Mar 29, 2012
DARIEN CENTER — Darien Lake Theme Park is investing more than $5 million in the park this season, including the creation of a new themed area for children.
The park revealed its plans Wednesday in a series of posts on its Facebook page and website.
Three new rides will go in the children’s area to be called Rowdy’s Ridge. The area will be near Grizzly Run and Ranger near a location formerly known as the “Tiny Trio” area, the park said in a Facebook post.
The rides, according to park descriptions, include:
— Rowdy’s Heave Ho!, an attraction that allows guests to self propel to the top only to let go an plunge back to base camp.
— Moose on the Loose, a track ride that takes riders through the middle of a bear camp on the back of a moose.
— Hornet’s Nest, a spinning ride.
The park is renaming Adventure Isle as Beaver Brothers Bay to highlight the park’s new “party animals.” A Beaver Mania show will be featured in the area, replacing the Thomas the Tank Engine Show that was introduced last season but will not return.
The park plans nearly a dozen live shows, including seven new ones, in 2012. The shows, which include three juggling acts, a canine thrill show, a comedy stunt show, hypnotist and an illusionist, will run in multi-week shifts throughout the summer. Some show schedules have overlapping dates.
The former Galaxy Theater, which for the past two seasons has been home to the Sea Lion Splash show, will not be used in 2012, the park said.
Park officials had teased three new family rides in renewal letters sent in December to season park holders and Facebook postings. At the time, park officials indicated the rides were in response to guests desire to have more attractions for families.
The park also said in December it would add 15 new Brown Bear Cabins to its campground for the 2012 season, bringing to 57 the total number of the rustic-looking cabins in the park. Each cabin includes a fireplace, loft, bedroom, fully-equipped kitchen, eating area, wireless Internet and a flat-screen television.
In 2011, Darien Lake added new live shows and upgraded amenities. The last major addition to the park came in 2010 with the opening of an expanded waterpark, renamed Splashtown. The 5-acre attraction cost $7 million and was the park's biggest single addition in a decade.
