Dorney Park 8/10/09

Despite only living about an hour and 10 minutes away, this was my first trip to Dorney since 2004. I've been itching to go back ever since because of the credits I was missing (first Hydra,then Possessed). We got some discount tickets at a local grocery store,$29.50 as opposed to the $40.99 at the gate, which was a pretty good deal.

We left at about 9:45 and got there around 11-ish, and the parking lot was pretty crowded, but I was pretty confident that the park would have minimal lines and a majority of those people would be flocking to Wildwater Kingdom considering it was 90+ degrees all day. Turns out, I was right. I wanted to get one of the new credits out of the way, so we headed down to Possessed.

Loved this ride, fantastic addition to Dorney and really does make the loss of Laser sting less. The launches were forceful and I loved the holding brake. Ride cycle was a little short, but I'll live. Only a one train wait too. I liked Possessed way more than the other impulse I've been on, Wicked Twister. This one seemed a lot more intense despite being shorter and slower than the Cedar Point version.

Since we were already in the area we decided to hit up Steel Force,another one train wait. Rode just as well as I remember it riding 5years ago, filled with air and an overall fun ride.

After getting those two out of the way, we made the trek up the hill to capture my other missing Dorney credit, Hydra.

Needless to say, a heck of a lot better than the ride that previously occupied that spot of land. The area looks so much different than it did when Hercules was there, it's as if they were in two completely different spots. I remember there being a lot more trees and shading when Herc was there, and I think a bathroom was relocated too, I'm not sure. Anyway, the ride was pretty good, and a lot more intense than I was anticipating. I greyed out in the transition between the incline dive loop and the zero g, and also near the end of the ride, I forget exactly where. I did however notice that rattle that people complained about, and while it hindered the ride a little, it wasn't too too noticeable. I'd still put Medusa/Bizarro ahead of it as far as floorlesses go, but still a great replacement for Hercules. It's a shame they didn't use the lake at all, though.

We got a call from the people that would be meeting us at the park(they ran late) and said they'd be there soon. All they wanted to do was hit up WWK, so I wanted to squeeze one last coaster in, so we made a beeline to Talon. Ran great and hauled as usual, but it was here where I realized that I can't go like I used to as far as coaster riding was concerned. I got off with a huge headache and felt some motion sickness, which is something I never used to get. Hell, I rode Twister 47 times in one day in 2003 and felt the same after the last ride as I did before the first one. Now, I felt crappy after 4 rides.Kinda sad, I'll have to start taking Drammamine when I go to parks.

We finally met up with the rest of our group, got a ride on Thunder Canyon, then made our way to Wildwater Kingdom. It was a really depressing trip for me, really. My gram used to take me to Dorney every year when I was little and we just spent all day in WWK. This stopped awhile ago, and I hadn't been over here since roughly 1998. Everything I remembered and loved as a kid was still there, but it was so much different...all the new additions, the fact that I couldn't do the things I could then, was depressing for some reason. I didn't have nearly as much fun as I used to. It sounds weird, but I wish I could go back to WWK circa '97 or '98 and do what I used to do. The white slide on Patriot's Plunge was pretty fun, but it still wasn't the same. I don't think I'll be visiting WWK any time soon, I'll just stick with the rides.

Anyway, we left at around 6 and got home at about 7:15...I got burned like crazy, so I'll be heading to bed right about now before thereal pain sets in.

I'm not sure if you really have a motion sickness issue, or if it's just the combination of riding Hydra and Talon in quick succession. I think the shake and rattle of Hydra gives a lot of people headaches.

But if you're going to start buying Dramamine, it sounds like you need to pick up some sunscreen while you're at the pharmacy. :)

If I was riding any inverting coaster in Monday's Pennsylvania weather, I would've been greying out and dizzy. I can't stay properly hydrated on days like that, at least not when I'm paying for drinks.

That might be the issue as well. The only thing leading me to believe I have motion sickness is that the same thing happened to me at Great Adventure. The ending of El Toro gave me a slight headache. Of course, I'm an idiot for riding GASM right after, however, as that magnified the pain.

Just slow down in between the running and the rides. I have learned to take a siesta from time to time and to give myself a "time out."

When I was a lot younger...I would scan ride lines from lift hills to determine the wait times of nearby rides. I once had a day (and night) at Morey's where I went on 100 rides. Now I like to stop and smell the roses and as others have said...take it all in.

Carry a small water bottle with you. Put it into your pocket and fill it up every time you pass a water fountain. I even have a clip that I can atttach a water bottle onto that I use on hot days. Or I will reuse one of those thinner plastic water bottles (Pure Life, Deer park, and recent Aquafina water bottles). I take off the cap, crush it, and it fits easly into any pocket. When I want to use it, I pull it out, take off the cap, blow it up like a balloon, and fill it up.

At least that will help with hydrating yourself on hot days.

I have had a form of vertigo. I got really dizzy for about a month last Fall. I was even hospitalized for it. The simple solution? Caffeine was dislodging the crystals in my inner ear. I quit caffeine, and the problem was solved!

I haven't been to the park since they added Hydra. It look rather dull.

Hydra is a nice twisty layout for something so small. You can't see the whole thing from in front of it, because it uses the terrain well. The only problem is that for the past few years, it shakes in a way that most B&Ms don't. I've never had any problem keeping it from banging me into the restraints, but it still can be nausea-inducing, even when I'm cool and hydrated enough that more forceful B&Ms like Talon don't bother me at all.