Dorney Park Opening Day Report Pt. 1

Dorney Park started its 125th summer of fun today to some light showers and dreary weather. On the upside, things improved greatly later in the day and it was actually great weather!

There's quite a few changes to be seen here and there so I'm going to break up my opening day report into sections, the first of which is below and will be of general changes we noticed around the park.

Here's one side of the park's 2009 billboard. Simple yet effective - gets the point across with few words.

But then here's the other side of that billboard. Very hip... maybe too hip? I'm thinking perhaps this is part of the corporate level push to emphasize the Ride On slogan.

I always take photos of the new banners found around the park, and this year is no different. here we have two sets that are celebrating the park's 125th anniversary. Being a history fan I'm totally into the celebrating!

Along the main midway some changes have taken place in terms of food offerings. A section of the Carousel Emporium has become a Cinnabon location. We stopped in just to smell it - yummy. Also, the soft serve/coffee location now has Edy's Frozen Yogurt as well.

A Haystack Dryer has been added near the exit to White Water Landing. It's $5 for three minutes of dry time. These have been growing in popularity at parks but I've yet to go in one.

Carousel Gifts is now Good Time Gifts, which makes sense as it's located right next to the new Good Time Theatre. It will also no longer be confused with Carousel Emporium, which was always silly to begin with.

The former Juke Box location has sat empty for the summer for many years now - only being used during Halloween season for mask making - but is finally once again a real food location. It's now the Samuel Adams Pub & Grille. And it looks like they were able to reuse the hanging lights from The Haunt's Sideshow!

Laser Refreshments makes no sense without Laser, so this stand has been renamed (and changed) into a Dippin Dots Sundae Shop. Can you believe Dippin Dots are still so popular after all these years?

The lockers that were near the main entrance have been kicked out for the Good Time Theatre construction, and have been relocated into the only remaining space along the main midway - between the guessing game and Screamin' Swing.

Thankfully, it also appears as though the time share people are gone, and their stand has been turned into the Ride Warriors gift area - though not open yet. We noticed that Kings Island's version changed into a Diamondback stand, so the time share sales seems to have left all the parks as well.

Finally, we also noticed some new games. On the top here is something really cool, called Pirates of Dorney Park it's a shooting gallery! Something I've personally wanted to see back at the park for ages has been added!

The bottom is of a Speed Pitch game that may have been at the park before but I didn't see it where it is now located, in the games across from the Apollo.

Tomorrow I'll try to get posted the ride name changes, including Laser's plot, and then at some point construction photos of the new theatre.