PA/NJ tour in July 2006, Suggestions?

My girlfriend and I are planning on doing a Penn/NJ tour of parks in July of the next season, and I wanted to see if anyone knew if lines for these parks are bad during the week in about mid July:

Knoebel's

Six Flags Great Adventure

Hersheypark

Dorney Park

Also if anyone knows of any other good parks that are within a two hour drive of Allentown that I might be able to add, that would be good to know.

Take an afternoon and visit Bushkill Park in Easton, PA. It may be open next year after recovering from several floods this past year and a half. It's tiny park with great atmosphere and a couple of rare rides. You'll feel like you went through a time machine.

Knoebels won't have any lines worth worrying about. The rest, well expect the usual for large themish-type coporate parks.

Other parks within 2 hours of Allentown:

Coney Island (Astroland, Deno's, etc.)
Sesame Place
Bushkill Park
Dutch Wonderland
Pocono Play Park
Land Of Make Believe
Williams Grove (well, maybe not :) )
Casino Pier
Funtown Pier
Steel Pier
Playland (Ocean City, NJ)
Gillian's Wonderland Pier

And if you want to stretch it just a bit, you're less than 3 hours from Six Flags America. (trying to add a little 'bigger' park to the mix)

I guess it's up to you to decide which ones are 'good' :)

No one can predict what lines will be like, we don't have crystal balls, blah blah blah. Just keep in mind that you're talking mid July - expect the worst and be happy with anything less.

Not sure if Clementon will be operating next year, but if they are....

Tsunami is one of the most intense wooden coasters I have *ever* ridden. Reports seem to indicate that it is ALREADY suffering some consequences from not being maintained to the impeccable level necessary for a ride with THAT much b@lls....

Does anyone think that June would be better to do this trip as opposed to July?

^Agreed about Tsunami :-)

And, what Gonch said, except for Williams Grove....it went bye-bye. :-/

Hershey and Knoebels are a must, and Dorney is a great "on the way" park to wherever. It seems to be convenient to almost everything around that region. :-)

Bushkill is a cute little park. It's worth a visit. :-)

-Tina

*** Edited 11/14/2005 4:14:12 PM UTC by coasterqueenTRN***

June/July ... not much difference.

Tsunami is definitely a b@lls to the wall experience. Clementon is not what I'd call a good park though. about a dozen flats, a log flume and a coaster do not make a good park. They also have a small waterpark included.

Hmm, I don't remember the waterpark, then again we visited in the dark in October. ;-)

All I remember is Tsunami kicking my arse (in a good way).

I still refuse to call it by it's new, politically correct wussified name. That's an insult to the coaster. A "J2" is more suitable for a nice little kiddy coaster, not a monsterous, intense piece of wood like Tsunami. :-P

LOVED it. Hopefully it will get the TLC it deserves before it goes down the tubes like many other woodies.

-Tina

*** Edited 11/14/2005 4:20:10 PM UTC by coasterqueenTRN***

Seemed kind of odd that they would rename it like that. I know that was a horrible event, but in a way that would be kind of like if every park that had a coaster called "Hurricane" changed the name because of a major hurricane that hit. I thought it was clever when Cypress Gardens named the junior woodie because of the hurricanes that hit florida.

Agreed, dragonoffrost. There was ONE flat ride I liked at CLAP (an increasingly rare Falling Star, IIRC). Other than that, there really was VERY little to the "rides park". Shame, too, they coulda made some serious hay this year with Ka....less than fully operational. ;)

I kinda thought of Tsunami as a "bigger bolder better brother" to HC5. A really interesting layout that requires LOADS of TLC. Unfortunately, I think they'll both end up with the same sad fate...shame too, cause Tsunami has intensity that I don't expect to find in Toro....

*** Edited 11/14/2005 4:52:58 PM UTC by rollergator***

Yep, there is a Falling Star back by the lake. I thought the park was going to turn around with the addition of Tsunami. But I guess what they say is true about reputations. Clementon has a bad reputation locally due to years of decline and it's not getting better even with the great new addition. I went to the park 3 times this season and there was never a crowd.

The water park is to the right as you go in the gates. It has two tube slides, a mat racing slide, a giant 4-5 person tube ride, a lazy river and a child play area from what I remember. *** Edited 11/14/2005 5:01:10 PM UTC by dragonoffrost*** *** Edited 11/14/2005 5:01:59 PM UTC by dragonoffrost***

The problem with Clementon is that they took a nice little traditional park and ripped out everything that was unusual or unique about it and replaced it with a bunch of less-than-interesting modern Chance rides. The addition of the waterpark is probably the only reason the place isn't defunct.

Restoring Jack Rabbit seems like it would make a lot of sense. You have this little park with water slides and a bunch of flat rides that are populated by kids. They they add a giant roller coaster that kids can't ride while leaving the all-ages friendly coaster to rot.

Don't go too early in June, because some of the parks don't kick in their full evening hours until around the 10th or so.

If you hit Dorney on a hot or seasonable day, Wildwater Kingdom will have more people than the park itself.

Twin Grove might also be a worthwhile stop, since you practically drive past it on the way between Hershey and Knoebels.

I agree with Goodbear... When you hit Dorney, go early, and hit all of the coasters, as WWK will be packed if it is hot. This is my trick to getting some nice rides in, without a major wait.

Also... hit Morey's Piers in Wilwood, NJ, along the jersey shore. 3 major coasters, a a few more minor coasters... WW is always a good time.

Wildwood would be about a 3 hour drive on a weekday from Allentown. The Jersey Shore experience is definitely worth the extra hour if you can fit it in.

I had thought about Morey's Piers, might be one to add on to the itinerary. I was thinking about combining Knoebel's and Williams Grove into one day, but I take it Williams Grove has been shut down? Or was there something else being implied?

I forgot to mention that Astroland was already on the plan since my girlfriend and I were going to go to NYC for the day one day while we are in the area.

I would add Morey's Piers to the itinerary. Actually, I would add a lot of Jersey Shore parks but if you're short on time, Wildwood is the best place to go- those amusement are above and beyond anything else you'll find in that area.

Bushkill would be a nice spot- the park is a quaint little place and it will definitely need a boost if it reopens next year.

Caniac, most of the rides @ WG have been listed for sale since last month, but I haven't heard anything since then.

You must stop at Clementon and take an hour or so to ride Tsunami. I flew there last year from Chicago just for a two hour event on closing day and it was sooooo worth it.

The shore parks are a must too. I am hoping to take a few days just for them next summer.

Sounds Like I need to plan another trip just for some of the New Jersey parks. Might not be a bad idea as it seems from what I am reading.