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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.
The park is down to two water rides, Thunder River rapids ride is OK, and The Wave splash boat is standard issue. |
| Food |
VF does offers some interesting local snack items: fried cheese curds (a staple of Minnesota and Wisconsin) and Bratwurst. Other than that, you'll find the usual assortment of park food, including mexican, pizza, burgers and hot dogs, ice cream, and funnel cakes.
There is a Cedar Fair "Coasters" Restaurant offering burgers and shakes. Chains Panda Express and Chickie and Pete's offer Chinese and cheesesteaks respectively.
The Teste of Valleyfair food truck offers a rotating menu of items |
| 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 |
| Valleyfair! offers one level of "Fast Lane" (skip the line) service. |
| Shows |
| Valleyfair musical offerings include a few music shows. |
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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. | |
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