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Hersheypark (HP) Discussion Thread


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I wouldn't call it rough, but more like definitely being able to feel the frame flexing and "bouncing" on the outside seats. Like I have said, and many others have said, the outside is NOT your traditional coaster experience. It is insane, wild, and completely out of control! Anyone who has not ridden it yet, go into your ride with that mindset if you choose an outside seat.

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^I was hoping that they had figured out how to do wing seats without Baco's bouncing/flexing.

 

The problem is not really the wing seats, rather than the speed and intensity of the ride.

It would be rough-ish even if it had a pair of B&M's new wing trains.

Edited by _koppen
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Hidy ho everybody! This is my first time posting in this thread. I am heading out to the east coast this weekend with my girlfriend. We are both in our 30's. We are planning on stopping at Hersheypark on Wed the 27th and Thursday the 28th. Neither of us has been there before. We won't be able to get there until about noonish on Wed, because we have to drive up from Busch Gardens.

 

I read the plan that Okinawaboy and coasterlover posted. We would like to do the chocolate factory tour as soon as we get there. Which of the 4 attractions should we do? The trolley is the one that interests me the most, but are there any "must do's" between the other 3? Are advanced tickets suggested, or will we be able to get right into the attractions?

 

For shows, we are planning on seeing Chocapella, Tap, Rock n roll homecoming, and showdown at cocoa canyon. Any more that are strongly recommended? Or any of these that are not worth our time?

 

It looks like Great Bear, Skyrush, Stormrunner, Fahrenheight, and Lightening Racers are the best coasters. Where are the best seats to ride these 5? We hope to ride them all, but if we can't what should be skipped besides Sidewinder? I've ridden that model elsewhere. We don't plan on getting fast lane passes.

Are there any strongly recommended flats? I've ridden the claw at county fairs. What about any unique water rides that aren't the same model that every other park has, beside Rollersoaker?

 

How about food in the park? Any places I just have to try? Or what are the places that have the best food/value?

 

What hotels should I look at staying? I'd like to keep it at under $80 a night with breakfast.

I'm planning on having 21-22 hours over the 2 days to complete all of this and we like to soak up as much as we can. Thanks.

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Thankfully, the park offers a great "preview" plan for every ticket holder. If you have a general admission ticket, you can get into the park for free the night before.

 

For example, you said you were getting in on Wednesday around noon. If you bought a single ticket for Thursday, you can get into the park for free on Wednesday starting at 7:30PM, because the park closes at 10:00PM. You can use the time you have between arriving at Hershey and going to the park to get settled into wherever you're staying, or go to Chocolate World, because it's free admission there.

 

You can get in a lot of rides using the preview plan; I didn't get to the park until 9PM a couple of Fridays ago and I got a ride on Sooperdooperlooper, once on Wildcat, and several rides on Lightning Racer. That way, you can nail out the most popular coasters (SKYRUSH!!!) when the crowds are at their (theoretical) lowest, and you'll have time for all the shows you want to see in the park the next day.

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Food is typical park fare. There is really nothing, in my opinion, that stands out as a must try. The Smokehouse (down by Trailblazer) is hit or miss but when it's good, it's very good. I heard they changed vendors though and portions have gotten small for the price. In that same area is a country music show that is very good also. I am not a huge country fan by any means but this is newer stuff so I enjoyed it. Double check the preview plan. I thought that if the park closed at 10, the preview started at 7.

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I felt more airtime in the front of Lightning Racer than the back (but there isn't much overall). I like Storm Runner in the front row, or the front of any car. I'd probably go for the front on Fahrenheit when convenient, as well.

 

I don't care for Trailblazer, but at least the scenery is nice. Unlike many people, I didn't find Wild Mouse unusually great, but maybe I am desensitized to all but the most amazing mice (usually classics).

 

Coal Cracker, the flume, is surprisingly good, with a unique theme.

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I'm coming to the end of a 2 week tour of 12 parks in the North East and have to say that Skyrush made such a big impression on me that it's been number 1 on the trip and possible of all I’ve ever ridden. I can't understand some of the disappointment as it far exceeded my expectations even with the reviews in my head. I can't get over the speed it goes up the lift hill and that awesome "kink" halfway down the drop when it gets steeper.

 

Unfortunately I305 has been my biggest disappointment of the tour, if you love +Gs then I suppose it's great but other than that it just felt like a big Rita/Desert Race.

 

I hope Hershey can keep Skyrush as crazy as it is, I won't forget my 9:50pm back row edge seat ride in a VERY long time

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Show-wise, there aren't really any standouts. Showdown in Cocoa Canyon is especially dull, so I wouldn't advise sitting through it.

 

The best seats (this is highly subjective, of course) on all the major coasters are as follows:

 

Skyrush: Back left is the most intense, I would advise riding somewhere in the middle first to make sure you know what you're getting into. The front seat is amazing, but beware-- there is a separate line on the stairs, and it takes forever. If the noodles bother you, try sitting in the middle seats, as the lap bar tightens less there.

Fahrenheit: Front row, all the way. The wait isn't much longer than other rows, and the view is fantastic.

Great Bear: Back for forces, front for view. Don't ride in rows 2 or 3,as they lack any forces of any kind. Ride at night for best results.

Storm Runner: A must-do front-seater, if the line is short and the ops are good. If not, row 2 has the shortest line. Station waits for this one can be longer than expected.

Comet: Do not, under any circumstances, miss a back seat ride here. Occasionally the trims will be off, and it will fly around the second half. Ride this one at night too.

 

No super-unique flats to speak of since the loss of the Giant Wheel (RIP )

 

Food-wise, the center of Pioneer Frontier (by Storm Runner's launch) has some great options, including Paninis, personal pizzas, and delicious lemonade.

 

Hope this helped!

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I also would not miss a night ride on Lightning Racer. They have chaser lights on both tracks. Ride the Thunder train to get the best view of the twisted wood layout to the right going up the lift hill. I prefer riding in the back of the train. The laterals on that first drop in the back make it one of my favorite wood coasters.

 

Save Wildcat towards the end of the night or right before a food break. It is a bit of a headache inducer. Don't forget to bring some pain killers.

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Here's my take on what to do the next time you're at Hersheypark:

 

First ride you must ride is Fahrenheit. "Why? Because each train can hold up to only 12 riders, thus creating a long line that moves slowly. Other coasters that will create the long lines, but they do move a bit swiftly are The Storm Runner, The Great Bear, Skyrush, and The Comet. "Yessireebob! It may be the oldest coaster in the park, yet is still gets the longest lines" The other coasters usually don't have much a line and if they did, they will move pretty fast.

 

You plan on skipping on Sidewinder, just because you've ridden others like it in other parks? No, don't do that; this Boomerang isn't like all those others you may have ridden (unless you've ridden The Carolina Cobra at Carowinds)! I'm talking about those new over-the-shoulder harnesses the ride now employs that make the ride much smoother and more enjoyable, not the old horse collars that should be banned. So give it a try: I'm sure you'll like it.

 

One more thing: don't forget the Superdooperlooper! You can thank me later!

 

And what's this I heard about the flats? I know only two other park that houses The Flying Falcon (And they are Morey's Piers and Six Flags Great America ). And what about The Whip? You can't say that you've visited Hersheypark without at least one ride on The Whip. And I must add my favorite ride The Merry Derry Dip.

 

As for Chocolate World, all the attractions there are fine, the The Great Chocolate Tour is the only attraction you can ride for free (plus you'll get a free chocolate treat after you get off the ride, so how cool is that?"). And I must add that ZooAmerica is also included in your ticket when you enter Hersheypark.

 

So that is my recommendation. Have a great day at Hersheypark.

 

"And don't forget to remember your pillow you've left at home. She'll be missing you terribly."

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I went to the park on sunday. It was an overall great day. We started out going to Stormrunner. It was great and had no line so we rode it twice then went over to Wildcat and Lightning Racer. On Wildcat the ride op let us stay in our seats for two full circuits. We walked over to Lightning and rode it twice also. Then it was our time to go ride storm runner with fastlane. It worked very well and we got to go up in the elevator! After that we decided to go over to Lightning racer again. We rode it another 2 times. The line was short for wild mouse and we got two full circuits on that also without getting back in line. It was our time to ride fahrenheit. It was a lot better then I remember. After that we skipped Wildcat and Lightning Racer fastlane. Insted we walked to the Minetown restaurant. It was very good for theme park food. After we were digested, we went over to Great Bear. I have heard mixed ratings about it so I did not know if I would like it or not. It was a typical B&M Invert. It's not one of my favorites. Then we went to ride Sooper Dooper Looper. When we were two trains away the ride broke and we waited 20 minutes because we had nothing to do. While waiting in line skyrush broke. We got out of line and walked to storm runner again. Fahrenheit was broken and so was tidal force. Lightning Racer was working and neither was Great Bear. It was like a curse or something. We then walked over to Sky Rush. We rode it once and I have to say it was awesome. The airtime was the best I have ever felt. . The seats were comfy at the beginning of the ride but by the end I was in pain. I did not know the ride was that forceful. It was still a great ride. We were so stunned we waited four more times for the ride. While in the line for the fifth time I stumbled into another Theme Park Review member. We high fived and then kept on walking in our different directions of the huge Sky Rush queue. The day was great and I look forward to coming back to Hershey park in the future.

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No, don't do that; this Boomerang isn't like all those others you may have ridden (unless you've ridden The Carolina Cobra at Carowinds)! I'm talking about those new over-the-shoulder harnesses the ride now employs that make the ride much smoother and more enjoyable, not the old horse collars that should be banned.

 

I'm surprised so many people rave about the new Vekoma vest restraints. There is no head banging, but instead you get HELD BACK and DOWN and get the beejeesus shook outta you! It's simply a trade-off; which pain do you prefer? I feel the bumps and jerks much more with this design. Sometimes people think "well.. its NEW so it MUST be best/better" (same thing with really BIG coasters). I think this is a better solution:

 

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Strangely enough, that looks comfy to me. But i'm wondering, did vekoma make that?

 

That is not a Vekoma train. It does look nice, huh!? Lap bars might need a good layer of padding, but still... imagine the relative comfort and "free" feeling they probably provide. AND you can finally *really* put your hands up, now

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I don't understand all the raving over the new train on Sidewinder either. I rode once last summer and once was still more than enough. I left the ride with a headache and one very unhappy 9 year old. It was the only ride he really wanted to try that was new to him and he was very disappointed.

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On the contrary, I have no problems with Sidewinder's (or Nor'Easter's at Morey's Piers) trains at all. I don't particularly like the ride itself because it's a bit boring, but it's certainly not unbearable.

 

I'd rather be held back comfortably with the harness then risk my body being forced forward to a point where it hurts. Having a "free" body on a ride isn't always a good thing.

 

More to the point - Sidewinder is certainly not a "must ride" for me, but I don't avoid it like the plague (unlike Rolling Thunder at Six Flags Great Adventure, which I do now avoid like the plague).

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I've heard that those trains would never be able to run in the US in their current form. The open air design apparently is a little -too- open for them to be permitted and I can what people were talking about. It's a nice design, bust I doubt we will see anything like this in the US for a while, and definitely not the same shell.

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^Not until the day OSHA realizes their stupidity (which will be never)

 

Coaster and train designers spend hours of their time making sure a design is safe, while the GP-who-happen-to-have-power OSHA get to decide otherwise, even though they probably know nothing about the process.

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