Thursday, October 30, 2014

Dorney Park Announces New Attraction + Changes for 2015 Season


Dorney Park & Wildwater Kingdom has announced a brand new family ride, a new restaurant experience and a new season pass dining plan for the park's 2015 season.

© Dorney Park & Wildwater Kingdom
Visitors will be swinging into next year on the all-new Cedar Creek Flyers, a family friendly ride that will be located next to Stinger on the park's lower midway.  The attraction will be manufactured by Larson International of Texas, and feature eight two-passenger carriages.  As the center of the ride spins, the carriages will be able to fly at a maximum of 28 feet over the midway.  Each car will allow riders to control the "thrill level" of their experience using a moveable front wing.

This style of attraction as long be a fan favorite at parks across the country, and Dorney Park is excited to add it to its line up.  “The Cedar Creek Flyers are a perfect complement to our collection of family rides,” said Brad Marcy, vice president and general manager of Dorney Park. “They build on Dorney’s reputation as a great entertainment value for families with young kids.”

Cedar Creek Flyers will go in the circular area in Stinger's shadow.
Cedar Fair has already successfully introduced the Flyers at several other parks, including Cedar Point and Michigan's Adventure.  The interactive nature of the ride leads it to be a very repeatable experience, and a new attraction at the far end of the park will add a great deal of life to the area.  The location for the ride will be in the already-paved circular area next to Stinger.

Patio Pizza currently © Google
Dorney Park & Wildwater Kingdom have been steadily improving their food offerings over the past few seasons, beginning when they added executive chef Jan Giejda in 2013.  The park was the first to bring Chickie's & Pete's to the Lehigh Valley, and last year created a new Build-Your-Own Funnel Cake stand and debuted a new food truck, along with changing menus throughout the park.

The changes will continue in 2015 as the Patio Pizza stand, located in the center of the park near Dominator, will be transformed into the Smokehouse Barbecue.  The new restaurant will feature "BBQ favorites such as smoked beef brisket, pulled pork and hush puppies."  The unique menu will be created by the park's executive chef, who is "excited to offer our guests a full BBQ style meal, including sides like homemade mac & cheese and southern style desserts.” 

While the bones of the Patio Pizza stand, seen above, will remain, major changes will take place to create an indoor cafeteria style serving area.  The large dining patio adjacent to the restaurant will remain, though final plans are still underway.  I have no doubt that the Smokehouse Barbecue will be an extremely popular spot in the park next year.

Finally, an All Season Dining Plan will be offered in 2015 to season pass holders.  Those who purchase the plan are entitled to one lunch and dinner each day they visit the park in 2015 at locations such as Amore Pizza, Coasters, Burger Barn and the new Smokehouse Barbeque.  More details, including pricing options, are available on the park's website.

It is great to see the ride side of the park see some action after giving Wildwater Kingdom a head-to-toe makeover in 2014!


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