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This story sounds like "The Department for Homeland Security" but for Hershey Park. We are being spied on, and thank God, the marketing guys at Hershey Park are listening to their loyal guests. And this sounds like guerilla marketing. The cheapest form of advertising. Now all they want us to do is talk about it (like we are), build up the suspense, then finally tell us what the new ride will be. Welcome to theme park internet marketing.

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Sounds like another "Nantimi" game to me. The "Hershey Park" person who came on our Keystone Thrills Facebook group and asked us when we were meeting up knew exactly what they were doing. I'll be following this closely.

 

By the way, I'll be posting some pics in a PTR from our trip yesterday on here very soon (including some Attraction 2012 survey markings), so be on the look out.

 

EDIT: Got this from the provided link that Chris posted:

 

Celebrating 100 Years

 

 

 

In April of 1911, as Comet Halley blazed across the night sky, two of the nation's leading research scientists quietly handed in their resignations and founded The Ride Institute of Technology (RIT).

 

 

 

Working from a nondescript laboratory outside Princeton, New Jersey, Dr. Jeffrey Clayton and Dr. David Austin initiated a series of cutting-edge experiments under complete secrecy. These tests were known as Project Alpha, and would forever change the nascent theme park business.

 

 

 

For eight years, Dr. Clayton and Dr. Austin worked on Project Alpha in isolation and obscurity, endlessly rerunning experiments, testing hypotheses, and establishing the standards of an industry they were building from the ground up.

 

 

 

In the fall of 1918, RIT rented the penthouse suite of a downtown New York City hotel. Here, they invited the world's foremost ride engineers, ride operators, and theme park executives for an exclusive look at the results of Project Alpha.

 

 

 

The reception was astounding, and those in attendance recall pandemonium as the presentation concluded. Well-dressed executives stood on chairs shouting, and in their frenzy, offered fantastic sums for exclusive rights to the findings.

 

 

 

RIT turned down every bidder, and Dr. Clayton and Dr. Austin left New York under cover of darkness. They soon rented a new laboratory in a new state, where they began to hire additional scientists, physicists, and engineers.

 

 

 

As RIT expanded, its founders gradually removed themselves from day-to-day operations. In time, a new generation of scientists moved into leadership positions, and in their bid to grow further, they placed RIT firmly in the public eye.

 

 

 

Today, RIT stands as the undisputed leader in the advanced research and testing of theme park rides and attractions. We are the first and largest firm within our industry, and our clients include every iconic theme park in the world.

 

 

 

It's been nearly 12 years since we've released a major new study, but in the spring of 2011, we will unveil our most ambitious undertaking yet. We look forward to sharing our results with the world, and our forthcoming website will explain these findings further.

 

 

 

Thank you for visiting The Ride Institute of Technology.

 

Now some things to point out:

 

-They mention "Comet Halley". This would refer to the ride being located in Comet Hollow, thus why we're seeing all these survey markings and stakes.

 

-Spring 2011, they will unveil their "most ambitious undertaking yet"? Hmmm, sounds like a spring 2011 announcement, may be in the works? Most ambitious - maybe referring to the over 200-ft height mark?

 

Those are some things I wanted to point out that maybe we should think about.

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If this ride doesn't have a splashdown, then you can probably partly thank me for that since one of the questions they asked me was, "How do you think water would make a ride better?" and I pretty much told them that it would make the ride look good. But I don't think they'll go off of the questions they asked me on how to do this ride.

But some of the questions did make me think Drop Tower and (or) Coaster.

 

But yes, I am a firm believer that parks do consider our opinions and I think yesterday pretty much shows it.

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^ Let's hope if they haven't before today, they are now.

 

[Pssst... yeah, you "RIT" folks looking over this thread to see how your scheme is playing out... are you actually planning on building an AquaTrax coaster? Because that would be diabolically cool... and if not for 2011, then keep it in mind for later. kthxbai.]

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I'm sure they're just asking questions to stir up interest. The ride, whatever it may be, has already been designed, finalized, and some form of construction has probably begun. But I love how interactive they're making it. Really clever on Hershey's part.

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^^Truly. I find most of the whole "new media-social network-interwebz-viral marketing-blahblahblah" stuff to be kind of sickening, but this kind of thing is fun and creative. And even though HP's next attraction(s) are indeed cast in stone, it's always nice to think they're paying close attention to our feverish rantings.

 

[AquaTrax! AquaTrax! AquaTrax! AquaTrax! ]

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I

hope RIT (Rochester Institute of Technology) doesn't get wind of this group using the "RIT" namesake.

 

When I first saw this I was thinking Rochester Insitute of Technology as well!

 

I wonder if minds would have been blown if when asked about the water effects, you told them that while water is nice, nothin' would be better than a hot gravy splashdown!

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I'm kind of thinking something more like 13, just based on the freefall ride questions. They could do something with water first, but there is quite a different feeling between coasters and drop towers, and 13 type coasters bring the 2 concepts together. Very unlikely considering the height is so big compared to 13, but thats the first connection that jumped out at me. Either one would be cool. I am actually quite excited for this project, considering mega lights seem to be the other coaster type being thrown around.

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