themed ride in a newly themed area" on my bingo card! Couldn't be happier about it, though.

On the backside of the ride you can see the tilted loop and final corkscrew in place. The park has started to pour the queue for the ride (2nd pic) but has a lot left to go. This will be a neat area to way for the ride with the going all around you.

As we know the ride's two trains (each will feature bigger seats in the last two rows) are on the track and ready to go. The park actually hoped the ride would run the first time on Saturday evening, but that was pushed to this week. So at any time we could get word that Iron Menace has completed the track!

Just cannot stress enough how much this ride has changed the lower part of the park. It is beautiful!

Other notes on Iron Menace (though some I won't repeat as a bonus for those who attended): A 95 degree drop wasn't in the original design, but the park worked with B&M to get it added, there was a 200 foot tall version of the ride but having it that tall meant it lacked a "dynamic" layout, Iron Beast was another popular name for the ride during development, and of the three proposals from B&M Iron Menace is "alternate c" - with the park passing on "a" and "b." Love this nerdy stuff!

The Steel Yard is a brand new themed area coming together around Iron Menace. I've said it before and I'll say it again, I still cannot believe I'm writing about a themed area at Dorney Park! Above is a concept (not final design) for the entrance sign to the Steel Yard themed area. It will start at where the Monster formerly was and extend all the way back to Iron Menace and Ghost in the Machine.

The flyers have been rethemed and are now known as MT Buckets - 'empty buckets' because ghosts are riding the ride!

The new design of the flyers themselves could be seen in one of the pavilions that the park uses for off-season storage. They're all ready to go, just waiting to be assembled on the ride!

This is the location of the former Monster ride, it already has tables out on it since it will be a seating area this year to support the new restaurant next door. The fate of the Monster ride has not been revealed yet, but at this point it is pretty certain if it stays it will not be in operation in 2024.

Iron Mill Grill & Bar is under heavy construction at the moment. The park is expanding the building slightly toward the midway and has already added the new thematic roof seen above. The new restaurant will serve local favorites such as pierogies and flat breads. Oh, and fried TastyKakes!

Steel Yard Gifts has made major progress on the exterior renovations, and the inside is said to have made a ton of progress as well. This new gift shop will offer a ton of Iron Menace related merchandise but also other general Dorney Park items.

Some new signage had just started to go up in the Steel Yard area that will help visitors understand the backstory to the area. You can read more on the above image!

Dorney Park leaders have made a commitment to featuring Cedar Creek more and to do that they've started to clear out items that blocked the view of it. The ladder balance game is already gone and the above basketball game is on the way out too. The park is placing lots of seating along the creek for guests to enjoy and take a break.

The opening up of the view of Cedar Creek from within the Steel Yard also includes the renovation of this old picnic pavilion. It recently held the Possessions gift shop and a storage area (and a few old coin games) but has been gutted and is being dirtied up and themed for the area. It will be a massive area for guests to relax next to the creek under the shade. Also the fencing along the creek is all new, with the intent being that guests can enjoy the space closer to it.

Thunderhawk is turning 100 this year! The park fully intends to celebrate it quite a bit, just further in the summer when some of the Iron Menace buzz cools. The park doesn't want a historic anniversary like T-Hawk's 100th anniversary to get overshadowed. Guests to Winter Chill Out got to see and sit in the ride's train decorated for the event - including slick new decals on the side and a special logo on the front. Watch for more info coming later on the celebration, it sounds like a whole weekend celebrating the ride is being planned.

Another stop during the event was to go inside the electrical room for Possessed and hear directly from the park's lead electrician who maintains the ride. The amount of high voltage thingies in that building is crazy! A really cool benefit to the event.

Getting to get a lights on tour of Ghost In The Machine - the park's uber popular new haunt last year that teased the Iron Menace backstory - was a very neat thing we got to do too! The level of detail in the maze is incredible. And the park is proud to point out that a team who worked on Knott's Berry Farm mazes created this one for the park.

The last stop on the tour was the road that heads back behind Hydra and Steel Force's helix. Many awesome photo spots could be found back here, like not often available shot of Hydra's first inversion from below. Steel Force was testing too - the ride is getting and all new control system and is currently working on new programming which appears to include a much speedier lift hill!

A couple other notes before we wrap up here.

• The park's candy store on the edge of Planet Snoopy is becoming a Sweet Spot... similar to ones in a couple other Cedar Fair parks.

• The Chickie's & Pete's sports bar is turning into White Water Tavern with an all new menu this year. The Chickie's in the lower park and water park will remain.

• Zephyr will need until closer to Memorial Day to get its track replaced and reopen to guests.

• The Summer Nights event that is replacing Grand Carnivale will run Fridays through Sundays and the park previewed some of the special foods being designed.

• Tricks and Treats will be spread out in the lower park starting from around Center Stage and going all the way toward Steel Force.

• The old Speed Slides in the water park have been removed (they did not operate in 2023).

Congratulations to Dorney Park and its team for a very successful inaugural Winter Chill Out! The park intends to make it an annual tradition so I highly recommend getting tickets before they sell out next year!

Iron Menace's Track is Now Complete!

noreply@blogger.com (NewsPlusNotes) — Thu, 29 Feb 2024 00:02:00 +0000

Dorney Park has made quick work of the last half of Iron Menace's layout, with the final track piece lifted into place just yesterday. The coaster went up in order (like many B&Ms do), with the brake run and station area having gone in first, and now connected with the last piece, which was a part of the start of the brake area. With the 2,169 feet of track now a complete circuit, the park will move on to focusing on the ride's station, theming, queue and other aspects of the overall experience.

"This is an exciting day for Dorney Park, our guests and our community,” said Ryan Eldredge, Dorney Park’s Communications and Public Relations Manager. "We started by announcing two new events for our 2024 season and we end with the news that our track is connected. It’s such a special time to be at Dorney Park.”

Iron Menace's vertical construction started around November 15th, so total construction time to get all track and supports in place was around three and a half months. Granted the park could have completed that even faster - but for a while they were putting up steel as it arrived, and there was a purposeful pause on track going up while the station was focused on for logistical reasons. Either way, another B&M coaster has gone up smoothly, to say the least!

Iron Menace features a 160 foot tall lift hill and a beyond-vertical 95 degree first drop that stretches 152 feet. Four inversions follow that drop, including an Immelman, Zero-G Roll, the first ever on a dive coaster Tilted Loop, and a corkscrew. The ride officially opens on May 10th but watch for special preview day information from the park in the near future!

Dorney Park to Feature Returning Favorites + 2 New Events in 2024

noreply@blogger.com (NewsPlusNotes) — Tue, 27 Feb 2024 23:43:00 +0000

Dorney Park has announced their lineup of special events for the park's 2024 season, and it includes some returning favorites along with some major changes with two new events announced. The park will be featuring Iron Menace and the all new Steel Yard themed area this season, but on top of that will keep visitors busy with several events and an "exciting array of new investments coming to the park in 2024."

The park will celebrate Opening Day on Friday May 10th, which is the official opening date for Iron Menace, but do keep your eyes out for announcements about passholder previews and possibly other special events. Then Wildwater Kingdom will open for the season on May 25th - but season pass holders will get a preview day on May 19th.

On select nights from July 12th through August 18th the park will celebrate with Summer Nights, a new event that "will transport you to tropical shores with its energetic beats" and live entertainment. Guests will be able to the "feel the rush of exhilarating night rides on our top-rated coasters, indulge in Caribbean and Latin American inspired cuisine, and sip exotic beverages" during Summer Nights. Sounds like a great combination of family fun, thrilling rides, live shows and special food and beverage offerings.

The fall season will also be accented by the new Tricks and Treats family-friendly Halloween event, running on Saturdays and Sundays from September 14th through October 27th. Featuring "mischievous tricks, tasty treats" and the park's popular family rides, the event will be a new take on daytime Halloween fun. Both Summer Nights and Tricks and Treats will be spread out through Dorney Park, unlike Grand Carniavle and the Great Pumpkin Fest, which they are replacing.

And fear not, Halloween Haunt will still be returning to Dorney Park on select nights from September 13th through October 26th, and the popular Food Truck Rally will be held on October 19th and 20th.

"We are so excited to celebrate the addition of the Iron Menace with an exciting lineup of events that are sure to dazzle and delight," said Jessica Naderman, vice president and general manager. "This promises to be a historic year for Dorney Park & Wildwater Kingdom and when you're making history, events have to be a part of that." For more information on the park's special events, check out the park's official website.

All New Themed Area - Steel Yard - To Debut at Dorney Park in 2024

noreply@blogger.com (NewsPlusNotes) — Mon, 26 Feb 2024 01:22:00 +0000

Dorney Park has said all along that the area surrounding their new B&M Dive Coaster - Iron Menace - would be dynamically themed, however I'm not sure most of us were on the same page with just what a massive change was coming to the lower part of the park. Dorney has now explained all of the changes that are coming our way that will create a cohesively themed 'land' or 'section' at the park when the Steel Yard opens.

To be completely transparent, I am still in a bit of disbelief that I'm typing the works "cohesively themed land" in the same sentence as Dorney Park - after covering the park for so many years this is big, big news friends!

Lets 'dive' in (pun intended) and look at some of the changes that have been announced by the park.

Up first - a ride that has had a rather lonely existence to date will be totally transformed in 2024. Formerly known as the Cedar Creek Flyers, the family flat ride will now be known as MT Buckets. The "MT" comes from Iron Menace's backstory, with Hiram McTavish and his steel mill serving as the backstory for the area. The infamous steel company utilized "MT" as an emblem on many of the now decrepit buildings. Plus, the name sounds like "empty buckets" which is just smart.

Cedar Creek Flyers opened in 2015 and next year will be repainted and lightly themed to better be a part of the Steel Yard. It's a set of Flying Scooters created by Larson International.

Another addition just revealed is Steel Yard Gifts, a new retail location that will be centrally located across the midway from Possessed. The building will be the home of plenty of Iron Menace merchandise along with other coaster and Dorney Park themed items.

These images of both the inside and the outside of Steel Yard Gifts shows just how well themed the addition will be. The inside especially looks to have a lot of thematic elements like the faux factory style windows and industrial shelving.

The building that is transforming into Steel Yard Gifts originally housed an animatronic Care Bears show in the late 1980s... yes for real, and in later years also was an indoor laser maze and most recently an employee break area. It's great to see the structure being renovated and reopened!

This also means that the area's current gift shop, Possessions, will no longer be open as a retail location. It sounds like its use next year is not totally decided by the park just yet. The rest of the Possessions structure, which had some games in it years ago, will be opened up into a nice covered seating area next year offering a place to rest and sit by Cedar Creek.

Finally there will be major changes made to the Dorney Grille food location when it becomes Iron Mill Grill & Bar in 2024. The serving area will become enclosed unlike the previous stand, and menu items slated to be featured include pierogies, flat breads, chicken sandwiches, pulled pork sandwiches and more. The park is also building an outdoor bar on the side of the building that will feature local craft brews.

The park's Monster ride has been removed and its pad will be utilized as a large outdoor, shaded dining area for Iron Mill Grill & Bar. The fate of the Monster has not been decided yet, so it is unclear if it will return at some point or not.

On top of all this the park is hinting at even more changes on the way that haven't been announced yet, but one of them will be in just a couple days. Stay tuned!

See Iron Menace Up Close at Dorney Park's Winter Chill Out!

noreply@blogger.com (NewsPlusNotes) — Thu, 22 Feb 2024 23:57:00 +0000

Excited for Iron Menace at Dorney Park? Can't wait to get into the park to check out all the changes that are underway? Well, has Dorney Park got the special event for you!

For the first time ever the park will host Winter Chill Out, a special event that will appeal to both roller coaster and enthusiasts and fans of Dorney Park alike.

Taking place on Saturday March 16th, visitors who purchase a special ticket for the event will be able to take part in an "Iron Menace construction tour, photo opportunities, a presentation and more." The park has a ton of changes underway that we already know about and even more surprises on the way. This will be an incredible time to get to see the park mid-transformation!

Winter Chill Out will benefit the Lehigh Valley Reilly Children's Hospital. Only individuals 18 years old and older may participate and all proceeds will go right to the Children's Hospital.

“Iron Menace is a massive investment and an amazing roller coaster, but it’s not the only story we wish to tell in 2024. This year, more than any in the park’s storied history, we are committed to giving back,” said Dorney Park Vice President and General Manager Jessica Naderman. “This Winter Chill Out will be the first of many charitable events held at the park this calendar year and we can’t think of a better recipient of the proceeds from this event than Lehigh Valley Reilly Children’s Hospital.”

Want to go ahead and get your tickets? Head over to Dorney Park's website to secure them!

Iron Menace at Dorney Park Update

noreply@blogger.com (NewsPlusNotes) — Sun, 21 Jan 2024 01:05:00 +0000

My apologies for not getting up some photos sooner, however Dorney Park is doing such an amazing job at keeping us updated it almost feels unnecessary! Still, here are some shots from last weekend. It snowed a bunch this week so the site looks way different now... but we'll get to that.

Iron Menace's lift hill, first drop and Immelmann are totally complete, and the giant zero-g roll is half complete as of today. The ride is impressive as heck to drive by and see, and excitement is building in the Lehigh Valley with folks taking notice of this giant new ride.

The construction will soon be super visible from the intersection of Lincoln Avenue and Dorney Park Road, as the focus on the tilted loop will soon take place In the photo above the track leading to the highest support of the zero-g roll wasn't installed, but it was placed this past week. Nothing else was added though, as it was snowing an frigidly cold most of the week.

One major development is the placement of the steel for the ride's station. You can see it's a reddish color and the actual ride transfer storage shed is gray. The station is a pretty nice sized structure, I like how it's all one connected building. Also take note that the box on the far right will have the Zephyr train run under it - I love this design element as the park totally didn't have to do it! Applause for little things like that which will make a more complete experience for visitors.

Here is one last close-up photo of the track exiting the Immelmann and heading up into the zero-g roll.

I also want to share this video from East Coasters which has a super recent update on the ride and also some very interesting updates on the park:

The park has no only been having wonderful updates on their own but also partnering with a lot of other sites and YouTubers for updates. This one is worth checking out because there is news on:

- Changes to the Cedar Creek Flyers

- Changes to the food offerings in the lower park

- Changes to Possessed

- A sense of the new 'themed area' that is being added

- Thoughts on how the park arrived at Iron Menace's layout

- Some light teases about future new attractions

Iron Menace Topped Off at Dorney Park!

noreply@blogger.com (NewsPlusNotes) — Sun, 17 Dec 2023 19:30:00 +0000

So I did drive by just to stare at Iron Menace's newly completed lift hill, and I did take some photos, but they pale in comparison to these beautiful shots shared by the park! Yes, in case you've not heard yet, Dorney Park placed the highest piece of Iron Menace's lift hill into place late last week, and it's as beautiful as the renderings show. Well, actually much more beautiful in person!

With the ride's lift hill complete Iron Menace is now towering 160 feet over the lower portion of Dorney Park. The new skyline of the park is beautiful and feels very balanced once again with a taller ride in that section of the park. It's a real sight to behold as you come down Lincoln Avenue and turn into the park as well! The ride's relative muted colors (you catch mostly the gray of the catwalks on the lift hill) are a nice contract to the nearby Possessed tower, and both are always framed somewhat by Steel Force in the background.

Dorney also released some awesome drone footage of the ride being topped off which allows us to see the entire worksite in its splendor. The park has put down a packed stone layer so the crane can get around the worksite, and you can also see all the planters on the midway have been removed to allow for better traffic flow next year - it's sure to be a lot busier in the lower part of the park.

You'd never know there was a Rita's building down there from the way it looks now!

Tons to see in this one, but I'm focused on the ride's station area. You can see a lot of new support work for the building that will cover the transfer storage area. There's also more footers out further and I think the Zephyr will pass through between that area. I can't wait to see that part of the ride go up, but I'm equally excited to see the ride's first drop and Immelmann go up soon!

Stay tuned for more updates from the park - they are providing the BEST construction coverage and updated I have seen a park do in many, many years. And not just saying that because we love the park!

Digesting the Cedar Fair and Six Flags Merger

noreply@blogger.com (NewsPlusNotes) — Sun, 19 Nov 2023 14:08:00 +0000

I had to really let this one sink in for a while before covering it here - but as I'm sure you've all heard by now Cedar Fair and Six Flags have reached an agreement to merge into one company. The new company will trade on the stock market under the ticker FUN but will be called Six Flags Entertainment Corporation. Essentially that means that the company we all love named Cedar Fair will cease to exist when the deal closes in the first half of 2024.

Technically neither company is buying the other in the merger, and shareholders of each company will receive shares of the new Six Flags according to set multipliers announced already. The new company will have an enterprise value of around $8 billion and they will own and operate "27 amusement parks, 15 water parks and 9 resort properties across 17 states in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico." A big plus for the merger is that the company will be less exposed to bad weather in one specific part of the country as they'll have parks much more spread out.

The new Six Flags also expects to quickly achieve around $200 million in "annual synergies" - meaning cost savings to the bottom line. From purchasing power to being able to remove duplicate jobs, the new company can push more toward profits by leveraging their larger enterprise. They think they can turn that into as much as $80 million in EBITDA within three years.

The new company will have a 12 person board with six members coming from each company. The current Cedar Fair CEO, Richard Zimmerman, will service as the new Six Flags' CEO. Six Flags current CEO, Selim Bassout will become the Executive Chairman of the Board of Directors. Cedar Fair's CFO will keep the position in the new Six Flags and current Six Flags' CFO will become the Chief Integration Officer. The new company's headquarters will stay in North Carolina where Cedar Fair's currently is.

Based of where both companies are currently, the new Six Flags will have around $3.4 billion in revenue, $1.2 billion in EBIDTA and entertain around 48 million people per year. In the end Cedar Fair unit (stock) holders will own 51% of the new company and Six Flags stock holders 49%.

On a call regarding the merger leaders of both companies were quick to point out that the plan will allow for a larger amount of free cash flow that they can use to pay down debt. They also say that the larger cash flow will be used for investing in the parks. Exactly how that will work, at least to me, will depend on their performance as paying down debt to support the new company's stock price will typically come first. Since the new company will still be publicly traded the burden of making decisions to support the stockholders will always be #1 - not what the coolest coaster is to build.

To me the leadership set up is telling (along with other facts sprinkled so far in this story). I know this is a merger of the companies but to me personally it feels like Cedar Fair is adding Six Flags to their company. From the CEO placement to headquarter location, Cedar Fair seems to be running things here. And from a purely personal opinion that makes sense as Six Flags' leadership feels underwhelming when compared to Cedar Fair's. There are definitely pluses from both companies to explore but Cedar Fair even notes that they think they can vastly improve Six Flags' parks in-park spending, mostly through food and beverage.

However no one can ignore that Six Flags is a clear national brand, perhaps a bit global even, and Cedar Fair is not at all, their parks names' are their real brand. This will also gives all Cedar Fair parks access to Looney Tunes and D.C. Comics, which when done right could be cool, but if smothered into the parks like Six Flags does it could be pretty not cool. Cedar Fair in the past few years entered a new 'make it themed' era and I pray it doesn't stop with this merger.

When the deal was announced there was a lot of fear about park areas between the two companies that overlap, and rightfully so. Northern and Southern California, Virginia, Pennsylvania and New Jersey for example. Six Flags and Cedar Fair leaders were asked about this and they do not seem to view these as redundancies, instead they see an opportunity to grow season passes that would allow visitors to go to both parks with one pass - creating an even bigger base of visits, and in turn money.

But, when pushed again about the value of divesting "lower return lower quality" parks Cedar Fair's CEO said "As we look at the portfolio, I said this before, there were these are really irreplaceable assets. We’ve always struggled with, how do you grow if you shrink your portfolio. But I do think as we look at the combined portfolio, we’re going to evaluate a whole range of ways to unlock and maximize the
values. I’m most excited about focusing on all 42 to see how we optimize and, and create the ability to generate as much revenue uplift and cash flow generation as possible.

But over time, as stewards of capital in the market, I think our Board will have the opportunity to evaluate what really drives and maximize shareholder returns once we get to that targeted leverage ratio, and we’re looking forward."

So, the new company will most certainly not be afraid of selling (or I shudder to think of other options) parks that are not meeting their standards or present other opportunities that are too good to pass up. Recall that Cedar Fair sold the land under California's Great America well before this merger, knowing full well it meant the eventual end of the park. The comment does acknowledge that these are "irreplaceable assets" but at the same time makes it clear that their job is to "maximize shareholder returns." So while they do not appear to have an immediate plan to divest any parks, it is by no means off the table.

In order for the deal to happen there are several items that have to take place. Largest is an affirming majority vote from the Six Flags Entertainment stockholders. The new company also needs antitrust approval, though that doesn't seem a real issue at all in their minds. Also, the deal can be killed for a number of reasons including if Six Flags board of directors changes its recommendation that stockholders approve the deal or doesn't make the recommendation at all, then a "Cedar Fair Triggering Event" takes place and then Six Flags owes Cedar Fair a cool $63.2 million. The deal itself is about 140 pages long, and I personally can't get through it, but you can at this link if you like.

The fact that if the deal falls through Six Flags owes Cedar Fair that much money is also telling to me about who holds the power in the deal. That gives me some comfort, but as we've seen in countless other large mergers in other industries, there's always some good and often plenty of bad. Buckle up for this one, indeed.

Official Photos of Iron Menace's First Track Pieces Installed

noreply@blogger.com (NewsPlusNotes) — Thu, 16 Nov 2023 11:50:00 +0000

In addition to the not-so-great photos we got when driving by the park, Dorney has also sent out some definitely-great photos of the track for Iron Menace that has been put into place!

There's lots to be seen in these photos, much of which we discussed in the previous story. Here we have the track immediately before the transfer piece - with Possessed looking on approvingly from the background.

Zooming back out to the road you can get an idea of the part of the construction site that is now active with supports and track in place.

Moving in a bit you have footers for the end of the tilted loop and the start of the ride's corkscrew spin in the foreground here, with the brake run in the background.

Additional images of the track standing from different angles give the same views of beautiful B&M track.

This view of the transfer track will feed directly into the station track piece, which will be immediately on the left. From there its immediately up and onto the ride's lift hill.

This little park that could held in there for many years and was rewarded with a great B&M coaster. It is pretty cool to think that the park will have three B&Ms when it opens... that is something reserved for much larger parks, usually.

I can't wait for more track to arrive at the park so we can see the lift hill (hopefully) go up before things get too cold out. The station track piece with the base of the lift hill should also go into place soon, if it hasn't already. Stay tuned!

Iron Menace at Dorney Park Has Gone Vertical!

noreply@blogger.com (NewsPlusNotes) — Sun, 12 Nov 2023 20:27:00 +0000

Out running errands today and I figured, why not stop by the park and see what's up? Well, a lot is! Iron Menace at Dorney Park has gone vertical, with most of the brake run and the transfer track in place. It is amazing to see in person, the scale is much larger than your mind might expect.

Up top is the view coming down Lincoln Avenue toward the park, immediately your eyes notice the giant coaster pieces starting to frame the background. It will be much more impressive in the future when the B&M Dive Coaster's tilted loop will be right here as well!

From the backside of the construction area you can get more of an idea of what is up so far - the pieces we're seeing here are for the final brake run. In the foreground, not built yet obviously, will be the final helix that will connect with that track. The footers for that helix look largely complete at this point.

Looking at the vertical pieces from the other side we get a good look the structure. At the end of the brake run is the transfer track piece, which is currently slide off to the side. After that area will be the ride's station, harder to see here as it will be in the background.

A bit of a better view of the station area, which I would assume will be the next to go into place. The park shared video of the base of the lift hill (already connected to the station track) being taken to the work site, so that should be in place soon.

There isn't much new track in the staging area, so until more shows up the focus will be on the brake/transfer/station area. I'm sure the park will give us some great looks at the now vertical track soon as they've been doing a fantastic job keeping us updated on Iron Menace's progress.

The IAAPA Legends Panel for 2023

noreply@blogger.com (Scott and Carol) — Thu, 02 Nov 2023 13:13:00 +0000

Now that Halloween is over the scariest sight for November is the line for admission to the Legends Panel on Wednesdays at IAAPA. There have been reports from Galaxy's Edge and Shanghai Disneyland, and other giants of the entertainment industry with cool stories of their experiences. This year is no exception.

The subject is Universal's Beijing Resort and how they learned new strategies to remain successful during the Covid Pandemic. There will be three members of the the panel, Tom Mehrman, Sylvia Hase, and Mike Hightower. Keeping the discussion moving with piercing questions and great repartee will be Bob Rogers, of Founder and Chairman of BRC Imagination Arts,

Tom Mehrman, who served at President and General Manager during the development of Universal Bejing Resort has a background of working in the amusement park industry with many perspectives. Being part of the management team at Knott's Berry Farm and learning how to compete with Disneyland, leading Ocean Park when Disney Hong Kong, and developing Universal Bejing Resort, he has examples of creative solutions that can be applied to many different sized parks. And beside that he has a wicked sense of humor. He is the President and Chief Operating Officer of Universal Destinations and Experiences, Pacific Rim Universal.

Sylvia Hase, President of Hasbas Entertainment, has produced world class events and live shows worldwide. Her work has won awards from both THEA and IAAPA and it covering multiple continents. She was also first female director for the Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus. Her production of The Little Mermaid is the longest running show is Tokyo Disney Sea history, being experienced by over 35 million guests to date.

Mike Hightower started working in the aerospace/contracting industry after graduating from Stanford University. He is recently retired after being named President of Universal Creative. He has opened projects in China, Dubai, Singapore, Spain, and the United States. He spent some time working directly with Tom on Universal Bejing Resort and it will interesting to see if their recollections have any significant differences.

This is the Legends 2023 Panel, and it will always be too short, no matter how long it lasts. With this much experience on the dais, the audience will be standing room only and discussed many times on the trade show floor. Pardon us, we want to see where the head of the line starts so we know in advance. See you at S310EFGH at 4:00 pm!

Iron Menace Supports + Track Photos at Dorney Park

noreply@blogger.com (NewsPlusNotes) — Sun, 29 Oct 2023 13:14:00 +0000

Dorney Park has started to receive more track and support pieces for Iron Menace, the park's new-for-2024 B&M Dive Coaster. The park was extremely busy for the last night of Haunt this weekend so guests were parking in the overflow lot - which happens to be where the track and supports are being stored. Above is one of a handful of track pieces that have arrived to date. In the background is the largest support that is now on site.

The track appears a bit darker in these photos than it is, they were taken as the sun was setting and I did not want to adjust the photos to make them look weird. There are some new and much longer track pieces on site now, I think they look like parts of the brake run but I could be wrong. The fins on the track appear for the brakes, not any lift hill component.

The construction crews have added catwalks to a couple of the pieces of track that have already arrived. This gives an idea of how the finished product will look - for this section (which is probably post-brakes and before the station) the catwalks are the support color, not track color.

This very important piece of track is also on site, the base of the lift hill! With so many of the key pieces of track for the brakes/transfer/station in place, crews will be able to start to assemble in the ride in no time!

This was also my first look at Iron Menace's supports that are on site. I love the contrast of the support color with the track, it looks great in person.

The park is well underway with footer preparation, it looks like they might have 50% or so of the footers already complete for the ride! I don't take photos over work walls, so I do not have any to share of these footers. Dorney Park is doing a great job keeping us all updated on the progress of the ride, so hang tight for more updates from them now that the park is closed (well, closing today) for the season!

Big Bear Mountain a Standout Ride of the Season for Dollywood

noreply@blogger.com (NewsPlusNotes) — Thu, 26 Oct 2023 11:30:00 +0000

Of the class of 2023 new coasters in the U.S., Dollywood's Big Bear Mountain has stood out as one of the best. Highly rated as a very thrilling family roller coaster by fans, the coaster has quickly cemented itself as a must-ride when visiting the famous theme park. With bright orange track and forest green supports, the ride also features on-board audio to help riders follow along with their adventure to spot the elusive big bear.

The coaster itself has been created by Vekoma and is engineered to provide a butter smooth ride for passengers, and with the 39 inch height requirement that's even better news for families looking to take the kids on a comfortable but thrilling ride.

Big Bear Mountain starts with a small launch out of the station immediately followed by a much stronger launch that really sends trains moving along. They blast at 48 miles per hour to traverse most of Wildwood Grove - the track length is 3,990 which is quite long for a launched ride! One of the highlights of the ride's layout is soaring under a cave and waterfall - seen above - and hearing big bear roar at you while in there! The ride's layout is much more zippy that many expected, and features tons of curves and gentle hills that make the ride feel even faster.

If you haven't been able to get to Dollywood to check out Big Bear Mountain, check out the video below for a virtual ride!

Silverwood Theme Park Working on Massive Waterpark Expansion for 2024

noreply@blogger.com (NewsPlusNotes) — Tue, 24 Oct 2023 11:30:00 +0000

A massive water park expansion that will cost $15 million and expand the size of the park by 30% is coming to Silverwood Theme Park's Boulder Beach in 2024. The expansion is named the Emerald Forest, and will allow visitors to enjoy the "wonders of nature, embrace the thrill of the hunt, and the joy of discovery."

The nearly 4 acre expansion will be the largest that has come to Boulder Beach since it first opened in 2003. The above schematic of the expansion shows the new additions, which are meant to provide something for every part of the family, from kids to thrill seekers.

The expansion will feature new restrooms, additional seating areas and cabanas, a high capacity food outlet named Rapids Grill (which can make 1,200 meals per hour!) and attractions including Salmon Run, seen above. The children's slide complex features 8 different mini waterslides, ranging in length from 36 to 82 feet long. These smaller slide areas have been added to many water parks in the the past 5 or so years, and they always appear to be a smash hit.

For thrill seekers, the park is adding the first dual-water roller coaster in the West, seen above and named Eagle Hunt. Two riders per raft will each cross over 925 feet of slide that include several uphill sections, three of Proslide's Flying Saucer turns and the first ever "Shadow Effect" that Proslide has created - no details on what that is exactly.

It is very encouraging to see a smaller independent park make such a massive expansion like Emerald Forest. Looking forward to seeing the expansion completed in 2024!

Adventureland + Zamperla Open New Rides + Underground Renovation in 2024

noreply@blogger.com (NewsPlusNotes) — Wed, 18 Oct 2023 11:30:00 +0000

Zamperla and Adventureland Theme Park teamed up in 2023 to create a pair of attractions at the park that are both intertwined and themed as one cohesive expansion. The addition consisted of a new log flume attraction that has a family roller coaster wrapping over and through it. The integrated rides are very similar to the same pair that opened at Luna Park at Coney Island (which was delayed a bit due to the pandemic).

The rides have a light Viking theme to them and are said to be the park's largest ever single expansion project.

The new family roller coaster is named the Flying Viking and comes with a super family-friendly 36 inch height requirement. The coaster climbs to a height of around 50 feet but moves at a maximum speed of 26 miles per hour - perfect for kids just getting used to bigger roller coasters. The 1,312 feet of track does not feature and large drops, instead it features swooping turns that navigate the combined space of the coaster and the flume.

If you've read this blog for a while you'll know that traditional log flumes are a favorite of ours, and with some starting to disappear it's wonderful to see some modern versions popping up. That's exactly what we got with the other addition at Adventureland this year, Draken Falls. The flume features boats with side-by-side seating (maximum 6 guests per boat) and two drops (a double-down and a regular plunge). Featuring a maximum height of 39 feet, Draken Falls soaks riders twice before returning to the station.

Adventureland has also announced that changes are coming to The Underground for the park's 2024 season. The ride did not operate in 2023 and is a unique 'underground' wooden roller coaster - built by Custom Coasters back in 1996. When it reopens next year the park is promising that it will incorporate "new technology and effects, guests will find themselves in a story-driven experience like never before. As they venture deeper into the abandoned mine, riders will face new challenges, unexpected twists and opportunities to uncover hidden secrets along the way. "

While modern and improved theming sounds like it is on tap for the ride, it is unclear if the wooden coaster track will be updated or modified in anyway. We'll find out more later on this renovation!

Guests Racing Through Arctic on New Coaster at SeaWorld San Diego

noreply@blogger.com (NewsPlusNotes) — Mon, 16 Oct 2023 11:00:00 +0000

SeaWorld's trend of adding roller coasters to its theme parks - and frequently at that - continued this summer much to the delight of enthusiasts. SeaWorld San Diego saw the opening of a new Intamin designed family launch roller coaster named Arctic Rescue. It was also billed by the park as the "longest and fastest straddle coaster on the West Coast," a very specific record to have.

The coaster is themed to riders being on snowmobiles blasting through the frozen Arctic on an animal rescue mission. It is pretty brave to theme a ride to the Arctic when the park is located in Southern California, but all theme parks require a suspension of reality to some degree.

The coaster utilizes tire launches - three in total - to move the trains at a maximum speed of 40 miles per hour over 2,800 feet of track. Specifically, the launched are 34 miles per hour, 38 miles per hour and then 40 miles per hour. The ride's layout stays close to the ground and features plenty of zippy looking turns and hills (30 feet is the ride's maximum height). The ride is decidedly aimed at families, so no high thrills here, and for that it does look pretty fun! Intamin has found relative success with this style of coasters, and I can see why.

Earlier in the summer when the ride opened Park Journey shared some B-Roll footage of it both on-ride and off, check it out below!

Mall of America Opens Oddly Named Haunt + Nick Universe New Rides for 2024

noreply@blogger.com (NewsPlusNotes) — Tue, 10 Oct 2023 22:25:00 +0000

The Mall of America has opened a new stand-alone haunted attraction called American Monsters: Onionhead's Revenge. Yes, the name Onionhead's Revenge is why I find this attraction to be "odd," but I guess if you understand the attraction's backstory it makes more sense:

"According to local legend, “Onionhead” is the cruel nickname forced upon a young man from Slidell, Louisiana, who was brutally murdered by a vigilante mob after being wrongly accused for the murder of a young woman. Consumed by rage, the assailants hacked his body into 13 pieces and scattered them in a nearby cemetery.

Swearing vengeance, his mother put a hex on the townspeople who took her son. In the months following, those responsible for Onionhead’s murder were each victims of gruesome deaths. Locals still report sightings of a monstrosity, hideously stitched together, stalking the cemetery… and out for revenge."

I guess that given that spooky story things check out, eh? The attraction's theming looks pretty impressive and so far it seems the addition is doing well. Operations will continue through Halloween, after which Onionhead will go back into hiding until another Halloween season rolls around. Also of note, the attraction at the Mall of America is not associated with the property's theme park, which carries a decidedly family theme.

And speaking of that, Nickelodeon Universe is adding two new attractions in the coming months! Boots' Banana Swing can be seen above, a small children's ride that features a swinging motion which will open this Winter. The ride is already in operation at the Nickelodeon Universe in New Jersey, so you can get a real good idea of how the finished attraction will appear.

The park is also adding Fly With Appa, a family friendly circular flat ride. Appa is a character that comes from Avatar: The Last Airbender, and is a "glorious sky bison." I mean I've always wanted to ride on a sky bison, so this should be pretty neat! The new attraction will open in the Spring of 2024.

As a part of these new projects Nickelodeon Universe will also be relocating the Bubble Guppies Guppy Bubbler ride, which is an existing family ride.

A Look Into The Sacres of Dorney Park's Halloween Haunt 2023!

noreply@blogger.com (NewsPlusNotes) — Sat, 07 Oct 2023 15:34:00 +0000

It's Haunt season, baby! Dorney Park's annual scare-fest, Halloween Haunt, has returned with a mix of new and edited attractions, creating a fresh and exciting event for fear seekers! The event, which originated in the '90s as HalloWeekends, has continually grown and evolved into something spectacular that guests anxiously await each season. It's always sad to see a summer season come to a close, however with Haunt around the corner things stay exciting!

The park offers plenty of day-time family fun with The Great Pumpkin Fest, however the focus of our article here is the spooky evening fun. Trust that the park puts on a great scare-free daytime experience for kids, however!

We're all pumped for Iron Menace, the park's new-for-2024 B&M Dive Coaster, and the park has given us even more to be excited over with a haunt attraction that tell us the ride's backstory: Ghost In The Machine. The brand new attraction is one of the most themed the park has created to date and features a nice selection of modern technology and scares that definitely impressed us.

The attraction takes us into the McTavish Steel factory and gets us well acquainted with the man himself - Hiram McTavish - and his plethora of workers who never made it out of the factory alive. The sets inside area amazing to look at and the modern technology used to scare visitors is awesome. We don't want to give away spoilers here but if you're visiting the park this attraction is a do-not-miss for sure.

This year the Midway Misfits have their own dedicated space - complete with a new bar and a DJ on top! For those unfamiliar the Misfits were something that the park started a few seasons ago during Haunt, it is a group of haunt actors dressed up in a unified theme that changes ever week or two. They used to have a 'homebase' in the lower part of the park and this year are featured much more prominently with beautiful backgrounds and decorations. The first theme was Alice in Wonderland, seen above, and that has already changed. It's another great way to keep the event fresh and give repeat visitors something to check out.

This year's live entertainment is focused on a new stage production called Conjure The Night. Set as a battle of "evil vs. evil," the show features haunting vocals, dancing and more. The park has utilized the new stage that was built on the Main Midway so that visitors can easily catch this production on their way into the park, or toward the end of the night on their way out.

While some of the park's other Haunted attractions have been moved or edited, several are familiar to previous years - and in a good way. These include indoor attractions Tourist Trap, Blackout, Trick Or Treat and Blood On The Bayou. Outdoor scare areas / attractions that are similar to past seasons include Necropolis, Roadside Stop N'Chop and The Hollow. When I say they are similar I mean in a general sense, as the park constantly 'plusses' these attractions and makes small changes to keep them fresh each year.

There are other outdoor scare areas that are totally changed this year, including Port of Call which has moved back up to Hydra Plaza. Necessitated by construction for Iron Menace, the relocation still includes the giant pirate ship and the stage for Skeleton Crew, an ever-popular live show at the Haunt.

CarnEvil is another area that has moved and spread out, taking over the middle heart of the park surrounding the Musik Express midway. There are new decorations and props, lots of fog and plenty of clowns packed in there!

Finally with Port of Call moving up toward Hydra, last year's new attraction Dystopia had to find a new home, and it's taken up residence down by Dominator and in front of Center Stage Fries. I also feel like a ton of more decorations (shipping containers and things) were added, it's a great closed in feeling as you wander through all the bright colors. There's another bar built into this scare zone as well, with the Port of Call's returning again there are three in total this season.

If you're at the park also make sure to stop in the park's gift shops to look at this year's Haunt merchandise, they have some really cool items they are offering. The twisted version of the famous Alfundo clown entrance sign is *chef's kiss* if you ask me!

For more information on this year's Halloween Haunt at Dorney Park, check out the park's official website to make your plans!