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Hersheypark (HP) Discussion Thread


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Great news for my fellow cheap a**es near Orlando, Durham or Denver. Frontier Airlines announced their return to Harrisburg (MDT) today, so you can pretty much fly to Hershey for $20 now if you're patient and don't bring bags.

 

Flights to Denver and Raleigh start July 21st and Orlando starts August 12th.

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Its not like any other hyper I've ridden so set your expectations accordingly. Its a great park and its just one ride - almost all of their other coasters are awesome and its my favorite park. You'll have a great day. Worse care scenario you get sore thighs and/or you swear off the ride ever again. The park is still fantastic and you should be excited, not worried about one ride.

 

and if you hate it?

 

StormRunner is absolutely incredible, and you can just re-ride that multiple times after the one time on Skyrush.

 

now to be fair, I rode in the rear, on a wing for my one and only ride. . and HATED it. I got off the thing with my legs shaking, and really felt like I had survived near death experience.

 

I will try it again, but in a middle seat, near the front, when back at Hershey later this summer.

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and we all call you a p*ssy.

You won't have to. If it's too much for me I'll end up calling myself a p*ssy!

 

Worst case scenario Emily or I won't like it, but there seems to be plenty of other great offerings. I really enjoy hypers, so I've got my fingers crossed.

The restraints are weird, and that's the only thing. If you can put up with a bit of pain, you'll love it. If you can't, you're a p*ssy, and you'll ride like 10 other rides that are awesome. I loved Skyrush, absolutely one of the best rides I've ever had anywhere. YMMV. If you don't like it, then Storm Runner, Fahrenheit, Comet, and Lightning Racer await. You'll have a good time regardless.

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I have ridden Skyrush many, many times, including one day where I did a marathon of about a dozen rides (not all in a row - I took about a couple hour break doing other coasters and rides in between two sessions) and at the end of the day my thighs were indeed getting sore. I know I could have done more if not for that fact. However, to ride it only once is, IMO, nothing in comparison. So yes, it did feel like someone had sat two complete sets (one on each thigh) of the printed version of the Encyclopedia Britannica on my lap for the length of the ride. But, I quickly discovered that such a heavy weight iron grip is quite a welcome thing once the train went over the first drop and then entered the first airtime hill. That is because the negative G's are not unlike what I might imagine it would be like being strapped onto the back of fearsome wild horse that is doing everything in its power to throw you off....OK so StormRunner has the horse theme, but that isn't the coaster that feels like it is trying to buck you off of it. Then you realize you really need the vice grip pinning your legs to the seat!

On a side note, I rode Skyrush with a friend the year after it opened, and the ride op let her sit on her flip flops (I don't think they had those bins back then where you can put your stuff; either that or she just didn't feel like getting up and taking them over to the bins). Well, let's put it this way - when she came back her shoes were gone! imagine that - despite the vice grip restraints, the fearsome airtime somehow managed to separate her butt from the seat long enough for the flip flops to go airborne.

 

All of that said, I would describe the restraints to be uncomfortable, at worst, especially for only one ride (or in my case, my first ride of the day). And also what others have said - middle seats are best, and the wing seats (especially the back ones) are the "hard core" places to sit. BTW, my favorite seat to marathon is one of the very last middle seats - the entire ride is a bit smoother, the airtime is still monstrous, and my thighs hold out longer.

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Have you ever tried T3, by chance? That coaster destroyed my thighs way more than Skyrush ever did.

That was really bad. When I rode it, the train stopped on the brake run for a couple of minutes and I felt like I lost circulation in my legs. The restraints were so tight by the end of the ride that I could feel my pulse. Skyrush's restraints aren't nearly as bad as that, plus they release early.

 

I have ridden Skyrush many, many times, including one day where I did a marathon of about a dozen rides (not all in a row - I took about a couple hour break doing other coasters and rides in between two sessions) and at the end of the day my thighs were indeed getting sore.

I marathoned it when I visited as well as I knew I wouldn't be back any time soon and really wanted to get a good sense of it. The park was dead, too, so instant re-rides were an option. I've found that marathoning RMCs is more painful, but Skyrush did produce some serious bruises. Even though I rode it around 15 times, I honestly just didn't think it was a very good ride. The restraints really weren't that much of an issue for me, but I found it to be such over-the-top intensity that there wasn't much fun involved; it was more like an endurance test. I much preferred the other rides in the park, like Fahrenheit and Lightning Racer, as they do a much better job of balancing thrills with fun.

 

So the front/middle rows are the safest, right?

I preferred the middle as the wings toss you around a lot in the second half. They were also quite rattly when I rode it. Front and back were pretty different rides, so I'd try both.

 

I really enjoy hypers, so I've got my fingers crossed.

It doesn't ride like a hyper — there's nothing floaty or monumental-feeling about it. It didn't even feel that fast to me. It's more like extreme slamming up and down and rag-doll style twists. Watch out for the last bunny hop as that one's more intense than the two big airtime hills — a sudden jolt up into the restraint. And, for what it's worth, Fahrenheit has a gnarly ejector hill right at the end as well, but that ride's so much more fun (IMO). Skyrush isn't anything to be particularly nervous about — it's intense and the ejector air is brutal, but not particularly frightening.

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I'm bummed out that the center seats aren't in separate loading gates from the wing seats. We're not going to be the two people who sit in the middle seats while the other two people boarding with us have to be split up. That will leave me to endure the wing while Emily rides in the middle.

Dude. You're staying at Hershey Lodge, right? You will NOT have to worry about this. Get there an hour before the park opens for the Sweet Start benefit, which you can take advantage of for staying on-site. You will have your choice of row and seats without having to worry about sharing a four-person row with two other people. I guarandamntee it.

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My local bucket list right now is nuts for parks that I need to return to. Twisted Timbers, Skyrush, Fury 325, Lightning Rod, Maverick, SteVen, Gatekeeper, Valravn, and Iron Rattler. Skyrush just looks bananas and given my strong love for I305 I'm sure i will love Skyrush.

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I hope it warms up a bit, I'll be there in 3 weeks! Weather forecast says its in the 40s today, are they still open?

 

 

They were open and will be open today as well. It might be slightly warmer here. Maybe 50-60.

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With it being a Saturday with great weather, rain tomorrow and discounted Springtime in the Park admission, I thought the park was going to be extremely crowded and wasn't even considering going until I saw the wait times a few hours after opening and that they weren't that bad and decided to go to the park at the last minute. Most coasters were 20 - 30 minute waits, with some like Lightning Racer almost a walk on and the usual longer waits like Laff Trakk at an hour. I was expecting to open up the app and see 90 minute - 2 hour waits.

 

Coal Cracker was open. That was a nice surprise with the warm weather.

 

Reese's Extreme Cup Challenge's single rider line is now a Fast Track line.

 

The Hershey drop tower was not running in combo mode and was running in Space Shot mode which I had never seen before.

 

Sidewinder and Trailblazer were closed, when riding Storm Runner I saw a mechanic working at the side of Trailblazer's lift hill. I happened to be right near Storm Runner when it reopened after a breakdown and only had to wait a few minutes.

 

Almost all rides were running at full capacity, 4 trains at Lightning Racer, 2 trains at Storm Runner.

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Unfortunately it has been confirmed. No Fast Track unlimited will be offered. I hope next weekend (27 and 28) FRI and Sat will be ok and I wont even need it.

 

Schools are still in session so Friday might not terrible but Saturday will probably be crazy.

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I called the park and asked, they did not know anything about it.

 

Uhhhh.. were you like "You posted it on your f*cking website?"

 

This is lame. Lamer than them just not offering it all. How you gonna tease us Hershey?

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  • 2 weeks later...

I also called and asked about it and I was told that at this time they would not be offering the fast track unlimited and were unsure if it would be offered this season. It seemed like a calculated response telling me that the park is still debating the option.

 

Either way, I then decided to be 'that guy' and I told them I wanted to lodge a complaint. I explained that we moved our trip from the slow season, starting in late May, to the beginning of July with the intention of being able to use the Fast Track Unlimited. She advised she would sent it to the appropriate department and at my request she said I would be contacted. That was Tuesday and I haven't heard anything.

 

We almost always use fast pass systems when we go to parks we have to travel to. This really was is a buzz kill for us.

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First time here in a long time and I forgot to look. Does anyone know if there are any single rider lines and if so which rides? Thanks in advance.

 

No rides have single rider lines. Reese's Extreme Cup Challenge did have one but they changed it to a Fast Track line this season.

Edited by YoshiFan
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First time here in a long time and I forgot to look. Does anyone know if there are any single rider lines and if so which rides? Thanks in advance.

 

No rides have single rider lines. Reese's Extreme Cup Challenge did have one but they changed it to a Faat Track line this season.

 

Ok thanks. Appreciate the reply.

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I received a telephone call from an associate who said he was sorry, on behalf of Hershey Park... Honestly, I thought I was going to at least get something out of this. I wasn't shooting for the moon, but I think some kind of small merchandise/food gift certificate or a couple skip the line passes for Emily and I would have been completely reasonable and actually deserved. Why even waste the time to call?

 

It's not like I had a disappointing experience or the park had to shut down early for weather... The park offered a product which I scheduled my vacation around and then after it was scheduled they cancelled the product with no explanation. I was given the offer to reschedule Hershey Lodge to a less busy time... like within the next few weeks... That doesn't really work out well since I have other non refundable hotels booked for this trip and our work vacation schedules are already assigned. The only reason we picked July over a less busy season was specifically due to the Fast Track Unlimited availability.

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^ absolutely not meaning to sound callous, as I understand you planned your trip dependent on the Unlimited Fast Pass.

 

but if you hadn't purchased online already? the park owes you absolutely nothing.

 

that they made the effort to call you and apologize? that was very nice of them.

 

perhaps further research on their part made the intended plan no longer feasible? or maybe the response was so overwhelming, they simply couldn't handle that type of influx of Fast Pass Users, and they worried it would impact other guests experiences? (I have no idea and am just spitballing)

 

I truly do feel for you that you've booked other things on your trip, and already planned for Hotels/other things. . but they don't owe you a refund or compensation for something you hadn't already purchased.

(I'd feel very differently if you had already purchased the Unlimited Fast Pass, then the park cancelled the option and wouldn't honor them).

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True they don't owe me anything, but I feel like it's just good customer service to at least offer something, no matter how small it may be. "Here's a coupon for two free milk shakes" would have been better than nothing. If I didn't pay attention I wouldn't have even realized this until I got to the park. It just sucks. I think anyone would be a little pissed if they were in my situation.

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