SFA or Dorney?

I have to be in the Baltimore area memorial day weekend, so I'm planning on heading to NJ and going to SFGADV on thurs since nothing else seems to be open weekdays, then have wedding things to do on fri and sat, then sunday is open, then monday will be a drive back home. What would be the better choice, for sunday what would be the best bet Dorney or SFA, or even Knobels. I would hit Hershey but were planning a late summer trip there and might hit knobels then. Never been to any of the parks so what one would be best?

Even though Dorney is one of my favorite parks, SFA would be a much better choice, based on coasters.

Dorney has: 1. Talon 2. Steel Force 3. Thunderhawk 4. Laser 5. crappy wild mouse

Six Flags has: 1. Batwing 2. Jokers Jinx 3. Mind Eraser 4. Roar 5. Superman 6. Wild One 7. Two Face

The obvious chice would be Six Flags....

But Doney does have the free waterpark.....

Have Fun!!

Honestly, I'd hit SFA. Not that I am the biggest proponent of Six Flags, but there are some sweet rides there. Not far behind would be Dorney. I've only been once, and I really enjoyed it despite the incessant rain that day. Still, I wasn't that overwhelmed with Talon, and although I really enjoyed Steel Force, the rest of the stuff there kind of lacked. Granted, I didn't get to ride Hercules. ;) Knoebels is too far away from everything else, although if you are anywhere near it, it is a MUST. I've never been to Hershey, so I'd personally head there first, but since you are going later in the year, you have that covered. Have fun, and ride Superman as much as you can before it breaks down. ;)

I would choose and Cedar Fair park over a Six Flags park. Cedar Fair runs a tighter ship and the coasters tend to be better. Dorney park is a personal favorite of mine. A prettier park than SFA. Steel Force is a classic. Not the most intense ride, still one you'll never forget it. It's a blast. Talon is still better than any Batman inverted coaster you'll find at Six Flags. Hurcules may be gone, but the Thunderhawk was always a better ride anyway. I believe the water park is free with admission. Dorney is worth checking out. If you've been to one Six Flags park, you've pretty much seen them all. There are a few exceptions to that, but SFA is not one of them.

F.Y.I. Check out the Sky Scraper at Dorney. A Ferris Wheel steroids that is about the most intense ride I've ever been on. It makes sky diving seem like a cake walk. Still lots of fun.

I wouldn't go to Dorney again unless they added something new... which will be in 2005. But I guess you have to go at least once just to ride what they do have (Talon is excellent, Steel Force is good, Laser is ok, Thunderhawk is eh, and the mouse is one of my least favorites of its kind... the water rides are decent too). Based on similar rides I've ridden at other parks, SFA would easily be my choice out of the two. Diehard waterpark fans may choose Dorney though. I would take any SF park I've been to (GAm, GAdv, OG, WOA, NE, KK) over any CF park I've been to (DP, KBF, MA) besides CP though.

-Danny

Last time I looked SFA's waterpark was free addmission & of course is located on park property.

Just go to your left at the end of mainstreet & you'll see the paradise island entrance.....then again you can easily see the waterpark from central avenue as you're approaching the park itself so that's a dead give away.

Fanboy. ;)

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rc-madness said:
I would choose and Cedar Fair park over a Six Flags park. Cedar Fair runs a tighter ship and the coasters tend to be better.

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Uh...right. Let's take a look at the top 30 on the steel/wood coaster polls. Cedar Fair has two of the top thirty wooden coasters while Six Flags has five. Cedar Fair has five of the top thirty steel coasters while Six Flags has ten (including the highest rated steel coaster in the country).

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Dorney park is a personal favorite of mine. A prettier park than SFA.

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Take a look at Dorney's hideous entrance midway. Now see SFA's. It's clear to me which park is ugly (and it's not the SF park!).

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If you've been to one Six Flags park, you've pretty much seen them all. There are a few exceptions to that, but SFA is not one of them.

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Ha! If anything, it's Cedar Fair parks that feel sterile and cloned. Strictly comparing coasters, SFA wins by a long shot.

I hate Dorney Park.

-Nate

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rc-madness said:
Dorney park is a personal favorite of mine. A prettier park than SFA. Steel Force is a classic. Not the most intense ride, still one you'll never forget it.

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While I don't think SFA is an beautiful park, they have added a ton of landscaping and drastically improved the park's aesthetics since 1999. Some parts of the park are truly beautiful, while others are an eyesore. Dorney, however, is just one giant eyesore.

Steel what? Steel Force is the second-most forgettable hypercoaster in the country. It pales in comparison to all the Intamin and B&M hypercoasters in the States. I don't care if I ever ride it again.

Dorney and SFA are both parks I tend to avoid. SFA has a handful of good coasters, while Talon and Laser are Dorney's only redeeming factors. SFA has much nicer landscaping (for the most part), while Dorney is a concrete jungle. Dorney is well-run while SFA is poorly operated.

I hope SFA is as well-run as Dorney, who had one-train and "half-train" op on several coasters and 5 out of 6 employees didn't know what indoor restaurants were located at the park. I wonder how many employees will remember they had a woodie besides Thunderhawk this year? ;)

-Danny

You people are brutal, geesh! hehe

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Giant and needless quotation removed -J

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Hmmm. The fact that Six Flags has 4 times more parks than Cedar Fair wouldn't have anything to do with that would it? I guess Cedar Fair has more 300' tall coasters so it it is a wash. This topic will be closed soon.
*** Edited 3/8/2004 2:46:02 PM UTC by Jeff***

How is SFA waterpark? Allso how busy is the park around the first week of June. Thanks

If it gets any more argumentative, it will. Both parks have their virtues. The questions were subjective, as are the answers. Still, I give the edge to SFA, given the choice of coasters. I love the Intamin drop at SFA as well.

I still don't get the argument on Steel Force. Again, I've only been there one day in my life, but it was running fast, and had serious air. It was rainy, and not warm at all.

...and it was fun. Is it SROS? No. Will it ever be? No. It's Steel Force...can't that be enough?

Sure, it's enough if you're looking for a 200' tall family mine train...

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nasai said:
Fanboy. :)

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Heh.

I think this thread produced an entirely new breed though.

The "Anti-Fanboy"

Much like the Fanboy thinks everything at his park is the best and nothing can top it, the "Anti-Fanboy" hates everything about a park and thinks any choice would be better than his hated nemesis of a park and (like the fanboy) often adds nothing of value to the discussion other than mindless ranting.

Seriously, if you've never been to either, SFA has the better selection of coasters. Dorney has a far superior water park. Both have an average selection of flats that is comparable, yet a bit different.

I'm a Dorney fan (fanboy?), but if you're looking to up the count and mostly worried about coasters - hit SFA. If you're looking for more beyond that, then the race becomes tighter.

-Gonch
Who doesn't hate any park, he just likes some less than others.

*** Edited 3/8/2004 3:56:54 AM UTC by Lord Gonchar***

It's tough to choose between the two because they are both just mediocre. I had a little more fun at SFA, and find it to be the most unique of the two. SFA also has more coasters and rides than DP. When I go to DP, I find myself bored by mid-day, unlike SFA.

What about PKD or BGW? Maybe they are a little too far away or you have already been there?

I would go with SFA simply for conviance sake. Both parks are comprable, but SFA is closer to where you are going to be, Dorney is an hour out of the way. Also, with Dorney confirmed to be getting a new coaster next year, you may want to hold off until then.

*** Edited 3/8/2004 2:53:31 PM UTC by Black 7***

Frankly, I'd go to Dorney because on my visits to the two parks, Dorney had everything open, SFA did not. SFA's Superman and Joker's Jinx are cool, and Batwing I assume is OK (I've been on X-Flight). Roar is a real find. The rest of the rides are pretty average.

At Dorney, frankly Talon is good enough to me that I could spend all day riding it. I dig Steel Force and Laser, and it's nice to have a mouse anywhere. Thunderhawk is the single most surprising ride there. Round it out with a Top Spin, a Zamperla Hawk, S&S towers and a hot live-e show, and I'm sold.