Dorney Park & Wildwater Kingdom — Attraction in South Whitehall Township

Dorney Park: A Ghost of Its Former Self - Five Years of Declining Standards, and Even Their Radio is Wrong! Maybe I Should Have Just Gone to Six Flags!

I am beyond disappointed, truly heartbroken, by what Dorney Park has become over the last five years. What was once a vibrant, well-maintained, and guest-focused amusement park has sadly deteriorated into a shell of its former self, a testament to neglect and a baffling disregard for the visitor experience.

My recent visit was a perfect microcosm of everything that's gone wrong. We headed straight for White Water Landing, Dorney's version of Hershey's Tidal Force – that iconic "shoot the chute" splash ride. We waited in line, eagerly anticipating that refreshing plunge, only for the ride to get stuck just as we were about to board. No explanation, no clear communication, just a mass exodus of frustrated guests. This isn't an isolated incident; the reliability of once- dependable rides seems to have plummeted, leaving you guessing whether your wait will even be rewarded with a ride.

Adding to the frustration, for the first time ever, I got to ride Hydra in the front row. I was super excited, already imagining how epic my roller coaster ride photo would look, only to discover they aren't even taking photos anymore! It's another small amenity gone, another piece of the classic park experience that has just vanished without explanation.

And the hits just kept coming with the food and drink. We stopped for some funnel cake and ice cream, only to find that entire restaurant/venue closed. Thought, okay, no big deal, there's a Dippin' Dots stand... nope, nobody there. Hoping for something to eat close to the log ride, that restaurant was also closed! It wasn't even close to closing time. I know it's only June, but come on, if you're going to open the park, open the park.

After trudging around, we finally found White Water Tavern open. Relief quickly turned to disgust, however, when we shelled out an exorbitant $16.49 for a single slice of pizza and $5.39 for a 20oz fountain drink. Thinking, "Finally, something I love and an ice-cold Cherry Coke on a hot day," I went to fill my cup only to discover the Cherry Coke was kicked, nobody around to help. The sheer audacity of the price combined with the lack of basic operational readiness is infuriating.

Seeking solace and a cool down, we then headed to Wildwater Kingdom's wave pool, only to be met with another wave of disappointment. The entire area around the wave pool is now inexplicably fenced off, forcing guests to enter through a single opening. Gone are the days of casually lounging in a chair with your feet dangling in the water – it's an unnecessarily restrictive and unwelcoming change. And to add insult to injury, the wave pool, which I remember being a proper depth for genuine fun, now barely reaches hip-deep at its furthest point. It feels like a shallow puddle, a far cry from the refreshing escape it once offered.

But perhaps the most glaring and frankly dangerous oversight is the complete lack of shade. What happened to all the sunport shade coverings that used to protect guests from the scorching sun in those notoriously long ride lines? I saw empty beams where they once stood, baking in the relentless sun. Has Dorney Park simply given up on basic maintenance and comfort? Protecting visitors from the sun while they wait in lines is not just a nicety; it's a critical health concern. The absence of these vital shade structures speaks volumes about the park's priorities, and it's a betrayal of the trust guests place in them for a safe and enjoyable day.

And to add insult to injury, the ultimate bit of salt in the wound? While walking through the park, we could clearly hear Six Flags Radio playing over the loudspeakers. Six Flags! At Dorney Park!

This isn't the Dorney Park I've known and loved for years. It feels like a park that's given up, patching things up "as needed" rather than investing in the proactive maintenance and guest experience enhancements that keep a park truly great. The...

Lived in the valley for 17 years but never went to Dorney Park until 2023, to the Haunt. This year we decided to buy a season pass. We thought we'd take advantage of the waterpark.

First of all, the price of everything is just stupid. Parking is $35?? Yeah we have the pass so it's included, but if you don't have the pass you really expect people to pay $35 to park? It's not like you have a shuttle system, so why do you need that much money to pay for the parking lot you already own?

The food. The food is not good, and it's way overpriced. We stopped at the Tidal Wave Cafe. They were supposed to have gluten-free food. The cashier had no idea what I was talking about. Then she asked someone cooking and they didn't know. I mean how could you not know? You either have it or you don't. So even though online and in the app it says they do, they didn't know anything about it. Then they didn't have any vegetables or salad sides, even though they're listed on the menu. Right there, the menu right in front of you when you go in. And my husband was supposed to get cornbread with his entree but they didn't have any. Okay then don't charge me the whole price, right? No, she said with the ridiculous reason that the cornbread is "complimentary."

But most of the dining options are the same in the park, the same old deep fried garbage with a side of french fries. And almost all of these entrees are about $20. So $20 for 3 strips of chicken fingers and 50 cents worth of french fries. There's really NO healthy fair to be found in the entire park. And, oh my god, my husband wanted ice cream. I think it was Rita's, and one serving of soft serve in a cup was $11. Could buy two half gallons of ice cream for the price. Yeah I get that things are going to be marked up but there's a limit. Knoebels has more options and better food for about half the price.

Regardless, we had managed to have a good time. That is until we came again yesterday on 8/17. It was very hot and the park was overcrowded. From what we could tell, this is because of all of the buses. The bus lot was full. It seemed like there was some kind of school event because there were more teenagers than usual. Well you know, maybe you should think about staffing up on days like this? People were misbehaving and littering and they weren't enough employees to take care of it. Then people were not following the lifeguards' rules in the wave pools. Okay so then you know what, escort those people off the attraction. And if they persist? Ban them. But no, instead they shut down the waves to punish everybody else for the misdeeds of those kids getting a little rough with each other. Okay look, this isn't high school. I'm not going to be punished for somebody else's action. How ridiculous.

Then we were in the other wave pool, and it was even worse. Some guy was ignoring the lifeguard and purposefully doing things he wasn't supposed to like climbing up the ladders and diving. So what did they do? They shut down the whole attraction. They made everybody get out of the pool. They had these young lifeguards with bullhorns screeching at us, chastising everybody in the pool is if we were all in on it and we were children who needed to be scolded. So unprofessional. Really embarrassing for Dorney Park.

Here's my issue with this: dealing with unruly customers is YOUR problem, not mine. But you made it mine, not once but twice. Does this happen commonly? Is this your policy or way to handle unruly customers? Because that's unacceptable to me as a paying customer who follows the rules. After yesterday I am really turned off to Dorney Park and glad I didn't renew my pass like I was planning for 2026. I don't think I'm going to, seeing as how they also screwed us over by claiming "oh no your season passes don't actually let you into the mazes" during Halloween Haunt. As if people go to the Haunt without the mazes. I feel like that is bait and switch and I'm not getting...

I visited for the first time in over twenty years yesterday. I spent many happy days here growing up. My parents often took my sister, me and our childhood friends back in the day. We loved Dorney in the 80s, 90s and early 2000s. It was a fun place with thrill rides but also a very happy atmosphere.

This first time back yesterday, I took my 14-year-old coaster crazy Godson. While we had a great time, and enjoyed all the coasters and thrill rides together, this place has definitely changed. A bit too much for me.

First, the costs. Thankfully, we had admission passes because he works at a partner amusement park this year. That helped because I was a bit dismayed to see how expensive everything is. The parking is $35 which is ridiculous. A locker rental in the water park was $25 for a locker so small that I can’t even fathom what you could fit in it! $35 for what they call an “extra large” locker. I had a normal backpack and had to get that one.

The food and drink prices were also a bit much. I did buy us the all day drink wristband which was a Godsend and well worth it on a hot day. On an aside, as a vegetarian, there was almost nothing as far as entrees for me to eat. They have several “burger” stands but not one had a veggie burger on the menu. I was stuck eating only fries.

The water park? Eh. Not the favorite part of the day for either of us. We had fun on the slides. But it was so ridiculously-crowded. All the slide entrances are so jammed together on top of each other. There’s hardly anywhere to sit at all unless you pay to get a cabana. Big water park and the lack of changing room space, especially for women, was disappointing. Never had to wait in LINE to get into a changing room and end up having to change in a toilet stall because there are very few actual changing rooms! They need to see Knoebels’ pool and take notes. It was gross trying to change into dry clothes in a toilet stall! We both said, in the future, we’d skip the water park and just go on the flume and rapids rides next time if we want to cool off.

The staff… there were almost two completely opposite types of staff members there yesterday. They were either super friendly and enthusiastic… and to those of you were that way, we will remember you and thank you for being fun and kind, especially the guy on the Thunderhawk! Some of the others were unfriendly and seemed like they don’t enjoy their jobs much.

I paid $75 each for the fast lane passes. That was well worth it if you want to get on the biggest rides quickly. The lines for everything, especially in the water park, were terribly long. But having that fast pass was a lifesaver for us to get to enjoy as much as possible together.

The coasters are all great!! Some are really unique. I was also glad to still see some of the oldies but goodies there such as Thunderhawk, the Canyon Rapids ride, Enterprise. Those rides were family favorites years ago and I hope they keep those. My Godson, who loves the crazy coasters, was super impressed by how fierce Thunderhawk is for being a simple, wooden coaster.

All in all it was a great time. And we will go back because some of the rides were so worth it. And so were the memories that we...