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112-517: Dorney Park & Wildwater Kingdom is an amusement and water park located in Dorneyville, Pennsylvania , United States, outside Allentown . Owned and operated by Six Flags Entertainment Corporation , the park features 64 rides, including eight roller coasters , several thrill rides and kiddie rides, and a waterpark , Wildwater Kingdom, with 19 water rides . It features some of the world's most prominent roller coasters , including Steel Force ,

224-649: A Vekoma inverted shuttle coaster formerly located at California's Great America as Invertigo. The park also added the new Fast Lane virtual queue system, and the Dinosaurs Alive! walkthrough attraction that guests paid an additional fee to access. Dinosaurs Alive! featured life-sized animatronic dinosaurs that moved and produced sound effects. In 2013, Dorney Park introduced a new Fast Pay wristband, allowing guests to add money to an RFID prepaid wristband, allowing them to pay for food and merchandise without carrying cash. On August 28, 2013, Dorney Park announced

336-460: A token ). The cost of the attraction is often based on its complexity or popularity. For example, a guest might pay one ticket to ride a carousel but four tickets to ride a roller coaster . The park may allow guests to purchase a pass providing unlimited admissions to all attractions within the park for a specified duration of time. A wristband or pass is then shown at the attraction entrance to gain admission. Disneyland opened in 1955 using

448-413: A 200-foot (61 m) combined turbo drop and space shot tower called Dominator was added. One tower blasts riders straight up 15 stories before dropping them back down, while another tower slowly lifts riders to 170 feet (52 m) before dropping them. In 2000, Dorney Park debuted Camp Snoopy , a themed children's play area. A junior coaster called Woodstock Express was added that year, bringing

560-518: A blaze of lights from the "White City." To make sure that the fair was a financial success, the planners included a dedicated amusement concessions area called the Midway Plaisance . Rides from this fair captured the imagination of the visitors and of amusement parks around the world, such as the first steel Ferris wheel , which was found in many other amusement areas, such as the Prater by 1896. Also,

672-479: A canyon, propelled by approximately 1 million US gallons (3,800 m) of water. In 1996, construction began on a steel hypercoaster known as Steel Force. It was designed by D.H. Morgan , a former employee of Arrow Dynamics . Morgan previously was involved with designing Magnum XL-200 at Cedar Point in 1988. Steel Force follows a similar out-and-back layout, but features a smoother braking system. It opened in 1997 as "the tallest and longest roller coaster on

784-450: A carnival atmosphere. In 1952, he created WED Enterprises to design the park, which was now to be built in Anaheim, and in 1953, was able to convince the bankers on funding the park with the help of a studio artist, Herb Ryman, by making an aerial drawing of Disneyland. By July 1954, construction had started with a deadline of one year. Disneyland opened on July 17, 1955, and two months after

896-466: A drop of 152 feet (46 m) and a track length of 2,169 feet (661 m). Iron Menace opened in May 2024. On July 1, 2024, a merger of equals between Dorney Park owner Cedar Fair and Six Flags was completed, creating Six Flags Entertainment Corporation. Dorney Park first added a Dentzel Carousel in 1901, and has since grown to include 44 rides as of the 2023 season. Wildwater Kingdom opened in 1985 and

1008-443: A flat ride built by Zamperla . In 2003, Wildwater Kingdom was overhauled. Several older body slides were removed and replaced with four modern colored body slides, two of which were open and two of which were enclosed tube slides. Three inflated tube slides were also added. A new children's water play area was also added. In July, the park announced that Hercules would close after the end of the season, and be replaced in 2005 by Hydra

1120-588: A hotel, and a restaurant. By the 1880s, Dorney had added a small zoo and garden. The Allentown-Kutztown Traction Company completed its trolley line from Allentown to Kutztown in 1899, and the company added a stop at Dorney's park. Two years later, in 1862, the traction company purchased the park. The Allentown-Kutztown Traction Company operated the park until 1923, when it was sold to Robert Plarr and two other partners. Plarr soon bought out his partners and ran Dorney Park independently until his death in 1966. Ownership then passed to Plarr's son, Stephen, who died within

1232-456: A looping roller coaster designed by Anton Schwarzkopf called Laser , featuring two loops, was added to the park's lineup. It was originally designed as a portable ride for fairs, but Dorney Park used it as a permanent attraction. The coaster was named after a local Hot AC radio station known as Laser 104.1 at the time. In 1988, a kiddie coaster was added across from Laser and named Little Laser . Following Laser's removal in 2008, Little Laser

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1344-457: A nearly vertical one. On most Enterprise models, there are no safety restraints inside the enclosed gondolas; the force applied to the riders is sufficient to keep them pinned in their seats. However, some models have been fitted with seat belts. Most parks and carnivals require riders to be at least 48 in (120 cm) tall, though it is not uncommon to see restrictions as much as 54 in (140 cm) or more. The transportable version of

1456-467: A new 65-foot-tall (20 m) tall waterslide complex known as Snake Pit would be opened for the 2014 season. Snake Pit features six water slides. Also new for 2014 was an in-park television channel called FUNtv. FUNtv is shown on television screens in the queue lines of many of the park's major attractions. On November 17, 2014, Dorney Park announced a new attraction for 2015, Cedar Creek Flyers, manufactured by Larson International, Inc. In 2015, Hang Time

1568-446: A pleasure ride of flying carriages that revolved around a central pylon. Other rides included the 'Grotto' (a fantasy ride), 'River Caves' (a scenic railway ), water chutes and a tobogganing tower. Fire was a constant threat in those days, as much of the construction within the amusement parks of the era was wooden. In 1911, Dreamland was the first Coney Island amusement park to completely burn down; in 1944, Luna Park also burned to

1680-461: A proper theme park. That same year, SeaWorld San Diego opened and displayed many varieties of aquatic and marine life. Initially meant to house Walt Disney's dream idea, EPCOT (Experimental Prototype Community Of Tomorrow), Disney executives decided to settle on building the park first in Walt Disney World and the city later. After six years of construction, Walt Disney World opened to

1792-548: A second park or risk losing the land to the French government. The park opened March 16, 2002, with only three rides and California Adventure style theming. However, Hong Kong Disneyland was higher quality than the other black sheep, but still lacked the number of attractions that was needed, just like California Adventure and Walt Disney Studios Park. It opened on September 12, 2005, with only four lands, and had exorbitant wait times on opening day for everything from rides to food. In

1904-512: A silhouette of the starship Enterprise . Enterprises are manufactured by HUSS, Schwarzkopf, and Heinz Fähtz; all sharing the name Enterprise. Both trailer and park versions have been created and are in use. In 2015, Italian manufacturer Zamperla introduced the Endeavour, a new ride billed as being based on the Enterprise. This ride mainly differs in its seating and restraint configuration, which

2016-649: A smaller roller coaster, the Joy Wheel, Miniature Railway, The Whip and the River Caves. A ballroom was constructed on the site of the Skating Rink in 1920 and in 1923 a Variety Cinema was built on the site. Between 1920 and 1935 over £500,000 was invested in the site, constantly adding new rides and facilities and culminating in the construction of the Dreamland Cinema complex in 1934 which stands to this day. Until 2011

2128-782: A source of fantasy and escape from real life. By the early 1900s, hundreds of amusement parks were operating in the United States and Canada. Trolley parks stood outside many cities. Parks like Atlanta's Ponce de Leon and Idora Park, near Youngstown, OH, took passengers to traditionally popular picnic grounds, which by the late 1890s also often included rides like the Giant Swing, Carousel , and Shoot-the-Chutes . These amusement parks were often based on nationally known parks or world's fairs : they had names like Coney Island , White City , Luna Park , or Dreamland . The American Gilded Age was, in fact, amusement parks' Golden Age that reigned until

2240-461: A standalone attraction next to Disney World (especially now as Disney built one in Disney-MGM). So it divided up the segments of its California tour into individual attractions, such as Jaws , Disaster! , and Kongfrontation . Disney-MGM Studios opened it on May 1, 1989, with two major attractions: The Backlot Tour and The Great Movie Ride. The concept for the park started out as an EPCOT pavilion, but

2352-486: A year. Robert Ott, Plarr's son-in-law, took over as owner in 1967. In 1985, Ott sold Dorney Park to Harris Weinstein. Weinstein owned it until 1992, when he sold the park to Cedar Fair . In 1932, the Philadelphia Toboggan Coasters (PTC) Grande Carousel debuted at Dorney Park. The Whip opened in 1918, and is still in operation today and is the park's oldest ride. Dorney Park also had a swimming pool from

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2464-425: Is an amusement ride , manufactured primarily by HUSS Park Attractions and Anton Schwarzkopf beginning in 1972. The HUSS ride was an adaptation and improvement of a design produced earlier that year by Schwarzkopf , with an increased passenger capacity. Despite not owning the original incarnation of the ride, HUSS was issued the patent . Although Schwarzkopf was the first to build the more standard Enterprise,

2576-424: Is floorless with over-the-shoulder restraints. In the ride, up to two people sit in one of 20 gondolas arranged in a circle, one in front of the other. The ride moves clockwise, dispelling a slight amount of centrifugal force . A hydraulically powered arm underneath the ride then raises and tilts the frame so that the ride is rotating at 87° from the horizontal, transforming the ride from a horizontal experience to

2688-404: Is located on the park grounds. It has many water attractions. Admission to Wildwater Kingdom is included with admission to Dorney Park. Wildwater Kingdom has 22 water slides, three aquatic play areas for children, a water funhouse, two tubing rivers, two wave pools, and other water rides. In the 2006 season, Wildwater Kingdom introduced an additional wave pool, called Wildwater Cove, to accommodate

2800-428: Is no longer in production. HUSS also used the design of the Enterprise for a newer attraction called Fly Away. In this version, riders lay on their stomachs to simulate the feeling of flying. This version also has the capability to spin riders forwards or backwards. The Schwarzkopf versions of the Enterprise have either 16 or 21 gondolas, thus having a different diameter of the wheel. The gondolas are also smaller than

2912-517: Is one known model still operating: Cyclone at Parque Del Café in Montenegro, Quindio, Colombia . HUSS used the basis of the Enterprise for another ride called the UFO. This ride was similar in operation, but the cars did not swing freely and riders stood up facing the center of the ride. Similarly to most Enterprise rides, there are no restraints due to the centrifugal force experienced on the ride. This ride

3024-583: Is the first and only floorless roller coaster in Pennsylvania. On September 22, 2007, Dorney Park announced it would be opening a twisted impulse coaster from Intamin . The coaster, previously located at Geauga Lake in Aurora, Ohio , debuted in 2000 as Superman: Ultimate Escape, and was renamed Steel Venom when the park was purchased by Cedar Fair in 2004. Steel Venom was removed from Geauga Lake in 2006 and opened as Voodoo at Dorney Park on May 17, 2008. The ride

3136-458: Is themed after stories based on the ocean and nautical adventure. It was constructed at a cost of ¥335 billion and opened on September 4, 2001. The park's two signature attractions are a modernized version of 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea and Journey To The Center of The Earth . In the early 90s, Michael Eisner wanted to make Disneyland in the image of Walt Disney World 's resort style. Plans were made for multiple hotels (such as one based on

3248-581: The Blackpool Pleasure Beach ranked among the top free of charge attractions in Britain. Blackpool Pleasure beach was developed continuously, requiring frequent large-scale investments. The construction of many new rides could be counted on. Rides included the Virginia Reel, Whip, Noah's Ark, Big Dipper and Dodgems. In the 1920s the "Casino Building" was built, which remains to this day. In 1923, land

3360-939: The Disneyland Resort and Universal Orlando Resort to thrilling coaster parks such as the Six Flags parks and Cedar Fair parks. Countless smaller ventures exist across the United States and around the world. Simpler theme parks directly aimed at smaller children have also emerged, such as Legoland . Examples of amusement parks in shopping malls exist in West Edmonton Mall , Pier 39 and Mall of America . Family fun parks starting as miniature golf courses have begun to grow to include batting cages, go-karts, bumper cars, bumper boats and water slides. Some of these parks have grown to include even roller coasters, and traditional amusement parks now also have these competition areas in addition to their thrill rides. In 2015, theme parks in

3472-635: The Grand Floridian Hotel ) and a new west coast version of EPCOT , called WESTCOT. WESTCOT never came to be due to local opposition from residents, rising costs, and the financial fallout of Disneyland Paris. After a corporate retreat in Colorado, Disney executives decided to make a park themed to California so that guests could experience all of California within the confines of the Disneyland Resort and would be built across from Disneyland on its 100-acre parking lot. Disney's California Adventure would be

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3584-671: The SeaWorld and Busch Gardens parks also offer educational experiences, with each of the parks housing several thousand animals, fish and other sea life in dozens of attractions and exhibits focusing on animal education. Created in 1977, the Puy du Fou is a much-celebrated theme park in Vendée , France. It is centered around European, French and local history. It received several international prizes. Some theme parks did evolve from more traditional amusement park enterprises, such as Knott's Berry Farm . In

3696-504: The eighth-longest steel roller coaster in the world and the second-longest on the U.S. East Coast . Dorney Park is one of only fourteen trolley parks still operating in the United States. Dorney Park traces its history to 1860, when Solomon Dorney built a trout hatchery and summer resort on his estate outside of Allentown . In 1870, Dorney decided to convert the estate into a public attraction. The facility initially featured games, playground-style rides, refreshment stands, picnic groves,

3808-557: The 1860s and 1870s created mechanical rides, such as the steam-powered carousel (built by Thomas Bradshaw, at the Aylsham Fair ), and its derivatives, notably from Frederick Savage of King's Lynn , Norfolk whose fairground machinery was exported all over the world; his "galloping horses" innovation is seen in carousels today. This inaugurated the era of the modern funfair ride, as the working classes were increasingly able to spend their surplus wages on entertainment. The second influence

3920-655: The 1870s along the Connecticut River . The trick was getting the public to the seaside or resort location. For Coney Island in Brooklyn, New York, on the Atlantic Ocean, a horse-drawn streetcar line brought pleasure seekers to the beach beginning in 1829. In 1875, a million passengers rode the Coney Island Railroad , and in 1876 two million visited Coney Island. Hotels and amusements were built to accommodate both

4032-474: The 1920s, Walter Knott and his family sold berries from a roadside stand, which grew to include a restaurant serving fried chicken dinners. Within a few years, lines outside the restaurant were often several hours long. To entertain the waiting crowds, Walter Knott built a Ghost Town in 1940, using buildings relocated from real old west towns such as the Calico, California , ghost town and Prescott, Arizona . In 1968,

4144-417: The 1992 season, after Cedar Fair acquired the park. In the mid-1940s, PTC built a Cuddle-Up ride at the park, which was later enclosed and heavily air-conditioned in the late 1970s when it was rethemed as The Iceberg, featuring strobe lights and loud music. It was removed after the 1993 season. The Gold Mine was a dark walk-through located near The Iceberg until the former's closure in 1980. The Flying Dutchman

4256-631: The 2021 season. Dorney Park opened on May 22, and Wildwater Kingdom opened a week later. Seaside Splashworks officially opened Memorial Day weekend. It was also announced that daily operations would begin on June 16. The park was closed on Mondays and Tuesdays throughout the duration of the summer due to staffing issues. Grand Carnivale returned in July. In July 2021, the park announced that Halloween Haunt and The Great Pumpkin Fest would return in fall 2021. In 2022, The Whip underwent renovations. Daily operation returned for

4368-449: The Casino building to name a few. The Great Depression of the 1930s and World War II during the 1940s saw the decline of the amusement park industry. War caused the affluent urban population to move to the suburbs, television became a source of entertainment, and families went to amusement parks less often. By the 1950s, factors such as urban decay , crime , and even desegregation in

4480-518: The Dark Arts class with one shop and one restaurant in the former submarine lagoon at Magic Kingdom. She was also displeased with the lack of creative control she had and exited the deal. She went to Universal next and was also displeased with the initial plan to redress the Islands of Adventure's Lost Continent area. To remedy this, J.K Rowling wrestled creative control from Universal and forced them to make

4592-584: The Enterprise has 20 gondolas. One Enterprise manufactured by Emiliana Luna Park, named Kehrä, is located at Linnanmäki amusement park in Finland. One model is known to be operating currently at Yokohama Cosmo World . Super Planet is comparable to the Huss Giant Enterprise models, as they both feature similar gondolas that accommodate four riders in two seats. Unlike the Huss version which has only 15 gondolas,

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4704-593: The European Middle Ages . An amusement park is a contemporary arrangement, designed to combine components of a fair, carnival, and theme park. An early example of an amusement park is the Bartholomew Fair . By the 18th and 19th centuries, they had evolved into places of entertainment for the masses, where the public could view freak shows , acrobatics , conjuring and juggling , take part in competitions and walk through menageries . A wave of innovation in

4816-525: The Golden Age of roller coasters, being the decade of frenetic building for these rides. In England, Dreamland Margate opened in 1880 with Frederick Savage's carousel the first amusement ride installed. In 1920 the Scenic Railway rollercoaster opened to the public with great success, carrying half a million passengers in its first year. The park also installed other rides common to the time including

4928-536: The HUSS version. Originally, the gondolas were produced in-house; they were later replaced by gondolas manufactured separately by Reverchon . Heinz Fähtz manufactured some 16-gondola Enterprises. The only known operating park model is at Darien Lake , installed in 1981. Another portable ride is traveled in New Zealand by Mahons Amusements , loading on 2 trailers complete with backflash. The Emiliana Luna Park version of

5040-503: The Knott family fenced the farm, charged admission for the first time, and Knott's Berry Farm officially became a theme park. Because of its long history, Knott's Berry Farm currently claims to be "America's First Theme Park." Knott's Berry Farm is now owned by Cedar Fair Entertainment Company. Lake Compounce in Bristol, Connecticut, may be the true oldest continuously operating amusement park in

5152-461: The Revenge, a $ 13 million steel floorless B&M coaster. In 2004, construction on Hydra the Revenge began soon after the razing of Hercules. Around the same time, Skyscraper was relocated to Valleyfair , and operated there for two years before again being relocated to Cedar Point. On May 7, 2005, Hydra the Revenge, a coaster half a mile in length and features a 105-foot (32 m) drop, opened. It

5264-547: The United States had a revenue of US$ 8 billion and theme parks in China had a revenue of US$ 4.6 billion , with China expected to overtake the United States by 2020. Some parks use rides and attractions for educational purposes. There are also Holy Land USA and the Holy Land Experience , which are theme parks built to inspire Christian piety. Dinosaur World entertains families with dinosaurs in natural settings, while

5376-521: The United States, open since 1846. Santa Claus Town, which opened in Santa Claus, Indiana , in 1935 and included Santa's Candy Castle and other Santa Claus-themed attractions is considered the first themed attraction in the United States: a precursor to the modern day theme park. Santa Claus Land (renamed Holiday World in 1984) opened in 1946 in Santa Claus, Indiana , and many people will argue that it

5488-531: The beginnings of the Wurstelprater as an amusement park. The concept of a fixed park for amusement was further developed with the beginning of the world's fairs . The first World fair began in 1851 with the construction of the landmark Crystal Palace in London, England. The purpose of the exposition was to celebrate the industrial achievement of the nations of the world and it was designed to educate and entertain

5600-694: The boardwalk out over the ocean. The first of several was the Ocean Pier in 1891, followed later by the Steel Pier in 1898, both of which boasted rides and attractions typical of that time, such as Midway-style games and electric trolley rides. The boardwalk also had the first Roundabout installed in 1892 by William Somers, a wooden predecessor to the Ferris Wheel . Somers installed two others in Asbury Park , New Jersey and Coney Island , New York. Another early park

5712-557: The early 1900s until 1963. The park's first roller coaster opened in 1923. It was originally known as "The Coaster" or "the yellow roller coaster" until 1989, when it was renamed Thunderhawk . It still operates today. Near the lower entrance to the park was the Tunnel of Love , which later was rethemed as The Journey to the Center of the Earth. The ride was a Bill Tracy mill chute. It was razed following

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5824-521: The early 2000s, the Harry Potter book series written by J.K Rowling had become a pop culture phenomenon. Universal and Disney entered a bidding war over the theme park rights to the books, but Disney seemed to have won after Rowling signed a letter of intent with Disney. However, Rowling was disappointed with Disney's small-scale plans to install an omnimover attraction themed to the Defense Against

5936-413: The early 90s after the opening of Universal Studios Florida, Universal sought to build a second theme park, one aimed more towards children and their families. Universal acquired the theme park rights to many properties including Marvel and Dr. Seuss to build the park around. In 1999, Universal Studios opened Universal Studios Islands of Adventure under the new resort name Universal Studios Escape. The park

6048-515: The east coast." Several new attractions were added to Wildwater Kingdom, including several waterslides and a second lazy river . In 1998, Dorney Park added a top spin ride called Hang Time. At the end of the season, the Monster ride was relocated within the park. This was also the last year for the Sky Ride, which was removed at the end of the season. During the off-season, Laser was repainted. In 1999,

6160-620: The emergence of the amusement park industry. Bakken ("The Hill") in Klampenborg , Denmark, Wurstelprater in Vienna, Austria, and Tivoli Gardens in Copenhagen, Denmark are the three oldest operating amusement parks in the world. Lake Compounce opened in 1846 and is considered the oldest, continuously operating amusement park in North America. The amusement park evolved from traditions in

6272-627: The end of June, but Jaws had to be rebuilt and reopened three years later. However, Universal learned from opening day and started conducting exit surveys and special ticket deals. In 1992, Disney opened its first European park, Euro Disneyland , outside of Paris, France, designed to be like the Magic Kingdom in Florida, yet it caters to the European tastes through changes, including removing Tomorrowland and replacing it with Discoveryland , themed to

6384-473: The end of an arm. But what makes this ride different from an Enterprise is that the center of the frame, as well as the end of the arm, is fitted around an arc-shaped pillar, which is used to raise and lower the arm in order to tilt it from horizontal to vertical. The earliest known machine, Passat , was originally built by German show family Winter, who started traveling it to funfairs in 1964. Later machines were built by Klaus and possibly Heinz Fähtz. Although

6496-401: The entire park, aimed to create an eerie atmosphere for park guests. Most of the park's rides and attractions are also open for night rides during the event. Amusement park Amusement parks evolved from European fairs , pleasure gardens , and large picnic areas , which were created for people's recreation . World's fairs and other types of international expositions also influenced

6608-610: The experience of the enclosed ideal city with wonder, rides, culture and progress (electricity), was based on the creation of an illusory place. The " midway " introduced at the Columbian Exposition would become a standard part of most amusement parks, fairs, carnivals, and circuses. The midway contained not only the rides, but other concessions and entertainments such as shooting galleries , penny arcades , games of chance , and shows. Many modern amusement parks evolved from earlier pleasure resorts that had become popular with

6720-439: The first time since the 2019 season. In 2023, general park upgrades and changes to the park's live entertainment and food and beverage options. Dorney Park saw the addition of a stage on the main midway, and several upgrades to Wildwater Kingdom. Dorney Park announced via social media on July 21, 2023, that a new B&M steel dive coaster called Iron Menace would open the next year. The ride will feature four inversions , with

6832-410: The gardens were originally designed for the elites, they soon became places of great social diversity. Public firework displays were put on at Marylebone Gardens , and Cremorne Gardens offered music, dancing, and animal acrobatics displays. Prater in Vienna, Austria, began as a royal hunting ground which was opened in 1766 for public enjoyment. There followed coffee-houses and cafés, which led to

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6944-623: The ghettos led to changing patterns in how people chose to spend their free time. Many of the older, traditional amusement parks closed or burned to the ground. Many would be taken out by the wrecking ball to make way for suburb and housing and development . In 1964, Steeplechase Park , once the king of all amusement parks, closed down for good. The traditional amusement parks which survived, for example, Kennywood , in West Mifflin, Pennsylvania , and Cedar Point , in Sandusky, Ohio , did so in spite of

7056-431: The great futuristic thinkers of European culture such as H. G. Wells and Jules Verne . A recession in the French economy and the immense public backlash against the park led to financial hardship, putting the park into debt. However, this did not stop Disney from expanding Disney-MGM Studios with The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror , in 1994, and building their fourth Walt Disney World park, Disney's Animal Kingdom . In

7168-510: The ground. Most of Ingersoll's Luna Parks were similarly destroyed, usually by arson , before his death in 1927. During the Gilded Age , many Americans began working fewer hours and had more disposable income. With new-found money and time to spend on leisure activities, Americans sought new venues for entertainment. Amusement parks, set up outside major cities and in rural areas, emerged to meet this new economic opportunity. These parks served as

7280-661: The immense popularity of the park's existing wave pool. Fast Lane is a secondary queue system available at amusement parks owned by Six Flags. For an additional cost separate from park admission, visitors can purchase Fast Lane passes in the form of a wrist band, which grants them access to a shorter queue available on many popular attractions. Halloween Haunt at Dorney Park is an annual event on weekends in September and October, featuring haunted mazes, scare zones, live shows, and seasonal food and drink offerings. Halloween Haunt also features special lighting and fog effects used throughout

7392-553: The land a full scale, realistic re-creation of Hogsmeade and Hogwarts without being a refurbishment of an existing area. The project was announced in 2007 and in 2010 the land was opened to the public and made Universal Orlando a must visit destination. Today, there are over 475 amusement parks in the United States, ranging from mega-parks and those that are operated by Warner Bros., Disney , Six Flags and NBCUniversal . The amusement park industry's offerings range from immersive theme parks such as Warner Bros. World Abu Dhabi ,

7504-450: The larger, more popular rides. Later, the "D-ticket" was added, then finally the " E-ticket ", which was used on the biggest and most elaborate rides, like Space Mountain . Smaller tickets could be traded up for use on larger rides so that for example two or three A-tickets would equal a single B-ticket. Disneyland, as well as the Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World, abandoned this practice in 1982. Enterprise (ride) The Enterprise

7616-408: The largest disaster Disney ever created because unlike Disneyland, it would be set in the modern day and spoof modern-day California with its cheap, insincere, and flat backdrops. The park would be adult focused, sell fine food, and serve alcohol. When the park opened on February 8, 2001, it received a chilly reception for its lack of attractions, poor environment (for example, Hollywood Studios Backlot

7728-456: The late 1920s. The Golden Age of amusement parks also included the advent of the kiddie park. Founded in 1925, the original Kiddie Park is located in San Antonio, Texas , and is still in operation as of 2022 . The kiddie parks became popular all over America after World War II. This era saw the development of new innovations in roller coasters that included extreme drops and speeds to thrill

7840-466: The modern, competitive amusement park industry. In the late 1950s, Wynne visited Disneyland and was inspired to create an affordable, closer, and larger amusement park that would be filled with fantasy. He followed in the steps of Disney and had subdivisions within the park that reflected different lands. The subdivisions included the Old South and other sections that referenced Wynne's background. By 1968,

7952-462: The motivation for entrepreneurs to build accommodation and create new attractions, leading to more visitors and a rapid cycle of growth throughout the 1850s and 1860s. In 1879, large parts of the promenade at Blackpool were wired. The lighting and its accompanying pageants reinforced Blackpool's status as the North of England's most prominent holiday resort, and its specifically working class character. It

8064-477: The odds. Inspired by the layout of Tivoli Gardens theme park in Copenhagen, Denmark, in 1951, Walt Disney came up with the idea of having an amusement park next to the studios in Burbank. The park would have been called Mickey Mouse Park , built across the street with a western area featuring a steam driven paddleboat, a turn of the century town, and a midway. It was rejected by the Burbank city council in fear of

8176-505: The overall design was actually predated by another ride, the Passat , which first opened in 1964. This is only considered a precursor, however, as the mechanism used to lift the arm up and down as well as the overall look of the ride is much different from a typical Enterprise. The ride is named after USS Enterprise from the TV series Star Trek . The backdrop is decorated with space-themed art and

8288-399: The park announced that Dinosaurs Alive! would close after the 2018 season. The 2019 season held two large events: Grand Carnivale, a large international-themed festival which ran at the beginning of the season, and Monster Jam: Thunder Alley, a truck-themed event which ran in the fall. Halloween Haunt also ran in the fall. On March 11, 2020, the park announced that it would open normally for

8400-436: The park built a flume ride called White Water Landing that plunged riders in 20-passenger boats down an 80-foot (24 m) drop. In 1994, the midway was completed on the top of the hill near Hercules and White Water Landing. Several concession stands and a carousel were added to this new midway. The parking lot for Wildwater Kingdom was doubled in size and converted to serve both Dorney Park and Wildwater Kingdom. A new entrance

8512-466: The park opened, it welcomed its one millionth guest. Because of the financial success of Disneyland, the amusement industry was reinvigorated. What became Busch Gardens Tampa opened in 1959 as a garden and bird sanctuary. Six Flags Over Texas opened in 1961, themed to the six different countries that ruled over Texas. In 1964, Universal Studios Hollywood opened to the public with a studio tour of their backlot that had multiple adventure scenes and became

8624-472: The park was purchased by Cedar Fair in 1992. Hercules was removed in 2003 due to high maintenance costs and low ridership. A steel coaster, Hydra the Revenge , is located where Hercules once stood, and pays tribute to the former coaster in its slogan, "It's the ride that brought down Hercules." In 1992, Cedar Fair purchased the park for $ 48M. In 1993, a new midway began construction, intending to connect Wildwater Kingdom directly to Dorney Park. Also in 1993,

8736-405: The park's coaster count to eight. A Wild Mouse coaster was also added this year. Additionally, a new upcharge attraction, Skyscraper, a Booster thrill ride by Gravity Works, Inc., was installed. In 2001, a coaster designed by Bolliger & Mabillard (B&M) called Talon was added near the front entrance of park. The ride is a steel inverted looping coaster. In 2002, the park added Meteor,

8848-580: The park. In 1897, Sea Lion Park was joined by Steeplechase Park , the first of three major amusement parks that would open in the Coney Island area. George Tilyou designed the park to provide thrills and entertainment. The combination of the nearby population center of New York City and the ease of access to the area made Coney Island the embodiment of the American amusement park. Coney Island also featured Luna Park (1903) and Dreamland (1904). Coney Island

8960-594: The park. In 1982, the park opened its log flume ride, Thunder Creek Mountain, which holds the record for the longest drop on a log flume ride at 210 feet. In the fall of 1983, a major fire destroyed a large section of the park, including the Carousel, Bucket O' Blood dark ride, Flying Bobs, and several food stands. The park replaced the rides in 1984, its 100th anniversary, with the addition of Enterprise , Musik Express , Ranger , and Apollo . New skeeball alleys, gift shops, and food stands were added. In 1985, Dorney Park

9072-426: The park. Other revenue sources include parking fees, food and beverage sales and souvenirs. Practically all amusement parks operate using one of two admission principles: In amusement parks using the pay-as-you-go scheme, a guest enters the park at little or no charge. The guest must then purchase rides individually, either at the attraction's entrance or by purchasing ride tickets (or a similar exchange method, like

9184-503: The pay-as-you-go format. Initially, guests paid the ride admission fees at the attractions. Within a short time, the problems of handling such large amounts of coins led to the development of a ticket system that, while now out of use, is still part of the amusement-park lexicon. In this new format, guests purchased ticket books that contained a number of tickets, labeled "A", "B" and "C." Rides and attractions using an "A-ticket" were generally simple, with "B-tickets" and "C-tickets" used for

9296-543: The public for day-trips or weekend holidays, for example, seaside areas such as Blackpool , United Kingdom and Coney Island , United States. In the United States, some amusement parks grew from picnic groves established along rivers and lakes that provided bathing and water sports, such as Lake Compounce in Connecticut, first established as a picturesque picnic park in 1846, and Riverside Park in Massachusetts, founded in

9408-452: The public on October 1, 1971. Meant to be a larger east coast version of Disneyland, it had copies of most of the attractions from Disneyland (except for Liberty Square and the Hall of Presidents ), yet it was financially the most ambitious project Walt Disney Productions had ever undertaken, and succeeded once the holiday crowds came in during Thanksgiving. In 1982, Walt Disney Productions opened

9520-458: The ride racks onto two trailers, the first carrying the wheel, arm, and drive systems while the second is loaded with the gondolas, platforms, and any additional equipment. The first trailer also acts as the base of the ride while in operation. Much like any other Enterprise-type ride, the Passat has a number of caged gondolas, in this case 12, that sit around a circular frame, which, in turn, sits on

9632-467: The riders. By the end of the First World War, people seemed to want an even more exciting entertainment, a need met by roller coasters. Although the development of the automobile provided people with more options for satisfying their entertainment needs, the amusement parks after the war continued to be successful, while urban amusement parks saw declining attendance. The 1920s is more properly known as

9744-462: The road's closing, Dorney Park's narrow-gauge railroad crossed the road, which caused traffic stoppages every time the train crossed. The road closing led to the enclosure of the park by fence and the introduction of a single-price admission fee, which eliminated individual ride tickets. The park previously maintained groves for family picnics. While the groves remained outside the park's fences, patrons were no longer allowed to bring outside food into

9856-535: The season, expecting the COVID-19 pandemic to be resolved by the summer. The park later announced on March 20, 2020, that it would not open as scheduled for the 2020 season, but would open later in the season. On June 26, 2020, the park announced that it would be reopening with new safety protocols due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Dorney Park reopened to season pass holders on July 8, 2020, and to all guests on July 11, 2020. It

9968-833: The second Six Flags park, Six Flags Over Georgia , opened, and in 1971, Six Flags Over Mid-America (now Six Flags St. Louis ) opened near St. Louis , Missouri. Also in 1971 was the opening of the Walt Disney World resort complex in Florida . In 1991 Warner Bros. in partnership with Village Roadshow, opened their own Warner Bros. Movie World . It is the only Movie-Related theme park in Australia. Warner Bros. continued their theme park ventures and opened Warner Bros. World Abu Dhabi in UAE and Parque Warner Madrid in Spain. Amusement parks collect much of their revenue from admission fees paid by guests attending

10080-528: The second Walt Disney World park, EPCOT Center, based on Walt Disney's futurist ideals and World Fairs. Like a World's Fair, the park would display the latest technologies in an area called Future World, and the cultural pavilions in World Showcase. In 1987, Disney announced that it would open its third Disney World park, Disney-MGM Studios in 1989, which would have a working backlot. However, Universal knew that its Californian backlot tour would not work as

10192-565: The sites, expanding them from picnic groves to include regular entertainments, mechanical amusements, dance halls, sports fields, boat rides, restaurants and other resort facilities. Some of these parks were developed in resort locations, such as bathing resorts at the seaside in New Jersey and New York . A premiere example in New Jersey was Atlantic City , a famous vacation resort. Entrepreneurs erected amusement parks on piers that extended from

10304-540: The theme park, Silver Dollar City . The park is still owned and operated by the Herschends and the family has several other parks including Dollywood , Kentucky Kingdom and Wild Adventures . The first regional amusement park, as well as the first Six Flags park, Six Flags Over Texas was officially opened in 1961 in Arlington, Texas . The first Six Flags amusement park was the vision of Angus Wynne Jr. and helped create

10416-522: The upper classes and the working class at the beach. The first carousel was installed in the 1870s, the first roller coaster , the " Switchback Railway ", in 1884. In England, Blackpool was a popular beachside location beginning in the 1700s. It rose to prominence as a seaside resort with the completion in 1846 of a branch line to Blackpool from Poulton on the main Preston and Wyre Joint Railway line. A sudden influx of visitors, arriving by rail, provided

10528-476: The visitors. American cities and businesses also saw the world's fair as a way of demonstrating economic and industrial success. The World's Columbian Exposition of 1893 in Chicago , Illinois was an early precursor to the modern amusement park. The fair was an enclosed site, that merged entertainment, engineering and education to entertain the masses. It set out to bedazzle the visitors, and successfully did so with

10640-461: The whereabouts of these rides are mostly unknown, there is one, known as Super Passat , which is currently believed to be in storage. In the early 1980s, HUSS produced a larger version of the Enterprise called the SkyLab. It features 15–20 four-seater gondolas (up to four riders per seat) and had a diameter of approximately 60 feet (18 m) or greater. Most SkyLabs have been dismantled; however, there

10752-460: Was a Pinfari compact steel coaster located where the Ferris wheel is currently located. It was the largest of its kind, and was removed following the 1988 season due to mechanical problems. In 1980, Dorney Park Road, a former two-lane state highway which cut through the park, was closed to traffic and converted to a midway. Dorney Park Road became a local street and the access road to the park. Prior to

10864-570: Was a huge success and by the year 1910 attendance on days could reach a million people. Fueled by the efforts of Frederick Ingersoll who borrowed the name, other " Luna Parks " were quickly erected worldwide and opened to rave reviews. The first amusement park in England was opened in 1896 – the Blackpool Pleasure Beach by W. G. Bean. In 1904, Sir Hiram Maxim 's Captive Flying Machine was introduced; he had designed an early aircraft powered by steam engines that had been unsuccessful and instead opened up

10976-546: Was allegedly designed by former Disney Imagineers who left after the financial disaster of Disneyland Paris. In the late 80s, the Oriental Land Company (the owners and operators of Tokyo Disneyland resort which opened in 1983) wanted a second park. None of the current non-Magic Kingdom parks satisfied the Japanese, but one concept thrown away for Disneyland's second gate inspired a new one: DisneySea . Tokyo DisneySea

11088-400: Was also announced that Wildwater Kingdom would not open with the park. New safety procedures included pre-arrival health screenings, temperature checks, social distancing, limited ride capacity, and mandatory masks. The opening of Seaside Splashworks was pushed back until 2021. Additionally, Halloween Haunt did not occur in 2020. On March 12, 2021, the park announced another delayed opening for

11200-414: Was also built to Dorney Park. Dorney Park and Wildwater Kingdom were still separately gated until the end of the season. In 1995, admission to both Dorney Park and Wildwater Kingdom was offered at a single price for the first time. That year also saw the addition of Thunder Canyon , a river rapids ride consisting of eight-passenger rafts that plunge and rock along a 16,400-foot (5,000 m) path through

11312-635: Was announced in February 2009 and broke ground in April 2009. In 2010, the park removed its bumper car ride to make room for the Demon Drop freefall ride from Cedar Point. Additionally, the park announced that Planet Snoopy would open for the 2011 season. In 2011, Dorney Park completed an $ 8M overhaul to the former Camp Snoopy children's area. The new area was named Planet Snoopy, and included seven new rides and an amphitheater. In 2012, Dorney Park added Stinger ,

11424-493: Was reclaimed from the sea front. It was at this period that the park moved to its 44-acre (18 ha) current location above what became Watson Road, which was built under the Pleasure Beach in 1932. During this time Joseph Emberton, an architect famous for his work in the amusement trade was brought in to redesign the architectural style of the Pleasure Beach rides, working on the "Grand National" roller coaster, "Noah's Ark" and

11536-406: Was removed, and in 2016, Screamin' Swing was removed. In 2017, Dorney Park reopened their Dodg'ems ride, as well as adding Kaleidoscope , a HUSS troika. This season would be the final operating season for Stinger. In 2018, Dorney Park removed Stinger. Additionally, they retracked 150 feet on Thunderhawk. Both the amusement park and waterpark received various new concessions areas. In August,

11648-531: Was renamed Possessed after the 2008 season to resolve a conflict with Six Flags , which held the rights to the name Voodoo. In 2008, Dorney Park announced that Laser would be removed after end of the season. Laser gave its final ride at Dorney Park on November 1, 2008. It now operates in Germany as Teststrecke, where it travels to various German fairs. In 2009, Dorney Park added the Good Time Theatre. This theatre

11760-573: Was renamed Steel First, after Steel Force. In 1989, the park further grew with debut of Hercules , a wooden terrain coaster, which was built on the top of the hill lining what was then the back of the park, near what was Wildwater Kingdom's parking lot. This coaster was the tallest wooden roller coaster in the world until Cedar Point 's Mean Streak debuted in 1991. Hercules proved a big hit for Dorney Park in its first four seasons, but became known for its rough, often jarringly shaky ride, due in large part to significant modifications made to Hercules after

11872-401: Was sold to Harris Weinstein, who also bought a neighboring automobile racetrack, which was razed and replaced by a water park named Wildwater Kingdom. Its admission fee was separate from the amusement park, and its attractions included a wave pool , a family water raft ride, body slides, tube slides, and a children's water play area. Season passes were also introduced in the same year. In 1986,

11984-551: Was the Eldorado Amusement Park that opened in 1891 on the banks of the Hudson River , overlooking New York City . It consisted of 25 acres. The first permanent enclosed entertainment area, regulated by a single company, was founded in Coney Island in 1895: Sea Lion Park at Coney Island in Brooklyn. This park was one of the first to charge admission fee to get into the park in addition to sell tickets for rides within

12096-672: Was the pleasure garden . An example of this is the world's oldest amusement park, Bakken ("The Hill"), which opened in mainland Europe in 1583. It is located north of Copenhagen in Klampenborg, Denmark . Another early garden was the Vauxhall Gardens , founded in 1661 in London. By the late 18th century, the site had an admission fee for its many attractions. It regularly drew enormous crowds, with its paths often noted for romantic assignations; tightrope walkers, hot air balloon ascents, concerts and fireworks providing amusement. Although

12208-474: Was the first true Theme Park despite Knott's history. In the 1950s the Herschend family took over operation of the tourist attraction, Marvel Cave near Branson, Missouri . Over the next decade they modernized the cave, which led to large numbers of people waiting to take the tour. The Herschend family opened a recreation of the old mining town that once existed atop Marvel Cave. The small village eventually became

12320-645: Was the forerunner of the present-day Blackpool Illuminations . By the 1890s, the town had a population of 35,000, and could accommodate 250,000 holidaymakers. The number of annual visitors, many staying for a week, was estimated at three million. In the final decade of the 19th century, electric trolley lines were developed in many large American cities. Companies that established the trolley lines also developed trolley parks as destinations of these lines. Trolley parks such as Atlanta 's Ponce de Leon Park , or Reading's Carsonia Park were initially popular natural leisure spots before local streetcar companies purchased

12432-489: Was themed to a modern-day movie backlot of modern-day Hollywood), and overemphasis on retail and dining. When John Hench (an original Imagineer who worked with Walt and was a chief creative executive at Imagineering since Imagineering was founded) was asked for his opinion on the park, he reportedly said, "I preferred the parking lot." Walt Disney Studios Park in Paris was the second Disneyland Paris park. Disney had to build

12544-604: Was turned into a park as a "half day" attraction—a complement to the rest of the resort. The rest of the park was themed to 1930s Hollywood and featured lost parts of Hollywood like the Brown Derby. Universal Studios Florida opened on June 7, 1990 (delayed by one year) to great fanfare, but the primary attractions were experiencing severe technical difficulties. All three of the park's major attractions (Jaws, Disaster!, and Kongfrontation) were not working and suffered major technical difficulties. Disaster! and Kongfrontation were fixed by

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