Demon Drop going to Dorney Park, not Knott's Berry Farm

Cedar Fair has announced that the Demon Drop tower ride will be moving to Dorney Park in 2010, and not Knott's Berry Farm as previously planned.

The ride is being moved from Cedar Point, and should be open at its new home in Allentown, Pennsylvania by July 4. The decision means that Knott's Berry Farm will not have any new attractions for 2010, and plans to move its Screamin' Swing attraction to California’s Great America have also been scrapped.

Cedar Fair faced severe criticism for its decision to move the ride to Knott's Berry Farm, which is already home to the much more modern Supreme Scream compressed-air tower ride. The company was also criticised for moving a 26-year-old attraction to the park at a time when its Southern California rivals are carrying out multi-million dollar upgrades.

However, on the surface Dorney Park would appear to be an equally illogical choice as the new location for Demon Drop. Like Knott's Berry Farm, the park already has a major tower ride - the 200-foot tall Dominator. This features a tower that drops riders further and faster than Demon Drop (riders drop 170 feet at faster-than-freefall speeds).

A first-generation Intamin Freefall attraction, Demon Drop was opened at Cedar Point in 1983. It sees riders carried up an 99-foot elevator shaft four at a time, before being dropped downwards on a track. Prior to its closure, it was the only remaining first-generation Freefall ride in the United States.

Demon Drop will retain its original name and logo, but Dorney Park officials say they may change the ride's color scheme. It will be located close to the Thunder Creek Speedway attraction, which may result in the closure of the existing Krazy Cars ride.

You can keep up to date with the latest confirmed and rumored opening dates for new attractions over at Theme Park Tourist's "New Attraction Watch" section.