Six Flags Darien Lake (SFDL) Discussion Thread

To be fair it's down today because of wind and not anything mechanical, but a Sky Screamer would easily run in the same conditions.

That’s odd. It doesn’t even seem that windy here today.

It doesn't have to be that windy for a Windseeker to close.

Looking at the webcams, Sky Ride is closed. If that's down for wind (which I'm sure it is) then Windseeker will be too.

You also have to consider that the wind speed 300’ in the air is at times much different than it is on ground level. Just because it doesn’t seem windy doesn’t mean much.

You'd have to be crack addict to buy a Windseeker at this point...

They're very unreliable, unlike star flyers, I don't think they have much trouble.

Six Flags has a secret website about DL's flash sale for 2019 memberships (only Gold+ at the moment) and season passes. Also, in the membership vs season pass chart, it says "admission to Local Hurricane Harbor," so I guess they're re branding the water park. Also it lists "includes Holiday In The Park"?

LINK : https://www.sixflags.com/darienlake/store/flash-sale-zap

Got some clarification regarding the Darien Square situation I posted about. Apparently, SF is going to be staffing the entrances to the campgrounds at the existing gates (Hotel gate and General Store gate) and constructing a new gate near just beyond the laser show area, down the hill into the campground.

Darien Square will be an,area exclusively for campers, however, Beaver Bros and the Laserblast area will be open to everyone, thus why they need to build a new gate.

SF reported to the park that this is due to the liability of letting non-camping guests enter into the campground and hotel areas. Theres been reports of theft in the campground while campers are away from their sites during the day and at the park, the few people they busted for theft were park patrons who walked into the campgrounds from the park.

I would love to see a Starflyer come to DL. It’s something totally different from their other attractions, and can give a unique view of the area while providing a thrilling ride.

 

As for 2019, I would love to see a name change to SFDL, two trains on most* coasters, Superman returning to RoS, a Starflyer, better preventative maintenance to improve on the large amounts of downtime on some of the rides, and just overall improvements to cleanliness etc., and, renovations of areas (like the Boardwalk or Rowdy’s Ridge).

Not sure if a Star Flyer would give you a more unique view of the surrounding farms, corn and cow pastures than the ferris wheel would?

Sorry, but IMO a Star Flyer or Windseeker would be about the stupidest addition that the park could add at this point. F%ck those ideas. lol

Got some clarification regarding the Darien Square situation I posted about. Apparently, SF is going to be staffing the entrances to the campgrounds at the existing gates (Hotel gate and General Store gate) and constructing a new gate near just beyond the laser show area, down the hill into the campground.

 

Darien Square will be an,area exclusively for campers, however, Beaver Bros and the Laserblast area will be open to everyone, thus why they need to build a new gate.

 

SF reported to the park that this is due to the liability of letting non-camping guests enter into the campground and hotel areas. Theres been reports of theft in the campground while campers are away from their sites during the day and at the park, the few people they busted for theft were park patrons who walked into the campgrounds from the park.

As a regular camper I like the added security for my stuff but we do like to bring our non-camping friends with season passes to our site for lunch, drinks and water park clothing changes so I wonder if thats going to be forbidden now.

^ Do you get something to show that you ARE on the campgrounds or hotel? You could show them that and say "I'm bringing so and so with me" and it's all cool?

Six Flags has a secret website about DL's flash sale for 2019 memberships (only Gold+ at the moment) and season passes. Also, in the membership vs season pass chart, it says "admission to Local Hurricane Harbor," so I guess they're re branding the water park. Also it lists "includes Holiday In The Park"?

Interestingly, on Saturday they had all 4 membership levels listed with prices listed next to everything EXCEPT gold+... now it's sorry if reversed with things removed. so it's still a major work in process.

I'd be disappointed if I couldn't get an elite pass on Thursday (only because I'm planing 4 SF parks this weekend and I'd love the discounts and benefits!). I'd prefer to buy local over Great Adventure and making that my "home" park for the discounted bring a friend's / etc. There is a price difference, too. Plus the line to get the thing will be a huge factor. Processing at Darien Lake on Thursday night would be ideal. This of course is assuming they get their s*hit together.... which they might not do until next year... or at all... with this membership stuff.

Holiday in the park might get announced on Thursday for 2019 ?¿?

I don't think we'll see a Hurricane Harbor change. At least not next year. But I'm not always the best at guessing these things...

^ Do you get something to show that you ARE on the campgrounds or hotel? You could show them that and say "I'm bringing so and so with me" and it's all cool?

Wristbands, but ive never worn them and no one ever checks them.

This is my question, why don’t they just keep Darien Square open to everyone and just close off the campground?

Here’s how it could look, the yellow marks are where the gates could be constructed:

^ That would make sense...

That's what I was trying to say, it's practical, more so than rerouting all of the paths.

Probably because the General Store and arcade arent used by park goers that much

Probably because the General Store and arcade arent used by park goers that much

Non-campers do not need anything in the General Store, and there is already a nice arcade in the park. Non-campers don't need to be in that area.

Two entrances would both have to staffed all day with and I would guess Six Flags considered that. I would suggest one entrance is all that's needed and would be best for the park to manage security in the campground. Maybe a exit only alongside the amphitheater for the convenience of camp goers for after the laser show would work. I would think Six Flags or any management team would most likely go for the simplest most cost effective long term fix for guest security and this is probably the best fit.

Two entrances would both have to staffed all day with and I would guess Six Flags considered that. I would suggest one entrance is all that's needed and would be best for the park to manage security in the campground. Maybe a exit only alongside the amphitheater for the convenience of camp goers for after the laser show would work. I would think Six Flags or any management team would most likely go for the simplest most cost effective long term fix for guest security and this is probably the best fit.

There are a lot of full-season campers at Darien Lake who have campfires every night. There is no way that campers are going to want to have to walk all the way over to the amphitheatre to get to the park and then have to walk all the way over to Darien Square and then all the way back around to the campground. It wouldn't work like that. Also, the General Store has never officially been open to the public. Non-campers don't need to buy wood and camping supplies. The full-season campers would not want a lot of non-campers in that store or in that area, tbh. Campers will be happy that area is going to be handed back to campers only.

Pssssssst: It's a budget and staffing cut. It's Six Flags.

Two entrances would both have to staffed all day with and I would guess Six Flags considered that. I would suggest one entrance is all that's needed and would be best for the park to manage security in the campground. Maybe a exit only alongside the amphitheater for the convenience of camp goers for after the laser show would work. I would think Six Flags or any management team would most likely go for the simplest most cost effective long term fix for guest security and this is probably the best fit.

 

There are a lot of full-season campers at Darien Lake who have campfires every night. There is no way that campers are going to want to have to walk all the way over to the amphitheatre to get to the park and then have to walk all the way over to Darien Square and then all the way back around to the campground. It wouldn't work like that. Also, the General Store has never officially been open to the public. Non-campers don't need to buy wood and camping supplies. The full-season campers would not want a lot of non-campers in that store or in that area, tbh. Campers will be happy that area is going to be handed back to campers only.

I’m going to totally refute your statement. I have never camped at DL, but go to the park almost every week. You don’t know just how many times I went to the general store to buy something. Often, I don’t buy food at the park and instead bring a portable propane camp stove and have hot dogs or burgers in a picnic shelter out in the parking lot. There have been countless times I have forgotten a propane tank, hot dog/ burger buns, a lighter, etc. The general store is useful for non campers as well, and allowing non-campers to utilize it is another source of revenue for them. I don’t see why they would want to take that away.

Probably because the General Store and arcade arent used by park goers that much

Non-campers do not need anything in the General Store, and there is already a nice arcade in the park. Non-campers don't need to be in that area.

So Pizza In The Square would be closed off for non-campers then too?

Also doing this, doesn't it cut the complete circle, so if you're at Boomerang, you're gonna have to walk all the way back to the boardwalk and past Viper's batwing to get to Twister?

Probably because the General Store and arcade arent used by park goers that much

Non-campers do not need anything in the General Store, and there is already a nice arcade in the park. Non-campers don't need to be in that area.

 

So Pizza In The Square would be closed off for non-campers then too?

 

Also doing this, doesn't it cut the complete circle, so if you're at Boomerang, you're gonna have to walk all the way back to the boardwalk and past Viper's batwing to get to Twister?

The park complains about Twister having low ridership, causing it to be the first ride closed due to staffing, yet wouldn’t this cause it to have even lower ridership? Nobody would want to walk all the way to that dead end just for Tin Lizzie’s and Twister. It just will not work.

Twister won't be there long anyway.

Probably because the General Store and arcade arent used by park goers that much

Non-campers do not need anything in the General Store, and there is already a nice arcade in the park. Non-campers don't need to be in that area.

 

So Pizza In The Square would be closed off for non-campers then too?

 

Also doing this, doesn't it cut the complete circle, so if you're at Boomerang, you're gonna have to walk all the way back to the boardwalk and past Viper's batwing to get to Twister?

They have a bridge and a scenic lake path for this very reason that has been closed off to the public for years. If they really wanted to they could fix that up and the circle would return again. But they probably won’t with just means you gotta plan accordingly when you tackle the park.