Hersheypark (HP) Discussion Thread

[coasterfreak101]

Is there any chance at all that given the amount of "survey markings" seen around Comet that they may be removing Comet to install whatever this new ride may be? I shudder at the thought, but it's possible, I suppose.

 

Never. I'll kill 'em.

[tatertot3710]

Sorry to make you all lose hope about a new ride:

 

Now get ready to see Hershey from your own two feet! Get ready for the first Hershey Half Marathon on Sunday, October 3. Participants and families will receive complimentary admission into Hersheypark the evening before with a large section of the park reserved exclusively for runners and family members. Proceeds from the race will benefit Children’s Miracle Network at Penn State Children’s Hospital. Registration is limited and going fast!

[JDo217]

I was just at the park yesterday and I have to say it was really enjoyable. The weather turned out to be great all day despite predicted thunderstorms. All of the rides were open except for The Claw. The park was pretty crowded, but the last two times I've been to HP have been weekends, which were much worse. The lines however, weren't bad at all.

 

We hit the Comet around 10:30 and it was practically a walk-on. SDL and Lightning Racer were walk-ons all day. Wildcat opened an hour late and we did it right away. Not sure how long the line got later though. Great Bear was a 5 minute wait at most. We didn't do Fahrenheit early since one of my friends wasn't really a roller coaster rider and we had to work our way up from the smaller rides first. I think I only waited around 30 mins in line though.

 

Storm Runner was really something. The wait was at most 30 minutes (most of the wait being in the station) but the ride feels like it's gotten better with the years. The middle had so awesome pops of airtime but the back was just insane - ejector air over the entire top hat and a nice pop just before entering the barrel roll. Definitely don't remember it being like that back in 2004. The ride is still pretty smooth too. Fahrenheit was great too. It was a little rough around the Cobra Roll but nothing too bad.

 

Also, as I said earlier, one of my friends wasn't really a "roller coaster person" and she'd only been on maybe 1 roller coaster her entire life. By the end of the day though, she went on everything besides roller soaker. Her favorite was Great Bear; I think B&Ms tend to be really popular with people who aren't looking for a super intense ride. She enjoyed Fahrenheit too, minus the first drop. Oddly enough, she bruised herself on SR. She was holding on to the black bars and the side of her upper arm kept getting bashed into the seat during the ride. I was confused by this until I got on again and realized that if you're holding the grab bars correctly, your arms actually can get pretty beat up if the ride is bumpy.

 

Anyways, I'll post a Photo TR later

[xmichellex]

Thanks for your TR - I'm going in 2 weeks - can't wait!!

[RollingRunner]

This was on Hershey's Facebook this morning.

 

Hersheypark You've seen Hershey from the Kissing tower.....You've seen Hershey from the Storm runner......now get ready to see Hershey from .......

 

Assuming this is a hint for the rumored new coaster, am I the only one who thinks this could be the sign for a Giga? I mean, the Kissing Tower is 340 feet high and Storm Runner IS in fact a roller coaster...

 

I'm baffled on the placement for such a new ride so I wouldn't bet on a giga, but a medium 205'-ish hyper sounds more resonable. A drop tower would much better since there is a lack of space for the park. Whatever it may be, it's gonna be tall, which is great!

[Hayzle]

Sorry to burst your bubble but if you read the previous posts they were talking about the Hersheypark Half Marathon

[HPCrazy]

Sorry to make you all lose hope about a new ride:

 

Now get ready to see Hershey from your own two feet! Get ready for the first Hershey Half Marathon on Sunday, October 3. Participants and families will receive complimentary admission into Hersheypark the evening before with a large section of the park reserved exclusively for runners and family members. Proceeds from the race will benefit Children’s Miracle Network at Penn State Children’s Hospital. Registration is limited and going fast!

 

Saw that too and already knew about it when I first read that post. I still believe that there's hope for next year that if it's not a coaster, that we'll be getting some kind of flat or two.

 

I still think these markings are for some major coaster and I am believing we'll see major sightline changes coming in that area pretty soon.

[Ccron10]

The Kissing Tower and Storm Runner are the park's tallest rides. They may have either ment nothing about their post, or they may have giving us a hint.

All I have to say right now is that I have to wonder if something may happen to the Comet since 99% of the markings have been spotted surrounding it. There was even a stake found next to the exit path in the center of the curved station with a pink flag attached to it.

The only downside to the ride I would think why they would want to remove it would be the ride's capacity. PTC is still in business, it's not rough, and maintenance is pretty much the same as Wildcat and Lightning Racer.

[Ccron10]

Looks like Comet might not be in danger after all. A recent member at Keystone Thrills traveled to the park and got a picture of a lone stake in the center of Comet's curved station.

 

Photo by CoasterBGW.

 

Now there seems to be more reports of a lot more stakes have showed up scattered in the area between the Comet, on each sides of the creek and down to Creekside Catering. Appearently they are laid out in the way that they line up just like coaster supports. It also seems like the Tilt-A-Whirl may be removed for the coaster's station.

[PennStater]

Looks like Comet might not be in danger after all.

 

Might not be in danger after all? Or might be in danger after all?

[deguy123]

All I'm saying is that "IF" Comet is taken out, they better announce it so people are able to get last rides on it. I would be really suprised if they just took it out without a big event to begin with, but you never know when it comes to money.

[Sir Clinksalot]

Why would they need to put markers up for a 1/2 marathon more than 2 months before it happens? That makes absolutely NO sense. Even the big Marathons (Boston, New York, London, etc) probably don't start preparing the course until about a month prior.

[Synshine]

Removing the Comet is a pretty big "IF."

[rcg19]

Deleted by user

Edited December 29, 2010 by rcg19

[coasterfreak101]

I just went yesterday, there are a few paint markers against the wall of Comet's station in the last switchback of the queue, and there are a few markings on the path outside the exit too. There's also a flag next to SooperDooperLooper's turn from brakes to the final run / Comet's first return run.

 

I don't see any reason for them to take Comet out. Hersheypark, especially with additions like Great Bear and Storm Runner, have made a point of working around old rides in some quite creative ways. And not to mention the no-touching-the-water rules. I don't think that they would take out the last project in the park that Milton got to work on. At least, I would hope they wouldn't.

[CoasterEricHP]

There is no ride in the world that would justify removing the Comet! I hope Hersheypark knows that. I'd rather see them remove Fahrenheit! I'm not worried... really..

[RomanHORSEman]

Just got back from my trip to PA! Went to Hershey sunday. Rode Fahrenheit 3x, Storm Runner 7x (i loved it......), Great Bore 3x (least favorite invert sorry fun ride but I've ridden way too many better inverts), LR 2x, Wildcat once, Wild Mouse once, Comet once, Sidewinder once, Roller soaker once, Soopersinglelooper once, and I checked out Reese's Xtreme Cup Challenge. The crowds weren't too bad the longest line I waited in was for Sooperdooperlooper cause of one train op. I fell in love with Storm Runner it was the best coaster of the whole trip. Went to Dorney the next day had fun there too.

[knowit]

Relax guys. The Comet is not being removed. The new coaster may go THROUGH the Comet. (Think Phantoms Revenge). This is not set in stone yet. The coaster will probably be installed in 2012 because the engineering required to modify Comet will take that long to complete. But , please, this is only in the planning stages. This could change.

[JDo217]

If the Comet or SDL were to go, at least I could say I already got my last rides on both this season. The Comet was my first true coaster and SDL was my first looping coaster.

 

I'm interested to know what Hershey has planned though. I think they really just need a high capacity, long ride. A giga or hyper would feel kinda out of place at HP but I dunno, just give us something amazing Hershey!

[knowit]

I pretty sure it's going to be a hyper by intamin. There are no rides being removed, although the tilt-a-whirl will probably find a new home somewhere else in the park.

[alpengeist04]

There is no ride in the world that would justify removing the Comet! I hope Hersheypark knows that. I'd rather see them remove Fahrenheit! I'm not worried... really..

 

Bite your tongue. We want an increase of Intamins in the States, not a decrease.

[Ccron10]

Relax guys. The Comet is not being removed. The new coaster may go THROUGH the Comet. (Think Phantoms Revenge). This is not set in stone yet. The coaster will probably be installed in 2012 because the engineering required to modify Comet will take that long to complete. But , please, this is only in the planning stages. This could change.

Or they could build over the Comet. My bet is that the pink stakes are for supports since there were some scattered near Comet's station and running along side it. I've also herd that there are a lot of orange stakes along spring creek on the other side of Comet the are spaced out a few feet apart.

[CHILLERLC1]

An increase of the right Intamins. They can go ahead and take Fahrenheit. I think the next coaster will drop over SDL and Comet into a Raging Bull style turnaround.

 

B&M has Great Bear on its resume but what is really the strongest highlight they have is SFOG's Goliath. That is built on a hill with hills crossing over other coasters, across the entry plaza and parking lot access roads. Hersheypark should be going with B&M to build their own Goliath. Hershey has all these scenarios playing for them.

[knowit]

Or they could build over the Comet. My bet is that the pink stakes are for supports since there were some scattered near Comet's station and running along side it. I've also herd that there are a lot of orange stakes along spring creek on the other side of Comet the are spaced out a few feet apart.

 

Anything is possible at this point in regards to the placement of supports or the final track layout. From what I understand the goal is to go through Comet an out to the old golf course behind the park and Chocolate World. Only time will tell.

[][ntamin22]

Headed to Hershey tomorrow for - hopefully - a full day of fun. The Weather Channel begs to differ though:

 

83°F

Isolated T-Storms

 

All day

How concerned should I be about this?

 

As a fun hershey aside, my first coaster was Wildcat. Being a tiny stick of a kid, I almost slid out from under the lap bar during the ride. It scared me out of trying to ride anything else that day, but eventually I came around. My parents are still astonished that I'm not scarred for life.