SFDL 5/18- I think I jinxed us!!

Got to Darien Lake around 1pm since I slept through my alarm for a long time, found the lot around 1/3 full. Bought a season parking pass. This is hands down the best idea the park has had in a long time. Headed straight for S:RoS, 2 trains running, took maybe 15 minutes for the front. AWESOME. I love this ride. The first drop is great, gets me every time. Next we headed over to Mind Eraser. I'd only ever ridden this in the front, so we decided to try the last seat as there was no line with both trains running. Bad idea... Now I think I know why they call these "Hang & Bangs!" Man, what a different ride, and not for the better. Got off, and went right back for the front seat. Much better... My faith in this ride has been restored. Side note: I noticed they were specifically mentioning no gum chewing during the preride speech. I asked the ride op if this was b/c what happened at SFGAm and Raging Bull, he says he didn't know, he just worked there. Great, very friendly, note the sarcasm. Walked around the whole park, remembering how nice the wooded camp sites are, and headed back to S:RoS. This time, back seat. As we went through the turnstyle there was a kid standing there trying to spin the turnstyle back on people to hit them in the you know what. I advised him against it, he tried to make tough, and then ran away. Pretty mature. Anyway, 10 minute wait, and TONS of airtime in the back seat.I forgot how fast the train accelerates when the front goes over the top of the hill!! Grabbed some food, then headed for Viper. Closed. This is where the jinx starts. When we were climbing the lift on Mind Eraser I wondered aloud to my girlfriend how they evacuate an inverted if it stalls on the lift. The stair well to the left cant slide over b/c the railing is too high and would hit the train. I said that luckily Darien Lake doesnt have too many breakdowns, unlike some of the TRs I read here on CoasterBuzz... Well, now Viper was down. Didn't come back up. We headed over towards Boomerang and there was a huge line. This thing is always a walk on! Turns out they were having trouble with the harnesses. So we head down the hill to S:RoS and its stalled on the lift hill!! We watched as they evacuated the train from about 1/3 up, pretty wild to watch. It wouldn't reopen. So I ask the girlfriend if she wants to hit Mind Eraser one last time or call it a day she says no way cuz its the only one that hasn't broken down. So that was that. Anyway, we had a ball, the weather was mid 70s and sunny, light crowd all afternoon. Here's hoping that Darien Lake gets something great for its 25th year next season, they need a new attraction. Maybe they could have the first 4D on the East Coast? I think that would be huge and really jack up the crowds on a park that needs it instead of straining an already very busy park, i.e. SFGAdv or SFGAm. Can't wait to go again though...

Sound like a pretty poor day. Darien Lake was my home park for 22 years, and never had I seen as many breakdowns as you said there were that day... especially Viper that ride nevere breaks down. BTW how is predator running this year, anyone know? That is one coaster that is a far cry from when it first opened 13 years ago! When I rode it last year one of the ride ops yelled at me because i tried to postion myself so the lap bar would be up a litttle for air he said " Next time I better not see you do that." Yes Mr, ride operator sir, i am so sorry will never happen again ;-). The park has to have the rudest employees. As for a 4D at Darien... Dream on!
*** This post was edited by CarolinasCarowindsBoi 5/20/2003 3:14:40 AM ***

Ouch...

Darien Lake has always been a favorite park of mine. It dismays me that you had such a disappointing time there. It seems that the quality of the employees has gone down quite a bit since it's been bought out by the bigger park conglomerates. During the '80's and early '90's, I wouldn't have traded a trip to this park for almost anywhere else...I just hope that, by the 30th, they have all the coasters up and running. I need to gather some times and re-rate the coasters for my upcoming book...

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Writing a book about roller coasters sure has it's ups and downs...

Man, do I have a long way to go...75 parks in under 5 months...I must be insane!!!

Coaster Count -- 1