SOUTH WHITEHALL TWP., Pa. — Dorney Park on Friday posted on its website and social media a "sneak peek of new things" coming in 2024.
But the teaser reveals little except for a puzzling Aug. 10 date.
- Dorney Park is teasing an Aug. 10 announcement on its social media
- The post shows a dark, flashlight-lit walk near industrial buildings
- Dorney has previously said it is working on a new roller coaster for 2024
The post is a dark, shaky video — reminiscent of the "found footage" in the 1999 supernatural horror film "Blair Witch Project" that lasts just eight seconds.
It's a short, flashlight-lit walk through a dark, rundown industrial area — it looks suspiciously like one of the former Bethlehem Steel buildings in the "ruins" part of Bethlehem's SteelStacks campus.
The walk ends at a hole in a chain-link fence, and the video flashed to a screen that says simply "8-10."
"All will be revealed Aug. 10. Keep checking social channels for more videos teasing out big announcement."Dorney Public Relations and Communications Manager Ryan Eldredge
Asked about the video Friday, Dorney Public Relations and Communications Manager Ryan Eldredge replied only, "All will be revealed Aug. 10. Keep checking social channels for more videos teasing our big announcement."
So apparently there's an announcement coming — but what could it be?
Coaster on the way
It would seem that such publicity would suggest the announcement of something big — such as a new ride.
Dorney has indicated a new roller coaster is on the way, but Eldredge has previously said the park plans to open the ride by 2024.
Still, it's certainly a topic worth of such a campaign, and the teaser does reference 2024.
South Whitehall Township Commissioners in April unanimously approved Dorney's plan for a 161.67-foot steel roller coaster across 2.7 acres.
Dorney Vice President and park General Manager Jessica Nederman said then that the coaster will be “brand new,” not transported from a different amusement park.
Eldredge said then that there are no public details as to what the coaster will be like. He said more details likely will be announced "in coming months."
The yet-to-be-named new ride would be on the site of the former Stinger roller coaster, north of Dorney Park Road and Lincoln Avenue.
The Stinger was Dorney Park’s short-lived inverted shuttle roller coaster model developed and manufactured by the Dutch company Vekoma.
It was open from 2012 to 2017, and previously ran as Invertigo at the amusement park California’s Great America from 1998 to 2010.
References to steel
An intriguing detail of the teaser is its references to steel: Not only does the teaser look like it was filmed at former Bethlehem Steel property, but its headline is "Forge Your Own Fate."
Surely Dorney has awareness of the Valley's historic connection to Steel and the forging process of creating it.
Dorney has used steel references before: Its tallest ride is the coaster Steel Force, which has a main drop of 205 feet.
The new coaster would be the fourth-tallest ride at the park, behind Steel Force, drop tower Dominator at 200 feet and roller coaster Possessed at 185 feet.
