Hersheypark (HP) Discussion Thread

[coasterbill]

You had me at Bear ride.

 

[FaithPlus1]

Hey guys! I'm going to Hershey in 2 weeks, however it's been almost 6 years since I last went. Which ride should I be heading to first? Also, I'll be going on a Tuesday, should it be too crowded? Help

 

Ill be going the same day. Driving from Ohio. Being a Tuesday I'm not planning on it being too crowded. Ill keep my fingers crossed!

[bert425]

Hey guys! I'm going to Hershey in 2 weeks, however it's been almost 6 years since I last went. Which ride should I be heading to first? Also, I'll be going on a Tuesday, should it be too crowded? Help

 

because it's new (and it's basically a Mouse, which always seem to have slow loading). . I'd go for Laff Track FIRST, before lines get long.

[Jodon]

I'm going to Hershey tonight and tomorrow. Does Hershey have bins or cubbies for bags at their coasters or do you have get a loker?

[njcoasterguy34]

They have bins at some of their coasters. They're not like the ones at Dorney, though. They're just a bin with everyone's stuff all mingled together.

[VegasBaby]

I'm going to Hershey tonight and tomorrow. Does Hershey have bins or cubbies for bags at their coasters or do you have get a loker?

 

All of the coasters have bins, so you don't need to worry about getting a lock er. The waterpark has the wristband lock ers, so unless you are going on the water slides, you won't need a lock er.

[Jodon]

Thanks! Really looking forward to visiting the park and riding their three Intamins!

[Jcoaster]

Thanks! Really looking forward to visiting the park and riding their three Intamins!

 

If its Hershey's Intamins you have come for (which is what most enthusiasts come for) you will not be disappointed!

[TB305]

Thanks! Really looking forward to visiting the park and riding their three Intamins!

 

If its Hershey's Intamins you have come for (which is what most enthusiasts come for) you will not be disappointed!

That's what I'm going for on the 14th/15th! I checked the app and Skyrush is closed right now. Does anyone know why?

[i<3coasters]

Thanks! Really looking forward to visiting the park and riding their three Intamins!

 

If its Hershey's Intamins you have come for (which is what most enthusiasts come for) you will not be disappointed!

 

Amen. Was at Hershey for the first time on Monday and it absolutely blew me away. Maybe my favorite park now! Skyrush & Storm Runner

[Jodon]

Just rode all 3 Intamins! All 3 are really good rides, but felt that Farenheit was the weakest of the three, but the most re-rideable. Skyrush was ridiculous. The only other ride that I've been on that tries to throw you out of your seat so much is Outlaw Run, my current #1. Storm Runner was a lot of fun. Good mix of speed, cool inversions, and some decent air time. Really solid collection of coasters here at Hersheypark.

 

I've got a full day here tomorrow, and don't need the Laff Trakk credit, where should I start? Any places I should eat in the park? Any shows worth watching?

[tororific]

I just went to Hershey Park for the first time on Saturday. I had a great time (in spite of the crowds and the operations, see below).

A few observations:

 

1. I didn't know how beautiful the surrounding area was around the park -- I was very impressed the beauty in the drive from Philly and even the area immediately around the park was prettier than I imagined (for some reason I always placed the park in the middle of a town/ factory area). I also thought the park itself was surprisingly pretty.

 

Coaster impressions:

 

2. I know everyone is raving about Skyrush (and I will too in a moment), but the surprise hit for me was Storm Runnner -- why don't more people talk about this coaster? I thought it was a great ride that really showed the potential of Intamin's accelerator coasters and was, by a significant margin, a much better ride than Top Thrill or Kinga Ka. Great initial launch (obviously lacks the wow factor of TTD or Kinga Da, but still a great start and good punch). GREAT punch of air in the front car at the peak of the top hat -- and one of my favorite airtime moments on a coaster because just as you are lifted you face down that huge vertical drop, which is a great visual and a cool sensation). I loved the first drop into the ravine, which is a lot bigger than you expect because of the elevation change. The first inversion is nice, and the pull out pulls some serious g's in the front seat. And it all flows great into the highlight of the ride: the double-barrel roll or the roll with the "snake" thing -- whatever it is called, it is a GREAT, intense element. The combination of being so high in the air, with the quick snap rolls, and then the dive is just a great element. The final twist and little pop of air fills out an action-packed ride. Obviously, the length and duration is the one deficiency. Had they extended the course with a few more bunny hops at the end it would have been a top 10 ride for me.

 

3. Skyrush. I really enjoyed it, but, surprisingly, not sure I LOVED it. It had a great first drop -- in the back it literally catapulted me out of my seat, and I loved the twist at the end. Some great ejector air throughout the course (when not stapled in) and I enjoyed the unique low-to-the-ground/ water course. Why didn't I LOVE it the same way I love El Toro, for instance? I think it was a combination of factors:

 

a. The trains -- there is just something slightly unwieldy about the very wide trains that made the ride seem more lumbering, despite the high speeds, than two-across seating, and there was some decent rattling in the outboard seats;

 

b. the ride/ course felt short -- didn't feel like a complete course, like El Toro or Magnum;

 

c. the ejector air, although great in many ways, actually was uncomfortable at times -- this is obviously a sign of aging, but beyond that, there was something very abrupt about it, almost like being thrown forward that felt different (to me at least) than the ejector air on El Toro.

 

So overall, a great ride, but not a mind-blower, for me at least.

 

4. Other coasters:

 

Fahrenheit - Maverick-lite. I enjoyed it, but wasn't blown away. Good compact layout, great first drop, but a bit short. (The train rattled a ton.)

 

Lightning Racers -- I really got a kick out of this. Even though there was virtually no air to be found, I thought the design was very cool and lots of fun.

 

Wild Cat -- not much air to be found, but I enjoyed it.

 

Great Bear -- Thought the first drop was a cool change-up. I enjoyed getting so low to the ground on it. A very solid coaster.

 

6. Park's operation. Wow, did they dispatch trains SLOWLY. Skyrush was absolutely awful: I routinely timed 3+ minute dispatches. TERRIBLE capacity for a ride that should be a people eater. I couldn't really figure out what the problem was, since there aren't even seat belts that need to be checked separately. Seemed to be some combination of needing to constantly open and close all the restraints for everyone and incredibly slow-moving crew. All the other coasters, other than Sooper Dooper Looper had crews made of molasses.

 

Overall, though, pretty park with a really nice collection of coasters.

 

Comet - didn't get to ride it (don't ask).

[DILinator]

Storm Runnner -- why don't more people talk about this coaster?

 

I agree 110%! I love Storm Runner, and notice it seems conspicuously absent in many conversations about great coasters! I too, prefer it to TTD and Kingda Ka, and think it's every bit a reason to go to Hersheypark as Skyrush.

 

Speaking of Skyrush, the painful ejector air was present the first season of the coaster, when I rode it, so that's not an age issue, but rather a manufacturing one. More specifically, the trains/restraints should be altered to lessen this, or something along those lines.

 

But yeah, Storm Runner is amazing, and underrated! I'm glad you enjoyed it!

[mike541x]

Couldn't agree more, Storm Runner is a great ride. The flying snake dive inversion is one of the best things I've experience on a roller coaster.

[tororific]

Storm Runnner -- why don't more people talk about this coaster?

 

I agree 110%! I love Storm Runner, and notice it seems conspicuously absent in many conversations about great coasters! I too, prefer it to TTD and Kingda Ka, and think it's every bit a reason to go to Hersheypark as Skyrush.

 

Speaking of Skyrush, the painful ejector air was present the first season of the coaster, when I rode it, so that's not an age issue, but rather a manufacturing one. More specifically, the trains/restraints should be altered to lessen this, or something along those lines.

 

But yeah, Storm Runner is amazing, and underrated! I'm glad you enjoyed it!

 

Glad to hear I am not alone - thanks for the feedback.

Oh, and just to clarify, the "sign of aging" comment about the uncomfortable ejector air was a reference to MY aging -- not the coaster (as in: as I get older, I notice that some extreme elements on coasters, like intense laterals and some kinds of ejector air, are less enjoyable because my body is getting older). But, that said, I still adore El Toro, and Magnum's return bunny hops, and Thunderbolt's ravine drops, and Vancouver's coaster's ejector air, so it's not just me becoming a middle-aged man -- there was just something a LITTLE bit uncomfortable about the pops on the ride, and probably due to the restraints (which are much better, as I understand it, than what it had the first season). Still, a great ride.

Edited July 27, 2015 by tororific

[tororific]

Couldn't agree more, Storm Runner is a great ride. The flying snake dive inversion is one of the best things I've experience on a roller coaster.

 

yeah, its intensity took me by surprise (kind of reminded me of the first moment when I experienced a pretzel loop on a B&M flyer and thought, "whoah, that was more intense than it looked from the ground!" The flying snake is great and perfectly placed.

[DILinator]

the restraints (which are much better, as I understand it, than what it had the first season)

 

That's good to hear, because that was really my biggest complaint about what was otherwise, a pretty awesome coaster!

 

I understand the whole shifting experiences based on advancing age thing! Where I notice it the most is spinning flat rides, but even now I find some intense coasters giving me more trouble than they used to (especially on really hot days.) As long as I can keep riding coasters like my dad, who's now 65, I'll be just fine, however!

[VegasBaby]

Storm Runner really is a great ride and was my second favorite coaster at Hershey. (I still prefer Skyrush due to the incredible first drop and the insane ejector air.) My wife also loved Storm Runner (and wasn't a huge Skyrush fan), so we rode it about 10 times during our visit last month. The launch and airtime over the top hat were great, and the inversions were fast paced and lots of fun, especially the snake dive. Storm Runner really separates itself from the other Intamin accelerators and feels like a more complete coaster experience. I still have Xcelerator ranked above it because I've ridden it so much and absolutely love the launch, but SR has a firm spot in my top ten. And with the dual loading stations, we never had more than a 15 min wait during out visit.

[Rai Fox]

6. Park's operation. Wow, did they dispatch trains SLOWLY. Skyrush was absolutely awful: I routinely timed 3+ minute dispatches. TERRIBLE capacity for a ride that should be a people eater. I couldn't really figure out what the problem was, since there aren't even seat belts that need to be checked separately. Seemed to be some combination of needing to constantly open and close all the restraints for everyone and incredibly slow-moving crew. All the other coasters, other than Sooper Dooper Looper had crews made of molasses.

 

 

Typical for Hershey; I've never seen anything approaching good operations at that park. In my experience, they have consistently the worst operations of any major park I've been to. I'm not sure what the issue is; training, policies, I just don't know, but they're abysmal, and on a crowded day it really hurts an otherwise wonderful park.

[neil009]

the restraints (which are much better, as I understand it, than what it had the first season)

 

That's good to hear, because that was really my biggest complaint about what was otherwise, a pretty awesome coaster!

 

Not much has changed since the first season sadly. The material on the surface of the restraints is softer, so it doesn't dig into your thighs quite as sharply as it did when it first opened, which, I might add, was insanely painful. The bigger difference for me though was when they started releasing the restraints on the break run rather than waiting till you get back to the station, so you're not sitting there in agony the entire time while the crew finishes loading the next train. This happens *most* of the time. However, the main problem with the restraints, which is that they hold you too far down on your leg, has not changed. This contributes to the "thrown forward" sensation over the airtime hills, rather than being lifted straight upwards like on El Toro. To me the difference between these two restraint systems is pretty stark; on El Toro I feel the airtime as pressure in my face, which is where it should be felt as the blood rushes to your head as if you're being held upside down (not sure if people who aren't super skinny with slightly below-average blood pressure feel this same sensation), but on Skyrush it's felt as pressure on my thighs which act almost like the fulcrum on a lever, throwing my entire torso forward. Both are technically "airtime" and yet both feel completely different.

 

TL;DR I completely agree with this guy:

 

c. the ejector air, although great in many ways, actually was uncomfortable at times -- this is obviously a sign of aging, but beyond that, there was something very abrupt about it, almost like being thrown forward that felt different (to me at least) than the ejector air on El Toro.

 

It's like the difference between being constantly aware of the restraints on Skyrush, versus not even thinking about the restraints on El Toro at all until they're raised and I look at the wrinkled, flattened mess my pants have become and reflect on the fact that they were really, really tight. Skyrush is still a painful experience, and if you've ridden El Toro you know it doesn't have to be that way. I'm still waiting for Hershey to get Intamin to come in and actually fix the problem. Given the restraint changes on Maverick and other rides, I still have hope this will happen. (*NOT* OTSR, just a lap bar that sits higher on your lap.)

[njcoasterguy34]

I didn't find the restraints on SkyRush to be painful at all. I did find the OTSR on Storm Runner to be a bit painful to my shoulders, tho.

[tororific]

6. Park's operation. Wow, did they dispatch trains SLOWLY. Skyrush was absolutely awful: I routinely timed 3+ minute dispatches. TERRIBLE capacity for a ride that should be a people eater. I couldn't really figure out what the problem was, since there aren't even seat belts that need to be checked separately. Seemed to be some combination of needing to constantly open and close all the restraints for everyone and incredibly slow-moving crew. All the other coasters, other than Sooper Dooper Looper had crews made of molasses.

 

 

Typical for Hershey; I've never seen anything approaching good operations at that park. In my experience, they have consistently the worst operations of any major park I've been to. I'm not sure what the issue is; training, policies, I just don't know, but they're abysmal, and on a crowded day it really hurts an otherwise wonderful park.

 

Yeah, it was the only downside to an otherwise fun day. The park was pretty crowded on a Saturday and Skyrush was about 75 minutes for most of the day, but it could have been 30-40 minutes if the trains weren't being dispatched every 3 minutes or longer. It was, honestly, the worst operations on a major ride I can remember -- like Magic Mountain quality of dispatches. And no hustle at all with the crews on really any of the coasters I rode. Makes me love Cedar Point in comparison because they really move to dispatch trains when there is a long wait.

[tororific]

the restraints (which are much better, as I understand it, than what it had the first season)

However, the main problem with the restraints, which is that they hold you too far down on your leg, has not changed. This contributes to the "thrown forward" sensation over the airtime hills, rather than being lifted straight upwards like on El Toro. To me the difference between these two restraint systems is pretty stark; on El Toro I feel the airtime as pressure in my face, which is where it should be felt as the blood rushes to your head as if you're being held upside down (not sure if people who aren't super skinny with slightly below-average blood pressure feel this same sensation), but on Skyrush it's felt as pressure on my thighs which act almost like the fulcrum on a lever, throwing my entire torso forward. Both are technically "airtime" and yet both feel completely different.

 

 

Okay, again, it's good to hear that I was not alone in my impressions of feeling like the air on Skyrush threw you forward, a little more than other coasters that came to mind. I did not experience the restraints as painful, however, except on the brake run outside the station when they had been pressed very tightly due to the g's (and the attendant). And to be clear, it's a great ride, but it was just a little uncomfortable at some portions. I much prefer El Toro in comparison, however.

[coasterkid124]

6. Park's operation. Wow, did they dispatch trains SLOWLY. Skyrush was absolutely awful: I routinely timed 3+ minute dispatches. TERRIBLE capacity for a ride that should be a people eater. I couldn't really figure out what the problem was, since there aren't even seat belts that need to be checked separately. Seemed to be some combination of needing to constantly open and close all the restraints for everyone and incredibly slow-moving crew. All the other coasters, other than Sooper Dooper Looper had crews made of molasses.

 

 

Typical for Hershey; I've never seen anything approaching good operations at that park. In my experience, they have consistently the worst operations of any major park I've been to. I'm not sure what the issue is; training, policies, I just don't know, but they're abysmal, and on a crowded day it really hurts an otherwise wonderful park.

 

This really surprised me too. I've been to Hershey before, but after my visit earlier this month, I was like "What the hell?" I don't ever remember it being as bad back around when Fahrenheit first opened.

 

Most of the operators were slowly taking their time and chatting and they seemed unhappy to be working. With my home park being Darien Lake, I think that the speed of the ops were around that level. The only difference being that Hershey was running multiple trains. It literally took the operators at Great Bear a minute of playing peek-a-boo around the last car to find each others all clear symbols.

[seasonic]

 

6. Park's operation. Wow, did they dispatch trains SLOWLY. Skyrush was absolutely awful: I routinely timed 3+ minute dispatches. TERRIBLE capacity for a ride that should be a people eater. I couldn't really figure out what the problem was, since there aren't even seat belts that need to be checked separately. Seemed to be some combination of needing to constantly open and close all the restraints for everyone and incredibly slow-moving crew. All the other coasters, other than Sooper Dooper Looper had crews made of molasses.

 

Skyrush does have individual seat belts that need to be checked though...