Opinions on Midway Park and/or Sylvan Beach - worth the trip?

I live in the Buffalo, NY area. I have been thinking of trying to visit Midway Park and/or Sylvan Beach before summer ends. I have small kids so it's not about thrill rides. Neither of these parks' websites offer much info on their kiddie rides.

Can anyone tell me what kiddie rides they have? Is either park worth the trip?

Thanks.

Are you the same person who asked here?

Not to hijack the thread, but Moosh, did you ever see Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind? Beck's version features prominently in the film. Only asking because it's one of my all time favorite movies.

Mamoosh-

No that wasn't me but your link was helpful.

Bellefan - happy to help.

Ensign - "Eternal Sunshine" is one of my all-time favorite films. Great script, unique story-telling method, excellent acting...everything about it is top-notch. Every time I watch it I catch something new I hadn't noticed before (and I've seen it at least 50 times, lol).

I stand in awe before the master. I've only seen it a dozen or so times myself, but it's one of those movies that just gets better and better, not to mention one of the all time best romances ever. It is so visually dense and rich. And Charlie Kaufmann certainly deserved his Oscar -- as a screenwriter, he's one of my idols.

I love that many of the effects are low tech, sort of a hallmark of Michel Gondry's work. Speaking of which, if you loved ESotSM, check out "The Science of Sleep". Now there's a movie that will blow your mind. :)

"Meet me in Montauk . . . "

I stand in awe before the master.

If I only had a dime for every time I heard that! :)

re: Sylvan Beach

You should definitely go if you like small, traditional parks. The collection of rides is fantastic (Rock-O-Plane, Tip Top, Roll-O-Plane, Laffland, Galaxie coaster) and the atmosphere is great. I'd love to go back, wish it was closer to northern NJ than a four hour drive.

^When I get back to Seabreeze (one visit was a real appe-teaser), then I *will* get to Sylvan. Looked very cool when Matt and I were trip-planning, we just ran short on time with a few weather-related delays. Laffland? Explain further please... :)

Midway we recognized as impossible when the drive from DelG's to Waldameer turned out a bit longer than anticipated. Let's just say I plan to be in the NW PA region more frequently anyway...but the only one I *know* here on 'Buzz that has visited is Pete...

I visited both a couple of years ago and your choice really depends on the age of your kids.

Midway Park is pretty much all about small children. The only "adult" rides that I recall would be the go-kart track and the carousel. They have 2 kiddie coasters and lots of other kiddie rides. They also have a rollerskating rink on the 2nd floor of the old ballroom building right on the shore of the lake.

Sylvan Beach is a more traditional park with rides for everyone and a section of kiddie rides. If your kids are starting to outgrow the true kiddie rides you would probably be better off at Sylvan Beach. Laffland is their classic dark ride with most of the original stunts intact. They also just added a Rotor this year.

Hope that helps.

It all depends on what you like. Midway Park doesn't sound that great at all, but do you really want to ride a Roll-A-Plane, a Tip Top, and a Galaxi coaster? Those would be some of the rides at Sylvan Beach.

I would want to go to an amusement park that has an Orbiter, Wipeout, Zipper, Spin Out, Thunderbolt, Yo-Yo, Scat, and a Tilt-A-Whirl, but others might say that, that particular park would stink bad. It all depends if you are interested in those rides, or not. It's not a roller coaster park because it only has one of them.

A Galaxi is not a kiddie coaster. I suppose one could categorize it as a family coaster, but kiddie? Nope.

The 2 kiddie coasters he was talking about are at Midway Park. No one said that Galaxi was a kiddie coaster.

I would go to Sylvan just for Laffland, but that's just me.

Rollergator, check it out.

http://www.laffinthedark.com/articles/sylvanbeach/laffland.htm

Gator - Flare, Jimvid, Rosenf'er, and ASandy were just at Midway. If Laffland wasn't enough of a sell get this: the park has Fascination!

Thanks everyone for your input.

I want to be sure to make it to Midway Park. My 5 year old is my mini thrill seeker so the trip would mostly be for her. My other 2 kids seem to have missed the amusement park junkie gene.

I hope I can make it to Sylvan Beach too.

I do like the smaller, traditional parks. I don't know why I've never been to either park.

We'll get 'em next time, Gator. :) At least we got to play Fascination at Darien Lake!

Darien's Fascination is just sad. Jim and I were the only two in the parlor...we played two games and left.

^Still beats the heck out of all these 3-point challenge games....there were too many basketballs in the parks already! :)

Word!