Darien Lake

Parking

Darien Lake is fairly easy to find off of I-90. Once off the main highway, there is one long 6 mile road to the park entrance. The intersection to the park entrance is complete with a traffic light. The majority of the parking toll booths were open with traffic moving smoothly. There were no signs telling guests where to go, however parking attendants were directing traffic and parking cars. They were not the best at parking cars, which resulted in delays due to guests not having time to open their car doors before the other cars were parked next to them. There were no signs to remember where you parked. There is no tram service to the front gate, which resulted in a distant walk to the gate from some areas. Getting out of the lot at the end of the night is easy and well organized.

Admission and Park Pricing

The pricing at Darien Lake is expensive with moderate admission. The one day price for adults is about $36 and children under 48 in. tall get in for about $22. The water park is included with park admission. Parking is a reasonable $8, which is less than most parks. A regular soft drink is about $3.60 and a fast food meal is about $13 for an adult entree, side, and drink. Table Service meals are about $12 for an adult entree, side, and drink. Yes, full service was less expensive before tip. Funnel Cakes are an overpriced $6.25! Popcorn is a more average $3. Gifts are reasonable with t-shirts starting at $11. The cost to play games varies from $.25 to $5 depending on the game and prize.

Cleanliness

Darien Lake is not the cleanest park in the world, but it has improved in recent years. The front gate and park midways were mostly clean and odor free. Most of the roller coasters and park rides were in major need of a paint job. Coaster cars and ride vehicles were clean on the inside, but dirty on the outside. Queue lines had dirty areas, many cobwebs, and abandoned drink stands that were rundown and in need of removal. Food seating and serving areas were mostly clean. Most buildings in the park had faded paint, dirty spots, and some cobwebs. The buildings closer to the main entrance were mostly clean and nice looking. Rest rooms were mostly clean, but stalls had graffiti and some floors were wet. The water attractions and lakes were clean and clear.

Park Layout and Atmosphere

Darien Lake has a very detailed entrance area that is arranged well and very shady. Music was playing in the front gate area, but could have been a little louder. Lockers and strollers were easy to find, as were gift stores and food stands near the front gate. The park midways are wide enough to handle the crowds, but there were 2 dead ends in the park that caused some backtracking. There were some directional signs and maps on the midways, but some had the map structures, but were missing the maps. Music was playing on some of the midways. There were a lot of trees in the park, except in some areas of the water park. Attraction entrances were easy to find except the Motocoaster. Benches and garbage cans were located on most midways. Midway surfaces were mostly black top with some areas of concrete and stones. Some areas were very bumpy. Most ride areas were landscaped.

Rides and Attractions

There is a great variety with the 46 attractions at Darien Lake. There are 7 roller coasters, 7 thrill rides, 9 family rides, 3 water rides, 11 children's rides, 5 water park attractions, and 4 extra cost attractions. There are no themed attractions, but the variety of other attractions makes up for it. There is a carousel with pre-recorded music, very large ferris wheel, and a classic bumper car ride, however there are no dark themed rides. Ride cycles are an average of 90 seconds. We would rather stand in line longer and get a more satisfying ride time.

Wooden Track Roller Coasters

There is one wooden track roller coaster at Darien Lake. Every year it seems to be re-tracked in more areas and has improved in recent years.

The Predator is a 90 ft. tall wooden double out and back coaster. The 1 minute and 50 second ride features an 85 ft. drop at speeds of 50 miles per hour, and several airtime filled hills. There are several banked curves, but some spots can be quite rough. There are 2 seats per car. Sit in the front row of the cars for a smoother ride.
APW RATING: 69.77 / 100

*Roller Coaster Ratings are used from the official APW Roller Coaster Fact and Rating Sheet.

Steel Track Roller Coasters

Darien Lake has 6 steel track roller coasters. 5 of them are for adults and 1 is for kids only. Several of the coasters are duplicates from other parks, and a few are unique to this park only.

Ride of Steel is a steel hyper-coaster featuring a 205 ft. first drop at a 68 degree angle and speeds of 73 miles per hour. The 2 minute and 10 second ride features 2 major drops, 5 smaller drops, 2 helixes, and a very smooth speedy ride.
APW RATING: 81.05 / 100

Viper is a steel looping coaster with a 75 ft. drop at speeds of 50 miles per hour. Riders experience 5 inversions on the 2 minute and 4 second ride. It was the first roller coaster in the world to turn riders upside-down 5 times.
APW RATING: 72.61 / 100

Boomerang is a standard steel "boomerang" reverse incline coaster with a 116 ft. drop. The ride features a loop and a boomerang element. These inversions are experienced traveling forwards and then backwards. The train reaches a speed of 47 miles per hour during the 1 minute and 48 second ride.
APW RATING: 68.95 / 100

Mind Eraser is a standard steel "suspended looping coaster" with an 86 ft. drop reaching speeds of 50 miles per hour. The 1 minute and 25 second ride features 5 inversions. The ride is nicknamed a "hang and bang" for a reason. The ride has some rough moments where your head will bang against the restraint.
APW RATING: 65.92 / 100

MotoCoaster is a steel launched motorbike coaster with a 38 mile per hour launch. The 60 second ride is a lot of fun with the sharp banked curves and drops. The unique seating puts riders in a motorcycle position.
APW RATING: 63.54 / 100

Brain Teaser is a steel kiddie coaster with a 10 ft. drop reaching a top speed of 12 miles per hour. The 30 second ride is smooth for kids, but can toss their parents around.
APW RATING: 48.09 / 100

*Roller Coaster Ratings are used from the official APW Roller Coaster Fact and Rating Sheet.

Operations

Operations were slightly below average at Darien Lake. There were signs at the front gate stating which attractions were closed, but ticket lines were long and unorganized. Actually, only one ticket window was open which resulted in a long line for no reason. The park is smoke-free except in designated areas. Those areas were decently sized with seats in many areas of the park. None of the attractions had an operator checking height at the ride entrance, but Ride of Steel did have a test seat. There were 2 major rides closed all day during our visit, and we witnessed one ride breakdown. Queue lines were closed so the guests in line would be on the ride before park close. Gift shops and food stands closed at park close, but guests leaving the laser show 25 minutes after the park closed had no opportunity to purchase last-minute gifts.

Safety

Safety is very important at Darien Lake. The park searches bags at the front gate, and security is visible in some areas of the park. Most loading stations are equipped with safety gates. Most attractions have safety spiels, but some employees were being unprofessional on the microphones. Ride operators enforce all safety issues, but some were double checking restraints several times.

Children's Area(s)

There is a decent Children's area in the center of the park. There is also a smaller area near the Scrambler. Darien Lake features one small steel roller coaster for kids.

Ride/Attraction Capacity

Darien Lake performed average with ride capacity. Safety gates were opened when all guests were out of the train. Dispatch times for the roller coasters were between 60 seconds and 4 minutes. Non-Coaster loading cycles took about 5-6 minutes. Wait times for most flat rides were less than 15 minutes. Water slides had waits up to 60 minutes. The roller coasters were mostly 30 minutes or less, but the park did not operate all trains until lines were long.

Queue Lines

About 50% of the queue lines in the park had shade structures or natural shade. The worst cases were the star attractions, Ride of Steel, and MotoCoaster, with no shade at all other than the loading stations. None of the attractions had estimated waiting signs, music, or refreshment stands. Queue lines had no theming, and several were designed poorly, making guests climb over or under queue rails. Several queue lines had abandoned areas that were dirty, covered with graffiti, or run-down in general. Most queue lines were being operated properly and not backing up on midways.

Counter Service Food/Seating Areas

Counter service food at Darien Lake is well above average. The portions are good, served at the correct temperature, and taste great. Snacks all have good portioning as well and taste good. Seating areas are mostly under umbrellas or under roofs at most locations. During peak times, less than half of the food lines were open in most locations, causing long waits. It took 3-4 minutes to get the food once it was ordered.

Table Service Restaruants

There are 2 table service restaurants at Darien Lake. Food was actually slightly less expensive than at the counter service locations. Portions were good, the food tasted great, and the service was excellent.

Rest Rooms

Most of the rest rooms are air-conditioned, and some locations have enough locations to handle the crowds. Some locations have automatic flush, most have automatic washers and dryers, but none of the rest rooms have protective seat covers or music. The park does not have family rest rooms.

Games

The games of skill at Darien Lake are decent and located in a few areas in the park. There are classic games such as skeeball, basketball, and even "Fascination." Game operators are polite, but loud on microphones. There is a good variety of games, and prizes are decent as well.

Shows and Entertainment

The shows at Darien Lake are the most overlooked highlight of the park. Several theaters are air-conditioned with awesome lighting and effects. From the interactive Survivor Live! to the energetic RockNation, the shows provide entertainment for all ages. All shows are live and have no lip-syncing or fake entertainment. The evening laser show is one of the best out there and rivals some of the night shows in Orlando.

Employees

Employees at Darien Lake were well above average. All employees were clean, pleasant, and helpful to guests. Some were more professional than others, but the majority were very friendly. Ride operators and food operators were not very efficient at all, but were friendly towards guests.

Gifts and Gift Shops

Gifts and Gift shops are the same as other traditional amusement parks. Most of the indoor shops do feature air-conditioning and some good quality items. The Viper and Ride of Steel attractions both feature on-ride photos.

Nighttime at the Park

Darien Lake is very special after the sun goes down. Most midways and roller coasters are illuminated at night. The majority of the flat rides all featured lighting, except the giant ferris wheel that was dark. Most of the park buildings were also lit up with colored or white lights. Only a select few attractions had a noticeable amount of burned out lights. The one major improvement would be lights on the ferris wheel.

Guest Experience

There is something for everyone at Darien Lake. We recommend the park for those seeking rides, good shows, and a water park. Make it a 2 day trip with a night at their hotel and don't miss the laser show.