Marineland/Dragon Mt

This is not posted under trip reports as i would like some input on Dragon Mt.....

We made our first trip to the park. In general, the park is very spread out, but very nice and enough to spend a day. Nice flat ride selection ran at a good pace so one can enjoy the rides instead of becoming nauseous.

Huss Magic is one sweet flat ride. A nice modern version of the monster. Great 4 wide seating and open car design. More parks should pick this up.

Dragon Mt is nothing short of excellent. Nice and smooth and a true terrain coaster that would rival the Beast if the back portion was wooded. The tunnels DO rival the Beast and the 2nd tunnel into the butterfly inversion is as good as it gets in the darkness.

This coaster was definitely done right. Does anyone know what the steel structures around the helix and back part of the track were supposed to be? I think i read they were going to do something with that but it wasn't in the budget.

Dragon Mt seems like the ultimate mine train with loops. A very nice ride.

The part by the helix was supposed to be a volcano, and the steel on the back is supposed to be a scale replica of Niagra Falls.

DM is a fun ride, but I have one major gripe about it. And that's the fact that the backside of it is so flat and boring. I mean the thing coasts straight for a couple thousand feet. Really makes it's track length misleading.

Good RR, I went on DR two years ago and I loved it! Did yuo see Sky Screamer? Does it look good and is it made by S&S? Can you please post info on it, thx!

The Sky Screamer was closed but looks great sitting way on top of the center hill overlooking the entire park.

Like i said, i found this ride to be very mine train-ish and thats what made it NICE. Not the best airtime, not full of huge drops, just a nice ride with several interesting elements. It doesnt beat you to pieces like the typical Arrow looper. If the back theming had been completed or the back section was wooded, it would have made up for the flatness. Even at that, the 2 flat sections are nice breaks in between the elements. *** Edited 6/24/2004 7:57:15 PM UTC by super7***

Super7, you are exactly right about the structures--they were planned as extensive theming originally, but budget problems prevented their completion. There was a pretty detailed discussion about it a while back: Click here

I haven't riden DM, but haven't ever heard anything good about it. The videos I have seen show a very boring and rough ride.

I can remember my cousin and I about 10 or so years ago running through the (as I remember) very, very dark queue tunnel to the station. The park was empty by the way. As we ran, my cousin went to my right side and smacked right into a wall extension. Funny stuff let me tell you... ;)

-Steve, who realizes it was funnier then than it is now. :)

Dragon Mountain was SUPPOSED to look like this....

...but budget problems during their initial season of Dragon Mountain kept it from becoming what it really was.

I recently wrote into Marineland's Marketing department & they said that there are no current or near future plans to revamp Dragon Mountain. Their focus is on new & current attractions, so there goes the idea of having the ride re-themed (which could then be re-marketed... especially if new rides intersect with the theming of Dragon mountain).

If that theming had been completed it would be a world-class ride without a doubt. Sometimes theming makes up for other things, and speeding through Niagara Falls on a coaster would be pretty exciting.

This park has a lot of potential. Very nice expansive space to do a lot of additions without expanding in area. Wide walkways.

What has been built at the park (with the exception of not finishing Dragon Mt) has been done right with great medieval theming. They just didn't throw in flat rides, they created an atmosphere around them with the buidlings.

Yea, most definately... but the only problem with Marineland is this:

1) They're too friggin slow at building new attractions. When they do build something new, it seems to take at least twice as long as any other amusement park in the world. Sky Screamer was supposed to open for 2003, and they didn't start building it until July... and it's still yet to be fully operational!

2) They say that their main concentration is a marine animal-themed park, and not an amusement park... yet at the same time, they've only got a handful of different shows that certainly cannot last you the entire time there. There's only 3 main zoo-animal attractions (Deer Park, Bears, & Fish).
They've really got to add a few more big rides to give the guests something to do between & after the shows, to appeal to all types of guests.

3) Although they have planned a river-country boat & train ride... it's been years over-due & it's just not right to make us peeps walk like a mile from the Orca show to Dragon Mountain. How about a friggin monorail?

I just ventured to marineland last saturday. The FREE parking lot was almost full and yet there were still NO lines for anything. I got to the gate, with my 3 dollar off coupon and was suprised that it did not count toward my one day admission!!!!!!!!!! However, it took 3 dollars off of the regular 5 DOLLAR UPGRADE to a season pass, so it was only 2 canadian dollars to upgrade, which is les than 1.50 U.S.
So, upon entering the park, I find out that I CAN bring my own food into the park, and I was also fiven 2 dollars worth of gamins tokens to spend at my leisure! So after entering, I had a wonderful day at one of the most clean and beautiful parks I have ever seen. Dragon Mountain was the best arrow looper that I have ever experienced and I loved the smooth straight track..........relaxing. The flat rides rocked, the deer park was amazing, and I spent the day looking at what could possibly turn out to be one of the World's best freefall experiences.

This park is a great value, great fun, and a place everyone should go. Don't go just for the rides. Go for the experience. With Sky Screamer, more business will come, them more money, and eventually, the rides will follow. This park has promise, and I intend to do my part to help it grow :-) .

DawgByte, Marineland is in the process of building what they're calling the "worlds largest aquarium complex"... given the description, I think they can consider themselves an aquatic themed park just with that!

I agree with Ryan, free parking, ok to carry in food, season pass for only about $28 US with the coupon, very nice secluded feeling atmosphere with well maintained landscaping. No lines. And clean. It may not be a mega-park, but it is a well managed park.

I was also noticing they use pavers everywhere instead of just slapping down asphalt. Even under the rides, pavers.