Call it a coincidence, but from the beginning it seemed that Solomon Dorney’s “Fish Wier and Summer Resort” near Allentown, Pa., was destined to have a connection to the water. Nearly a century and a half after its inception as a trout hatchery and public picnic grove, the park is now home to one of the country’s busiest combined water and amusement parks. Dorney Park and Wildwater Kingdom, one of 11 major attractions owned by Cedar Fair, L.P., has just put the finishing touches on a $6 million enhancement to its waterpark. The area, once sparsely occupied by a few major tube rides, a log flume, and a splashing activity center for kids, is now replete with a host of brand-spanking-new installations. The project has been years in the making. Wildwater Kingdom opened in 1985 as the first seasonal waterpark of its magnitude in the Northeast United States. Explains John Albino, the park’s general manager, “The renovations were planned as a part of the long-range plans for the remodeling of Dorney Park and Wildwater Kingdom. Our strategic plan is projected at five years with annual reviews.” Chris Ozimek, public relations manager for Dorney, adds that the time was right to invest in the water portion of the park. “Since Cedar Fair acquired Dorney Park and Wildwater Kingdom in 1992, they have put nearly $90 million into the entire complex, and most of that has been on the Dorney Park side. This year the main focus was Wildwater Kingdom.” The most conspicuous addition is the flag-decked multi-tiered platform that dominates the skyline of the waterpark. There are seven brightly colored, intertwining metal tubes that emanate from the center section like linguine on steroids. At the 40-foot level, guests can enter Wildwater Rapids, which features four body slides. Two of the slides are enclosed, and two are open-air experiences. At the 50-foot level are entrances to the three tube rides that make up Patriot’s Plunge. Claustrophobics should steer clear of the blue tube, which takes the rider on a wild ride entirely in the dark. The others have both open-air and enclosed sections. Also new is Jumpin’ Jack Splash, a separate 30-foot version of the other rides. It accommodates mid-sized youngsters not quite tall (or confident) enough for the more ambitious rides. The new additions were the creations of Wild Water West Industries, a Vancouver-based water ride design firm. “They worked with us to see what kind of land we had, and what we had in mind,” explains Ozimek. “The ball really got rolling when we broke ground.” Construction began in November 2002. One of the original waterpark landmarks, the wave pool, also received a major renovation. “We stripped the entire surface of all paint,” says Ozimek, “The old system was hydraulic. It required a 12-foot-deep section right in front of it to create an artificial reef for the waves to break on. The new system is a pneumatic, which doesn’t require a reef.” The depth of the pool was reduced from 10 feet to 6 feet. The new configuration produces much more realistic ocean wave patterns, and while it looks fairly tame from a distance, the pool proved to be enormously enjoyable for adults and kids alike. For families with young children, the park now offers “Splash Landing,” a refreshing spot with randomly appearing mini-geysers, and a “water” mushroom to stand under. The park also added the “Lollipop Lagoon,” a wading-pool facility for toddlers. Muscular Makeover I know from firsthand experience the enormous change that’s taken shape in the Wildwater Kingdom. My last visit to Dorney Park was nine years ago, when I helped chaperone a youth group to the waterpark. My primary focus was making sure that I had the same number of urchins coming and going, with all their major body parts attached. I later discovered to my dismay that my own 13-year-old daughter had done a two-hour stint in the misplaced children’s center, after she got separated from her assigned group. Despite the dent in my “Devoted Father” armor, I left the park with the feeling that Dorney was a well-run regional park, not substantially different from lots of others. The changes in Wildwater Kingdom were immediately apparent the moment I re-entered the park this time. The entire space felt more welcoming, more contemporary, and open, despite the addition of so many rides. This reaction was no accident, according to Ozimek. “We rerouted the entire traffic pattern at the waterpark, so the queuing areas are in different spots for each attraction,” says Dorney’s spokesman. “The entrances are all throughout the waterpark, as opposed to clustered in one area. That spreads out the crowd a little more. “We’ve renovated all the midways, and over a three-year period we turned all of the blacktop into concrete. It makes for a cooler atmosphere for our guests, it’s easier to keep clean, and it looks cleaner, too.” All the signage for the park was redesigned, and shade trees and grassy areas are now interspersed throughout the entire amusement complex, offering the multiple benefits of greenery, shade, and a place to ply off the water shoes and sip a drink. Neighborhood Watch As with every Dorney project, the surrounding community was given ample opportunity to view plans for the new installation, and offer input and ask questions. One resident wondered why the Patriot’s Plunge couldn’t simply be one color instead of its more conspicuous red, white, and blue. “Someone would have to give me a good argument,” remarks Albino. “We’d already named it Patriot’s Plunge.” Notwithstanding the occasional oddball question, all concerns are given the park’s full attention, and are honored whenever possible. “I think we have an excellent relationship with our community,” comments Ozimek. “We do want to be friendly with our neighbors.” He backs up that claim easily. When the park added the Talon, the ski-lift-design behemoth with 3,110 feet of track resting on 186 columns, the tracks and columns were filled with sand to dramatically dampen the noise level. Pedestrians below hear little more than a low, enticing rumble, intermingled with the delighted screams of the riders above. Attending to neighborly concerns extends far beyond the rides themselves. Over the years, the park has redirected speakers in the amphitheater area, and has even prompted its employees using local access roads to mind the speed limits in the areas adjacent to the perimeter of the staff parking lot. Ozimek says, “We do everything we can to make our neighbors happy, even the smallest, smallest things.” Weather Wars The waterpark’s toughest opponent recently was Mother Nature. The summer of 2002 was notoriously dry and relentlessly hot, and the entire northeast was under drought emergency conditions. “It [didn’t] affect the running of the attractions that related to the normal operation of our business,” explained Ozimek, “but we were affected by decorative fountains, and ‘misters’ that cool the guests.” On the flip side, the spring of 2003 seemed to be an unrelenting monsoon, and the waterpark was just opening after months of dismal, dank days. Ozimek was unruffled about the prospect of more of the same. “Weather is the one thing we can’t control,” he explains, “so we just try to let people know that we’re open, unless there are extreme conditions.” He even suggests that visitors opt for those days. “Those are often the best days to come, because they’re less crowded, obviously, and most of the time it’s a thunderstorm that goes through, and it’s over.” Naturally, the $90 million investment in the amusement side of the park is a source of pride for the park spokesman. Ozimek enumerates the litany of additions that Cedar Fair has invested in the park. “There are four roller coasters that have been added over the past 10 years—Steel Force in ’97; in 2000 we added the Wild Mouse, and the Woodstock Express. Camp Snoopy and Talon were added in 2001.” And those were just the larger installations. Dorney also added a Zamperla Hawk, the impressive twin-armed contraption that spins two 24-person gondolas in 65-foot arcs that spin in opposite directions. The Dorney version of the Hawk was renamed the Meteor, and appropriately enough, the thrill machine debuted during the first night of a meteor shower in May 2002. The unification of the amusement and waterparks under one ticket price is a central feature of Dorney’s appeal. The two entities were combined in 1995, and the park management is happy to point out the advantages. “Dorney Park and Wildwater Kingdom offers families an incredible value,” offers Albino. “The combination of a world-class amusement park with one of the largest waterparks in the country under one ticket creates a complete package. Families are able to create memories and manage an affordable vacation.” Ozimek adds that Dorney is the lowest-priced amusement park in the region, with a per-person general admission price of $35. Wedded Bliss The park also has the benefit of being home to some eclectic events. For the past three years, Dorney has been the destination for a Harley-Davidson charity ride for the Multiple Sclerosis Association. The thundering 1,000-vehicle motorcade makes its way from Reading, about 30 miles away, and concludes with a parade down the park midway. “It’s an exciting day,” says Ozimek, “very friendly people. It’s awesome to see that parade coming.” On the more exotic side, the park’s Steel Force roller coaster was the scene of an unusual marriage ceremony last year. The couple, both previously married, wanted to “do something different.” Different it was. They enlisted the help of Reverend Cliff Herring, who has performed 100 similar weddings on other extreme coasters, and is a member of the 7,000-strong American Coaster Enthusiasts. “The Reverend sat in the front seat, and the couple in the second seat. The witnesses were behind them, and the wedding party filled up the rest of the train,” Ozimek recalls. “ We let the train go, and parked it near the top of the lift, and they did the ceremony up there.” A cynic would point out that the real danger of that kind of ceremony is that the marriage can only go downhill from there. Even so, the couple seemed pleased. Ozimek was equally enthused about the international student program that allows young people from a host of countries to work in the park, get paid, and have exceptional experiences in the United States. At the time of this writing, the young people were just arriving. “It’s kind of exciting, with kids coming in from all over the world,” says Ozimek. The program is part of Cedar Fair’s longstanding program to solve its seasonal work requirements while offering a real benefit to students in the 20 countries that participate. Ozimek also was eager to get the word out about this year’s version of HalloWeekends, when Dorney is transformed into a family-friendly spookfest. With the waterpark closed due to the colder weather, the weekend ticket price includes an array of both scare-free and fright-filled experiences revolving around the year’s creepiest day. This year’s haunted house promises to be exceptionally thrilling, with a newly designed 3D show, ominously titled Doctor of Doom. Still, nothing in a haunted house can approach the fright parents experience when one of their kids turns up missing. On that score, Dorney has initiated some improvements that would likely have avoided my daughter’s stranding. The program, called Kid Track, allows parents to register their children at the Lost & Found/Message Center prior to entering the park. Each child is given a wristband with a registration number, and in the event that the parent and child are separated, the parent can be summoned by cell or pager. It’s all in keeping with the country’s education policy—No Child Left Behind. A little more than 10 years since Cedar Fair took charge, Dorney is a changed facility. John Albino elaborates, “Our commitment to constantly improve Dorney Park and Wildwater Kingdom for our guests stands strong. The new attractions for 2003 fortify our position as an amusement park that provides thrills, fun, and entertainment for guests of all ages.” Mission accomplished.
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