WOW, simply wow!! This is an amazing video and I'd thought that these memories would only last in my head, never to be actually seen again. I thank you so much for sharing this video, it gave me some chills just seeing those images again. Dorney was such an integral part of my childhood around this time and it's so refreshing to see her in her glory days! 😍
@tombowers3681 Жыл бұрын
this just popped up for me and it is a real gem. This is the Dorney Park I remember fondly. I would have been 11 years old then. This was before the fire that claimed much of the center of the park including that remarkable carousel. Thank you for posting it
@pilotman012 Жыл бұрын
I swear I looked at every kid's face to see if my or my brother was in this. Great memories. Thank you very much for posting.
@ElleCee62978 Жыл бұрын
I did too!
@danieldobrosky83782 жыл бұрын
Thank for the content been going since 75
@ElleCee629783 ай бұрын
My first time here was in 1981. My parents loved this park. Now nothing is the same. I miss The Iceberg more than anything!
@kyleblack76542 жыл бұрын
Super cool to see, definitely brings back memories
@mattsnyderARTIST3 ай бұрын
Bro this is amazing. That's the Dorney Park I remember.
@mosesthunderpants1267 Жыл бұрын
Journey to the Center of the Earth was the first ride I ever went in by myself 😂
@MrLyosea20 күн бұрын
6:00 Is the music just old and wavery from the film or did the ride actually sound like that? Cause that sounds way out of tune. Everything else sounds great though, except at 0:30 the ride here also sounds very loud!
@jasonrackawack93693 жыл бұрын
Thanks for recharging my childhood memories, this is how I always picture Dorney Park, I still rember the smell of that pond the whale boats were in. I loved the rockets, zephyr train and motor boats. When I was 7 we saw a Charger painted like the General Lee in the parking lot, I must have spent half the night thinking the "Duke Boys" were at Dorney and kept looking for them, I dont think my parents had the heart to tell me it wasnt really them. I havent been there since 94 so much has changed.
@ElleCee629783 жыл бұрын
The whale boats ruled!
@jameskrten11645 ай бұрын
Wish the Skyride was still there
@rwk36010 жыл бұрын
I just saw this today. I grew up with Dorney Park since 1976 (I was born Jan 14, 1974) and I might have been there in 1980. I remember all this stuff. I rode those kiddie cars under the colored umbrellas, the spaceships/planes with guns, the kiddie boats, Journey, Iceberg, Bucket O' Blood, Zephyr, Rockets, Sky Ride, Le Grande Carrousel, Whale Boats, Water Skooter, Glass House, The Whip, and Gold Mine as well as Thunder Creek Mountain, it opened 1982. I remember the ticket booths and ticket books
@TralfazConstruction4 жыл бұрын
My younger brothers got a kick out of those kiddie rides. I don't remember my parents scolding me for being impatient while I stood and watched my brothers having fun so I must have behaved.
@LeGeNDSTeVeNTyLeR3 жыл бұрын
i was born in 77, i remember going there all the time too , i recall the Iceberg, which was renamed the Meter or something .... i don't recall buckets of blood , but wasn't the rockets by the old entrance , and was later they were taken down . i think i recall the Carrousel being down there till they relocated it up near the Wild Water kingdom entrance ... and didn't the Fun House, Glass house Burn down ?, i have not been there since 2000 at least
@bsslegel10 жыл бұрын
This video is a real gem! I think you have the only known footage of The Flying Dutchman rollercoaster. This is, by far, the best old school Dorney video out there!
@TheCattyKid Жыл бұрын
I know damn well what camcorders looked like back then...I am AMAZED that you got this footage. Congrats b/c this is a genuine piece of history that not many thought to make at the time.
@michaelbowman6462 Жыл бұрын
Thanks, I appreciate it
@TheCattyKid Жыл бұрын
@@michaelbowman6462 absolutely. I’m a huge advocate of doing the same currently for future years to watch back 🙂
@richardtheu4951 Жыл бұрын
Anybody remember the house that used to be under the yellow roller coaster? The elderly lady lived there probably until she passed away. She refused to move out of house. It’s not there anymore. Something how the whole park built up around her.
@michaelbowman646210 жыл бұрын
James Madison, I posted the video to show what the park was like 34 years ago, not to vent about blacks and mexicans. I'm in this video, btw. Please don't post comments about other races here. Chill, relax, just enjoy.
@drlock9783 жыл бұрын
They clocked that merry go round at 200 mph.
@danieldobrosky83782 жыл бұрын
The WHIP might have been the greatest ride ever lol always long lines
@mickthomas6177 жыл бұрын
Dorneys' best era.. now I just go to knobles which is old school and best
@RonaldDScum5 жыл бұрын
Knoebels*
@TralfazConstruction5 жыл бұрын
@@RonaldDScum I cringe every time I read that they have been flooded. I believe it happened twice in 2018.
@robkrasinski62173 жыл бұрын
@@TralfazConstruction Dorney is in a valley and got flooded already a few years ago. I think Cedar Creek swelled from heavy rains.
@mikeblaz6 жыл бұрын
Went to DP yearly as a kid in the 70s. Life was simple back then and better IMO...
@ThemeParkCrazy6 жыл бұрын
May I use this footage in a video I'm making on Dorney Park's history? I will give you full credit.
@michaelbowman64626 жыл бұрын
Theme Park Crazy sure, and send me the link when you're done, too.
@denisebohar4338 Жыл бұрын
The original dorney park is unfortunately unrecognizable now
@kerismith81659 жыл бұрын
Oh wow. Thanks for sharing this! Brings back fond memories of my Grammy taking me to the park when I was little. We took the bus from Coplay because she didn't drive. We'd ride Journey to the Center of the Earth, the rocket ships, and the Zephyr (that tunnel with the 7 dwarves always freaked me out). And she'd let me "drive" the Water Scooter - thanks to your video I now know that despite what she told me my hypothesis that we would not crash if I took my hands off the wheel was correct ;) Bonus points for the carousel, Flying Bobsled, and Flying Dutchman footage. Those were my first "big girl" rides when I was tall enough to qualify, and it was great to see them again. Sad that they are no longer with us.
@TralfazConstruction4 жыл бұрын
The Zephyr is the Heart of Dorney Park. I'm so glad it has endured.
@robkrasinski62173 жыл бұрын
Cedar Fair painted it that weird purple color around 1993. It was different colors over the years but I remember the red white and blue until 1985, then the silver with red stripe. They now have one crossing past the station with gates, which was added in 2000 when they widened the midway and at the same time closed the station and crossing at the other end which opened 1991 with Chester Cheetah's Playland. It became a round trip again, and so did Cedar Creek Cannonball in 2001 when the ride was shortened for Talon, and WWK station was sacrificed. I think Zephyr didn't work so well as a transport ride because it can only hold so many people and sometimes they would force you off at the other end when it was busy and there were long lines at the stations. You would have to get in line to reboard to ride back. The Zephyr is really a one of a kind park train. It was custom built by a guy in Wescosville based on the Burlington Zephyr in Illinois in 1935.
@TralfazConstruction Жыл бұрын
@@robkrasinski6217 I still see The Zephyr as the heart and soul of Dorney Park. It will soon be 22 years since I was last at Dorney Park with family and we did ride on The Zephyr. I've moved out of state recently. Discussing a trip back north with my fiancée I lobbied for making a visit to Dorney Park a cornerstone of our visit. I'm going to keep that idea in my back pocket because I really want that to happen. My fiancée and I are also discussing getting a motor home while I feel I still have five or so years left of driving in me. She's qualified to drive one of those and I had one about a decade ago. I said something to my fiancée like, "Well, all roads do lead to Dorney." She likes the idea or she's humoring me 😉 Another idea while we have a motor home is spending one winter in the mountains in upstate Pennsylvania and one winter on the Jersey shore. We get those two things out of the way and we'll settle down somewhere for good.
@MrSharesky10 жыл бұрын
Wow! This brings back some memories! I could actually remember the smell of the exhaust from riding on the train. It is amazing what amusement parks have become now, from the generic rides we had back then.
@anthonypaparo789710 жыл бұрын
Did you have a mullet back then?
@MrSharesky10 жыл бұрын
No, it was more dutchboy...you know like yours is today :)
@roxanneeverett6 жыл бұрын
This is exactly how I remember dorney. I was 5 years old and my first memories. Great video!
@NotRiansLuke2 жыл бұрын
Thanks for this trip down memory lane. I'm sure I was at the park in 1980, as a little kid. Later, as a teen, we rode the Sea Dragon (seen briefly at the end, in front of the Flying Dutchman) 14 times in a row, until my buddy finally threw up. :D Good times.
@Michele_PoeTreeWitch9 жыл бұрын
oh wow... the old carousel before they burned it down... I mean before the accidental fire
@HH-yi2mb4 жыл бұрын
Another accidental fire took place at Seabreeze Park in Rochester, NY with their PTC #36 carousel in 1994.
@angeloppa9 жыл бұрын
I seriously just want to jump right into this video. I miss the old Dorney Park and Alfundo!!! Thanks for sharing, Michael. Tho my memories of those days are fuzzy, videos like this help to clear them up a bit. They are cherished childhood memories! ^_^
@rsbabaganouche6 жыл бұрын
Remember on the train ride...when you went into one of the structures. There was a poster of some girl on the wall. The guys used to whistle at it. Also the old Flying Dutchman. Thanks for your video
@JoeyInterrante6 жыл бұрын
Thank you sooooooo much for posting this! It really brought back a lot of memories. To see all the rides that were there in 1980 makes me miss them even more!
@TralfazConstruction5 жыл бұрын
Thank you for posting your memories here. I loved the Kiddie Land rides as I'd watch my youngest brothers getting their first looks (in stages dating from 1967-1972) at Dorney Park. We, as a family, could _all_ ride The Zephyr given that there weren't height requirements. I used to look into the creek and spot the trout swimming back and forth. What times these were! Belgian Waffles at or just after sunset were a regular treat and then Phase 2 of our Dorney Park visit would begin and last until The Coaster left the station for the last time that evening.
@patrickmcwilliams21115 жыл бұрын
Magical! Thanks for uploading this.
@matthewabraham59474 жыл бұрын
I just watched the video again. Thanks so much for posing it. It captures almost the entire park.
@robkrasinski62178 жыл бұрын
I miss the old Dorney Park. The new owners since 1992 are too safety conscious and put seat belts on almost every ride, removed old stuff, replaced the blacktop with bright concrete, built new coasters, new eating places, new rides, eliminated tot spot for snoopy, and it gets way too crowded and busy some days in the hot summer. But, the Haunt event sort of brings back the classic style spook attractions to the park, normally the park is scare free in the summer since they got rid of Journey as well as the other scary indoor rides. The security once booted me out because some girl complained that she felt uncomfortable because I was getting too close to her on the lazy river. I fled the scene after getting off the ride but returned to the area a half hour later and the security officer walked up to me and my brother and apprehended us and took us to the security office where our passes were revoked for the year. They had to call my mom to pick us up. She was angry. Now she's afraid to let us go to Dorney Park sometimes because of fear of me getting arrested for supposedly being a perv. That was in Aug 2000. The security are a bunch of a holes. They will boot you out for any farting thing. Why do they need to carry guns like police officers? I'm 42 but live at home because I have autism and don't drive. I'm unemployed since Dec 2000. 2002-2008 and 2010-2012-2014 I went multiple times but 2001 I went once in the fall and 2009 once in October, and 2013 didn't go at all, due to my mom's fears, and last year went about a few times in the summer and fall. This year she was unsure but she might let us go. When I worked I could only go on my days off so I only went a few times a year except 1997 because my brother did something bad, he was 18 but since he was living under mom's roof, still is due to autism he had to live by her rules.
@LeGeNDSTeVeNTyLeR3 жыл бұрын
I do miss Dorney i have not been there prob since 2000 , i was born in 77 so i recall all them older rides, Iceberg was cool, then they painted it black and renamed it Meteorite or something . i don't recall the flying dutchman or i might of been to young , but i do recall the house of mirrors or whatever it was . and wasn't the scrambler up by where musik express, was and scrambler is by Steel Force, i think when i was there last . and when i was there it was Berenstain bears don't recall snoopy . but great times and video of the past , i remember using the old entrance which was only entrance at the time
@robkrasinski6217 Жыл бұрын
Flying Dutchman was sold to a park in Jamaica after 1988. The Ferris Wheel was installed there in 1989. It's still there. Harris Weinstein did some purging of old stuff via an auction that was in storage in 1987, including Bucket O' Blood carts that were away from the fire on Sept. 28, 1983. Weinstein who was married to Debora Plarr, he married into the Plarr family, took over in spring 1985 from Bob Ott and his son Bob. The older Bob Ott also was married to a Plarr daughter, Sarah Sally Plarr Ott who was Bob Plarr's daughter. Bob Plarr passed away around 1967 and his son Stephen took over but then he passed so his sister Sarah and her husband Bob Ott took over. Ott's son Bob started working in the early 1970's and succeeded his father as president in 1980, the elder Ott became chairman of the board. The older Bob Ott passed away around March 2007, soon after his wife passed, and Harris Weinstein passed late Oct 2014 in Jupiter, Florida where he lived since fall 1992 or so after selling the park to Cedar Fair, L. P. in July 1992.
@jimkerr54269 жыл бұрын
Dorney Park has certainly lost its charm over the years. I adored it as a kid in the 80s, but when I was there around 2001, it simply wasn't the same. It seemed like most of the trees were gone, they upped safety on the roller coasters (like adding a slight brake at the top of Hercules), and the overall appearance and feel of the park was just lacking. Excellent video!!
@robkrasinski62177 жыл бұрын
That's because Cedar Fair bought the park in July, 1992 and they completely renovated the park, taking out several older rides and buildings they deemed unsafe. Cedar Fair is more strict on safety, which is why they added the brake to the coasters like Thunderhawk and seat belts on most rides.
@TralfazConstruction7 жыл бұрын
The loss of so many trees is unsettling. A lot of the old park's charm was derived from so many shaded areas which lent the scene a country feel. We'd picnic under the trees right where we had parked when my parents would take us to Dorney Park on our annual, glorious, once-a-summer visit.
@GigaG116 жыл бұрын
Dorney still seemed to have lots of trees in the "low" parts of the park from Demon Drop to Thunderhawk when I went in 2014.
@OldsVistaCruiser6 жыл бұрын
And now Hercules is gone.
@modifish689 жыл бұрын
Great place it was back then. Hard to believe the changes to the place but so it goes...
@rwk36010 жыл бұрын
Check out my Journey to the center of the Earth video. I taped it off a TV show about Dorney Park several years ago. I only have an edited Journey clip to show only the Journey scenes.
@LaeonaINFP7 жыл бұрын
These videos you posted are amazing! Thank you so much for sharing this piece of our childhoods. The videos help me place all the rides I loved (and the ones that scared me! haha), most of which perished in the fire that hit the park in 1983. I really appreciate seeing the carousel again (my little 10 year old heart broke when I learned that burned), and the Flying Dutchman and the Palacio de Cristal (I LOVED this rotating house of mirrors). These are priceless.
@sweston22210 жыл бұрын
Thanks for posting this. It is really nice to see the park from back in the day. Wish they never changed it, to what is is today.
@NebulaM785 жыл бұрын
Thanks so much for posting this brought back so many wonderful memories 👍
@MechanicalMusics10 жыл бұрын
WOW! Thanks for posting! Great to see the original carousel with the original band organ playing!
@kappharmd10 жыл бұрын
Awe! This brought back memories!
@matthewabraham59474 жыл бұрын
What a great video. I was shortly before the park changed and it is great to watch.
@panzer45429 жыл бұрын
This is the only video i found with original old merry go round in it before it was lost in a fire. thanks for the memories, we would drive here from West Reading.
@michaelbowman646210 жыл бұрын
It's good stuff! This, and the movie I posted depicting a year earlier show the Journey to the Center of the Earth, Bucket of Blood, Gold Mine, and the Iceberg which I don't think any of which exist anymore...
@ElleCee629783 жыл бұрын
Bucket of Blood burned down in the 80s.
@robkrasinski62173 жыл бұрын
@@ElleCee62978 September 28, 1983. I rode it for several years until August, 1983. There are pics on facebook in a Dorney group showing it on fire from the air. I heard that Bushkill Park near Easton is rebuilding the Haunted Pretzel with cars and track they acquired from the former Wild Bill's in Connecticut. Wild Bill passed away and there was going to be a dark ride and haunted attraction park there but I think with Wild Bill gone, the project just kind of halted. A guy in York, PA who is trying to build his own dark ride, has two cars from Bucket that were away from the fire site so they survived. I think they were auctioned off by the park in 1987 and one showed up on ebay several years ago, the seller was in Fleetwood, PA area. The buyer was Chris Geffen of York, PA.
@Eagles.Fan.Since.Super.Bowl.526 жыл бұрын
Thanks for sharing. Cool for the young ones to see the end of the park before Collosus/Lazer, Camp Snoopy and whatever else they have now. I heard rumors years ago that the Laser was slowly sinking into the ground because they built over the area that had the whale boats. No clue if that was true. I haven't been there since 2008.
@TralfazConstruction4 жыл бұрын
Interesting. Hadn't heard that about the Lazer but it certainly makes sense. I think I remember there being sea lions in the enclosure too.
@momster43622 жыл бұрын
Yes I heard about the sinking too. Yes I remember the sea lions and the smell.
@serf346910 жыл бұрын
wow great video
@matthewabraham59474 жыл бұрын
Michael that was such a great video. I was Alfundo that year. Not sure what you mean about venting, guess there were some negative comments. This video really brought back good memories. That was before the fire of 1983. Thanks for posting it.
@TralfazConstruction7 жыл бұрын
I haven't been to Dorney Park since 2001. Is The Zephyr still in operation? This movie is a great encapsulation of the Golden Age of Dorney (which occurred during my lifetime) though I'm certain that other, similar, golden ages preceded my acquaintance with Dorney Park.
@RB01.108 жыл бұрын
*FUN FACT* : The Flying Dutchman coaster operated from 1972 to 1988. Despite its massive size and popularity, it was removed due to being a maintenance nightmare with frequent downtime, as well as a few injuries. Shame. It looked fun :(
@davidsanders58834 жыл бұрын
Ryan Blanche my mom worked security there while i was a child. I spent almost every summer day in the park from 74 or 5 until the early 80’s. I remember watching the Flying Dutchman open and either 1st or 2nd year one of the cars went off the track. I LOVED going into the old wood floor arcade. Hated the mirror maze. Always hit my face
@RB01.108 жыл бұрын
QUESTION : When and why was the Sky Ride removed?
@robkrasinski62177 жыл бұрын
It was removed after 1998, probably due to maintenance and safety issues, since Cedar Fair is big on safety whereas the Plarr/Ott/Weinstein owners ran the park during a time when people weren't so sue happy. Cedar Fair removed everything it deemed a fire or safety hazard, including Journey to the Center of the Earth and the Coaster/Thunderhawk building. The park was sold to Cedar Fair July, 1992. Harris Weinstein retired to Florida and passed away late October, 2014. Bob Ott who ran the park from 1967-1984, passed away early 2007 and his wife Sally Plarr Ott before him, his son Bob is in Florida.
@RB01.107 жыл бұрын
Rob Krasinski Funny. Maintenance and safety issues were the same reasons for the removal of The Flying Dutchman coaster after the 1988 season. I wasn't around at that time, but I heard it was a fun ride.
@robkrasinski62177 жыл бұрын
Yeah I guess the Journey wouldn't have lasted much longer even if Harris didn't sell the park in 1992. The ride was old and leaking water. And it had poor thoroughput, one of the straws for CF removing it because they knew they would be adding big rides over the years which would draw huge crowds. The Journey couldn't handle the summer crowds of today which I believe are worse than 1992 and earlier. The park gets jam packed some days with overflow lots full. But, the park had no problem starting a Haunt event with haunted houses. Of course, the houses are constructed to a safe standard and have fire exits and security monitor the houses.
@RB01.107 жыл бұрын
Rob Krasinski That was good timing for Journey's removal. White Water Landing was an excellent replacement which opened at around the same time, in 1992. (UPDATE / CORRECTION : I thought it was, but is was actually the Summer of 1993 when WWL opened)
@robkrasinski62177 жыл бұрын
It opened in summer 1993. I was there. That was Cedar Fair's first full year as owners of the park after Harris Weinstein sold. Harris passed away late Oct 2014 in Florida where he lived since he sold the park. Some of the other guys like former manager Craig Cope, Robert S. Ott the son of Bob Ott who passed away early 2007 after his wife are in Florida, too. The site of Journey in 1993 was just hay or straw on the ground where it was. Now the Scrambler sits where the Journey loading/unloading area with the dragon on top was, and there's a fenced in area where the left and drop was, which is now used for a Haunt maze during Sept. Oct.
@nickhall358 Жыл бұрын
This was back when Dorney Park was good. Back before those corporate big wigs from Cedar Fair came in and started adding all these big fancy rides from the future. Before they put a focus on safety and brought the park into the 21st Century. Shame on them for investing hundreds of millions of dollars into the park, they ruined it!
@pirategirljess2 жыл бұрын
1:34 typical kid "digging for gold"
@epbeagle42425 жыл бұрын
I Remember the summer the flying Dutchman opened!!! Great to see again.
@gerardp47598 жыл бұрын
I had to operate that one kid ride w/the plane/rocket once. Never had any problems with the kids but the parents were horrible!! Great video! Thanks for posting.
@fnkycoldmedina5 жыл бұрын
whale boats!
@robkrasinski62177 жыл бұрын
Was Dorney Park's security force as big in the 1980's as it is now? Now they even hired two South Whitehall poilce officers because they were getting so many calls to arrest people. What happened? There were 50 drug busts this past summer. I guess Cedar Fair is advertising too much and getting the wrong crowds. The park gets insanely busy/crowded in the summer and during Haunt. Now they randomly wand people at the entrance for security reasons, like at airports. I guess it has become that bad that they need to do that. But Kings Dominion installed metal detectors a few years before 9/11.
@irishmusiclover1006 жыл бұрын
Rob Krasinski Actually Dorney Park doesn’t get as crowded as other parks, except at the beginning of the season when all the middle school trips come in 😌