YoshiFan

In addition to the high cost to ride, the few times a year they have wristband specials, Gale Force is excluded. On those days they lower it to I think $5 a ride or 7 tickets. If 7 or 8 tickets was the regular price, whenever I get to the park I'd probably be more willing to ride the coaster a few times since that is $3.50 or $4.00 worth of tickets if you buy them during the half price sales they have. I'm not sure if this is old news or not but their Double Shot is also for sale: http://www.italintl.com/detail_page.php?record_id=2139 And it looks like Gillian's Wonderland Pier is joining the other parks in the area that are open in November and December. I got an e-mail a few days ago that the indoor rides will be open on the weekends. Not really great for anyone without kids since it's almost all kiddie rides in that section of the park.They are also selling their Runaway Train coaster: http://www.italintl.com/detail_page.php?record_id=2142

It looks like Hershey might not be as strict about the cold temperatures this year for the coasters. It is around 36 degrees and from looking at the app both sooperdooperlooper (with an hour wait) and Wild Mouse are running. I thought they wouldn't run any outdoor coasters if it was colder than the low 40s.

Great pictures I was there today as well and it was easily my best trip to the park this season. Earlier in the day Justice League's line was out of the building and for some reason The Dark Knight was listed at 30 minutes under the app (pre-show room was half full with a full line after that without the pre-show being used), both of which I skipped until later. I didn't wait more than 10 - 15 minutes for anything. Nitro got stopped on the lift because someone had a phone out and an announcement was made in the station about how there is a fine of up to $1,000 from the state of NJ and a year ban or longer from the park for having a phone out yet when the train returned to the station, the person went up to the ride operator that had the phone, got it back and was able to leave without talking to security. I wish they would go through with the threat of kicking people out of the park. Sky Screamer was also stopped with riders maybe 2/3 of the way up the tower for around 15 minutes around 3:00.

Maybe it was because of staffing? They still aren't listed as closed for the season like Safari Offroad Adventure is, unless the website is just not up to date.

I know it's unlikely but it would be great if Runaway Mine Train, Bizarro and the other Skyway station was open during HITP to make it a 1 way trip like normal and maybe lines wouldn't be so bad at the Frontier Adventures station.

Great pictures and report I used to feel the same way about a season pass. It was almost a 2 hour drive for me so I was ok visiting once a year when I could get to Dorney in 45 minutes or Great Adventure in 55 minutes (with most of the park trips being to Great Adventure). Now that Dorney is 70 minutes, Great Adventure is 2 1/2 hours away and Hershey is still less than 2 hours away, I got the season pass last year and have been going more compared to Great Adventure (7 Hersheypark trips vs 4 to Great Adventure). The 40 minutes less each way of driving adds up, it also helps that there are no tolls and it's an easier drive for me (100 miles on I-81 and a few miles to get to the park from there).

I ended up going to the park the past 2 Sundays. Both days were low crowds as expected but the 22nd was slightly more crowded than the 15th. Everything was 0 - 10 minutes with the exception of Laff Trakk, Storm Runner (1 train running on the 22nd) and Fahrenheit early in the day. I waited until after 7 both trips and waited 1 train for Fahrenheit. On both days I was at the park for around 6 hours and got 31 rides on the 15th and 25 rides on the 22nd. Coal Cracker was closed on both days. Someone asked the photo booth employee at Great Bear about the ride being open this past Sunday and was told the ride doesn't operate in the fall. It's on the Hersheypark In the Dark map and is listed as an operating ride for the event on the website plus it ran last year in October. The Kisses Triple Tower was also closed both days. It didn't seem to matter much since the Reese's Tower rarely had a wait and the Hershey Tower had at most a 2 - 3 cycle wait. I made the mistake of riding Sidewinder on the 22nd. I got a bad headache from going backwards and I never felt 100% the rest of the trip after that. I'm probably going to visit Christmas Candylane once but it's a shame that with the exception of sooperdooperlooper, the coasters running are probably my least favorite in the park.

Comet at Hersheypark last night

Great Bear at Hersheypark on Sunday night.

Coal Cracker was closed Sunday

They are regular body slides but the 3 Jumpin Jack Splash slides at Dorney were modified to run outs in 2014. It made them worse because you sometimes hit the run out on an angle (the slides have a lot of compact turns) and can hurt your legs.

Monday will be less crowded. Last year on Sunday of this weekend, traffic was backed up way past the entrance gate just to enter the road that takes you to the toll booths.

I have been trying to look at the park as a water park with some other rides thrown in (even though the ride side is a full size park) and that's how most of my trips this year have been only visiting twice without Wildwater Kingdom open. I spend 75% of my time at the water park and water rides on the ride side and then take a quick lap around the park riding each coaster except Stinger and Woodstock Express once (or sometimes only a few coasters), a couple of flats and leave. Even with 11 trips this year, I am not up to double digit rode counts on most of the coasters. On Friday, I was driving by the park and stopped in for an hour and 40 minutes which was enough time for 9 rides and dinner using the dining pass. If I had more time, I would have gone for some re-rides but felt like it wasn't that necessary. On the other hand, when visiting Hersheypark or Great Adventure, I rarely feel like I am ready to leave and want to stay even after a 6 - 8 hour trip to one of those parks.

Great Adventure Dorney Park Hersheypark Knoebels Magic Kingdom Epcot Animal Kingdom Disneyland California Adventure

Go on Friday the 22nd, the park is actually open all day since some schools are closed. Saturday of Columbus Day weekend is one of the most busiest days of the year.

Hopefully the park considers opening those days to pass holders maybe in upcoming seasons since those are usually buyout days. I like how they are trying it on September 30th this year, the park is closed to the public but pass holders can attend as well.

Definitely: Great Adventure Dorney Knoebels Hersheypark Probably: Six Flags New England Maybe: Playland's Castaway Cove Quassy Lake Compounce

Yeah they were the most popular with the ice cream lines almost as bad. The WWK location had a full queue with the line past that and the location near Sea Dragon had a lot of people waiting to order and many more waiting at the pick up area. I avoided using my dining pass at any of the places that had $1 items because I didn't feel like waiting.

Today was one probably the most crowded I have seen the park in over 10 years (I avoid summer weekends). The overflow lot was being used with cars parking on the grass next to that lot. Everyone was mostly in WWK and even after 6 when it closed lines were still 10 - 15 minutes for Talon, Hydra and Steel Force (not that I was expecting to see 30+ minute lines). The major lines were for the $1 Crab Fries, Hot Dogs, Nachos, Icees and Ice Cream.

If they ran out on a not crowded day, I wonder what is going to happen on a Saturday during Fright Fest when El Toro has a completely full queue with the line almost to the bridge near Bizarro? Even if people use the ones at Bizarro, that is still probably not going to be enough.

The only rides you can take photos and video while riding are the Skyway, carousel and Big Wheel.

Yes and Joker now has the same policy.

Dorney allows it on Thunder Canyon and Whitewater Landing, maybe because they are near the water park.

I tried the standalone Chickie's and Pete's a few times (Parx Casino and 20 minutes away from Atlantic City) and thought it was just ok. At Dorney, I usually go to the location by Sea Dragon since it's on the dining pass and it's the closest I can get to a Philly style cheesesteak anymore since at the places that serve them in Northeastern PA, it just isn't the same. The table service location near Whitewater Landing just has chicken cutlets and salads on the dining pass. Otherwise I find the choices limited as well. I tried the grilled chicken sandwich at Coasters earlier this year and it wasn't nearly as good as what Great Adventure has (the chicken at Dorney was all dried out and the fries were overcooked and too greasy). I sometimes get the pizza since it's not that bad. They changed it this year from an individual pizza to 2 slices with breadsticks and also raised the price to $12.99.

I have heard 2 reasons but not sure if they are true. One is they want turnstile clicks to be accurate and the few times I have seen re-rides allowed at Dorney, a ride operator does go to the turnstile to rotate it for each person re-riding. I don't see how it can be accurate when kids turn them. The other reason I heard is for insurance, if someone passes out or becomes unconscious and they don't respond and re-ride, the park doesn't want to be held liable. I stopped asking for re-rides at Dorney 10 years ago and now only will re-ride if the ride operator offers it or I see others re-riding.