Hersheypark Announces Fahrenheit!

[Meteornotes]

Here's the official announcement: http://www.hersheypa.com/attractions/hersheypark/fahrenheit/index.php

 

(HERSHEY, PA) — Hersheypark hosted a record-breaking Centennial season in 2007 as guests were introduced to The Boardwalk at Hersheypark, the perfect spot to cool off. Now the heat is on as construction begins on the Park’s 11th roller coaster, “Fahrenheit,” which is scheduled to open next May. The new ride will cost approximately $12.1 million.

 

Known in the industry as a “vertical lift inverted loop coaster,” Fahrenheit will position riders on their backs as the coaster train begins a 90-degree ascent to the summit of a 121- foot lift. As the cars crest the hill, riders will lean forward and see no track visible below— only open space— before plummeting down a staggering 97-degree first drop, the deepest drop of any coaster in the United States.

 

The coaster cars will feature stadium seating, which will elevate riders who sit in the cars behind the front row and offer them an unobstructed view of the steep descent.

 

At the bottom of the first hill, the coaster will be traveling at 58 mph as it begins an ascent that will then drop riders into a 107-foot inverted loop. Coming out of the inverted loop, the track will twist though an inverted corkscrew roll, a cobra, an airborne inverted S roll and a second inverted corkscrew roll. Just as riders think they are slowing down, they will experience an airtime hill, a high-speed/banked curve, a second airtime hill and a final high-speed/banked curve before arriving back in the station.

 

Traveling over more than 2,700 feet of steel track in 85 seconds, Fahrenheit will feature three four-person vehicles per train and a capacity of about 850 people per hour.

 

The ride was designed and is being built by IntaRide LLC , the company that brought the famous Storm Runner roller coaster to Hersheypark in 2004. It will be located adjacent to The Boardwalk at Hersheypark.

In keeping with the Park’s philosophy of offering something for every member of the family, a second new ride also is set to debut for the 101st season of Hersheypark.

 

“Howler” is a “tornado” ride that allows riders to spin their cars to create their own ride experience. It has eight four-passenger, sphere-shaped cars that rotate counter-clockwise from a center base. As the rotation reaches 10 rpm, the ride lifts 7 ½ feet into the air at a 20-degree angle. The ride, manufactured by Wisdom Industries, Ltd., has a capacity of about 750 people per hour and will be located adjacent to the Rodeo ride in the Park’s Pioneer Frontier area.

 

For more information or to take a “virtual” ride on Fahrenheit, please visit Hersheypark.com. Hersheyparkwill open for its 101st season on May 2, 2008. Fahrenheit is expected to open on Saturday, May 24.

 

Speculation Thread Closed!

 

dt

[deguy123]

Awesome! Hersheypark always adds great rides, I can't wait to go next year and check this out.

[FeelTheFORCE]

I bet CP's pissed, 2 degrees steeper than Maverick.

 

This is going to have terrible capacity, 12 people per train, but only 3 trains. Maverick has double.

[ahecht]

Okay, I admit it: I was wrong. Nantimi was legit. Let me just say that Hershey was really clumsy with this by not having an official trailhead to give this legitimacy (it could have been something as simple as "© Nantimi" on the bottom of the teaser page).

 

Oh, and having another ride that looks like Storm Runner (at least to the GP) is not a good move for them either. This has the same style track, the same trains (just shorter), and a tophat. But I guess now that Batman and Robin is coming down at SFGAdv, there needs to be some park with two tophat coasters.

 

I bet Gerstlauer is pissed. The vertical chain lift followed by a 97 degree drop is ripped straight from the Euro Fighter. Even the colors are similar to Speed.

Look familiar?

[redfoot12]

850 riders per hour?

Yikes!

Looks like a fun ride though. If I don't make it to Hershey this year I'm definitely going to go next year.

[asr]

This looks freakin' sweet. Did anyone else catch the weird bit on the pretzel loop were it banks one way then dives the opposite direction?

 

The capacity should be crap though.

[ParkTrips]

This is going to have terrible capacity, 12 people per train, but only 3 trains. Maverick has double.

yeah, but how often do you see this?

 

 

Extra trains don't help capacity a whole lot when stacked, and Hershey won't stack 3 nearly as bad as CP stacked their 6.

[PAShawn]

I was thinking the same thing, I like hershey and all and I am a season pass holder which was not going to renew next year anyway, I need a break from the place. This does not make me change my mind. It may shorten up the lines on storm runner though. I will get there a day next year and ride but will not go out of my way to ride it. Especially since alot of people do not like maverick which this seems to be the same type of design.

 

Thats my 2 Cents.

 

Edit: I have to admit also I thought nantimi was bogus as well.

[alpengeist04]

^^^^The only thing that looks the same is the top hat.

 

Very cool looking coaster, a must ride in 2008 for me.

[FeelTheFORCE]

Extra trains don't help capacity a whole lot when stacked, and Hershey won't stack 3 nearly as bad as CP stacked their 6.

 

I would rather have a train waiting on the brake run, than having to wait for one to come around the course. I like how CP handles Maverick, sitting there didn't bother me at all. It's not like I'm in a hurry to get somewhere anyway. I've been walking and standing all day and really enjoy the time just sitting there relaxing and resting for another period of walking.

[deguy123]

People complain no matter what the park does, if they added a flat people would be like "they didn't add a coaster". Just be happy the park is getting something different and new. UGH

[Billy]

I dont get it. To me its another Storm Runner. I expected something better and more fulfilling of a ride from them. Yeah, im sure it will be fun - in that Intamin brutal kind of way.

[YoshiFan]

Looks like a cool ride. The capacity appears to be a problem. Only 3, 12 seat trains and a capacity at 850 an hour? That works out to around 77 dispatches an hour (figuring an average of 11 riders a train with 1 single rider). I don't see that happening.

[vekoma_fan]

WOW! it looks amazing! And it has the same loop as Speedmonster, but there it's called a Norwegian Loop and not inverted loop... I wish i could visit the park, but it's soooo far away

[CoasterFanatic]

To be fair to CP, Maverick's stacking issues have a lot to due with it loading two trains at a time.

 

Looks great. Can't wait to ride it even if they can't find a replacement for those horrible restraints.

[cwsr]

It was also announced today that Hershey is also getting a Wisdom Rides "Tornado" named Howler.

 

http://www.hersheypa.com/news/pdfs/howler_fact_sheet.pdf

[Rugged One]

yeah, but how often do you see this?

 

You mean two awesome people hanging out in the backseat of Maverick, Joe? Not nearly enough if you ask me!

 

The new ride looks great to me. Mav is my favorite steel and this looks like more of the same fun without the launches. Personally, I'm not a big fan of the name but I'm sure it will grow on me.

 

Heading off to renew the season passes this weekend.

[knowit]

where did you see the announcement for the tornado?

[Eric_Smith]

I think it is funny that they used NO LIMITS in the renderings.

[Coaster Sim. Fan]

I also find it strange they used NL. I wonder if because of theme moving the date they couldn't do a real animation in time. They definitely not the first park to use NL.

 

I am surprised abut some of the views of the ride. A 97 degree drop and 85MPH is not a small ride, also what about the unique elements it has that no other coaster in the US have.

 

But then again maverick was at any other park it would have gotten so much fame when it was announced ...

[asr]

85MPH

 

85? It is more like 58

[Reality15]

Extra trains don't help capacity a whole lot when stacked, and Hershey won't stack 3 nearly as bad as CP stacked their 6.

Maverick is designed to stack two trains. Here's how it works:

 

In five train operation, only one train will stack when interval is hit, but that means it's a slower loading time because that second train will be 45 seconds behind the first one. In other words, unless you run six trains, your load time will be completely shot. In six train operation, stacking two trains on the brake run is REQUIRED.

 

And nine times out of ten, stacking any more than those two trains is not caused by the crew being slow. It's caused by guests with loose articles that don't put them in the bin (sunglasses, sunglasses, sunglasses, and SUNGLASSES) or guests of exceptional size.

[307]

Looks interesting, and definitely will be ridden by me at some point, but doesn't excite me. Am I the only one underwhelmed by all of these "OMG 90 DEGREES DOWNWARDS HERE COME RIDE" coasters lately? Yawn. Not to mention I think they look really awkward, clunky and ugly to the eyes. The colour schemes rarely help this.

 

Good addition to the park, but the capacity issues and some other things people have brought up might contribute to a lack of positive reviews in the coming months.

 

To be honest? I'm more excited for the Tornado!!! I love those things!

[Loco]

This ride looks awesome!

Finally the speculation thread is CLOSED!

[ghost007jas]

The ride looks fantastic.

 

Did anyone else get an email from the promotions manager of hershey? Pretty sweet .