OK, so I didn’t have my skis, but I DID follow 2 snow plows down the PA Turnpike! This is the first time I’ve ever worn a ski jacket, hat, gloves and wool socks to an amusement park. Was it worth it? You bet! When I got there, there were only 12 cars and 1 bus in the lot. The Talon crew gets a major “thumbs up” for allowing multiple consecutive rides, provided one’s queue line was empty when returning to the station.

Most of the rides were walk-ons up until the 6:00 crowd started to arrive for the evening’s Halloween festivities. I rode like a fiend until cold and hunger got the better of me in the late afternoon. I left the park to grab some dinner and bag a cheap motel room … another advantage to visiting parks in October. There were posted orders to return by 6:00 in order to be readmitted with a handstamp. I made it back in plenty of time.

Around 6, the haunt characters start to roam the park. One young man dressed all in black with a multitude of piercings and blue hair snuck up on me and asked if I was scared. I told him no, I’m a high school teacher, “Weren’t you in my math class yesterday?”, I asked. He broke character and cracked a smile … said it was the best response he had ever gotten.

At that point, I realized that I was visiting a haunt for the first time without any of my special needs students/friends. I’m usually so focused on them that I don’t worry about being scared, This could be a different experience for me! I started off with something easy ..,, Fangs … a combination of singing, dancing and comedians. The dancers became more and more “scantily clad” as the show progressed. At the end of the show, the older couples in front of me commented on how bad the show was, The boys behind me had a differing opinion. “Did you see those girls? They were almost NAKED. This is the hottest show I’ve ever seen!” I guess it’s a matter of perspective.

Kill Hill, a walk-through near the Whip, was next. The best part was a room painted black with fluorescent spots scattered all over it. The characters in that room wore black body stockings covered with those same spots. They would ease themselves into a corner, blending in perfectly with the walls, then jump out at unsuspecting visitors. It was quite effective.

On to Headstone Hollow, a walk through a foggy cemetery with hidden ghouls just waiting to greet you. Pretty unnerving stuff, so I took a ride on Steel Force afterward to “steel my nerves” before proceeding to the next attraction. I must say, it was my best ride EVER on this coaster. The drag caused by putting your hands up while wearing a winter coat makes the coaster seem even faster than usual and I got some unexpected air time in the back of the train.

OK, feeling better, I headed off to Camp CUDIE. That’s C U DIE, not “Coodie” like one young lass pronounced it. It was a very impressive walk through the woods, complete with a camp bus, bloody slashed tents, RV’s, etc. Needless to say, I had to take one more nerve-steeling ride on Steel Force after that. It was the best walk-through I’ve done to date.

On to The Gauntlet on the walkway under Thunderhawk. I wasn’t impressed with the setting or the characters … quite boring following my camp experience.

I finished off the evening with a few more consecutive rides on Talon. Most of the crew members from the morning shift were still there. They were all in really good moods, chatting happily with riders as they filled the trains, It left me with a great feeling as I left the park. I would definitely visit Dorney again in October, even if the snow is flying!

P.S. Yes, Nocho, I did have 3 glorious rides on Enterprise!!

Judy,
I just missed you!! I was in Dorney Friday 10/16. There were about 25 cars in the parking lot, rainy, and cold enough to freeze balls, about 42*. I had on 2 jackets, 1 pair of jeans, 1 pair of vinyl pants, a sweatshirt and a T-shirt. Oh, and don't forget the skull cap and ski gloves. The Talon crew rocked with allowing rerides. There were never more than 5 people on the train at a time, so they allowed you to ride as much as you wanted. The Steel Force crew was okay with rerides as long as the station was completely empty (which by 10:00 happened a couple of times). The Hydra crew gets a big "boooooo" from me as I was the only person on the train and they said, "Sorry, no rerides. Dorney Park rules." I didn't even feel like the ride was good enough to argue over and just left.

With the rain and it being a Friday night, the halloween attractions were pretty sparse as far as actors go. I think one ghoul popped out on the Gauntlet. Camp Cudie had a lot of potential. I did not realize there was that much free land behind Steel Force's final turnaround. (Hmmm, new GCI woodie location, anyone? :) Even the girl at the entrance apologized for the lack of ghouls because of the weather, but I was more interested in the area tour. The park closed at 11:00 instead of midnight, but I saw what I wanted to see for the most part. Just disappointed that I had on so many clothes, I had to ride in the big boy seat on Hydra.

Paul

The only coasters you mentioned were Steel Force and Talon. Was Thunderhawk running? Did you hit Hydra? Possessed?

Glad you had a great and uncrowded day. A good friend told me the FANGS show was really bad..sounds like you were on the same page!

Mike

> Was Thunderhawk running?
> Mike

I generally don't bother with the special Fright related attractions at parks. I like the shorter ride lines, tho!

At Dorney, Thunderhawk does not operate during that time of year.
Is always a big disappointment for me, even though I know it is closed before I go.

Mike B.

Judy,

Now you know what it is like riding those coasters in Asia in the cold of winter, covered in snow! Those are some fun rides.

I was a high school Spanish teacher for 7 years. I had plenty of kids about as scary as the one you described.

Pat-O

> The only coasters you mentioned were Steel Force and Talon.
> Was Thunderhawk running?

It ran in the afternoon, but closed for the evening, probably because 2 of the haunts are located underneath it.

Did you hit Hydra?

Dear Beast, you know better ... of course I hit Hydra, but only 6 times on this trip.

Possessed?

No, I'm not.