2017 Phoenix Phall Phunfest, Coaster Madness

Stop 1 - Knoebels for PPP

Time in park - 4:30 PM-10:00 PM
Weather - very warm & humid
Crowds - Moderate to heavy

Tina & I arrived around 4:30 PM due to errands I had to do on Friday so we headed out Saturday morning, after getting our handstamps we noticed that the wait for Flying Turns was under 30 minutes so we hit it first. I decided to get the photos from this run since it had been 4 years since we rode it last (opening season 2013 - skipped it in 2014 due to massive lines). After meeting up with a few people we decided to give Twister a shot, somewhat decent ride but there are some sudden, jerky turns that need some work.

A short time later we decided to check out Impulse - I enjoyed it, and luckily Tina was able to ride with us - she is still struggling with her weight.

After Impulse we grabbed our pizza slices & drinks, then after eating we used our coupons for the Haunted Mansion, very nice effects as usual, then were able to get the elusive credit for Kozmo’s Kurves.

Finally it was time to hit Phoenix, but unfortunately the buzz bar was too uncomfortable for Tina so I skipped it. We also were planning o hit the Antique Cars & Haunted Train but I heard through many others that our handstamps didn’t include them (guessing presumably due to large PPP crowds) so we skipped both and relaxed for a bit, chatting with a few new friends.

When closing time rolled around, I went with someone to their campsite so he could get his stuff out of someone’s car & hop on the road with us to Dorney, also waited to see the traditional large bonfire that was supposed to be lit at 10:30 PM, but they were taking too long so I ended up missing it.


Stop 2 - Coaster Madness at Dorney

Time in park - 9:30 AM - 11:00 PM
Weather - cloudy but warm and humid
Crowds - light early, moderate later on

Tina & I missed the unadvertised deadline to get our Coaster Madness tickets online so I had to buy them at the park, this year they gave free parking to those who bought their tickets online, but luckily our companion had a platinum pass so we were still able to get free parking.

This year’s event included ERT on Talon, Hydra, and Steel Force, also Fast Lane and Fright Lane - not that we needed the Fast Lane but still good to have, along with a free souvenir cup, collectible Steel Force glass, and of course a catered dinner with a Q&A session with the park president and a backstage lights-on tour of one of the haunts. Well worth it just for the Fright Lane access to the haunts even if you don’t ride many of the rides...

Talon is still my favorite coaster here, very nice themeing and smooth ride. During ERT the attendants would allow one re-ride but you had to switch rows, after a re-ride you would have to go around. Always end up hitting it first since it’s the first one we come to after getting inside...

After a few rides on Talon we hit Hydra, Thunderhawk & Steel Force, then took in most of the scenery, and were also met with a medium-large Jewish crowd, not sure if it was for an event they were having but I noticed that there was another group holding an event there on the same day.

The rain that was forecast for parts of the day held off until about 9:00 PM, when a light mist started coming down, not enough to dampen the experience, it was actually welcome by some of us since the rest of the day was so sticky, this was the first time I actually got to enjoy the park without having to wear a jacket but also wearing cargo shorts...

Our Haunt backstage tour this season was for Tourist Trap, a new haunt that replaced the haunted mansion, and they told us that some of them now have hidden cameras where staff in a hidden control room can control when things activate like moving props and other stuff, after that we went to the Parkside Pavilion near Hydra for Q&A and free raffle prizes, someone from my area won a horse from the kiddie carousel, no word on how they transported it home or arranged for the park to ship it to them...

During the Q&A we learned that Dorney, along with Knoebels, Hersheypark and Dutch Wonderland, will be hosting Coaster Con XLIII in 2020 - guess I have been away from the ACE events page too long...

After dinner we started hitting the haunts, all of which still make the SF ones look like amateurs...

Blood on the Bayou - replaced Asylum
Cornstalkers - new location, shorter than when it was near Talon
Gravewalkers - superb as always
Tourist Trap - replaced the haunted mansion, slight alterations in themeing
Urgent Scare - hospital-themed
Trick or Treat - don’t remember much about this one
Chamber of Horrors - nice one with a front of a VW Beetle and its horn as some elements
Age of Darkness - medieval-themed scare zone with a Skeleton Key room
Cut Throat Island - pirate-themed scare zone with a Skeleton Key room
Blackout - dark walk-through where your only clues which way to go are glowing arrows

Skeleton Key rooms for Age of Darkness, Blood on the Bayou, Cornstalkers, Gravewalkers & Tourist Trap are now housed separately from the main haunted attractions they’re associated with, Blackout’s SK room was actually at the beginning of it, sorry no spoilers...

All in all - Dorney’s haunts never disappoint. Great weekend double-header as always!

The Steel Force glass:


The 2017 Skeleton Key: