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DARIEN LAKE
Buffalo, New York (Abbreviation: DL)
Known as Six Flags Darien Lake (1999 to 2006)
Owned by CNL Lifestyles Properties
Managed by Herschend Family Entertainment
 Park News - (5/22/13) A reader tells me that the latest park map for Darien Lake has been posted on the park’s website, where they noticed that the old UFO ride (Huss UFO) is no longer on the park map, or listed anywhere on the park’s website. Looks like they decided to remove this classic ride. According to Wikipedia, the UFO at Darien Lake was the last such ride running in the US.
(4/29/13) The Buffalo restaurant credited for the creation of the infamous Buffalo Chicken Wing back in 1964 at the original Anchor Bar restaurant is opening a new location inside Darien Lake this season. Look for the new Anchor Bar to be located along the park’s Waterfront Boardwalk area and ready for opening day on May 11th.
(4/8/13) Darien Lake has put up details about their new Guest Houses and Conference offerings on their official website.
(1/9/13) The family of the military veteran / double amputee killed when thrown from the Ride of Steel at Darien Lake in 2011 has reached a seven-figure private settlement with the park to settle the wrongful-death case.
(9/19/12) Details and prices for Fright Fest at Darien Lake can be found on their website. While it looks like they are only offering two haunts, they do have a couple of interesting rides to offer, like the bumper cars transformed into the Road Rage Cage or the Twister Possessed (Huss Top Spin) where they claim it will never run the same ride sequence twice.
(9/10/12) A Screamscape reader at Darien Lake last week was told by a ride op that it was the last day to ride the Raging Seas flat ride attraction. According to the story, the flat ride will be removed and replaced with a new attraction in 2013. If anyone goes by the park lately, let me know if the ride has indeed closed down or not. Currently it is still listed on the park’s website.
(9/5/12) Darien Lake… oh Darien Lake. How is it that hardly a season can’t go by without some kind of crazy guest related event taking place? This year a Buffalo man was arrested in the park after paying for his French Fries with a fake $50 bill. The employees called Security while the man waited. While Security was attempting to transport him to their trailer for questioning, he apparently pulled out five more counterfeit $50 bill and tried to eat them to destroy the evidence. According to the police, he had approximately $1200.00 in funny money on him.
(1/27/12) I’m not quite sure what happened, but the Darien Lake logo has changed once again… this time reverting back to the old font style and color that it was before… just without all the attached coaster track pieces. It has also changed back on the Facebook page as well.
(1/18/12) The local news reports that Herschend Family Entertainment has tapped Bob Montomery to take over as the new GM for Darien Lake this week. In addition to spending 10 years at HFE, he comes to the park after a run as the GM of Wild Adventures.
(1/11/12) Darien lake has posted an all new park logo to their website this week, which seems give off a very different impression from the previous park logo. Check it out.
2013 - Blast Off / Ignite The Night - (1/3/13) I’m told that the park’s new S&S Tower ride, Blast Off, is currently being installed at Darien Lake this week.
(9/24/12) Darien Lake has announced a new thrill ride is coming for the 2013 season called Blast Off, described as a 185 foot tower ride that will launch riders into the sky. Darien Lake did not mention the maker of the attraction, but the 185 foot height matches that of a standard S&S Space Shot tower… and our sources tell is that it is the former StratosFear Screamer ride from Alabama Adventure.
The park will add Blast Off to the Waterfront Boardwalk area, which will get a number of other upgrades over the off season, including a new Laser Blast show, some major landscaping upgrades and a jumping water play area. The new and improved Laser Blast show will be dubbed, “Ignite the Night” and add in new pyro effects and a 60 foot water screen to project video footage onto. The park will also spend some capital to add in more multi-family cabins for overnight lodging.
(9/18/12) Darien Lake has confirmed on their Facebook page that Raging Seas is indeed closed for the remainder of the season. They did not confirm if the ride would reopen or be replaced for next season. While we’re on the subject of new possible rides for Darien Lake, there is a new rumor going around the park claiming that the old Kennywood Pittfall ride may appear after being refurbished for the last year. While I suppose this is certainly possible, I have serious doubts about this.
Darien Lake is being managed by Herschend Family Entertainment right now, and to my knowledge, they have never installed a drop tower ride into any of their parks. The only exceptions in the chain would be the Tower of Doom, a pre-existing ride at Elitch Gardens (also under a management contract) as well as the Firecracker (S&S Double Shot), a pre-existing ride at Wild Adventures. Taking previous management choices under consideration, HFE has never seened too keen on drop tower rides before, and given that Darien Lake is only a few hours drive away from Kennywood, I’m betting this rumor isn’t true.
(9/10/12) A new flat ride may be added as a replacement for the Raging Seas ride.
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