TR: Hersheypark Tuesday 8/14/07

[yankees15]

Let me just say that this was the most crowded I have ever seen Hershey in my life! Even though it was crowded we still had an awesome time at the park.

 

My mom, my friend, and I left for Hershey around 8:15 in the morning. We really didn't hit any traffic, only a little bit near Allentown but that was it. We arrived in the parking lot by 9:35 and we were through the gates and at the ropes by 9:50. Already we could tell it was going to be crowded because there were a good 400-500 people waiting at the ropes! Anyway, the ropes drop and me and my friend sprint to the first ride of the day, Storm Runner! I don't know how but my friend and I beat everyone to the ride and were the first 2 people on!

 

Storm Runner- The ride was only running 1 train at the time but quickly got the second train up within 20 minutes. Anyway, the train was locked and cleared and we were on our way to the launch on the first train of the day. We wait for a few seconds, then the train rolls back a few inches, the brakes drop, and then we hear, NOW GET READY, HEAR WE GO! We take off 0-72 mph in 2 seconds flat. Then we head up the 150 tall foot top hat and get strong ejector air all the way over and down the drop. I'm talking a good 4-5 seconds of strong air, it was amazing! Then we head into the cobra loop which has some nice positive g's and a little floater air at the top. Next we head up another hill and get another shot of ejector air as we enter the zero-g roll and flying snake dive. Both of these inversions are amazing with awesome airtime. After we drop out of the flying snake dive we head into the upward S-turn, which is very smooth and had great laterals. We then get one more pop of air as we head into the final brake run. 10/10

 

Sidewinder- I wasn't planning on riding this but my friend wanted to so we went on. I was expecting it to be rough like the last time I rode it but I was wrong. There was absolutely NO headbanging! This made the ride very fun and intense. I actually want to ride this one again. 6.5/10

 

Wildcat- This was the first time I have been on the ride since they added the new Millennium Flyer trains. The trains did make the ride a little smoother, but it is still very rough. I do believe the trains were an improvement though. The ride is now way more rideable but it is still an awesome ride with insane forces. 8/10

 

Lightning Racer- I cannot get enough of these two wooden coasters! The rides are very smooth, but they still have that wooden coaster feel to them. There are nice pops of are throughout the course and I love when the trains go over and under each other. Lightning still wins most of the time, but Thunder was winning some on Tuesday. 9/10

 

Wild Mouse- There isn't much to say about it, it is a generic wild mouse coaster. It did run brakeless on the top portion which was great and it did have some airtime on the drops. 5/10

 

Great Bear- This inverted coaster is very fun but not very intense. The pre-drop helix is awesome and very well maybe the most intense part of the ride. The 124 foot drop provides a nice bit of floater air in the back of the train. After the drop there is a 100 foot vertical loop which just lacks in forces but is still very fun. Following the loop is a sweet immelmann loop which provides some nice forces. After the immelmann is a very fast paced zero-g roll which is my favorite zero-g roll on any inverted coaster. Then there is a little pop of air over the next hill which leads u over the river and into the flatspin. I love this flatspin! You are turning left and then all of a sudden you are thrown to the right into the inversion. Then following the flatspin is a long s-turn into the brakes. I love this ride but it is my least favorite B&M invert. 8/10

 

Sooperdooperlooper- This is a very fun Schwarzkof coaster. It has a good drop which provides nice floater air which leads you into the rides best part, the loop. The vertical loop on this ride has very intense positive g's. The ride also has a powerful helix and the end which is just pure fun. 6.5/10

 

Trailblazer- Trailblazer is probably the most boring mine ride I've been on but it is still a lot of fun. Both helices have nice speed and some decent g's but nothing extreme. The ride is nice and smooth though. 5/10

 

Hershey's Great American Chocolate Tour- It's always nice to take a ride on this during the middle of the day to get out of the sun. It’s very interesting and fun to see how all the candies are made. 7/10

 

Ride totals:

Storm Runner- 4x's

Sidewinder- 2x's

Wildcat- 3x's

Lightning Racer (Lightning)- 2x's

Lightning Racer (Thunder)- 2x's

Wild Mouse- 1x

Great Bear- 1x

Sooperdooperlooper 1x

Trailblazer 1x

Chocolate Tour- 2x's

Total- 19 rides from 10-6

 

Wait times:

Storm Runner- 0, 15, 40, 60

Sidewinder- 2, 20

Wildcat- 2, 10, 25

Lightning Racer (Lightning)- 0, 10

Lightning Racer (Thunder)- 0, 10

Wild Mouse- 5

Great Bear- 40

Sooperdooperlooper- 5

Trailblazer- 10

Chocolate Tour- 5, 10

 

We didn't get to ride Comet because it had at least a 30-45 minute wait with the whole que filled all day and we didn't want to wait in that for Comet. By the time we left the parking lot was filled and people were parking in the grass. Also walking down the mid-ways you were almost shoulder to shoulder. That's how crowded it was, but Hershey did great with there dispatches. The only ride the crews weren't good on was Storm Runner, but even they weren't too bad with 2 minute dispatches. All in all I had a great time in the park and I can't wait to get back to the park in October for Hersheypark in the Dark! I hope then it will be less crowded. Does anyone know how the lines are on a Saturday during October?

[FeelTheFORCE]

Awesome TR! I was there Tuesday also! It was crowded, but mainly with little kids who don't ride anything anyway. I never waited more than 30 minutes for anything. Here's my review of the coasters.

 

 

Storm Runner is good, but I still like TTD better. It has some cool unique inversions, though, which are especially fun on an Intamin rocket.

 

Wildcat is still a little rough even with the new MFs, but that's understandable, considering it's older. It's still a great coaster.

 

Lightning racer is awesome, so smooth. Lightning is the better side, not only does it always win, but it has a slightly better layout.

 

Sidewinder was the best boomerang I have ever ridden, very smooth (for a boomerang) and minimal headbanging.

 

Great Bear was good, but too many straight bits, they could have done more. An awesome ride at night, though. And I love that it has the good old B&M roar.

 

SDL was awesome, very smooth and fun.

 

Comet was cool. I tried to loosen my seatbelt to fly out of my seat, but too bad the coaster has no airtime whatsoever.

 

Trailblazer was meh.

 

Wild Mouse was great! It went so fast, went right over the pool, and seemed as if you were going to fly off the track into the pool! Had great airtime also!

[coastrfreak2000]

I was there on Tuesday too. Was the Kissing Tower open? I didn't see it run the entire day.

[FeelTheFORCE]

^ I was thinking the same thing. I never saw it run all day either, and I looked over at it pretty frequently. I meant to go over there and check things out, but forgot.

[yankees15]

^Nice trip report! I can't wait to ride Dragster so I can compare it to Storm Runner and Kingda Ka. Storm Runner is my all time favorite steel coaster, I just can't get enough of it!

 

I didn't see the Kissing Tower run at all either. I would have like to ride it to get out of the heat and for the views but oh well.

 

Does anyone know how Hersheypark in the Dark is? Like how the crowds are and if a Saturday is ok to go?

[Philrad71]

I went to Hershey on Labor Day weekend and it was also packed! I had a great time and hope to do a little TPR action once I get all of the pictures downloaded and organized.

Kissing Tower was open when we went and was the first ride of the day. Then to Great Bear, which was fun, but definitely not the best of the B & M invert family. I rode it on Day Two as the last ride of the night and really enjoyed it in the front seat.

Storm Runner is definitely a good coaster. The ride is awesome in the front seat and had plenty of air time yummyness.

I was very impressed with Lighning Racers. We went back for a second time and rode Thunder in the front seat...and won!!!

Wilcat was very rough in the back. I wished that we would have taken the time to see if it was any better in the front.

Water ride lines were insane. I had to wait an hour and a half for Roller Soaker, which I admit was pretty fun even with the brutal line! Tidal Force was nice, but I really enjoyed the wet raft ride (forget the name). Vortex was one of the new toilet bowl waterslides and while fun, was not worth an hour wait.

I am glad that I waited for Comet and rode it at dusk on day two. While it does not have the air time equivelent of Big Dipper at Geauga Lake, it was still smooth for an old woodie. I did not ride SDL, Wild Mouse, or the Mine ride. Oh yeah...Sidewinder wasn't near as bad as the one at Geauga Lake!

I will be very interested to see what the new ride is next year. The signs were on the (clothed) waterslide towers (that did not look to be operating), so I wonder if that is on it's way out to make room for the new ride? It did not look like there is enough room for a coaster there, but hey, you never know!

 

PS - Yay for Claw!!! One of the few flat rides that I found to be very enjoyable! The dispatching was awful though, as they kept making all the overweight folks get off the ride...one at a time! Turned it into a 35 minute wait.