History of Dorney Park & Wildwater Kingdom in Timeline
Dorney Park & Wildwater Kingdom, situated in Dorneyville, Pennsylvania, is a dual amusement and water park owned by Six Flags. It boasts a total of 64 rides, encompassing eight roller coasters, various thrill and family rides, and the Wildwater Kingdom waterpark featuring 19 water-based attractions. As a popular entertainment destination, Dorney Park offers a diverse range of experiences for visitors of all ages.
1918: The Whip Opens
In 1918, The Whip opened at Dorney Park, and it is still in operation today.
1923: First Roller Coaster Opens
In 1923, Dorney Park's first roller coaster, originally known as "The Coaster" or "the yellow roller coaster", opened.
1923: Sale to Robert Plarr
In 1923, the Allentown-Kutztown Traction Company sold Dorney Park to Robert Plarr and two partners.
1932: Grande Carousel Debuts
In 1932, the Philadelphia Toboggan Coasters (PTC) Grande Carousel debuted at Dorney Park.
1963: Swimming Pool Closes
In 1963, the swimming pool at Dorney Park, which had been there since the early 1900s, closed.
1966: Ownership Passes to Stephen Plarr
In 1966, after Robert Plarr's death, ownership of Dorney Park passed to his son, Stephen Plarr.
1967: Robert Ott Takes Over
In 1967, following the death of Stephen Plarr, Robert Ott, Robert Plarr's son-in-law, assumed ownership of Dorney Park.
1980: Dorney Park Road Closure
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.
1980: The Gold Mine Closes
In 1980, The Gold Mine, a dark walk-through attraction located near The Iceberg, closed.
1982: Thunder Creek Mountain Opens
In 1982, Dorney Park opened Thunder Creek Mountain, its log flume ride, which has the longest drop on a log flume ride at 210 feet.
1983: Major Fire
In the fall of 1983, a major fire destroyed a large section of Dorney Park, including the Carousel, Bucket O' Blood dark ride, Flying Bobs, and several food stands.
1984: Park Rebuild and Additions
In 1984, the park's 100th anniversary, new rides, including Enterprise, Musik Express, Ranger, and Apollo were added to replace the rides lost in the fire, and new skeeball alleys, gift shops, and food stands were also added.
1985: Wildwater Kingdom Opens
In 1985, Harris Weinstein opened Wildwater Kingdom, a water park, after purchasing a neighboring automobile racetrack. Season passes were also introduced in the same year.
1985: Sale to Harris Weinstein
In 1985, Robert Ott sold Dorney Park to Harris Weinstein.
1986: Laser Roller Coaster Added
In 1986, a looping roller coaster designed by Anton Schwarzkopf called Laser was added to Dorney Park. It was named after a local Hot AC radio station known as Laser 104.1 at the time.
1988: The Flying Dutchman Removed
Following the 1988 season, The Flying Dutchman, a Pinfari compact steel coaster, was removed due to mechanical problems.
1988: Morgan designs Magnum XL-200
In 1988, D.H. Morgan involved with designing Magnum XL-200 at Cedar Point.
1988: Little Laser Kiddie Coaster Added
In 1988, a kiddie coaster named Little Laser was added across from the Laser coaster.
1989: Hercules Debuts
In 1989, Hercules, a wooden terrain coaster, opened at Dorney Park.
1989: Roller Coaster Renamed Thunderhawk
In 1989, the park's first roller coaster, formerly known as "The Coaster" or "the yellow roller coaster", was renamed Thunderhawk.
1991: Mean Streak Debuts
In 1991, Cedar Point's Mean Streak debuted, becoming the tallest wooden roller coaster in the world.
1992: Modifications to Hercules
After Dorney Park was purchased by Cedar Fair in 1992, significant modifications were made to Hercules.
1992: Tunnel of Love is razed
Following the 1992 season, the Tunnel of Love, which was rethemed as The Journey to the Center of the Earth, was razed after Cedar Fair acquired the park.
1992: Cedar Fair Purchase
In 1992, Cedar Fair purchased Dorney Park for $48M.
1992: Sale to Cedar Fair
In 1992, Harris Weinstein sold Dorney Park to Cedar Fair.
1993: The Iceberg Closes
After the 1993 season, the Iceberg was removed from the park.
1993: New Midway Construction Begins
In 1993, construction began on a new midway to connect Wildwater Kingdom to Dorney Park. White Water Landing flume ride was built the same year.
1994: Midway Completed
In 1994, the midway on the hill near Hercules and White Water Landing was completed. The Wildwater Kingdom parking lot was doubled in size and converted to serve both Dorney Park and Wildwater Kingdom. A new entrance was also built to Dorney Park.
1995: Single Price Admission and Thunder Canyon
In 1995, single-price admission to both Dorney Park and Wildwater Kingdom was offered for the first time. Thunder Canyon river rapids ride was added that year.
1996: Steel Force Construction Begins
In 1996, construction began on Steel Force, a steel hypercoaster designed by D.H. Morgan.
1997: Steel Force Opens
In 1997, Steel Force opened as "the tallest and longest roller coaster on the east coast." Several new attractions were added to Wildwater Kingdom.
1998: Hang Time Added, Sky Ride Removed
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 and the Sky Ride was removed. Laser was repainted during the off-season.
1999: Dominator Added
In 1999, Dorney Park added Dominator, a 200-foot (61 m) combined turbo drop and space shot tower.
2000: Camp Snoopy Debuts
In 2000, Dorney Park debuted Camp Snoopy, a themed children's play area. Woodstock Express junior coaster, a Wild Mouse coaster, and Skyscraper thrill ride were added.
2000: Superman: Ultimate Escape Debuts
In 2000, Dorney Park's new impulse coaster debuted as Superman: Ultimate Escape
2001: Talon Added
In 2001, Dorney Park added Talon, a steel inverted looping coaster designed by Bolliger & Mabillard (B&M).
2002: Meteor Added
In 2002, Dorney Park added Meteor, a flat ride built by Zamperla.
2003: Hercules Removed
In 2003, Hercules was removed due to high maintenance costs and low ridership.
2003: Wildwater Kingdom Overhaul
In 2003, Wildwater Kingdom was overhauled, with several older body slides being removed and replaced with modern colored body slides and tube slides. The park also announced that Hercules would close after the season.
2004: Hydra Construction Begins
In 2004, construction on Hydra the Revenge began soon after the razing of Hercules. Skyscraper was relocated to Valleyfair.
2004: Superman: Ultimate Escape Renamed
In 2004, the park that previously hosted Dorney Park's new impulse coaster was purchased by Cedar Fair and renamed Steel Venom
May 7, 2005: Hydra the Revenge Opens
On May 7, 2005, Hydra the Revenge opened, becoming the first and only floorless roller coaster in Pennsylvania.
2005: Hydra the Revenge Announced
In July 2003, Dorney Park announced that Hercules would be replaced in 2005 by Hydra the Revenge, a $13 million steel floorless B&M coaster.
2006: Steel Venom Removed
In 2006, Steel Venom was removed from Geauga Lake.
September 22, 2007: New Impulse Coaster Announcement
On September 22, 2007, Dorney Park announced it would be opening a twisted impulse coaster from Intamin.
May 17, 2008: Voodoo Opens
On May 17, 2008, Steel Venom, previously located at Geauga Lake, opened as Voodoo at Dorney Park.
November 1, 2008: Laser's Final Ride
On November 1, 2008, Laser gave its final ride at Dorney Park.
2008: Laser Removed
Following Laser's removal in 2008, Little Laser was renamed Steel First, after Steel Force.
February 2009: Good Time Theatre Announcement
In February 2009, Dorney Park announced the addition of the Good Time Theatre.
April 2009: Good Time Theatre Groundbreaking
In April 2009, groundbreaking for the Good Time Theatre took place.
2010: Demon Drop Addition and Planet Snoopy Announcement
In 2010, Dorney Park removed its bumper car ride to make room for the Demon Drop freefall ride from Cedar Point. The park also announced that Planet Snoopy would open for the 2011 season.
2011: Planet Snoopy to Open
In 2010, Dorney Park announced that Planet Snoopy would open for the 2011 season.
2012: Stinger and Dinosaurs Alive! Added
In 2012, Dorney Park added Stinger, a Vekoma inverted shuttle coaster, the Fast Lane virtual queue system, and the Dinosaurs Alive! walkthrough attraction.
August 28, 2013: Snake Pit Water Slide Complex Announced
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.
2013: Fast Pay Wristband Introduced
In 2013, Dorney Park introduced a new Fast Pay wristband, allowing guests to add money to an RFID prepaid wristband.
November 17, 2014: Cedar Creek Flyers Announced
On November 17, 2014, Dorney Park announced a new attraction for 2015, Cedar Creek Flyers, manufactured by Larson International, Inc.
2014: FUNtv Introduced
In 2014, Dorney Park introduced FUNtv, an in-park television channel shown on television screens in the queue lines of many of the park's major attractions.
2014: Snake Pit to Open
On August 28, 2013, Dorney Park announced that a new waterslide complex known as Snake Pit would be opened for the 2014 season.
2017: Dodg'ems Reopened, Kaleidoscope Added
In 2017, Dorney Park reopened their Dodg'ems ride, and added Kaleidoscope. This season was the final operating season for Stinger.
2018: Stinger Removed, Dinosaurs Alive! Closing Announced
In 2018, Dorney Park removed Stinger, retracked 150 feet on Thunderhawk, added new concessions areas, and announced that Dinosaurs Alive! would close after the season.
2019: Grand Carnivale and Monster Jam: Thunder Alley
The 2019 season at Dorney Park held two large events: Grand Carnivale and Monster Jam: Thunder Alley, along with Halloween Haunt in the fall.
March 11, 2020: Normal Opening Expected
On March 11, 2020, Dorney Park announced that it would open normally for the season, expecting the COVID-19 pandemic to be resolved by the summer.
March 20, 2020: Delayed Opening Announcement
On March 20, 2020, Dorney Park announced that it would not open as scheduled for the 2020 season, but would open later in the season due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
June 26, 2020: Park Reopening Announcement
On June 26, 2020, Dorney Park announced that it would be reopening with new safety protocols as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
July 8, 2020: Reopening to Season Pass Holders
On July 8, 2020, Dorney Park reopened to season pass holders with new safety procedures including pre-arrival health screenings, temperature checks, social distancing, limited ride capacity, and mandatory masks.
July 11, 2020: Reopening to All Guests
On July 11, 2020, Dorney Park reopened to all guests with new safety procedures including pre-arrival health screenings, temperature checks, social distancing, limited ride capacity, and mandatory masks. Wildwater Kingdom would not open with the park.
March 12, 2021: Delayed Opening Announcement
On March 12, 2021, Dorney Park announced another delayed opening for the 2021 season.
July 2021: Halloween Haunt and The Great Pumpkin Fest Return
In July 2021, Dorney Park announced that Halloween Haunt and The Great Pumpkin Fest would return in fall 2021. Grand Carnivale also returned in July.
July 21, 2023: Announcement of Iron Menace
On July 21, 2023, Dorney Park announced via social media that a new B&M steel dive coaster called Iron Menace would open the next year, featuring four inversions, a drop of 152 feet, and a track length of 2,169 feet.
July 1, 2024: Cedar Fair and Six Flags Merger Completed
On July 1, 2024, the merger of equals between Dorney Park owner Cedar Fair and Six Flags was completed, creating Six Flags Entertainment Corporation.
February 2025: Support for Philadelphia Eagles During Super Bowl LIX
In February 2025, as the Philadelphia Eagles prepared to play in Super Bowl LIX, Dorney Park flew the team's flag from its most iconic rides and lit up much of the park in green, the team's color.
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