Hersheypark (HP) Discussion Thread

[coasterbill]

Queue Times says it topped out at 75 minutes, which means if you waited 4 hours for Candymonium then you deserved to stand there for that entire time and suffer for your bad decision making.

[Canobie Coaster]

I wonder how far out the entrance the line for Candymonium extended for that line!

I admittedly started with it when I visited Hersheypark on a weekday over the summer since it was the main reason for me visiting and I wanted to make sure I rode it just in case it went down (even though it was unlikely considering it was a B&M hyper).  Almost the entire queue building was filled and I think that took 60 minutes.

[grsupercity]

2 hours for most coasters? Ouch 

[boldikus]

This is why you go on Sundays in October. Saturdays at Hershey always seem to be insane.

Candy had a 2 hour line at opening when we were there a few weeks ago (on a Sunday) but everything else was 15-25 minutes. Later in the day Candy was down to 20 minutes.

[PKI Jizzman]

Wow, glad they are seeing success with their 2020 investment! People seem to like it on a Mystic Timbers level.

[coasterbill]

Hershey has announced a bonus weekend with the Christmas ride lineup but no Christmas lights or attractions but for the same price... get hyped. PS: Six Flags Great Adventure will be open that weekend also, in it's entirety.

[boldikus]

I mean its Hershey so people will go, but yeah screw that.

[coasterbill]

I feel like I'm being too negative today but I also just love dogging on Hershey and Carowinds every late fall / winter for being dumb. It's a holiday tradition of mine.

[ejot]

Too bad if there’s really no holiday lights?  Last Hershey holiday season I went to was 2016 and there was a spectacular lights show set to music in the Hollow.

And boy am I glad I visited on a summer weekday this year.  Park was empty.  Rode Candymonium completely alone 5x.  Those wait times are nuts.

[coasterbill]

They're doing Christmas Candylane, that weekend just won't be a part of it.

[Canobie Coaster]

Does anyone know if Skyrush has a cutoff for operating temperature?  I'm considering going Sunday (assuming there's no rain).  I'm guessing it can run when it drops into the 40s, but I figured I'd ask since this isn't Great Adventure.

[DoinItForTheFame]

9 hours ago, Canobie Coaster said:

Does anyone know if Skyrush has a cutoff for operating temperature?  I'm considering going Sunday (assuming there's no rain).  I'm guessing it can run when it drops into the 40s, but I figured I'd ask since this isn't Great Adventure.

From what I was able to find after a ton of googling, the minimum operating temperature the park will operate their coasters is 38 degrees. However, that isn't taken directly from a park publication... So I'd take it with a grain of salt. 

[Canobie Coaster]

Ok thank you!  It should be a good 8-10 degrees warmer than that at the coldest so I should be all set then.

[coasterbill]

They seem to close their Christmas Candylane coasters at 35 or 36 but their operating limits for the Intamins are much higher than that.

You’re taking a gamble. Personally I wouldn’t go to Hershey if it wasn’t going to be over 50 degrees just because of how inconsistent and weird they are with that stuff. You’ll probably get lucky but there’s no guarantee.

[Canobie Coaster]

Saturday is 10 degrees cooler than Sunday.  I'll keep an eye on the app Saturday to see if things are open.  If I went, I was driving down on Sunday morning.

[YoshiFan]

I think the 35 - 38 degrees for other coasters is accurate. I was at the park 2 or 3 years ago and my phone was showing around 40 degrees and I rode sooperdooperlooper and the Triple Towers, then later it was down to the low 30s and the Triple Towers and all outdoor coasters closed.

Edit, I looked up one of my trip reports, this was from 2017:

"During my final sooperdooperlooper ride I looked up the temperature and it was 41, by the time I left the park it was 35 and the Triple Towers, Frontier Flyers and all the outdoor coasters except Cocoa Cruiser were closed. I had heard the lowest temperature the park will run the coasters is 38 degrees and that seemed to be accurate."

Edit 2, I looked it up and here is the official policy:

"

What is your weather policy when there are cold temperatures?

These rides MAY close when temperatures approach 38 degrees or lower. They MAY NOT open unless temperatures are above 38 degrees and rising: Fahrenheit; Ferris Wheel; Great Bear; Hershey Triple Tower; Kissing Tower; Lightning Racer; Capital BlueCross Monorail; Sidewinder; Skyrush; sooperdooperLooper; Storm Runner; Wild Mouse; and Wildcat. Candymonium may close as temperatures approach 34 degrees.

These rides MAY close when temperatures are 65 degrees or lower. They MAY NOT open unless temperatures are above 65 degrees and rising: Bayside Pier; Breakers Edge Water Coaster; Coal Cracker; Coastline Plunge; East Coast Waterworks; Intercoastal Waterway; Sandcastle Cove; Shoreline Sprayground; The Shore; Tidal Force; Waverider; and Whitecap Racer.

It may not be possible to identify which rides will be closed at specific times due to varying degrees of effects from inclement weather on our rides and attractions. We appreciate your understanding as we work to keep you safe and having fun!"

https://www.hersheypark.com/info/faqs.php

[Canobie Coaster]

Thank you!  I love when parks are specific about their temperature limits.  I'm guessing the water rides won't be running, but I wasn't expecting them to be open.

[YoshiFan]

Coal Cracker used to be listed as open for Hersheypark in the Dark but the last few years, even when it was warm out it was still closed and now it's not listed as running anymore except for Spring and Summer.  I guess with staffing such an issue this time of year, with the ride taking so many people to run and temperature dependent, they probably would rather have those ride operators elsewhere.

[Canobie Coaster]

I definitely would have ridden Coal Cracker had it been open, but it's not a big deal for me seeing it closed.  More time for the hypers!

[coasterbill]

Coal Cracker leaves riders so bone-dry that it could honestly run for Christmas if they could keep the water from freezing and people would probably ride it.

[prozach626]

On 10/28/2020 at 10:21 AM, ejot said:

Rode Candymonium completely alone 5x. 

That's a strange thing to boast about.

[ejot]

Found the contrast to a 4hr wait interesting.  It was a bit surreal to ride a brand new B&M for the better part of a half hour without seeing another guest.  Not everyone's preference, granted.  I enjoy raucous full trains and Zen solo rides alike.  

[Canobie Coaster]

Fyi to anyone going to Candylane.  If you intend to ride Candymonium, you also need to watch out for wind.  Candymonium closed due to wind before any other coaster yesterday.  Winds were listed as 16-18 mph on my weather app.

[dwainw]

On 10/29/2020 at 3:55 PM, YoshiFan said:

These rides MAY close when temperatures approach 38 degrees or lower. They MAY NOT open unless temperatures are above 38 degrees and rising: Fahrenheit; Ferris Wheel; Great Bear; Hershey Triple Tower; Kissing Tower; Lightning Racer; Capital BlueCross Monorail; Sidewinder; Skyrush; sooperdooperLooper; Storm Runner; Wild Mouse; and Wildcat. Candymonium may close as temperatures approach 34 degrees.

So Candymonium can operate in lower temperatures because of these bogie heaters:

At night they give a nice glow:

These are the first in the US, no?

[coasterbill]

Maybe on a B&M hyper (not sure about Raging Bull) but wheel heaters are becoming increasingly common.

I just caught the part about how it will close at 34 degrees even though it has wheel heaters. That's absolutely adorable.