DORNEY PARK ANNIVERSARY: 10 fun facts about Dorney Park

The Wacky Shack was my favorite!

Berks_Iraq_Vet wrote:

The Wacky Shack was my favorite!

I ain't got no body! Also the bucket of blood, journey to the center of the earth, the flying dutchman, the whip, the paratrooper and the original coaster. Too bad so much has changed.

I missed how Dorney was when I was when I was younger. It was free to enter and you only paid for the rides you wanted to go on. There were only local patrons there. Know it is expensive and they bus all the intercity thugs from NY and Philly there now. Like all things they start small and good and then get huge and bastardized.

Dorney Park was a much more charming place to go before it was sold to Cedar Fair. It went from being place where poeple from the Valley could have a nice, enjoyable time to a Northeastern US "attraction" that's obnoxiously out to squeeze every dollar possible.

The Truth wrote:

Dorney Park was a much more charming place to go before it was sold to Cedar Fair. It went from being place where poeple from the Valley could have a nice, enjoyable time to a Northeastern US "attraction" that's obnoxiously out to squeeze every dollar possible.

It lost its charm years before the sale to Cedar Fair. I worked there in the mid-80s and the owners (Bobby Plarr and Harris Weinstein) were concerned only with the bottom line.

Doctor Inpaidad wrote:

<quoted text>
I ain't got no body! Also the bucket of blood, journey to the center of the earth, the flying dutchman, the whip, the paratrooper and the original coaster. Too bad so much has changed.

Those dark rides were created by amuseument industry legend Bill Tracy. There are some great vintage Dorney pix here:

http://www.angelfire.com/notlmpresed/tracydor...

I used to work at Dorney Park at the game Fascination. I loved that game. My first real job was at Dorney as a 'string girl'. Does anyone remember that? I used to clip colored strings onto the wrists of people if they were having a function there. Ohh, the memories.

the seals, the seals...! urf, urf, urf!!!

People never believed me when I told them the boat sank. HA!

Back in the mid-50's when I was about 5 y/o, my (abusive)mother abandoned our family. She came back and tried to kidnap us by telling us she was taking us to Dorney Park. I almost went with her because I loved Dorney Park! In the late 80's my older daughter worked in the office and, then, in the late 90's my youngest daughter worked in the park. I, too, miss the way it was in the 50's - 60's.

Please tell me people remember the TV commercial from the early to mid 80s?! I have performed it numerous times for family and even once for co-workers at Air Products.
"The new Dorney Park
It's funtastic
Drive to Allentown, PA
Meet Alfundo
Have a happy day
A fun please to be
And admission is free
So much to do
So much to see
It's funtastic
The new Dorney Park "

John S wrote:

Please tell me people remember the TV commercial from the early to mid 80s?! I have performed it numerous times for family and even once for co-workers at Air Products.
"The new Dorney Park
It's funtastic
Drive to Allentown, PA
Meet Alfundo
Have a happy day
A fun please to be
And admission is free
So much to do
So much to see
It's funtastic
The new Dorney Park "

I do remember it and I am impressed you remember the words! lol

Dorney Park Speedway - what fun! Tight little paved bullring. 55-6-7 Chevies, then the Camaros, Novas, Mustangs. The old coupe & sedan bodies in the Sportsman division. Parties afterward in the pits. There were many good racers that also ran Nazareth, Reading, Grandview, etc. Northampton's Tony Hirschman moved on to win at Pocono, Martinsville, Richmond and tracks throughout the northeast, became 5-time NASCAR Modified Tour champion and was named to NASCAR's top 10 Modified drivers of all time.

The "Flying Dutchman" was a scary ride! Loved the demolition derbies,
The Indy 500 and Bumper cars.
How about the chip and putt?
Many memories, mostly good.

Walk away sundaes with a cherry on top. Yum.

Mike wrote:

The "Flying Dutchman" was a scary ride! Loved the demolition derbies,
The Indy 500 and Bumper cars.
How about the chip and putt?
Many memories, mostly good.

The Flying Dutchman always seemed particularly unsafe. There were a ton of classic rides at Dorney:

The whip, the iceberg, music express, the scrambler, tilt-a-whirl, journey to the center of the earth, the gold mine, bucket of blood, yellow rollercoaster, bumper cars,, seadragon. I remember how big a deal it was when thunder creek mountain opened.

Does anyone remember when the 80's dance show out of Philly, "Dancing on Air" was filmed there? I was on that show! lol! I was the girl with the big perm, frosty pink lipstick and huge earrings...

oh wait, I just described every girl on the show... ;)

Sad For Society wrote:

Back in the mid-50's when I was about 5 y/o, my (abusive)mother abandoned our family. She came back and tried to kidnap us by telling us she was taking us to Dorney Park. I almost went with her because I loved Dorney Park! In the late 80's my older daughter worked in the office and, then, in the late 90's my youngest daughter worked in the park. I, too, miss the way it was in the 50's - 60's.

OMG I'm sorry to hear that story - but I'm glad it did not tarnish your memories of the place.:)

Anyone remember the giant beer can pyramids and card pyamids at the picnic groves? Been there for one too many Mack picnics....loved it. Got my sting bracelet!

As a kid, I remember feeding the seals stinky cups of fish. I loved it! As a teen, I remember going to the demolition derby. Now my teen works there during the summers. I'm getting old!