Jul 29, 20224 min read

A Night At Darien Lake

Following a morning spent at Waldameer Park, I embarked on a 3-hour drive to reach my next park stop on my 2022 road trip. This next destination was Darien Lake in Darien Center, New York, situated just east of Buffalo. I would arrive to find the park pretty packed for the evening. I had quite a few roller coasters to hit in a limited amount of time so I had to be careful on time management for this visit. On tot he first rollercoaster, Ride of Steel.

Ride of Steel

Upon arriving at Ride of Steel, I observed an attendant checking bags before guests entered the lines, prompting me to rent a locker. Given my tendency to lose items from my pockets, this arrangement suited me just fine. As I waited in line, it was evident from the color scheme in certain areas around the ride that it had originally been themed after Superman when the park acquired Darien Lake. However, the original theming was never reinstated when the park resumed its operations.

While waiting in line, it became evident that a significant amount of paint had deteriorated, exposing rust on both the railings and the track itself. This initial observation may not have been ideal, however, we remained optimistic about the overall ride experience. Standing at an impressive height of 208 feet and reaching a maximum speed of 75 miles per hour, this steel coaster commands attention. The layout features exhilarating airtime hills that seamlessly transition into extended straight track segments before leading into sharp turns or additional hills. Despite the initial concerns, the ride proved to be enjoyable and effectively showcased its innovative design, particularly when compared to Superman at Six Flags America. Our next adventure awaits with Predator - anticipation is high!

The Predator

As we made our way to the Predator, the ride attendant informed everyone that the ride was temporarily out of service but would be operational again shortly. We then went to a food stand that offered Buffalo's famous Anchor Bar Chicken Wings. The food was tasty, but the price of over 20 dollars for wings without a drink seemed a bit high. After a wait of 20 minutes, the Predator roller-coaster started operating again.

Returning to Predator, the queue had reopened for boarding with a half-hour wait already. This was mainly because the ride was operating with only one train. The experience on this ride was a bit of a mixed bag - while the out and back wooden roller-coaster layout was decent, the difference between the new and old parts of the track was noticeable. The ride ranged from being rough and bumpy to smooth and then back to unbearable. Overall, it wasn't very enjoyable for repeat rides. Next up, the Moto-Coaster.

The Moto Coaster

Contrary to what I initially expected, this ride at the park ran smoothly despite only using one train. What sets this ride apart is its unique design - although it may not be very tall and the launch not very strong, the motorbike-style seats offer a pleasantly different experience. I would suggest this ride to those who may not be ready for the taller rides in the park. One important point to mention is that locating the entrance to the ride can be quite challenging. You almost have to venture into the campground to find the entrance.

Tantrum

Following Moto-Coaster, I went to Tantrum when I learned that their boomerang coaster was closed for the day. This turned out to be my favorite ride in the park. Despite its short duration, the vertical drop and inversions offered great hangtime. Moreover, the queue moved relatively quickly. Therefore, this was definitely a significant improvement over the previous roller coaster without a doubt.

The Viper

Having quickly grabbed a drink from a stand, I headed to the Viper, the next rollercoaster in line. With the park closing in an hour, I was concerned about missing my chance to ride the Mind Eraser. Undoubtedly, the line for this ride was the worst in the park. It felt like I waited for about 45 minutes in a crowded station. I hoped the ride would be worth it, but it turned out to be a disappointment. I can barely recall the experience on this 70-foot Arrow Dynamics looping rollercoaster. The five inversions were jarring, and I even remember experiencing head banging in the tunnel. Overall, this ride was quite painful.

Mind Eraser

Mind Eraser surprised me by allowing people into the line even after the park had closed. The wait for this ride was the longest in the park, a whopping 2 hours. Despite my hopes for a decent ride to end the night, it turned out to be a disappointment. Just like the Viper, Mind Eraser had 5 inversions, but the roughness of the ride lived up to its name. The constant head-banging while being inverted under the track left me in need of an aspirin immediately after. I then returned to my campground to rest up for the early drive to Lake George to visit the Great Escape.

Pictures are below, and remember to Keep Coast 'n'