Holy cow! I forgot about half of what you showed here! I am 64 now and you just made me feel like a kid again! Thanks. I remember the Whip, the Ice Berg, the Paratrooper, the Scrambler, the Flying Bobs,and of course the Zephyr Train and Boats along with Journey to the Center of the Earth!
Thanks so much for posting this! Brought back such great memories of visiting Dorney Park every summer in the 70s & early 80s for my father’s annual company picnic. Loved Dorney before Cedar Fair bought is and removed so many of the classic rides 😢.
Thank you so much for this. I am 57 years old now, and we used to go to Dorney a lot when I was small. This brought tears to my eyes, such great memories. My parents are gone now, and this was so wonderful to remember our good times. Thanks again.
Thank you for this! I graduated high school that year, and prior to that of course visited the park from early childhood up until then and a couple years after. Once they'd ruined the place, I never went back. Some of my favorite memories are depicted here, most especially Journey to the Center of the Earth. Bucket of Blood (or Pirate's Cove), The Whip, Iceberg, Wacky Shack, Goldmine, the big slide, the cool t-shirt stands, Indy 500, Candy Apples, fries in a paper cone with salt and vinegar, and of course the wooden coaster! The Arcade... Also have this beautiful ancient memory of riding the kiddie rides and seeing a cornfield behind the wooden soldier fencing. Huge, magical 🙀 influence and it's very sadly missed.
I was born August 1979, grew up 10 min from Dorney. Cool to see what Dorney looked like the year i was born. So many rides in this video lost to fires over the years....
Hi Michael, thank you so much for this video. This brings back so many great memories of my dad bringing me here for the first time in 1977. It brings tears to my eyes and made me feel so emotional. Journey to center of earth was my favorite. Hope little Michael and Mary are well!! God bless you all.
Glad you got a shot of the Gold Mine, loved that walk through spookyness as a kid. I think it was there until maybe the late 80's. Never a line for it and it had cool atmosphere. Bucket of Blood was great, that was re-themed in 83" because of that fire. Journey to the Center of the Earth was there til like 93'. Miss the old school Dark Rides 👻
Thanks for sharing with us your family memories. They are also an important documentation of the mostly original Dorney Park. I wonder what the Dorney guests of 1979-1980 would think of a roller coaster nearly three times as tall as the wooden Roller Coaster! 8:27 - It feels strange seeing the wooden Coaster dominating the Dorney backdrop by itself, with no Steel Force hyper in the background
I was born June 1978. I remember Dorney Park from like 1981 on. I remember Journey to the Center of the Earth, the Zephyr, the Iceberg, these umbrella rides, and the Bucket of Blood most. I remember being on the train and afraid of the tunnel
I'll have to admit, I was looking for myself in the background! I'd have been THREE! This is a truly fantastic piece of history you have here; thank you SO much for sharing! Even down to the water fountain -- now that I see it in your video, I REMEMBER!!! Love this!
Oooooh dorney park footage from the 70's WITH SOUND! I was here in June 2008 (the 9th I think) on my 8th grade field trip with my mom. I remember they had yummy brownies there and my mom rode a boat ride with my friend Tammy that swung people back and forth.
this is amazing . I remember all those rides , and the ox roast , the homemade ice cream , the comedy shows , the race track, omg. thank you for this flashback.!
Such a great park. Do you happen to know the name of the elevated ride at 3:00 time and again at 8:25 time. It has the three larger cars looking like some kinda futuristic space ship kinda thing. I would appreciate the name of this, if you can think of it. Thank You.
Wow, this brings back so many memories of Dad taking us to Dorney Park. Way before they put Wild Water Kingdom there. This is the real Dorney Park and the food was soooooo good!! Thanks so much for Posting it!!! All I can say is WOW!
Off to the beer garden….I remember the operator of that silver space ship ride on wires that went around in circles.Every year I'd go on it just to see that guy with one arm.My brother would always get me worked up and say "one of those cables ripped his arm off" to get me scared.
Too much. By that I mean I really appreciate this glimpse of your family enjoying Dorney Park as I remember it in that era. I have probably commented on every video that good folks have posted about Dorney Park over the years and I really like going down memory lane through another person's point of view. Well done.
Great video -- a trip back in time for me to 1972 when I lived in Allentown. They used to have stock car races at nights and our babysitter would take my brother and I. And no better more exciting sight than that yellow rollercoaster. Thanks.
Old "Family Friendly" Dorney Park, Allentown, PA........ I worked there as a ride operator that summer....I think I still have the yellow shirt....I operated the Bucket of Blood, Merry-go-round. Indy 500, the train, "Journey to the Center of the Earth", Roller Coaster....a few more.... Slave driving supervisors, but it was a lot of fun.
very cool. Do you happen to know the name of the elevated ride at 3:00 time and again at 8:25 time. It has the three larger cars looking like some kinda futuristic space ship kinda thing. I would appreciate the name of this, if you can think of it. Thank You.
Can you possibly give me any details about the Indy 500 ride that you can, this ride was apparently sold to the Skylon Tower amusement park in Niagara Falls, Ontario after it was at Dorney, specifically when the ride was installed at Dorney and when it was removed. The ride was at the skylon during the 1990's.
Thank you for posting this old footage of Dorney Park. I really enjoyed watching, and it took me back to my childhood years. My children were surprised to see the difference in the way the park looked then as compared to now (much better back then in my opinion). Very nice, thanks!!
Thanks for sharing with us your family memories. They are also an important documentation of the mostly original Dorney Park. I wonder what the Dorney guests of 1979-1980 would think of a roller coaster nearly three times as tall as the wooden Roller Coaster! It feels strange seeing the wooden Coaster dominating the Dorney backdrop by itself, with no Steel Force hyper in the background
How about this, today's younger guests born mid-1990's and up have no idea what the old Dorney Park was like and what it was like without Steel Force. At least the park has historical signs along the Zephyr train route and elsewhere in the park showing long gone rides and things. But no sign for Bucket O' Blood or Iceberg, they had signs in 1984 and 2009 but they were taken down and stored again. Bucket was destroyed in the Sept. 28, 1983 fire that also destroyed the PTC Le Grande Carrousel. Iceberg survived the fire because it was mostly concrete on the outside.
I was there back then so I remember how the park was. I started going in 1976 when I was 2. I was most definitely there in August 1979 and August 1980, the time period when these 2 videos were taken. I rode Bucket O' Blood, Le Grande Carrousel, Zephyr, most of the kiddie rides, Water Skooter, Sky Ride, Rockets, Iceberg, Miniature Coaster, Whale Boats, Show Boat, walked through Gold Mine, etc. I miss the tunnel on the Zephyr, and the crossings before and after the station with old fashioned bells
Nice trip down memory lane. Haven't been to Dorney Park since purchase by the corporation, must be at least 30 years. Spent a lot of time there while growing up and on dates in my teens. Thanks for sharing.
The park is a cesspool now compared with back then. I know, I've been going to the park since 1976 when I was 2. The park gets insanely busy some days, 2 hour waits for water park attractions and other rides. It wasn't like that back then. Population wasn't as high then. Wildwater Kingdom opened 1985. Cedar Fair bought Dorney Park July, 1992.
I used to work here for two summers as a ride operator! Even back that time in 1979 i wasn't born yet, I would watonna try the cable car and the old zephyr too! And look at thunder hawk! It was once young and standing tall. =)
Purposely searched for old footage trying to find Bucket o Blood. Bamn! @0:40 I remember it in the early 80's before it burned down. I was probably 6yo. If my memory is correct it also was called Pirates Cove and Devil's Cave.
Hello, he has a few other videos like this one the following few years. Search UA-cam for....."Dorney Park August 1980 with sound" title. The scrambler is shown around time of 6:55
I don't know if this is a good question to ask, but could you send this footage to Cedar Fair, to let them know how much of the Parks Heritage they ruined? I have not been there in almost 13 years... God bless you for posting this though... This is the Dorney Park I remember
The Paratrooper I remember was right next to the Ferris Wheel. It was removed after the 2000 season most likely due to high maintenance, and low ridership.
rwk2050 I think that was the park I uploaded. I've since updated and redid it. I have not uploaded it. I've been focusing on my own parks and doing other coasters, real and my own design. I've uploaded videos of some of them to youtube.
Ah, the Dorney when I was a child. Do you have any footage of the kiddie roller coaster of the time. When I was a kid I loved it. As I got older the "Yellow Roller Coaster" was my first big coaster and I also loved the Flying Dutchman. I've recreated Dorney Park of this era in Roller Coaster Tycoon 3. I uploaded the Coaster to youtube.
Well, Le Grande Carrousel and Bucket O' Blood burned in the Sept. 28, 1983 fire. Iceberg was renamed Metoerite around 1990 and removed after 1993 for Patio Pizza. Journey to the Center of the Earth was removed after 1992. Robert F. Ott owned the park at this time, since 1967 when his wife's brother Steve Plarr passed he became chairman of the board in 1980 and his son Bob became president. They sold the park to Harris Weinstein who took over 1985. Weinstein sold to Cedar Fair, L. P. July, 1992.
Was that your park? The one titled 1970? It just looked out of proportion. I would probably make a lot of changes to it to make it look more like how the park was. I understand there's nothing in RCT3 that is like the rocket ride, Traver Circle Swing, that runs counter clockwise. Not even in CFR's (custom flat rides). So, the airplane ride is the next best thing but it runs clockwise. For the Iceberg you could use the teacups or even the Hershey cups ride and hide the center with a round pole.
Where is your park, Ryan? I downloaded one from an RCT site that was titled 1970 or something and it was supposed to be the old Dorney Park but it was all wrong. Rides missing, landscape (hills) not correct, Journey to the Center of the Earth half-a**, etc. I am working on a current version of the park with the newest rides. I also was going to do an old version as well, pre-fire, meaning before the Sept. 28, 1983 fire when Le Grande Carrousel and Bucket O' Blood were there, and Flying Bobs, etc
Holy cow! I forgot about half of what you showed here! I am 64 now and you just made me feel like a kid again! Thanks. I remember the Whip, the Ice Berg, the Paratrooper, the Scrambler, the Flying Bobs,and of course the Zephyr Train and Boats along with Journey to the Center of the Earth!
Thanks so much for posting this! Brought back such great memories of visiting Dorney Park every summer in the 70s & early 80s for my father’s annual company picnic. Loved Dorney before Cedar Fair bought is and removed so many of the classic rides 😢.
Thank you so much for this. I am 57 years old now, and we used to go to Dorney a lot when I was small. This brought tears to my eyes, such great memories. My parents are gone now, and this was so wonderful to remember our good times. Thanks again.
Same here!! Tears to my eyes also and I am also 57!! Journey to center of the earth was my favorite ride. God bless you!!
Thank you for this!
I graduated high school that year, and prior to that of course visited the park from early childhood up until then and a couple years after. Once they'd ruined the place, I never went back.
Some of my favorite memories are depicted here, most especially Journey to the Center of the Earth.
Bucket of Blood (or Pirate's Cove), The Whip, Iceberg, Wacky Shack, Goldmine, the big slide, the cool t-shirt stands, Indy 500, Candy Apples, fries in a paper cone with salt and vinegar, and of course the wooden coaster! The Arcade...
Also have this beautiful ancient memory of riding the kiddie rides and seeing a cornfield behind the wooden soldier fencing.
Huge, magical 🙀 influence and it's very sadly missed.
I was born August 1979, grew up 10 min from Dorney. Cool to see what Dorney looked like the year i was born. So many rides in this video lost to fires over the years....
Hi Michael, thank you so much for this video. This brings back so many great memories of my dad bringing me here for the first time in 1977. It brings tears to my eyes and made me feel so emotional. Journey to center of earth was my favorite. Hope little Michael and Mary are well!! God bless you all.
I love this video! Thank you so much for posting this! All these kiddie rides were my childhood rides!❤❤
Glad you got a shot of the Gold Mine, loved that walk through spookyness as a kid. I think it was there until maybe the late 80's. Never a line for it and it had cool atmosphere. Bucket of Blood was great, that was re-themed in 83" because of that fire. Journey to the Center of the Earth was there til like 93'. Miss the old school Dark Rides 👻
Thanks for sharing with us your family memories. They are also an important documentation of the mostly original Dorney Park.
I wonder what the Dorney guests of 1979-1980 would think of a roller coaster nearly three times as tall as the wooden Roller Coaster!
8:27 - It feels strange seeing the wooden Coaster dominating the Dorney backdrop by itself, with no Steel Force hyper in the background
Such great memories I have of Dorney. We lived there in the Summer of 79, 80 & 81. Thanks
I was born June 1978. I remember Dorney Park from like 1981 on. I remember Journey to the Center of the Earth, the Zephyr, the Iceberg, these umbrella rides, and the Bucket of Blood most. I remember being on the train and afraid of the tunnel
Hello, may I use the section of this video that shows "iceberg" in a video I am making on that ride? I will credit you!
Sure!
I'll have to admit, I was looking for myself in the background! I'd have been THREE! This is a truly fantastic piece of history you have here; thank you SO much for sharing! Even down to the water fountain -- now that I see it in your video, I REMEMBER!!! Love this!
Thank you thank you thank you! That's the Dorney I remember! Seeing the recent pictures just makes me heartsick for what was.
Makes ya cry a little don't it?? It does me.
Oooooh dorney park footage from the 70's WITH SOUND! I was here in June 2008 (the 9th I think) on my 8th grade field trip with my mom. I remember they had yummy brownies there and my mom rode a boat ride with my friend Tammy that swung people back and forth.
this is amazing . I remember all those rides , and the ox roast , the homemade ice cream , the comedy shows , the race track, omg. thank you for this flashback.!
Such a great park. Do you happen to know the name of the elevated ride at 3:00 time and again at 8:25 time. It has the three larger cars looking like some kinda futuristic space ship kinda thing. I would appreciate the name of this, if you can think of it. Thank You.
I don’t know if they had an official name. We called them the rocket ships.
Wow, this brings back so many memories of Dad taking us to Dorney Park. Way before they put Wild Water Kingdom there. This is the real Dorney Park and the food was soooooo good!!
Thanks so much for Posting it!!! All I can say is WOW!
Off to the beer garden….I remember the operator of that silver space ship ride on wires that went around in circles.Every year I'd go on it just to see that guy with one arm.My brother would always get me worked up and say "one of those cables ripped his arm off" to get me scared.
I remember that guy too !
Too much. By that I mean I really appreciate this glimpse of your family enjoying Dorney Park as I remember it in that era. I have probably commented on every video that good folks have posted about Dorney Park over the years and I really like going down memory lane through another person's point of view. Well done.
Great video thanks for sharing. Remember the remote control boats? I miss all of this.
Thank you. Brings back my childhood days!
The WHIP classic ride
Great video -- a trip back in time for me to 1972 when I lived in Allentown. They used to have stock car races at nights and our babysitter would take my brother and I. And no better more exciting sight than that yellow rollercoaster. Thanks.
Thank you for posting this! It brings back a lot of wonderful memories for me.
Old "Family Friendly" Dorney Park, Allentown, PA........ I worked there as a ride operator that summer....I think I still have the yellow shirt....I operated the Bucket of Blood, Merry-go-round. Indy 500, the train, "Journey to the Center of the Earth", Roller Coaster....a few more.... Slave driving supervisors, but it was a lot of fun.
very cool. Do you happen to know the name of the elevated ride at 3:00 time and again at 8:25 time. It has the three larger cars looking like some kinda futuristic space ship kinda thing. I would appreciate the name of this, if you can think of it. Thank You.
Can you possibly give me any details about the Indy 500 ride that you can, this ride was apparently sold to the Skylon Tower amusement park in Niagara Falls, Ontario after it was at Dorney, specifically when the ride was installed at Dorney and when it was removed. The ride was at the skylon during the 1990's.
The iceberg was so fun. They should bring it back
Thank you for posting this old footage of Dorney Park. I really enjoyed watching, and it took me back to my childhood years. My children were surprised to see the difference in the way the park looked then as compared to now (much better back then in my opinion). Very nice, thanks!!
Thanks for sharing with us your family memories. They are also an important documentation of the mostly original Dorney Park.
I wonder what the Dorney guests of 1979-1980 would think of a roller coaster nearly three times as tall as the wooden Roller Coaster!
It feels strange seeing the wooden Coaster dominating the Dorney backdrop by itself, with no Steel Force hyper in the background
How about this, today's younger guests born mid-1990's and up have no idea what the old Dorney Park was like and what it was like without Steel Force. At least the park has historical signs along the Zephyr train route and elsewhere in the park showing long gone rides and things. But no sign for Bucket O' Blood or Iceberg, they had signs in 1984 and 2009 but they were taken down and stored again. Bucket was destroyed in the Sept. 28, 1983 fire that also destroyed the PTC Le Grande Carrousel. Iceberg survived the fire because it was mostly concrete on the outside.
I was there back then so I remember how the park was. I started going in 1976 when I was 2. I was most definitely there in August 1979 and August 1980, the time period when these 2 videos were taken. I rode Bucket O' Blood, Le Grande Carrousel, Zephyr, most of the kiddie rides, Water Skooter, Sky Ride, Rockets, Iceberg, Miniature Coaster, Whale Boats, Show Boat, walked through Gold Mine, etc. I miss the tunnel on the Zephyr, and the crossings before and after the station with old fashioned bells
Priceless footage!
Nice trip down memory lane. Haven't been to Dorney Park since purchase by the corporation, must be at least 30 years. Spent a lot of time there while growing up and on dates in my teens. Thanks for sharing.
I miss those days. Still glad they have the whip
I was probably a ride operator that summer. I remember the smells, noise and sights. I enjoyed the visits by Alfundo and his tow helpers.
The park is a cesspool now compared with back then. I know, I've been going to the park since 1976 when I was 2. The park gets insanely busy some days, 2 hour waits for water park attractions and other rides. It wasn't like that back then. Population wasn't as high then. Wildwater Kingdom opened 1985. Cedar Fair bought Dorney Park July, 1992.
Wish I could have experienced Dorney back then. Must have been great. More family friendly.
I used to work here for two summers as a ride operator! Even back that time in 1979 i wasn't born yet, I would watonna try the cable car and the old zephyr too! And look at thunder hawk! It was once young and standing tall. =)
Yeah. It's a shame that Thunderhawk has lasted over four times as long as Hercules did.
+Ryan Blanche Which at one point was the tallest woodie in the world, but the roughness killed it :(
Purposely searched for old footage trying to find Bucket o Blood. Bamn! @0:40 I remember it in the early 80's before it burned down. I was probably 6yo. If my memory is correct it also was called Pirates Cove and Devil's Cave.
What great old footage! It brought back a lot of memories. I was working there at the time but there is no footage of my Scrambler.
Hello, he has a few other videos like this one the following few years. Search UA-cam for....."Dorney Park August 1980 with sound" title. The scrambler is shown around time of 6:55
I don't know if this is a good question to ask, but could you send this footage to Cedar Fair, to let them know how much of the Parks Heritage they ruined? I have not been there in almost 13 years...
God bless you for posting this though... This is the Dorney Park I remember
Great video! I kept looking for myself as an 11 year old kid somewhere in it!
Wow! Some pretty cool dark rides they had.
Journey to the Center of the Earth
My favorite!!
I don't think i've ever seen a "Paratrooper" ride go quite so fast........or at such an angle!
The Paratrooper I remember was right next to the Ferris Wheel. It was removed after the 2000 season most likely due to high maintenance, and low ridership.
It's still Dorney Park. It won't be dead until they drain the pond and the ducks are gone.
rwk2050 I think that was the park I uploaded. I've since updated and redid it. I have not uploaded it. I've been focusing on my own parks and doing other coasters, real and my own design. I've uploaded videos of some of them to youtube.
Anyone else remember the overflowing trash cans covered in bees ?
I wonder why Dorney got ride of Sky Ride when Hersheypark kept theirs with no problem?
Ah, the Dorney when I was a child. Do you have any footage of the kiddie roller coaster of the time. When I was a kid I loved it. As I got older the "Yellow Roller Coaster" was my first big coaster and I also loved the Flying Dutchman. I've recreated Dorney Park of this era in Roller Coaster Tycoon 3. I uploaded the Coaster to youtube.
brings back memories
I feel like there was some alien from outer space narrating this video. Maybe there is a subliminal message from this video played in reverse.
Well, Le Grande Carrousel and Bucket O' Blood burned in the Sept. 28, 1983 fire. Iceberg was renamed Metoerite around 1990 and removed after 1993 for Patio Pizza. Journey to the Center of the Earth was removed after 1992. Robert F. Ott owned the park at this time, since 1967 when his wife's brother Steve Plarr passed he became chairman of the board in 1980 and his son Bob became president. They sold the park to Harris Weinstein who took over 1985. Weinstein sold to Cedar Fair, L. P. July, 1992.
Where is this park located at?
In Allentown, PA.
This song played at the Iceberg a lot I remember, Michael Jackson Off the Wall.
Cool video! This is the real dorney park with all the cool rides before someone had a stupid idea to take them out!
Was that your park? The one titled 1970? It just looked out of proportion. I would probably make a lot of changes to it to make it look more like how the park was. I understand there's nothing in RCT3 that is like the rocket ride, Traver Circle Swing, that runs counter clockwise. Not even in CFR's (custom flat rides). So, the airplane ride is the next best thing but it runs clockwise. For the Iceberg you could use the teacups or even the Hershey cups ride and hide the center with a round pole.
Does anyone know when they switched to an admission fee instead of tickets?
1980
Where is your park, Ryan? I downloaded one from an RCT site that was titled 1970 or something and it was supposed to be the old Dorney Park but it was all wrong. Rides missing, landscape (hills) not correct, Journey to the Center of the Earth half-a**, etc. I am working on a current version of the park with the newest rides. I also was going to do an old version as well, pre-fire, meaning before the Sept. 28, 1983 fire when Le Grande Carrousel and Bucket O' Blood were there, and Flying Bobs, etc
Crowd looks a little different if you know what I mean.....
How old are you now? 46?
seahawks nation 45
IMHO, I think that when Steel Force came in, it changed the entire landscape of the park for the better.
Oh, I'm the same person as rwk360, I must have had two youtubes.
if you have pictures from back then, make a cool video with them.
cool video
This park kinda sucks now