Darien Lake's New Family Area Opens

© Darien Lake

Darien Lake, New York, has opened for the 2012 season, and that also means that the park's new Rowdy's Ridge area has greeted its first guests.  The park has expanded and renovated a large section to create Rowdy's Ridge, which features three new attractions and several rethemed rides that are aimed at the whole family.

In total, $5 million was spent on the resort for this year.  The park received the new themed area, but also had many rides go under heavy refurbishment - which costs more than most would think.  The resort side of the property also received one million dollars worth of upgrades, including new cabins.

© Darien Lake

One of the highlights of the attractions added is Moose on the Loose, a unique attraction where you actually ride a moose along an elevated track.  Above is a shot of the finished product, which includes some cute theming along the way.

The Hornet's Next is a Flying Scooter type ride, where riders control the outward swing of their vehicles, and Heave Ho is a small tower which lets guests pull themselves up and then gently fall back down.  Photos of the new rides are available here.

The finished product of the new area most definitely has the feel of Herschend Family Entertainment, which now manages the property.  And that's a good thing!  The area looks very nicely landscaped and put together.  I'm excited to see what the future holds for Darien Lake.