Darien Lake & Predator offer that New York charm
On a trip to my wife’s home park in Western NY, I got to experience what Darien Lake had to offer. The Predator was definitely a memorable ride. It’s a wooden coaster located in the back of the park near one of the lakes and Superman: Ride of Steel. The layout looks interesting at first glance, so at first I was pretty excited.
While in line, I found a monument to park vandalism. “The Great Gum Shrine of Darien Lake” Pretty gross. Even if it is kind of funny it shows the staff’s disregard for keeping their park clean.
On to the ride, about three-quarters of the way up the 95′ lift hill the train came to an abrupt stop. Most of the riders immediately freaked out. Having been in this situation before I was
calm and figured the coaster would move in a few moments. It didn’t. KISS happened to be performing at the park that day. It made for some interesting people watching as I sat on the lift hill for almost 15 minutes. Especially the eight year old walking around with KISS face paint.
Finally, the Predator cranked back up and we were on our way. The result was a bumpy, sluggish, painful, terribly-paced ride. Maybe one day in the past this was a great ride, but this ride has aged terribly. The Predator has earned my “coveted” wrecking ball award as it has absolutely nothing positive to offer.
I take that back. It looks like fun, but it’s way too painful and just un-enjoyable. Here’s hoping Darien Lake re-tracks, renovates, or wrecks this coaster. Final Rating – 2.0 (Horrible)
What’s Your Take?
Have your ridden Predator at Darien Lake? What’d you think? Leave a comment below.
