Dr. M

^I enjoyed reading your trip report, I also just made it to CP for the first time in June. Let's compare notes! In general I was also super impressed with the park's operations, cleanliness, and atmosphere (that one being a big surprise considering who owns the place). And the skyline is insanely awesome... to me it was like walking up to Cinderella's castle in Disney World. I agree! I loved it. It's definitely the best classic wooden coaster I've been on outside of Knoebels. Weird! Switch these two around and you'd have my thoughts practically verbatim. CCMR was easily the best mine train coaster I've been on, I loved the hard laterals, the helix finale, the nice long layout, the lovely setting. Corkscrew hurt my neck. I wonder if they've done something about the restraints since I rode it. The whole ride I felt like I had a heavy weight on my chest, by the time we were waiting on the final brake run I could only take short, shallow breaths. I'd take having my thighs crushed over feeling like I have to fight the restraints to breath. Totally took me out of the experience. Other than that, I agree, first flip awesome, after that, nothing special. Magnum is a lot like Steel Force, except better in every way IMO. I loved the roughness, and the bunny hops during the second half were everything SF's second half wishes it was. The only thing I prefer about Steel Force is the helix, I think it's a much more exciting turnaround. Other than that, Magnum is basically my perfect coaster. I have a totally unrelated question. People often talk about wanting CP to build out onto the lake. I'm just wondering if this is even possible. I know they don't own the lake and probably wouldn't be allowed for legal reasons, but I mean physically speaking, from an engineering standpoint, would it even be possible to build a coaster out over the lake, with supports that go all the way down to the bottom? I imagine that lake gets really deep really quick, and you'd have to dig really deep to secure the supports in something that isn't sand or mud. Ug. This was my third favorite, though I had hoped it would become my new favorite ride. What I loved about it was how different it was from every other CP coaster, and just about every other coaster I've ever ridden. But overall, I think it's quite possibly overrated. I wouldn't say the ride is "one note" exactly, but ultimately I don't get much out of twisting back and forth and back and forth, which is mostly what this ride does, with the exception of two (count 'em! two!) airtime hills. I prefer Skyrush's layout, which is more like "twist, airtime, twist, airtime, twist, twist, airtime" rather than "twist, twist, twist, twist..." To me it was dull from start to finish. I totally disagree that it would be a good coaster for people transferring to bigger rides. It isn't very fast or intense, but it is rough (normal wooden roughness), and it isn't fun. If I wanted to get someone on a bigger ride, I'd say "Let's ride Raptor and I'll hold your hand", then they'll have a blast and want to go on more. I wouldn't do it with a ride they probably won't enjoy. AGREED. Except I like Magnum a little more. But besides that, AGREED. I loved Raptor, mostly because BM inverts are generally my favorite kind of inverting coaster (Maverick is a rare exception). They always feel more intense for some reason, and never any headbanging. But THANK YOU for saying Talon is better!! I thought I was the only person who believed this. Talon is totally underrated, what does Raptor have that Talon doesn't, besides slower pacing? I'm not a huge fan of either of them, but I prefer TTD purely for its placement in the park.

I disagree. Dorney's been my home park my whole life and I distinctly remember huge lines for both Steel Force and Talon when they opened. You think there's something about the area, people around here just don't like roller coasters? Not likely. The problem is Dorney hasn't gotten a decent coaster since Talon, and that was in 2001!! Hydra has always been a pretty terrible coaster, and it isn't surprising it hasn't been a huge draw for them considering Hershey and SFGA are both within easy driving distance, opening up fantastic coasters on a consistent basis. You make good rides, you get big lines, end of story. I'm going back to Hershey this year specifically to ride Skyrush as many times as possible. You think I'm going to make a point of going back to Dorney to ride the Stinger? And it isn't a problem of space either, I can tell you that for sure. And there's room in the market for Dorney, it's got a good location, lots of history, and a natural charm (which CF has been working hard to slowly peel away). This is why big corporations shouldn't run small parks. CF looks at Dorney, sees nothing but risk, so turns it into a dumping ground for cheap rides that'll guarantee an immediate return on investment. But they're shooting themselves in the foot. Stinger was a total waste of money and space, anybody with half a brain can see that. It does nothing for the park long-term. Spend a little more and put a decent coaster there, and don't you think you'll make more money overall? I guess the problem is Dorney can't compete with Hershey and SFGA for thrills, and can't compete with Knoabels for charm. So they get the short straw over and over. But I'd bet they'd be better off if it weren't for CF. You don't need a business degree to know that for Dorney to succeed, they need a mixture of charm and good rides. Instead, CF decides, "You know what? I think we'll give them... NEITHER! Sounds like a winning strategy, right?" So they give them a drop ride from 1983, when the park already has Dominator. They should be ASHAMED. Ug. Writing about this gets me so riled up. I'm done ranting for now. CF can kiss my ass.

I second this very very strongly. Worst ride I've ever been on, easily.

Laser at Dorney Park, before it was purple, if I remember correctly. Great ride, those loops really packed a punch.

I know I'm late but I was reading through some of the discussion about Skyrush on this thread and thought of some things to contribute. I rode it twice last season, definitely a great addition to a park I've been going to every year since I was a child. 1. The ride is great, but definitely painful. I rode it before and after they added padding to the restraints. It helped, but I agree with the idea that it's a combination of where the restraints are holding you in (too far down on your leg), the shape and angle of the restraints, and the fact that they grow tighter and tighter as the ride goes. Simply adding more padding isn't going to fix this. I didn't find El Toro to be painful at all so I know they can do better. 2. These are just my observations, but on both my visits I actually found the reaction to the ride among the general public to be pretty negative (complaints not just about thigh pain, but about whiplash from the lateral forces and overall intensity). I don't think people were expecting what they got, and the numerous signs added to the queue between my first and second visits warning about how intense the ride is would seem to support this. I doubt even Hershey knew what they were really getting when they built it. I'm very glad this ride exists, but I think it was marketed very poorly. Advertisements emphasized the new winged seats and the "great view" they offer, and nothing was mentioned about how intense the ride is (trust me, when you ride it, the winged seats are the last thing on your mind). Even the name "Skyrush" doesn't convey the ride's angry, aggressive nature. When a ride is that far beyond anything else in the park (and most other coasters period) in terms of forces, couldn't the advertising make that just a little bit clearer, that it may not be for everyone? Hershey did its guests a big disservice this season. I think a lot of people were expecting a ride like Nitro with gentle, rolling hills, not the kind of insane ejector "air-time" the ride offers. Some may disagree, but this is the only coaster I've ever ridden that felt like it was actively trying to kill me, so I simply think a darker, more "violent" brand carried by coasters like the Beast or Steel Force would've been warranted. Adding to this problem is that from the ground, it doesn't look very intimidating. I thought it was funny reading arguments over whether or not the ride "looked" 200 feet tall, but it's true, the shape of the lift hill plus the lack of supports providing any kind of visual reference tricks the eye into thinking it's shorter than it is (and the train seems to make it to the top so quickly...). Then when you see the hills that come after it, they look very short and gentle as well. The height of those hills is the very reason the ride is so intense, but most people probably wouldn't think that. I think Hershey simply set itself up for a lot of complaints with this ride, and I'll be very interested to see how public opinion evolves over time, especially if they manage to actually fix the restraints (though I don't think any restraint will ever make the ride completely pain-free). There seems to be a lot more people on the internet saying it's one of the best rides ever, though I don't imagine a lot of the ones I saw complaining would tend to post about it on the internet, so who's to say. 3. I doubt Hershey will trim the speed any. The whole ride from the top of the first hill to the brake run is about 45 seconds long. If they neuter any of those insane forces, there will be practically no reason to ride it, and I think they know that. Already there's a sense of "what the hell just happened?" after it's done, and without the intensity it would just be "what the hell just happened, where was the coaster?" At the most I could see them slowing the lift down, but even that would be a mighty shame. 4. I've noticed a lot of seasoned coaster buffs here and elsewhere saying that they felt for a split second like they might actually come out of the train. Isn't that incredible? After riding some of the craziest coasters ever built, here's one that actually FEELS unsafe, even though we all know that it is. That's why I think Sky Rush gets better upon repeat rides, and also why so many people will either love it or hate it. There's something about it that's genuinely unsettling. Coasters are usually a bit like scary movies. You may feel scared, but in the back of your mind you know that sitting in the movie theater, you're safe. That axe-wielding madman isn't going to come through the screen and kill you. Atop a roller coaster you feel like you're plunging through the air towards certain death, but in the back of your mind you know you're all strapped in and the designers have taken every precaution to ensure your safety. But that first ride on Sky Rush, you could swear the designers slipped up. Your body is whipping around too freely, you're too exposed, this thing at your thighs isn't holding you in where you're used to being held, the forces are too strong. This can't possibly be safe. Nothing can prepare you for that first ride. Then you ride it again, and again, and you realize you ARE safe, you're simply riding one of the most incredible coasters ever built. But that intensity is bound to make it a polarizing experience. Ok, now about things completely unrelated to Sky Rush: 1. I want to stick up for guest operations at Hershey! Sure there are a few rides, particularly Storm Runner and ESPECIALLY Fahrenheit whose lines move at a pace best described as sailing-stones-in-the-desert slow, but for every bad experience I've had two more where lines move lickety-split and the employees are friendly and caring. I mean come on, compare it to Six Flags Great Adventure and it's a veritable Disney World. 2. I'm very proud to say that I've never ridden the water coaster and I'm not sorry it's gone. In fact, if they were to nuke the whole water park from orbit I'd be ecstatic. I generally think water parks and theme parks shouldn't mix, and the way Hershey did it, all that exposed cellulite and jiggling midriffs marring the center of that whole half of the park, is incredibly obnoxious. 3. I love Wildcat. I don't understand how any coaster fan wouldn't love that crazy, out-of-control kind of experience. My last ride on it seemed to suggest they weren't maintaining it very well (I like my woodies rough, but there was definitely a sharp bump somewhere near the end that was simply uncalled for), but short lines or no lines mean lots of repeat rides, although the lack of popularity makes me fear for its future. I'm honestly surprised its lasted this long, I just really hope whatever guardian angel is watching over it doesn't die or get outvoted any time soon. 4. The Reese's Cup Challenge dark ride is an abomination, like every other "interactive" dark ride I've ever been on. The fact that they could use this space, spend LESS money, and make an old-fashioned dark ride a la Knoabel's Haunted Mansion eats away at my very soul, as does every ride of this nature across the nation. Even Disney couldn't make these stupid things fun.