Dutch Wonderland 2012 Season Discussion Thread

by HPCrazy 2012-01-03, 22:59

2012 Admission Rates:

Royalty (ages 3-59) $34.99
Senior Royalty (ages 60-69) $29.99
Senior Plus Royalty* (70+) $22.99
Royalty-in-Training (ages 2 and under) FREE

Two Day Flex Admission
Visit any two days during the summer season. Tickets do not need to be used on consecutive days. Perfect for guests spending the weekend in Lancaster county, or guests who prefer to visit us twice during the summer season.
Regular (ages 3+) $49.99

Consecutive Ticket Admission
Purchase today's admission ticket at regular price (see rates above).Keep your ticket stub and present it at the Main Gate on your return visit to purchase your Consecutive Day ticket.
Regular (ages 3+) $28.99

Combination Ticket with Hersheypark
Make your summer twice as nice by visiting Dutch Wonderland and nearby Hersheypark for one great combo price! Hersheypark is located in nearby Hershey, Pennsylvania, just a 30 minute drive from Lancaster. It's two times the fun at the most family-friendly parks in America. Combination tickets are valid for one full day admission to Dutch Wonderland, and one full day admission to Hersheypark. Tickets can be used on any day during each park's regular summer season.

Regular (ages 9-54) $72.95
Junior (ages 3-8 ) $58.95
Senior (55+) $55.95

Preview Plan: Be Our Guest
It’s 3 hours before Park closing and we want you to be our guest! Purchase a regular admission ticket for a full day at the Park tomorrow – and join us FREE for the remainder of the evening!

When the Park closes at 6:00 PM: Enter after 3:00 PM
When the Park closes at 8:30 PM: Enter after 5:30 PM

Twilight Rates
Valid 3 hours prior to Park closing. (Not valid with any other offers or discounts.)

Royalty (ages 3-59) $26.99
Senior Royalty (ages 60+) $25.99
Royalty-in-Training (ages 2 and under) FREE

by coasteral 2012-01-04, 18:37

I dont think DW will be doing anythin huge this year. Sad

which is sad to see.

by BrandonStrouphauer 2012-02-05, 20:16

Since this is only the 2nd season Palace has owned DW, I would think next year something new will go in.

by Hershey bears 2012-02-09, 00:27

I don't think DW will get anything really major 1. B/c it is a park designed for kids and 2. It is surrounded by water and prone to flooding. What they should do is buy some land behind the park and make it into an area for older kids. I remember going there when I was young and riding the hand crank trains and stopping in the middle then when someone was almost there to push I would go. Then on the antique cars right before the hill up to the station something broke so 2-3 workers and the car behind us pushed us up with us in it. Fun times. Sorry if I got a little off topic

by HPCrazy 2012-02-09, 00:29

I actually think with Palace running the place now, that they would invest more into the park as far as rides go. I'd love to see an interactive dark ride come, as well as maybe a Wild Mouse-style coaster and some more flats that are geared towards families, but maybe raising the age bracket up a little more.

by Hershey bears 2012-02-09, 00:38

Even a steel family coaster could bring the age range up a little. What do you think?

by BrandonStrouphauer 2012-02-09, 00:39

I agree.

by Hershey bears 2012-02-09, 00:42

A ride like trailblazer but diffrent theme and layout basically an updated version

by coasterman98 2012-02-10, 02:26

Palace is working slowly with dutch wonderland. They want to keep it a " Kingdom for kids". Both my fiance and I work there in the rides department and what palace has done so far i like( except for the preferred parking). They got rid of the really crappy ride ripcord and put in kite flight and leaping frogs. they have to be careful with coasters and stuff because they aren't allowed to go above the tree lines because of Smoketown Airport being only a couple miles away due to the fact the planes get really close to the tree lines around there. I've been on top of flume when a plane went by not even 200 ft above me. Scared the crap out of me! I know they would like to expand, but the farmers in the area don't want to sell their land. i don't know what they have planned for this year though. I would love to see new stuff put in. This will be my 5th year there and my fiances 4th year. So we've been there for both Hershey and palace.

by Hershey bears 2012-02-10, 08:41

Have yOu ever worked the little trains that you crank by hand. That was One of my favorite rides of a kid are there ever kids that stop in the middle wait for some one to come out the go.

by HPCrazy 2012-02-10, 10:19

The Choo-Choo Charlie is what I think it's called. I remember the year it opened in 1994. That was my last year that I visited Dutch Wonderland regularly as a child. The following year is when I began to visit Hershey on a regular basis.

by coasterman98 2012-02-10, 10:40

yes. me and my fiance both operated that ride. My fiance know all but 7 rides and i know all but1.

by HPCrazy 2012-02-10, 19:52

I have lots of fond memories of the park as a child. I was sort of saddened that they got rid of the Ripcord. That thing has been there since at least 1990 from what I remember.

by coasterman98 2012-02-10, 21:52

the ride didnt pass inspection last year. they sold it to Knoebels for spair parts for theres. it was ok to run but it had a lot of problems like motor failing to start and others... windmill on the island was down the last month of last season do to problems with a lot according to maintenance. i see it going in the next cupal of years.

by Hershey bears 2012-02-11, 03:59

I think that may have been from the flooding

by BrandonStrouphauer 2012-02-11, 04:07

Probably the flooding. That was a horrible few days.

by HPCrazy 2012-02-11, 11:09

I don't think the flooding was as bad at DW as it was at HP. I think that they were able to reopen on the weekend that HP remained closed for clean-up.

by BrandonStrouphauer 2012-02-11, 15:37

HP's flood covered more attractions and was higher(I think) HP was a mess. Somethings were still affected as of Christmas Candylane. Like Loopers Sandwhich shop had major electrical problems, ect.

by coasterman98 2012-02-11, 16:43

dw was hit realy bad. they lost 3 trees and mud was every where. wind mill wasn't bothered by the flood. ive been in side it before and the only thing that would have been bothered by the water is the air pump for the lunching cow. everything is a good two feet off the ground. but the ride is just getting old. i was told that they've had to have pieces custom made because they couldn't find them.

by coasterman98 2012-02-12, 01:33

they have pictures of the flood on facebook. some of the pictures is seeing the maintenance guys tearing apart leaping frogs in the beginning of the flood. that ride would be ruined if it was emerged in water.

by HPCrazy 2012-02-12, 19:03

When was the windmill built do you know? I remember riding that thing when I was a child.

by coasterman98 2012-02-12, 19:59

1982 i looked it up in our rides manual.

by HPCrazy 2012-02-13, 20:28

I'd love to know more info about the old monorails. I remember those things when I was growing up. I wish the original blue one was never sold and would've been put back into use.

by Hershey bears 2012-02-13, 21:30

I never really liked DW's monorail b/c of the rocking. But I think that is b/c of how thin the rail is

by coasterman98 2012-02-13, 23:29

its because of the rails and the tires.

by Hershey bears 2012-02-14, 00:17

Does any one know how fast DW's monorail goes

by BrandonStrouphauer 2012-03-11, 04:01

That's a good question. I'll guess 10-15 MPH. Maybe close to 20.

by HPCrazy 2012-03-11, 11:49

I do know that their monorail goes slower than Hershey's (and Hershey usually mentions that we're cruising around 10 mph on the spiel that's used during the summer). But it's definitely a nice ride for a park like DW. Hopefully it stays around for a good long time.

by coasterman98 2012-03-11, 22:42

10 is the max it can go but we only do about 6 mph.

by HPCrazy 2012-03-12, 09:40

You pretty much confirmed the slower speed then. Wink

by hersheycoaster14 2012-03-13, 11:04

now I know that dutch wonderland is for mainly kids but I think they need a good moderate coaster or flat ride. or at least some type of new ride.

by coasteral 2012-04-16, 09:17

Coaster man. Have you ever operated any of the Rollercoaster at DW??

by coasterman98 2012-04-16, 22:18

i my self have not but my wife has a lot last year. ask any question i cant try to answer.

by coasteral 2012-04-21, 15:53

Have you ever operated any rollercoaster before??

by coasterman98 2012-04-21, 22:15

not on the clock but i know how to.

by Hersheyguy 2012-04-27, 17:49

Hey guys - I'm new here. The only time I went to Dutch Wonderland - back in 1997, I rode Kingdom Coaster (then Dutch Princess) once and going down the first drop - a bee flew into my eye! Ouch. Can't wait to get back, what a great little park.

by HPCrazy 2012-04-27, 18:55

Yes, the park has changed and modernized quite a bit since then, but still retains the original charm that people (like myself) remember from our earlier years. I'm hoping to make it out again this year to cover the park for ALT.

by coasterman98 2012-04-29, 00:36

they actually changed a bit in the park for this year. there is now a sit in resturant in the castle. a new mexican food place and since they took space in the castle away from retail, they converted most of the shooting gallery into a store. two of the rides got updated mechanically(wonderhouse and windmill)... they have a new character called merlin( real original!) and they have gotten rid of thomas the tank engine show and replaced it with a whole bunch of shows. check out the website for the different shows.

by HPCrazy 2012-04-29, 10:06

Sounds like Palace is really putting a lot of money into the place. I'm planning on hitting it back up this July so I can't wait to see any of these changes when there!

by coasterman98 2012-04-29, 23:18

well when you come look for both of us!! i may be a green tag by then for rides, but we shall see!!

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