For the last few years, the future of the Blue Streak was uncertain. The new owners of the park had it open for the beginning of the 1997 season. Built in 1937 by Ed Vettel, Sr., the Blue Streak gets "lost" in the woods from its entrance just off the park midway. It uses classic National Amusement Devices (NAD) trains that were recently rebuilt and feature working headlights and a working "mars" light. The Blue Streak does not have seat dividers.

For the 1989 season, Dorney Park was looking for something big to attract a larger crowd. Studies proved that Thunderhawk (then named Coaster) was a popular attraction. They decided to build a wooden coaster with the longest drop (148 ft.). Hercules was the result with the huge drop leading right into a fast, severely banked turn over the lake. The small drop and turn out of the station is an indication of how the rest of the ride is built - with a track plan unlike anything else. The longest drop record lasted a single year.

The original ride had difficulty getting over the hill that leads to the drop under the station, so a few feet were removed from this hill a year later which helped to keep the overall ride speed faster. Hercules was designed by Curtis Summers and uses PTC two bench trains. The ride originally had the "trailer-type" cars.

Laser is a double looping steel coaster which was moved to the park from Brazil in 1986. Just after leaving the lift hill, you are plunged through two loops in a row. The ride continues this fast pace right up to the brake run. This is a Schwarzkopf portable ride but you might not guess it judging by its size. The ride was originally called Colossus but to a conflict with another ride by the same name, it was changed to Laser and then to finally to Laser. Laser was the name of a radio station which had sponsorship there.

This new for 1997 Steel Coaster was originally to be built in 1996 but the approvals took longer than expected. Built by Morgan Manufacturing, this was their second non-looping steel hyper coaster. The coaster is 200 feet high with a 205 foot first drop and attains speeds of 75 MPH. It is built in the rear parking lot along side their excellent original coaster - Thunderhawk and pretty much covers the entire bottom of the park. Steel Force has become one of the top rated rides in the country.

This wooden ride was originally just called "Coaster" but later gained the Thunderhawk name when Hercules was built. This is the oldest of the five remaining Herb Schmeck / PTC coasters in the state.

Thunderhawk is Dorney Park's original roller coaster which was built as an out and back type in 1924. In the late 1920s it was modified to include the folded back turnaround. The tunnel and station were removed for the 1996 season and a new "open air" station was built.

Dutch Wonderland is a park for kids and as such, wanted a roller coaster that would not be too wild for small kids yet be thrilling enough for the parents. They got exactly that ride with the Sky Princess. The ride was the first project by Custom Coasters Inc. (CCI). and proved to be a great ride thus putting Dutch Wonderland on the roller coaster map.

New for 1998. Manufactured by Chance.

This wooden roller coaster replaced an earlier one in 1946 and was the only wood coaster in the park until joined by the Wildcat in 1996. Often mentioned by coaster fans is the drop over the creek and the turnaround over the station. Hershey has maintained this Herb Schmeck / PTC ride well through the years. One unique item is that Hersheypark has named the trains - one is named Lightning and the other named Thunder.

A $13 Million B&M Inverted Coaster that is new for 1998. The Great Bear twists and turns through the Sooperdooperlooper trackage and the skyride.

This ride lifts you up a hill, then drops you facing forward through the station and into a boomerang element and a vertical loop then up another hill. You are then pulled up this hill a little higher an let loose to do the entire course backward. The ride attains some quite noticeable g forces going into and exiting the loop. The ride was manufactured by Vekoma.

Built in 1977, this was the second modern looping coaster in the US and the first on the east coast. After Schwarzkopf, who built the ride, worked how to make a successful loop, they went on to make many more looping coasters. The ride has only a ratcheting lap bar and does not use over the shoulder harnesses which makes the ride much more pleasant. The single loop occurs just after the lift hill and the track then twists around and later comes back through the center of the loop. This ride is one of the few that use the lattice work track construction and ends with a below ground level helix.

One of the smallest Arrow steel mine train coasters, this one was built in 1974. The highlight of the ride is the helix near the end. This is the only Mine Train type coaster in Pennsylvania themed as a mine train.

New for the 1996 season, everyone was waiting to see what this ride would be like. It was being built by a new company (Great Coasters Inc.) and the ride looks like someone had gone crazy with the curves. It has virtually no straight track and little of it is level to the ground. Upon first glance, it reminds you of the Harry Traver coasters which are renowned for being some of the most terrifying ever built.

The ride starts out fast and never slows down till the final brake run. It is easy to get "lost" because of the constantly curving and twisting trackage. Yet the ride is very smooth, even in the back seat, for a wooden coaster of this type. There is even some air time toward evening on the ride. Hersheypark and GCI definitely have a winner here. The Wildcat uses PTC trains.

New for 1999.

The Rollo Coaster provides a much better ride than what you would think for its small size. Because it is built on the side of a hill amongst trees, it even seems bigger than it is. This is the smallest of Pennsylvania's five Herb Schmeck / PTC designed rides.

Imagine a Wild Mouse Ride on steroids! This ride is a blast and enforces that traditional wild mouse feeling of flying off the edge of the track. The Wild Mouse was built by Vekoma.

New for 1999. The Exterminator is a Reverchon Crazy Mouse inside a building. A Crazy Mouse is similar to a standard wild mouse except the cars are allowed to rotate part way through the ride. Should be a lot of fun.

The Jack Rabbit is Kennywood's oldest surviving roller coaster dating from 1920. Another great example of the wooden gully coaster, it has the chain lift in the middle of the ride. The double down dip is a blast from the back seat as you feel like you are going to be ejected from the ride. The unique looking trains have only a fixed lap bar and a rather loose fitting, non adjustable lap belt.

This is the only racing roller coaster in the US to have a single track. If you start on the left side, you will come back into the station on the right side of the ride. The two sides trackage run so close together that it is common to see people hold hands from one train to another. The 1927 vintage Racer was designed by John Miller and uses PTC trains. The ride is very smooth and provides a little air time on some of the hills. Because of the single track configuration, they always must race the trains which is a blast in itself.

In 1991, Kennywood built a large steel coaster with the worlds longest drop (at the time). Looking at the ride from the front of the park, it does not look very tall because the large drop actually drops well below the road level. The drop goes under and over the Thunderbolt tracks while heading toward the river below only to turn away at the last moment. It is also the worlds fastest roller coaster, attaining 81 miles per hour. Arrow Dynamics designed this ride which turns you upside down four times near the end of its journey.

The wooden Thunderbolt originally started out as the Pippin roller coaster in 1924. It was designed by John Miller and later modified by Andrew Vettel into its present configuration. The lift hill is in the middle of the ride and because of this, it is full of surprises. This is one of the best "Gully" coasters around. It still uses the same antique NAD trains which are well maintained by the park.

In 1991, the steel Phantom's second drop was put under and over the existing Thunderbolt trackage without changing it's ride character. The Thunderbolt feels and looks like the well maintained classic ride that it is. The seats do not have dividers and because of the great lateral forces, the mandates that there must be two people in every seat. You may not ride alone.

The High Speed Thrill Coaster is really a steel kiddie coaster but they allow adults to ride it. It actually packs quite a punch for it's small size.

Knoebel's has an excellent reputation for buying used rides, refurbishing them and then maintaining them. In 1984, they looked at doing the same with a wooden roller coaster. Some thought it would be impossible but Knoebels decided to do it with the San Antonio (Texas) Rocket which would have otherwise probably been destroyed. Under the supervision of Charles Dinn (of Beast fame) all the parts were numbered, transported to Pennsylvania. and rebuilt. A lot of new lumber was used but the original mechanical parts were retained. New coaster cars from PTC finished the ride. In the summer of 1985, the Phoenix rose from its ashes. Because of this great success in moving such a large ride, many more coasters have been moved which would otherwise have been lost to us forever.

The ride was fast right from the beginning and has only got better over the years. Knoebel's keeps the ride well maintained and operates it in a way that most enthusiasts enjoy. You can usually pick your own seat which has the traditional PTC lap bars and no seatbelts. The ride is consistently rated one the best in the country.

New for 1999. The Knoebel's Twister is a new wooden coaster being built from the plans of the great Mr. Twister ride which operated in Denver, CO until a few years ago. The Twister is an excellent complement to the Phoenix and should give Knoebel's two excellent coasters. The Twister truly is one. It has 2.5 times the lumber of the Phoenix and crosses over itself some 32 times. See here for more information.

This ride is a Vekoma Corkscrew coaster which was moved from Playland at Rye, New York. It replaces Knoebel's Jet Star coaster which was in the same location.

Leap-The-Dips, built in the early 1900s, is the oldest surviving roller coaster in the World. Leap the Dips is a "side friction" roller coaster design and is the only one left in North America. The ride is very gentle with only small drops (dips) averaging about 10 MPH.

As of 1996, the coaster was not operating and a portion of its structure has collapsed from the severe winters Pennsylvania has had recently. Lakemont Park hopes to have Leap-The-Dips fully restored over the next few years. A project by the American Coaster Enthusiasts and Philadelphia Toboggan Coasters (PTC) restored one of the cars used on the ride to its original condition. There is a collection box at Lakemont Park where you can donate money to help save this important ride. The park has also had a few fund-raisers to collect money for the rebuilding of the ride.

More News - as of July 1998, much of the station is rebuilt and there is a lot of new wood at the site. A sign at the park says the grand reopening will be for 1999 season.

Hot News - Indeed, the park is planning to have Leap-The-Dips open this summer. Construction is well under way. More information is available here

When Lakemont Park was turned into Boyertown, USA in the late 80s, they added another wooden roller coaster. With the success Knoebels had with moving the Phoenix, the owners decided to move this ride from Roseland Park in New York, which was going out of business.

While the ride has the smaller "junior" PTC trains, it still provides a great ride with air time in a few places. John Allen was the designer of this 1960 vintage ride. With the small crowds at the park, you can probably get more rides in one day on this ride than any other in the state

New for 1998. The first roller coaster at Sesame Place, this ride was built by Vekoma.

This is the fifth surviving Herb Schmeck / PTC coaster in Pennsylvania. Built in 1951, this ride runs through a tree lined setting.

Originally called the Zipper, this ride was built in 1933 by Oscar Bitler. You have to ride this ride to believe it! There are some very intense moments during the ride which you would not expect for a coaster of this size. The trains are said to have come from the renowned Palisades Park (New Jersey) Cyclone. As of July 1998, there is a lot of new wood in the structure and a new station. The last "hop" into the station is still there however. A unique feature is that the return track from the far turnaround travels directly under the outgoing track.