Darien Lake issues (Possible Ride of Steel removal after 2022 season)

[Justin2000]

I think Ride of Steel will be removed to be replaced with...

Superman Ride Of Steel

 

[Justin2000]

Screamscape is saying Ride of Steel is going for a Waterpark Expansion. If they relocated the Picnic Grove, The waterpark could almost be doubled in size.

 

[RcTmix]

^Removing a mega coaster—any mega coaster— for some more water slides? What a tragic thought.

 

[Youngster Joey]

Something that I think enthsuiast's often forget is Water Parks are truly a major if not THE draw for small parks in the Northeast/Mid Atlantic US. Darien Lake's water park for example is always slammed while the dry park is usually pretty dead. I'll still believe it when I see it but that's less farfetched an idea than you may think.

 

[Wazzupnerds]

Something that I think enthsuiast's often forget is Water Parks are truly a major if not THE draw for small parks in the Northeast/Mid Atlantic US. Darien Lake's water park for example is always slammed while the dry park is usually pretty dead. I'll still believe it when I see it but that's less farfetched an idea than you may think.

thats the thing that makes me think this is realistic. Six Flags has been crazy on their in park Water Parks for the last decade, and having RoS removed would be in line with that thinking.

 

[Aaron Smith]

Something that I think enthsuiast's often forget is Water Parks are truly a major if not THE draw for small parks in the Northeast/Mid Atlantic US. Darien Lake's water park for example is always slammed while the dry park is usually pretty dead. I'll still believe it when I see it but that's less farfetched an idea than you may think.

Similar to Dorney Park. I was there on a beautiful, and hot, day towards the end of August and the dry park was D E A D. I was thrilled so that energy can stay as far as I'm concerned.

 

[Justin2000]

Can't they also build through Ride of Steel like Cedar Point did with Soak City/Magnum?

 

[Indy]

Can't they also build through Ride of Steel like Cedar Point did with Soak City/Magnum?

In this case, not really. The prime land in question is currently taken up by the first helix which is all very low to the ground. That creates a lot of clearance issues, as opposed to Magnum where the area in question is essentially the lift hill and some airtime hills right next to the lift hill which aren't that low and offer plenty of opportunities to pass under.

 

[JuliOverbank]

Well, pass over the coaster then I would say. Maybe they can build a tower for waterrides at the middle of the helix, make a bridge over the track for guests to reach the this tower and have all exits of the slides outside of the helix.

 

[TPoseOnTantrum]

Gentlemen, I'm calling BS on this yet again. Let's reference some images and history, something that hasn't been done in this thread yet. If Darien Lake is viewing the waterpark's expansion as their best viable investment, they already have land to do so.

Does anybody remember 'Cuda Falls? The very spacious waterslide complex that existed at the park from 1994 to 2014? They were located on the low hill that sits in the middle of the park, and required riders to cross a bridge over the park entrance plaza to get to it. These occupied a site larger than most of the current waterslides that they have in their waterpark, and were taken out due to age. Prior to these, another slide complex operated on the site from 1981 to 1993. The bridge and facilities around them have not been cleared out. The hill -- not challenging terrain -- has always been waterpark land and during its vacancy never once earmarked for amusement park expansion.



Waterslides don't take up a ton of room if planned efficiently, and this is coming from somebody with an extensive knowledge of what goes on in the waterpark industry. Look at the images that I've just posted, and then look at the current image below (barring the Wahoo Wave slide presently under construction). Tell me with a straight face that Darien Lake would have to remove Ride of Steel for a waterpark expansion.


Of course, as mentioned, they could always wipe out the picnic grove to double its size... but in reality it would be a lot more cheaper and efficient to simply repurpose the hill again. The main argument is that these were located some distance from the main waterpark and thus probably lost ridership (management installed slides within the main waterpark for 2015 and 2016, thus displaying wariness of such a site), but this a factor that can easily be overcome. It's the most visible spot in the park, put the right slides there and they can have a crowdpleaser indeed.

 

[Twisterfan1995]

Something that I think enthsuiast's often forget is Water Parks are truly a major if not THE draw for small parks in the Northeast/Mid Atlantic US. Darien Lake's water park for example is always slammed while the dry park is usually pretty dead. I'll still believe it when I see it but that's less farfetched an idea than you may think.

Very true. Only have anecdotal evidence, but I know that a lot of people in NJ/PA that own season passes for Dorney Park primarily go for its waterpark onsite, especially in the peak of summer heat.

That was a recurring theme during peak covid seasons in 2020 and 2021 as well according to trip reports: dry park was dead, wet park was slammed.

 

[cocoa]

the dry park can always be a wet park too if you're having enough fun

 

[Youngster Joey]

Does anybody remember 'Cuda Falls? The very spacious waterslide complex that existed at the park from 1994 to 2014

Yes the one on the hill they removed because most people didn't know that existed because it was so far removed from the rest of the water park? you know the one tantrum also now blocks access to and also uses some of the space for? That one...?!?

yeah. I don't think the fact that the land is still mostly clear means this is total BS. There are other things that I find farfetched but Cuda falls isn't one of them. There's a reason they didn't build anything larger on that plot...

 

[Fiender]

Titan track has been spotted on Predator; more than that, it (so far) only appears to be a partial conversion. Nothing crazy like new inversions, but:
-there's still tons of time to go before opening
-Predator might not open with the park
-Titan Track can apparently be installed super quickly (matter of weeks)