Trip from Boston to Buffalo-Help please

My Jack and Jill teen group is going to a conference in Buffalo, New York on October 5th. Now we're driving from Boston to Buffalo. We can't go too far out of the way. Out of the following parks, can you tell me which you would suggest for a group of teens for an afternoon:

Martin's Fantasy Island

Six Flags Darien Lake

Marineland

Seabreeze

Also, could you tell me a little about your selection, like things that stand out at park, and why you think it's a good choice.

It doesn't have to be a thrill park, just as long as there some thrills in it, there's things to do, and places for teens to hang out and have fun. Something a little more settle than a Six Flags park would be nice, but if that is the best choice, then I'm sure will have fun there too.

Are there any other parks within short distance of highway I-90? Please tell me if you know.

And, if you go to Marineland would you have to cross the Canadian border? Do you have to pass the border to go to Niagra Falls?

All information is greatly appreciated!

-----------------
Lake Compounce-So Fresh and So Clean Clean

Well, considering Fantasy Island, Seabreeze, & Marineland are all going to be closed for the season... you got no choice except Six Flags Darien Lake!!

Half of the park will be closed due to the Fright Fest, but it doesn't take away too many rides. You'll still find choice things to do there, and it's a short trip from the I-90, but considering it's the only park open by default, you got no choice!

What happened to Haunted Fantasy Island?

I know Marineland is open in October.

-----------------
Lake Compounce-So Fresh and So Clean Clean

MFI's Halloween scare-fest has been cancelled this year, due to 1 of 2 rumored reasons.

1) They're starting construction early on a rumored coaster project (located near the ferris wheel/log ride).

2) There weren't enough employees that signed up to work for their Halloween fest.

-----------------
....Summer is only a short 91 days long. How much of that time are you going to use at the amusement parks??

Well I can tell you for sure that SFDL is probably one of the worst sixflags parks to visit, however for an afternoon, it shouldn't be to bad......fantasy island will be closed as will sea breeze. Marine Land you would need to cross the border for. If you just wanted to see Niagra Falls, you can do so from the American Side, although there is much more to do on the canadian side. If I were in your spot, just go for SFDL, its not to far out of the way and it should be good enough for your purposes.

Are there any other good places in the Buffalo/Rochester area for teens to go for an afternoon, because we don't want to make a trip this far and just come back so soon. I just noticed though, all of the people in my group have been to SFNE and SFGAdv before, and they've already ridden an SLC, a boom-a-bang, and S:ROS before. Does SFDL have much to offer minus those three coaster? We really don't need to spend the heafty price if there is not much there that we haven't already seen.

-----------------
Lake Compounce-So Fresh and So Clean Clean

Well, if that's the case, then skip DL. Boomabang, ROS and the SLC are the basic stuff......Predator is good, but not a show stopper.....

Although, I completely disagree (not suppressing his opinion) with Medusa Maniac where DL is concerned. I have visited 8 of the SF parks, and this one is no where near the bottom of the barrel. The staff was extremely courteous & friendly......they bent over backwards to make the park clean, the landscaping was outstanding and the food was OK. As for the rides, Predator was good, not great, but ROS was a masterpiece. Viper was a surprise and the log flume was fun. We couldn't believe that DL was the biggest surprise of that trip in July, where we visited 6 parks in 3 days. (KW, CLP, WP, SFDL, WoA, CP). I only wished DL would switch management teams with WoA.

Overall, I would suggest Seabreeze or Great Escape in Lake George, NY.

-----------------
There's nothing like a woodie...

Obviously, the falls are the must see in the Niagara area. Be sure to visit Cave Of The Winds and ride the Maid Of The Mists. Otherwise, there isn't anything that comes to my mind right off that teeenagers would like.

Actually... if it is a group of teens, the BEST place to visit in the area would DEFINATELY be Niagara Falls.... Canada. You don't just got Marineland there, but a whole slew of things that they offer.

Goto the website www.cliftonhill.com and check out some of the activities that they have to offer. It's 2 whole streets of fun & entertainment. Just be sure to bring a lot of $$$ because those 4D motion theaters, arcades, haunted houses, and wax museums can eat up your money quick!

If you're looking for diversity, then there is Maid of the Mist, the Skylon Tower (can't miss it!), and of course... if you must stay on the American Side (which I plead you don't!!), there is the Cave of the Winds... but if you're really looking for some fun & entertainment that will last the day, Niagara Falls Ontario, Canada is THE place to be!

To go to the Canadian side of Niagra Falls, do we have to cross the the line because most of the people in Jack and Jill don't have passport(darn Bostonians, never leave New England :( ) Is it like Tijauna where they don't require everyone to have passes to go over to Mexico for a day but adults must carry American ID?

-----------------
Lake Compounce-So Fresh and So Clean Clean

SFDL's SROS is nothing in comparison to SFNE's...

Viper would be the only ride you could look forward to (Predator hasn't been open during FrightFest the last 4 seasons...) ... and that isnt looking forward to much.... I would just skip it.....

If I remember right, SFDL does have a topspin. They're always a crowd pleaser, especially for a bunch of kids.

And I do have to concur with Woody - it's not the "worst" Six Flags. I actually thought it to be one of the nicer ones I've been to. Not the biggest, though.

-----------------
Without the chaindog, you'd never get up the lifthill...

There isn't a whole lot of stuff to do in Buffalo. There are a few shopping malls with small arcades. As for crossing the border, don't quote me on this but I think as long as you're group members have some form of ID, a passport won't be required. I've also heard that having copies of birth certificates of all of those who are crossing helps expedite the process. Again, don't quote me on any of this, but this is what I have heard on the news out here. Security has been beefed up significantly since 9/11/01 from what I've heard and probably even more so after what happened on Friday night.

*** This post was edited by wnycoaster on 9/16/2002. ***

I've been to Canada a few times since the 9/11 incidents and a bazillion times before the incidents. Before the incident, you didn't need jack squat except your destination and if you were importing anything from the country.

Now, it's a little different... the main adult will most likely need to present their ID, which is just their drivers license. Anybody under 16 MAY be required to show their birth certificate, but not all the time. Most of the time, if you (the main adult) have a good excuse why you have minors, it's good enough. If you're under 21, but over 16, then there shouldn't be any problem at all....

...as for activities in the Buffalo area. Don't sell yourself so short. There are plenty of "Family Entertainment Centers" all within a 20 mile radius. I counted 3 Laser-Tag joints (including the original LaserTron), 4 go-kart tracks & at least 6 mini-golfs... so we do have some fun things to do around here... fun things, not just snow and chicken wings! ;)

Thank you for correcting me on the border crossing info, DawgbyteII. One thing about Lasertron is that larger groups usually have to book game time in advance but then again I haven't been there in a few years(I live in the Southtowns)so I'm not totally sure on that one. You're right there are some FECs out here. The thing I've noticed, though, is that they're fairly pricey. The nicest FEC I've been to in the Buffalo area is Skateland in Lockport. It's got a nice mini golf course, laser tag, and a large roller rink, plenty of room for a larger group although it is a little further away from Buffalo but no longer a drive time than it would be to SFDL.

*** This post was edited by wnycoaster on 9/17/2002. ***

Speaking of FEC's.... Just wait, wnycoaster... just wait until April of 2004...

Something very special is coming near the Niagara International Airport near the old LeMans speedway... something that will make all otehr FEC's jealous!!!

...and this is coming from THE source!!! :) :)

Sounds good in 2004. I just wonder when it'll be announced. By 2004, I'll be able to drive out there(don't have license but will have it this time next year) so I look forward to hearing more about this. The area by Niagara Falls desperately needs something of that nature to compete with what they have on the Canadian Side(although it's carny city on Clifton Hill as far as I am concerned). I was at an FEC in the Lake George area near Great Escape that puts anything in Western New York to shame (except Lasertron). It had the sweetest 36 hole mini-golf course and wasn't expensive considering the amount of fun my family had there.

*** This post was edited by wnycoaster on 9/17/2002. ***

Yes, the Lake George area is home to some of the sweetest miniture golf courses, especially the tacky ones with the moving characters!

This one... from what I've heard from a very close "source" ( )... will rival those Pirates Cove courses (www.piratescove.net) [Edit: wrong link I had there!] seen throughout the country, including the Adirondacks. Sure, it may be no themepark or have any rollercoasters, but it'll be an attraction for something to see & do while visiting the Falls. Yes, if you visit the falls... you will have to travel a little out of the ways to visit it, but it'll be worth your while!!
I also heard (from this close source) that the go-kart track will rival anything WNY & Southern Ontario has to offer thus far!

...Coming soon... and this is fact!

*** This post was edited by DawgByte II on 9/18/2002. ***

Yeah, the one I visited in my trip to Lake George this year was Pirate's Cove(36 holes of pure mini-golf heaven) in Queensbury, which had a cool go-kart track right next door. And the best part about it was that prices were reasonable for both compared to the overpriced stuff out here. The best part about Pirate's Cove was how well-manicured the greens were. It'd be a real treat to have something like that out here.

You must be logged in to post