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Welcome to Theme Park Review! Photos & Videos of Theme Parks, Roller Coasters, and FUN!
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| Attractions |
Although it's tempting to hit VF's signature rides (Renegade and Wild Thing) right off, it might be best to get the lower-capacity coasters, Steel Venom (Intamin impulse) and Mad Mouse (a rare Arrow mouse), done first before the lines become too long. Then you can get some rides on Wild Thing, Renegade (get a ride after dark, as well), and Excalibur (an unusual "mine train" on steroids). High Roller is an OK old woodie, and Corkscrew is an old Arrow coaster that is still decent.
The flat ride that stands out the most is probably Power Tower, an S&S "shot-and-drop" ride. There's a pretty fair range of older and newer flats, too, including a Tilt-a-Whirl, Chaos, Chair Swings, Looping Starship, and Top Spin.
When it comes to water rides, the Thunder River rapids ride and Log Flume are OK, but The Wave splash boat is standard issue. There's a "wet/dry" raft slide (Hydroblaster), as well. |
| Food |
VF does offers some interesting snack items: fried cheese curds (a staple of Minnesota and Wisconsin) and walleye (yes, it's trout), pork chops, or steak bites on a stick. Other than that, you'll find the usual assortment of park food, including pizza, burgers and hot dogs, ice cream, and funnel cakes.
There is a Cedar Fair Coasters Restaurant offering burgers and shakes, and BBQ ribs are available at Austin Blues. Buffalo wings can be found at the Stadium Pizza and Grill. A few restaurants sell beer, as well. |
| Operating Season |
| The park starts its season in mid-May and is open daily June-August (weekend operations after Labor Day and through October) and usually opens at 9:00 or 10:00 am. Check the park website for details: http://www.valleyfair.com/public/information/calendar/index.cfm. |
| Established Seasonal Events |
| Haunt is VF's big event in October. |
| Access & Location |
| VF is 25 minutes from Minneapolis-St. Paul in Shakopee, MN. It's located on County Road 101, which can be accessed via I-35 or I-494 (http://www.valleyfair.com/public/tripplanning/directions.cfm).
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| Nearby Lodging |
| Shakopee offers plenty of hotels near the park, such as Best Western, Hampton Inn, Travelodge, and Super 8 (http://www.valleyfair.com/public/tripplanning/accommodations.cfm). |
| Virtual Queue Options |
| In 2012, Valleyfair! implemented their "Fast Lane" (skip the line) service. |
| Shows |
| VF's musical offerings include rock from the 1950s to now. Charlie Brown's Hoedown is for the kids. The Benchwarmerz, an energetic marching band, offers "street entertainment" throughout the day. There's an IMAX surfing movie, as well. |
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| TPR Notes |
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Valleyfair provides has a good selection of thrilling flat rides to go along with a diverse mix of coasters.
A couple of the coasters stand out, but the rest are mediocre. Their flat rides are generally not run at the fastest speeds nor for the longest cycles. However, the water rides will get you wet. With the exception of the larger coasters and more powerful thrill rides, the park does have quite a few rides that families can enjoy together.
Valleyfair doesn't claim to be a theme park, so don't expect themed rides or areas.
The park can be confusing to navigate for a first timer as there are a couple of dead ends leading to a few rides. | |
| Member Reviews |
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| Results 1-4 of 4 for Valleyfair!
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Average Member Rating
(Log in to post / edit your review)
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Awesome!
| | 05-19-2013 | |
 
chaseisawesome
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This is one of my favorite theme parks. The coasters are fun.
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Easily one of my favorite Cedar Fair parks
| | 04-04-2013 | |
Randomman295
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Although there's not all that many rides, Valleyfair makes good use of them and has one of the most diverse selection of rides I've ever seen at an amusement park, meaning there's something for just about everyone. Fantastic kids area, great waterpark section (It even has one of those "artificial white water rapids" things), three water rides (including the most insane ride cycle I've ever seen put on a Huss Top Spin), and not to mention the three stars of the show: Wild Thing (the smooth, re-ridable airtime buffet), Steel Venom (the best Intamin Impulse I've ever been on), and Renegade (the fantastic GCI woodie). However, the reasons Valleyfair's not 5 stars to me is because of the below average food quality and the sparse theming.
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| | 04-18-2012 | |
Coaster Curt
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Home park, love taking the kids to the park because it is a great kids park. Renegade is by far the best coaster in the park.
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Generic, But Nice
| | 02-23-2011 | |
cfc
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Valleyfair is an "old-school" park with an excellent woodie (Renegade), a pretty good hyper coaster (Wild Thing), and one of the weirdest "mine trains" ever (Excalibur). Nothing else really stands out there, but the staff is very nice, and it makes for a pleasant stop as part of a Midwest park excursion.
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| Thrill Factor | | | Family Friendly | | | Efficiency | | | Food and Drink | | | TPR Rating | |
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| Admission Policy |
Pay One Price
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