Our recent visit to Darien Lake, a short distance east of Buffalo, New York, was our second time to the amusement park. The place is cozier and more compact than Canada’s Wonderland with a few less rides. That suits us just fine. The price is a bit lower. The crowds are a little thinner and more relaxed. Their are less blisters on your feet at the end of the day.
One thing that caught my eye after this recent visit that didn’t even get on my radar a few years ago was the Giant Wheel. This is the 165 foot tall Ferris Wheel that is the focal point of the park. The claim is that it first stood in Knoxville, Tennessee for the 1982 World’s Fair. This is true. It also claims that it is the world’s tallest Ferris Wheel. This is not true and wasn’t back in 1982. However, it would have the tallest in the United States at the time.
The thing is, the Giant Wheel does not appear on the only online list of the tallest Ferris Wheels in the world. It should. The list appears on Wikipedia so right off the bat, it could be correct or it might not be. There is even a note saying that the list may be incomplete and due to the number of Ferris Wheels around the world, it may never be complete.
I figure, the Giant Wheel at Darien Lake should be sitting around 60th in the world for height. It’s ten feet shorter than the Niagara SkyWheel in Niagara Falls, the Seattle Great Wheel in Seattle, Washington and the Capital Wheel.
By the way, it was moved from Knoxville to the Upstate New York theme park in 1983.
This is an excerpt from a New York Times article from April 25, 1982 titled ‘Knoxville Unveils Its World’s Fair’:
For children under 12, and for many over 55, the Family Funfair amusement area with its 13 rides and electronic video games arcade may be the most appealing attraction. Tickets for its rides, including a 17-story Ferris wheel that is said to be the largest in the country, the giant pirate ship, the log flume and double-deck Venetian carousel, cost between 50 cents and $2, although a book of ride tickets offers a slight discount.
According to the list, there are now nine wheels in the United States that are taller. None of the nine were built in 1982. Compared to the current world record holder, this wheel is a shrimp. The High Roller in Las Vegas stands 550 feet or 168 metres high. Of course, Dubai has to get involved in every engineering pissing match and the Dubai Eye when completed will be 689 feet or 210 metres high.
It all started back in 1893 at the Chicago World’s Columbian Exposition. The original Ferris Wheel, or Chicago Wheel, stood 264 feet or 80.4 metres. It found a temporary home in Chicago after the Expo was over. In 1904, it was dismantled and rebuilt in St. Louis, Missouri for the World’s Fair. The original was demolished in 1906.
Darien Lake is located 35 miles east of Buffalo, New York, just south of Interstate 90. From the other direction, the park is 52 miles west of Rochester. For Canadians, it’s a 206km drive from the centre of Toronto.
The park has roots back to 1964 when a campground was built around the man-made Darien Lake. In the late 1970’s, water slides were introduced. In the early 1980’s, the thrill rides started to appear and the park took shape into what it is today.
There is still a campground, much larger than in 1964. The campground and lodge are what make Darien Lake a unique experience. You can stay right at the amusement park, coming and going as you please during your stay.
Entrance without accommodations comes in just under $50 USD. Deals can readily be found at sites like WagJag or Groupon or from your local AAA or CAA.
The lodge has some decent sized family rooms starting at $189 per night. When you book lodging, whether it’s in the hotel or the campground, admission to the amusement park is always included.
At the campground, you can rent a 35′ RV to camp in. These start at $169 per night. A general campsite starts at $95 per night.
So, the Giant Wheel obviously can no longer claim to be the tallest in any list. In fact, it’s not even the tallest structure at Darien Lake. Ride of Steel is a steel roller coaster that has been around since 1999. The first climb stands 208 feet or 63 metres above the ground. The coaster reaches speeds of 72 miles per hour or 116 kilometres per hour. The ride travels a full mile or 1.6 km. This is the tallest roller coaster in New York State.
Other rides include:
The Viper – In the park since 1982, the viper was the first roller coaster in the world with five inversions. It remained with that unique title until 1987. Speeds reach 50 mph or 80 kmh. This was the first roller coaster at Darien Lake.
The Predator – A classic style wooden roller coaster that was opened for the 1990 season. The initial climb is 95 feet above the ground and this coaster also reaches speeds of 50mph.
Mind Eraser – This suspended coaster has been around since 1997. For those from Canada, this is similar to the Top Gun ride at Canada’s Wonderland. The highest point is 110 feet above the ground and the coaster has five inversions while reaching speeds of up to 50 mph. I have never been on this ride but have been on its cousin at Canada’s Wonderland. I will never ride it again! The beating my head took was simply too much for any kind of enjoyment.
Boomerang: Coast to Coast – Since 1998, this ride compares to The Bat at Canada’s Wonderland. It is considered a boomerang shuttle roller coaster type in that it is backed up to its highest point before travelling forward down and through some pretty awkward inversions before rising to the same initial height. It then rolls backwards through the whole mess again before stopping.
Above is the Giant Wheel sign claiming it as the world’s tallest. Below is the mess of track that is the Boomerang.
The Giant Wheel is not exactly a thrill ride. That is, unless you’re afraid of heights. But, if you’re going to go on the ride, try to hit it as the sun’s going down. The sunset was pretty spectacular when we took our turn.
Yes, you will get much more in the way of rides at other amusement parks like Cedar Point, King’s Island or Canada’s Wonderland. But, at Darien Lake, you get what you need and it is worth the trip. We haven’t done the camping experience but that is on the list for next summer.
At the end of each evening, just as the rides shutdown at 10pm, the park puts on a pretty spectacular fireworks/laser/music show. This is a great way to end the day at Darien Lake. We thought the tributes to Canada and the United States as the finale were more than a little cheezy and patronizing but the show was first rate.
When we were there, it was busy. It was busy enough for the parking lot to be mostly full. However, the roller coasters all only used a single train and this seemed to create longer than needed waits.
Food within the park is bountiful and not all that overpriced. If you’re looking to stop and eat before entering the park, you may want to do so while still in Buffalo. There is a Subway restaurant just off I90 and that’s about it. We stopped near Walden Galleria in Buffalo on the way in then again on the way out.
On our next visit, I would seriously consider a two day stay. One day would be dedicated to the amusement park and the other day to the water park. The water park is first rate and has some great rides. It seems to be where most of the park’s money has been invested in over recent years.
