Darien Lake Suits Up For Big Splash In 2010
Jim Stinson • Staff writer • May 7, 2010
JFSTINSO@DemocratandChronicle.com
Luis Mario Herrera, left, and Jeff Shank work on Swirl City, a four-slide water ride that's part of Darien Lake's newest attraction, SplashTown, the 10-acre water park set to open on May 21. (JEN RYNDA staff photographer)
But they are optimistic about 2010 and beyond, and they’re making the investments to prove it.
Darien Lake Theme Park Resort is spending at least $7 million on its water park, adding three major rides. On Thursday, about 100 workers continued plowing, painting, nailing and adding large glass fiber tubes for the new rides.
The theme park rides will open Saturday, with the newly christened “SplashTown” opening May 21 and the new water rides on May 28.
The region’s other major amusement and water parks, Seabreeze in Irondequoit and Roseland in Canandaigua, are set to open on May 22 and June 26, respectively. Operators of all three parks are hoping for a warmer, more active summer than in 2009, when low temperatures, rain and the recession kept many people away in June and July.
The parks have a very real impact on local economies. Darien Lake, for example, is Genesee County’s largest employer, peaking at 1,500 workers during a busy season. Three of every four visitors to Genesee County are headed for Darien Lake, according to the county’s Chamber of Commerce.
The new rides have been under construction since Feb. 11. Operators of Darien Lake, the area’s former Six Flags park before a 2006 sale to Parc Management LLC of Jacksonville, Fla., are proud of what they have planned, releasing details right down to worker hours (40,000) and the number of bolts for the four-slide Swirl City (22,690).
“You will be able to float around this whole river,” said Christopher Thorpe, Darien Lake general manager, gesturing to the new Flotation Station waterway and the adjacent Lazy Days Lagoon wave pool, both under construction.
At least one of Darien Lake’s competitors is adding an attraction, pining for throngs of thrill-seeking consumers. Seabreeze Amusement Park has added the Revolution 360, a spinning disk ride that also tilts.
“We’re hoping for more sunshine,” said Robert Norris, Seabreeze president. Norris described 2009 as only “OK.” Most park operators said business increased as the weather improved later last summer.
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“In August, it really did pick up quite a bit,” said Drew Broderick, director of sales and marketing at Roseland Waterpark. “It was just a slow start.”
All three parks are privately held and declined to disclose revenues and attendance.
But consumer confidence is on the upswing, Norris said, because Seabreeze is seeing more bookings already.
Last year was slow for many U.S. amusement parks, especially in the East, because of unseasonably wet conditions, said Colleen Mangone, spokeswoman for the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions. Wet weather can affect parks even more than bad economic conditions, she said.
This year, “We’ve seen strong spring-break attendance so far,” said Mangone. “And we have a lot of new attractions opening up throughout the country, which helps bring guests back to the park.
“We’re hearing anecdotally from our parks that business is up.”
The association said the 400 U.S. theme parks entertain 300 million guests annually.
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Darien Lake
Theme Park Resort
9993 Allegheny Road, Darien Center, Genesee County.
(585) 599-4641.
Theme park opens Saturday and SplashTown opens May 21.
www.godarienlake.com
Roseland Waterpark
250 Eastern Boulevard, Canandaigua, Ontario County.
(585) 396-2000.
Opens June 26.
www.roselandwaterpark.com
SeabreezeAmusement Park
4600 Culver Road, Irondequoit.
(585) 323-1900.
Opens May 22.
www.seabreeze.com