YoshiFan

Hersheypark sometime in the next few weeks (depending on the temperature with how strict they are with running the coasters in the cold).

I noticed yesterday part of the path where Joy to the World will be was blocked off, It guess they were still setting up that section in it's new location this year. Yesterday was one of the best visits to the park I have had in over a year. Even with many NJ schools in session I thought with the temperature reaching almost 70 degrees, NYC and Philadelphia school districts closed, bring a friend free and free admission for military there would be some crowds. The only rides that had more than a 5 minute wait were Kingda Ka and The Skyway. It was a lot of fun to just walk around the park knowing you can just walk onto almost any ride and in most cases re-ride as much as you wanted. Almost all food stands were open and it didn't look like any rides were closed except for breakdowns and the rides done for the season like the water rides.

I agree 15 - 20 minutes isn't that bad for that coaster but I was disappointed to hear that it's another coaster with a merge point further back in the queue. There are times at other coasters where it can still be a long wait with Fast Track with the regular line not much longer than that because of how far back the merge points are and that they are allowed to fill to that point. I have seen at Storm Runner with 1 train running where you could save no time with Fast Track with the line to the bottom of the stairs and there is no one in the regular line past that point and the line is still around 30 minutes. Sometimes the person at the merge point keeps the stairs into the station clear but that doesn't happen too often. It's the same with Wildcat, sometimes the ramp to the station is allowed to fill up, other times everyone is held back in the switchbacks to keep the ramp clear.

That's a shame to hear another coaster has a bad merge point. I didn't realize the merge point was that far back since I have only ridden the coaster a few times when the line is only into the first switchback in that room or shorter (I had thought the merge point was right before the path to the station). Maybe it's the same with Cupfusion as well.

Great report and pictures. It's nice to not worry about the temperature closing coasters when planning a trip to the park.

I'm really surprised to see how cheap Fast Track is during Candylane. The rides available are Laff Trakk, Reese's Cupfusion, Hershey Triple Tower, Sidewinder, sooperdooperLooper, Wild Mouse, and Wildcat. Once on each ride is $10 - $20, unlimited is $25 - $40. Paying $10 on a Sunday seems like a steal, just for Cupfusion and Laff Trakk alone which could easily have 60+ minute waits for each. It will be interesting to see how many more people will be using the system at those prices. I rarely see anyone using it during the regular season and combined with 1 train running on SDL and possibly Wildcat, it could slow lines down. Unlike HITP at Great Adventure the few coasters running at Hershey this time of year can get 30 - 60 minute waits on more crowded days.

I had no idea that Kalahari raised prices that much. I looked up prices a while ago and even at $79.99 for a day thought it was too much. I'd rather go to Aquatopia at Camelback for $59.99. I guess that explains why H2Oooohh! in Lake Harmony supposedly is so crowded all the time because of the $20 admission with coupon codes on Groupon (the horrible reviews with only 2 out of 3 slides open have kept me from visiting). Maybe there will be a combo water park and amusement ticket offered to help keep the price down.

Steel Force yesterday

I hope this also means that they will open the flume earlier in the season as well. It was always fun seeing it open in March/April even if it was barely above freezing and hoping no one was at the coin operated sprayers to get you soaked.

The seatbelt attaches to the restraint

I just got back from the park, it was a good night for an enthusiast, not so great for anyone who was looking forward to the flat rides and for kids going to the kiddie rides. There were 33 rides closed (I counted while waiting in line for Storm Runner). I'm not posting this to complain, just to warn anyone planning on going to the park the next 2 weekends that there are more closed rides than usual (last weekend even on a Saturday more rides were closed than normal too). Fahrenheit, Ferris Wheel, Frontier Flyers, Kisses and Reese's Triple Towers, Pirate, Sidewinder, Skyview, The Claw, The Howler, Tilt A Whirl, Wave Swinger, Whip, Twin Turnpike Speedway, Scrambler, Wild Mouse and the Thunder side of Lightning Racer were all closed. The rest of the rides closed were kiddie rides and I saw in some sections of the park that 1 ride operator would operate 2 of the kiddie rides going back and forth between the rides. The good news was other than Comet earlier in the evening and Laff Trakk, the coasters had under 15 minute waits for the most part. The longest line in the park was for trick or treating. The line had to go at least 100 feet past the entrance arch. The Triple Towers also had seatbelts added sometime in the last 6 weeks.

Dorney added Columbus Day as an operating day around 2 months ago and didn't do much to promote that they were open like any e-mails sent out. With not many people knowing the park was open and operating hours of 11 - 7 with no Haunt, crowds were low even for Dorney standards. At one point Steel Force had a completely empty station around 2 hours before closing. I was really impressed with Monster Jam Thunder Alley. The course is where Stinger was and is 2 laps because the track is shorter than the versions from other Cedar Fair parks. 2 trucks are running, Megalodon and Grave Digger. Each truck seats 10 people plus the driver and usually 1 truck is running while the other is loading riders. It takes a while to load each truck and for everyone to get buckled in. Because of that, the capacity is extremely low. Even with the low crowds, it was still a 25 minute wait. The wait time sign even goes up to 150 minutes (probably from other Cedar Fair parks). It was really fun and a much better use of the space compared to Stinger being there.

Sunday will be much less crowded than Saturday. Saturday's can get so crowded that even smaller coasters like Trailblazer can have an hour wait with no water park open to spread out the crowds. Sunday wait times can vary. I have been there on a Sunday in October when it was 70 and sunny and mostly walk ons and last year it was cloudy and in the 50s and the major coasters can had up to 30 minute waits.

Fast Lane Plus for next Saturday has increased to $179 online (regular increased to $115). If prices are higher in the park as demand increases, I wonder if it will get to $199 next week.

Although the park is open because of Yom Kippur, it's more because of schools being closed. The large Jewish groups that attend the park a few days a year will not be there (it's the holiest day of the year so they are going to be at a Synagogue and not at the park), they usually visit during Passover in the spring and a day in the fall. This year it is October 17th, a buy out ( http://www.ncsygreatadventure.com/ ). I miss when that same group used to buy out the park on Easter. The park was closed to the public but season pass holders were allowed in for free even if not part of the group and it was basically no lines all day.

The Safari's last day is October 27th (and November 2nd and 3rd as an upcharge for the wine festival). I have gone to the park almost every year in between FF and HITP. It used to be mostly walk ons all day, last year was more crowded but still low crowds overall and nothing compared to a Fright Fest operating day.

I was considering going to the park today, looking at the app, I'm glad I stayed away. 3 hour wait for Cupfusion, 2 hour 15 minute waits for Lightning Racer and Comet, 2 hour waits for Laff Trakk and Fahrenheit. Supposedly only 1 side of Lightning Racer is running. I remember reading somewhere years ago that the coaster was programmed to only operate with both sides but I guess that is not true.

With 2020 Season Passes on sale, I thought it was interesting that there is now All Season Fast Lane Plus for all Cedar Fair parks for $849. Dorney only went up from $125 to $175.

https://twitter.com/DorneyParkPR/status/1160261955778732033 The lots are completely full. I know it's a Saturday in the summer but I don't think I have ever seen the park post that before.

No seatbelts have changed. sooperdooperLooper did change the lap bar requirements towards the end of last season. There is now a sticker where the bottom of the lap bar is and it has to be low enough to be in the green part of the sticker for someone to ride the coaster.

Daily operations always begin the Friday before Memorial Day weekend.

(taken from FB) Seeing pictures like that make me want to avoid summer weekends unless I was just going to ride coasters. Cars parked anywhere they could find space on Saturday even behind a Haunt building. I can't even imagine how bad WWK must have been.

I know it's a summer weekend and almost any park is going to be extremely crowded but looking at the wait time app and seeing a 75 minute wait for the wave pool, 90 minute wait for the lazy river and a 3 hour wait for the water coaster is crazy. A high capacity attraction like a lazy river or wave pool should never have anywhere close to that kind of wait even on a crowded Saturday in the summer. It's still the only park I have been to where there is a queue set up for the wave pool and you can't just walk right in.

It really depends on the person controlling the merge point. Some let the line fill up to the merge point and others try to keep the line from the merge point to the station not completely full. The 3 worst lines for Fast Track are Laff Trakk, Storm Runner and Wildcat. Storm Runner is usually a 20 minute wait if they are letting the line go to the bottom of the stairs at the merge point.

I just left the park, lines were 30 minutes or less for everything except Laff Trakk and CupFusion and the water park attractions. I’d expect it to be a little more crowded on a Friday especially with lots of people entering later for the Preview Plan if you plan to stay until closing.