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Hersheypark (HP) Discussion Thread


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In the summer most days are crowded, even during the week (though not as bad as the weekends). If you get there at opening and get the popular/low capacity rides out of the way first like Comet, Fahrenheit and Roller Soaker out of the way first, it should be ok especially while the Boardwalk is open. If you plan to go on the Boardwalk attractions, it is going to be difficult to avoid crowds. Last year I went on a Monday in August and the Boardwalk was packed, 45 - 60 minute waits for the Tornado and Bowl Slide (I didn't wait but heard people say that is how long they waited).

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  • 1 month later...

So how have the crowds been so far this July? I'm going on July 29th. This is the first time I'm going in July. We're staying the whole day but I was reading through this thread and reading the horror stories of April and STITP. Should I expect crowds like that on a Thursday in July?

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So how have the crowds been so far this July? I'm going on July 29th. This is the first time I'm going in July. We're staying the whole day but I was reading through this thread and reading the horror stories of April and STITP. Should I expect crowds like that on a Thursday in July?

 

Crowds in July have been ridiculous. We've been hitting close to record attendance every day - even on weekdays. I was operating Roller Soaker yesterday and the line averaged 90 minutes from 3-8pm. The best time to ride Soaker would be in the morning, or immediately after a breakdown... we broke down once yesterday and the line reduced to 30 mins, but 10 minutes after re-opening, the line extended back to normal.

 

Fahrenheit's line actually isn't too bad. Attendants at front-line will say the line is 45 minutes long when we've had guests say they actually waited around 20 minutes. Once you hit the tree closest to the stairs, it's about a 10-15 minute wait, depending on the efficiency of the ride attendants/operator/ADA loading-unloading. Since July 29th is my last day at HP, I should be working Fahrenheit, and I always stress to my co-workers the importance of increasing the capacity by quickly loading/unloading trains - while maintaining safety of the guests, of course... so you should see the line move pretty fast. /brag

 

And to comment on what YoshiFan said: If you plan on visiting the Boardwalk, especially on a hot day, I recommend going as soon as the park gates open - ride Tidal Force first, then Roller Soaker, then the water slides.

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Thanks for the heads up! We're not water ride people though and when it's really hot out we usually just find someplace air-conditioned and stay there until we're ready to move again. Good to hear that Fahrenheit's line isn't too bad because the past few times I've gone, it's been nothing but a 1+ hr wait no matter what time.

 

How have the lines been for Great Bear, SR, Lightning Racers, and Wildcat? I've never really seen SR's line past 30 minutes except for the year it opened, when the line was usually out of the queue. We're planning on staying till 9 or 10 so hopefully the crowds will thin out; hoping for night rides on Lightning Racer, SR, and Great Bear

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^ I recently went to the park on the 22nd and the park was really crowded, but most of the lines were actually decently short. I rode Great Bear in the morning when it was still a walk on, but by noon and evening it became a 20 minute wait. Storm Runner held up good all day keeping the line at a 15-20 minute wait at best, I would go to that in the morning too. Lightning Racer usually has a station wait so anytime in the day is good to ride. But this year, Wildcat had almost a 30 minute wait! Compared to my past experiences with near walk ons, I was shocked this ride nearly fill the queue. Thoughout the day, I doubt you would ever wait more than 45 minutes for one ride, except maybe Fahrenheit (I skipped that one this trip). Definitely stay until the final hours when the lines die down. Night rides on Great Bear and Storm Runner are amazing!

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I'm going on a saturday night (7/31) for my preview plan and then spending the whole day on sunday (8/1). What should I expect for crowds? I haven't been to hershey in 10 years and I haven't ridden Great Bear, Storm Runner, Fahrenheit, SDL, Sidewinder, and Roller Soaker.

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Thanks for the heads up! We're not water ride people though and when it's really hot out we usually just find someplace air-conditioned and stay there until we're ready to move again. Good to hear that Fahrenheit's line isn't too bad because the past few times I've gone, it's been nothing but a 1+ hr wait no matter what time.

 

How have the lines been for Great Bear, SR, Lightning Racers, and Wildcat? I've never really seen SR's line past 30 minutes except for the year it opened, when the line was usually out of the queue. We're planning on staying till 9 or 10 so hopefully the crowds will thin out; hoping for night rides on Lightning Racer, SR, and Great Bear

 

Lines for Great Bear, Storm Runner, Lightning Racer, and Wildcat have been relatively short - meaning less than 30 minutes for each ride. Don't let the long lines fool you, as capacity on each coaster is fairly large. Just like RollingRunner mentioned, Wildcat has been having surprisingly longer-than-normal wait times... as long as the queue line doesn't reach the bottom of the ramps, you'll be waiting no longer than 20 minutes. If Storm Runner ever breaks down, ask a "red tag" why... if they say "no-launch", stay in line... maintenance usually fixes that problem within 15 minutes. If they don't know, I would recommend going back 45-60 minutes later.

 

I'm going on a saturday night (7/31) for my preview plan and then spending the whole day on sunday (8/1). What should I expect for crowds? I haven't been to hershey in 10 years and I haven't ridden Great Bear, Storm Runner, Fahrenheit, SDL, Sidewinder, and Roller Soaker.

 

Look over what I said a few posts up... that may help a bit. You will want to hit Fahrenheit and Roller Soaker first... those lines fill up the quickest. As for the other listed rides, Sidewinder and SDL will be near walk-ons. Great Bear and Storm Runner should have lines no longer than 30 minutes each.

 

And to comment on what RollingRunner said, night rides on Storm Runner and Great Bear are, indeed, the best. It doesn't matter where you sit, so don't be too upset if the line for front row is too long. As for Fahrenheit, I believe the best ride is in the back. I've made some riders sit in the front AND the back of the train, and nearly everyone has agreed that the back gives a better, more exciting ride.

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I am going in two weeks... I cannot wait! I am hoping lines will not be tremendous - getting into the park or for the rides. I am not quite sure the best way to tackle the park though. Last time was a complete disaster. Between the line to get in, which I have never seen anything like this in my life - and I had my tickets prior to getting there. This time, we are going to a concert the night before, so we are using the concert tix for a nice discount that next day. Then the park map just looked like hieroglyphics to me and I found it hard to navigate without feeling kind of overwhelmed. We didn't make it past Zoo America before my husband got fed up and we left. I only got to ride Great Bear. I was thinking ride Great Bear, (because I cannot physically walk past it and not ride it) then go to the back of the park, and ride everything on my way "out". Go home, drop off the hubby and son, and then go back with my daughter and her two friends to ride again! Any better advice out there? Also, do they have lockers like Great Adventure to put stuff in by each ride? (Like my camera) If so, are they free or do they cost $$?

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I haven't been there since 2006, but I'd recommend skipping Comet Hollow and Minetown initially and heading right for Fahrenheit and Storm Runner since both of those coasters tend to get the longest waits of any at Hershey. Following that, I'd take a ride on Sidewinder, the park's boomerang, if you enjoy boomerangs or want the credit. It's not overly rough, but I've been on smoother boomerangs. Then, I'd hit the Roller Soaker and Boardwalk if you want to do those since people should be making their way towards the back of the park.

 

Next, I would grab rides of Lightning Racer, the Wildcat, and the Wild Mouse. Additionally, I'd hit the Whip while you are in Midway America since it is a cool version of a classic flat. Then, I'd head back towards the front. On the way, jump on the park's mine train, Trailblazer, since it almost never has a line from what I remember. Afterwards, hook your way through Music Box Square and hit the Claw if you enjoy those types of flats. Next, I'd go on the Reese's Xtreme Cup Challenge. If it has a long line, I recommend using the single rider line since that usually got me on in 5 minutes or less. Then, grab a ride on the Comet. I recommend the back seat because the first 3-4 drops give some really strong air in the back. After the Comet, jump on Sooperdooperlooper and the Great Bear.

 

As for lockers, I don't really remember them being there or not being there in 2006 since I didn't use them during my visit.

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F1Shy, if you're working Fahrenheit the 29th I'll probably see you. And it figures this is the one day of the week it's slated to thunderstorm. Only 30% chance though and only scattered thunderstorms. This shouldn't really be a problem right?

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Canobie Coaster,

 

NICE! Thank you so much for that! I will try to follow that. I am not a big fan of woodies, but I will try them anyhow. I definitely want to try the boomerang. The only one I have gone on that goes backwards is Chiller... so it will be a new experience! I will be trying to take advantage of Hershey's flats as well. I always ignore them everywhere I go. They usually just all go 'round and 'round... makes me dizzy. Thanks again for all the info! Printed and duly noted!

 

If anyone else knows about the lockers... HELP!

 

edit: Talk about making me dizzy... fluffy bunnies keep popping up instead of the word I am trying to get out there...it is the thing that you put stuff in, while you are on the coasters - so they don't fall on people's heads during the ride. lol. Does Hershey have them?

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From the HP website

 

PERSONAL PROPERTY

Ride operators and attendants are not responsible for articles left by patrons at the ride stations. Neither Hersheypark nor its employees assume responsibility for the loss of, or damage to, personal property. L.ocker storage is available throughout the Park.

 

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

Are lockerss available at Hersheypark?

Yes, Lockerss are available for rent inside the park, including the Boardwalk area. Lockerss vary in price and size and are rented by the day. Credit cards accepted.

 

They are not large enough to store big stuffed animals. The big stuffed animals can be stored at the "Barking Lot" or Tram Circle after 1 PM during the summer season only. Neither Employees, Guest Relations nor Security are permitted to hold customer items for temporary storage. Any problems with lockerss will be handled through the Merchandise Office.

Edited by larrygator
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I haven't been there since 2006, but I'd recommend skipping Comet Hollow and Minetown initially and heading right for Fahrenheit and Storm Runner since both of those coasters tend to get the longest waits of any at Hershey. Following that, I'd take a ride on Sidewinder, the park's boomerang, if you enjoy boomerangs or want the credit. It's not overly rough, but I've been on smoother boomerangs.

 

A lot has changed since 2006... Sidewinder is now probably our roughest ride in the park, next to Wildcat. Fahrenheit has a small patch of roughness as you exit the cobra roll.

 

F1Shy, if you're working Fahrenheit the 29th I'll probably see you. And it figures this is the one day of the week it's slated to thunderstorm. Only 30% chance though and only scattered thunderstorms. This shouldn't really be a problem right?

 

The weather has been unpredictable, recently. Yesterday we had a 0% chance of thunderstorms in the morning, and 100% chance of t-storms in the evening... in reality, we had HAIL in the morning, and the most beautiful of blue skies in the evening. It was ridiculous.

 

And as for the bag drops, some rides have cubbies, while others have a marked area on the station platform/ride area to put your belongings.

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I was there yesterday... and I was satisfied and disappointed. The past couple of times I've gone to Hersheypark, Storm Runner has been closed for basically the whole day until like two hours before the park closes, and it was again this time. I haven't waited in lines this long for Hersheypark in probably ten years. I rode Fahrenheit when it came out, and waited probably two hours. Yesterday, I waited around an hour or more (the longest wait of the day). The shortest line we encountered was Lightning Racer with a walk-on three times. I've waited around an hour for this one before too, so the short wait surprised me. I had a great day and all, but I was really looking forward to Storm Runner. I haven't ridden it since 2004, and I'd rather go to Kings Dominion or Six Flags America to be honest...

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I'm kinda bummed the weather reports are now saying 50% of thunderstorms all day Thursday I'm praying that the forecast will change but I doubt it will so close to the date. I don't mind if the rides close down for part of the day but I'm hoping they won't shut down all day. We're going anyway though since this is really the only opportunity I have

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Some servey markers have been spotted in Creekside Catering so I decided to stop by while I was in the area to check and see if there were any along Park Ave to see if the the park might expand into the golf course.

I didn't see anything on the old pool complex, didn't see anything in Creekside Catering and it looks like it's been unused for awhile. I didn't see any servey markers or anything out of the normal. I do have to say that the stretch of road is terrible and should be moved to make it curve less.

So far, I guess the build area is from Comet down to Creekside Catering which means you can kiss those ideas of a Giga goodbye for now, but it might still be a large ride.

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You know.. I'm moving back to Florida this weekend and if Hershey FINALLY gets the drop tower that I've been waiting for since my first visit to Cedar Point in 1999, I will be mad! Happy.. but mad!

 

However, the fact that they use Storm Runner as an example in the teaser makes me think it will be some kind of coaster.. and it will be the tallest in the park. Aside from my awesome "concept art" a few pages back though I don't see where else they are going to fit this thing!

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You know.. I'm moving back to Florida this weekend and if Hershey FINALLY gets the drop tower that I've been waiting for since my first visit to Cedar Point in 1999, I will be mad! Happy.. but mad!

 

However, the fact that they use Storm Runner as an example in the teaser makes me think it will be some kind of coaster.. and it will be the tallest in the park. Aside from my awesome "concept art" a few pages back though I don't see where else they are going to fit this thing!

 

That is interesting. The fact that they use both the Kissing Tower and Storm Runner make me believe it is certainly something other than a coaster, and puts my thoughts to a drop tower.

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