shadoww

I was able to visit Hersheypark on Friday, April 29, and had an interesting day. The weather wasn't adequate at first. When I arrived, Fahrenheit, Skyrush, Storm Runner, Lightning Racer, Trailblazer, Wild Mouse among others were closed. However, the temperature rose a bit, and the rain diminished over time. The lines were bad at the beginning of the day despite the weather because of the lack of running rides, as well as most open coasters only running one train. Over time, the lines changed from over an hour to all walk-ons, so that was nice. By the time I left, the only two rides that never opened were Fahrenheit and Lightning Racer; two credits I'm not happy about missing, but life goes on. Now, onto the rides. Skyrush X5- I've heard so much talk about how much the restraints hurt, and they certainly weren't comfortable. But I simply looked past that, and at the amazing ride Skyrush is. The airtime is abundant and strong, and the transitions whip you around in all the right ways. I waited an hour at the beginning of the queue for the ride to open after the rain had halted, and man, this ride was worth it. Definitely makes my top five! Storm Runner X4- The surprise of Hershey. This ride really provided some airtime I was not expecting, and the launch was far from average. The elements were very snappy and quick, and I left the ride thinking: "WOW!". Storm Runner is an AWESOME ride. I really enjoyed the four rides I got on Friday, and I believe it is one of the most underrated rides in America. Wildcat X1- I've heard that this ride is dreadfully rough, but luckily I must have received a good ride. It was rough, but not painfully rough for me. The airtime was pretty decent too for such a hated GCI. Although it's nothing to label as "greatness", I didn't hate Wildcat. In fact, if I had time, I would've given it a second ride. Great Bear X3- Okay, so funny story: I was completely unaware of the possibility of being soaked with track lubricants after lots of rain (Yes, I do know there were large signs posted throughout the queue). So, a couple of friends and I rode it in the morning, just after heavy rain. We were SOAKED in track lubricants, and I honestly at that point was yelling aloud for the lift hill to end. However, even throughout the ride itself, I was continuously sprayed with...whatever it was, and I got off with heavily stained pants. I did, however, give the ride two more re-rides, and it was a load of fun. The first half was especially great, but the second half felt like it was just wandering in a way. Sooperdooperlooper X4- This ride never had a line at any point in the day except perhaps in the early morning. It was a nice, old school coaster that everyone in my group enjoyed. Schwarzkopf loops are always forceful, and Sooperdooperlooper was no exception. Sidewinder X1- Yes, it has vest restraints. No, it still wasn't a fun ride. Wild Mouse X2- Just because it was a walk on. Just your average wild mouse. Laff Trakk X3- One of the only rides with a wait throughout the day, at least until the end. I got several rides due to the short line towards closing time, and it was a pretty fun ride. Extremely smooth too. The Claw X1- Don't like it as much as Huss Giant Frisbees, but still a unique experience. I did witness someone hurl just a few seats over, so that was lovely. Comet X2- My last coaster of the day. It wasn't smooth exactly, but it certainly isn't a rough ride (Especially in a non-wheel seat). I liked the layout of this coaster, and there was bit of airtime thrown into my two rides as well. Left me feeling quite satisfied with my visit to Hershey. To my disappointment, Fahrenheit and Lightning Racer never did open. They are certainly two credits I would like to have, but I guess that's what future visits are for! Overall, I had a fun time at Hersheypark, and look forward to heading back sometime soon!

I visited the park on April 28th, and even with the sloppy weather, it never rained hard enough to ruin our day. There was next to no one at the park, so we got plenty of rides. Everything was running, except Kingda Ka during the rain (which stopped at certain parts of the day, allowing me to get some KK rides in) El Toro X7- Simply an amazing ride. Airtime was spectacular, ride was smooth, drop was INSANE in the back. Overall a world class coaster. Kingda Ka X3- Fantastic ride in the front seat. The following rows were quite rattly, unlike TTD. Still was a great experience. Bizarro X4- I liked this over Dominator. It was smoother (especially the second half) and the fire effect was nice. The theming under the corkscrews also was nice, and the zero-g roll was great. Definitely the surprise of the day for me (Well, except for one). Skull Mountain X11- Back seat was crazy-fun, especially the first drop! There was no line, so we simply stayed on for multiple re-rides during the rainiest part of the day. Runaway Mine Train X1- Could have been smoother, but the turn over the water was pretty intriguing. I feel like there was a random pop of airtime in there too. Zumanjaro X2- Amazing view, but not as intense as other drop towers I've been on. The Dark Knight X2- Best wild mouse I've experienced, but at the end of the day, it's still a wild mouse. Nitro X2- Disappointment of the day. Just a very boring ride in my opinion. Better than some other B&M hypers, but still on the lower end. Superman: The Ultimate Flight X1 & Batman: The Ride X1- Same as the other clones at the other Six Flags parks. Batman is still quite intense and compact (and luckily not running backwards), and Superman was smooth, and the pretzel loop was nice. The second half sort of meandered around, but overall not a bad ride. I will say that the ride operators for Superman were flat out AWFUL on Thursday. Green Lantern X1- I've heard that this is perhaps one of the best stand-up coasters out there, but my second row ride was flat-out awful. The head-banging was strong throughout the ride (much more than other better stand-ups like Riddler's Revenge and Georgia Scorcher). In fact, I don't even think it was on par with Mantis. Just a bad experience. El Diablo X1- This was my second Larson Looper, so not much to say here. Better than an inverting swinging ship. The Top Spin didn't compare to KD's, and my only ride on Skyscreamer was in some amount of rain, so that was interesting. Overall, I had a great trip to Six Flags on Thursday, and despite the cold temperatures and heavy rain, like I said, there were no lines, which I really took advantage of. Look forward to next time!

Some generic advice since that can't be an accurate date: - Thursday crowds aren't usually too bad, but it'll depend on how many school trips there are that day. Good thing is that those usually clear out late afternoon so lines will be shorter in the evening, but if it's your first visit to the park, don't skimp and get a Flash Pass. Totally worth it. - Kingda Ka, front row if it's open. If not, head straight to El Toro for multiple re-rides before lines start forming. Depending on how you feel about Ka, you could go straight to El Toro. Assuming your trip is sooner rather than later, just a couple of the water rides. If you're visiting after Memorial Day, all rides will be open, including most likely Joker. Other advice: back row of Skull Mountain. Always looking for more cult members! April 28, excuse that!

Hello all! I will be visiting the park on Thursday, March 27, and I'm wondering: 1- How will the crowds be? 2- What rides should I hit up first? and 3- Besides Joker, are any rides not up and running as of now? Any other first time advice is appreciated. Thanks!