No Guns at Dorney Park

[pacmanfan1977]

Hey all-
Last night (Halloween) my fiancee and a few friends went to the Dorney Park Halloween event. I have CC'ed my firearm there a few times in the past and now you cannot. When we went to the front gate, they now have guards wanding everybody that enters the park. So I had to run back to the car to put the firearm back in the vehicle. I also noticed quite a few armed security guards walking the park. I was kinda surprised to see this, and thought I would give everybody a heads up.
-Mark

[gnbrotz]

Were they doing bag searches? If so, how thorough were they?

[jahwarrior72]

i was there this past july; the no weapons rule was in place, but they weren't doing bag searches or wanding people. i CC'd without incident. my guess is, they must have had an incident recently involving a weapon, for them to going through these extremes.

[The Unknown 1087]

Yeah Hershey Park is like this too. Even if you pass the gate and they find out about it later its an automatic ejection from the park without refund. The only police that are allowed to carry or have with them is FBI agents, Secret service and I believe US Marshals. All others cannot carry. Although that might have changed since last year.

[chrisjames_71]

I was there in August and they didn't check anyone. The only armed guys were in the parking lot directing traffic, none in the park. Myself and my cousin (NYPD SGT) were both armed that day. The only amusement park I had to go unarmed into this summer was, King's Dominion. They actually have metal detector's there, had to lock it up...

[LastManOut]

The last time I went to Dorney Park there was no check at all. Well, that was back when you paid for your rides with a roll of tickets.

[tacticalreload]

I used to work there. Just because they were wanding people and searching bags doesn't mean that it's a permanent policy. Depending on staffing, expected crowds, info on possible threats, events going on in the park that day, etc., etc., they might choose to wand and/or search. Park policy was always that there were no firearms allowed, but it was rarely an issue. In a lot of years of working there, I was only involved in 2 calls where a patron had a gun. In both cases, it was spotted by a ride operator and we asked the patron to lock up the pistol in the gun safes at the security office until they left. While I'm sure management would prefer no guns be in their park, it was the unspoken opinion of people that the danger from firearms was more likely to come from it becoming dislodged during riding and having it either left behind for kids to find or flying through the air off a ride.

My advice for CCW at the park is that (if you can get it in) you keep it very secure and well concealed and have your license with you. There are armed guards (and sometimes police) in the park as well as a ton of teenage employees and guest of all types and political inclinations. You never know how people are going to react.

[SFMarine]

I was there last fall and I just walked in.

[Dusty Miller]

If PA has state preemption how can the city outlaw guns in this Dorney Park? I'm a bit confused.

[lildobe]

If PA has state preemption how can the city outlaw guns in this Dorney Park? I'm a bit confused.

Dorney Park is a privately owned Amusement Park. Since it's Private Property, the owners can restrict whatever they like, assuming it's not a "protected' class, such as race, sex, etc...