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Hersheypark (HP) Discussion Thread

p. 438: Twizzlers Twisted Gravity announced for 2025!

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The issue isn't the transitions, on these trains the seats extend out a bit to keep you in place. The only reason they can't be used on maverick or I305, if there is any, is because of clearance issues .

Thanks for clearing that up.

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Actually there is an exact Ispeed clone with the new gen lapbars

http://rcdb.com/7395.htm

The issue isn't the transitions, on these trains the seats extend out a bit to keep you in place. The only reason they can't be used on maverick or I305, if there is any, is because of clearance issues .

 

I see in the picture what you mean about the seats extending out a bit. I can totally see it working great on any ride EXCEPT I305. The twists on I305 are kind of on another level altogether. Even having my hands up versus holding onto the grab bar, I felt like I was coming dangerously close to wrenching my back. It was the only ride I've ever ridden with restrictive OTSR restraints that I actually felt were necessary.

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^Yeah there's no point in putting more "free" lapbars on that thing, the g's are so intense that you can't put your hands up much anyway

 

Though I don't really see why clearance issues wouldn't allow lapbars; some people put their hands up on Intamins with the OTSR's anyway

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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...

 

yeah, I meant no stand-alone seat belts that go around your waist that could require some additional checking -- these seat belts are really one and the same with the restraint. In short, I can't see anything special about the restraint/ loading procedure that could require 3 minute dispatches -- other than understaffing and lack of motivation.

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The twists on I305 are kind of on another level altogether.

 

I've got to admit... I think Maverick's twists are even more abrupt and insane. I think I'm in the minority but I305 to me seems like a bigger but tamer Maverick. Yes I305 is amazing, yes it had the grey out turn, but to me Maverick feels more out of control and I almost feel like it beats I305 at it's own game.

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The twists on I305 are kind of on another level altogether.

 

I've got to admit... I think Maverick's twists are even more abrupt and insane. I think I'm in the minority but I305 to me seems like a bigger but tamer Maverick. Yes I305 is amazing, yes it had the grey out turn, but to me Maverick feels more out of control and I almost feel like it beats I305 at it's own game.

I feel exactly the same way. Add to this that Maverick's (few) airtime hills are so much more "El Toro" like than I305's, and you throw in a launch and a stronger (although shorter) drop... My vote goes to Maverick

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The twists on I305 are kind of on another level altogether.

 

I've got to admit... I think Maverick's twists are even more abrupt and insane. I think I'm in the minority but I305 to me seems like a bigger but tamer Maverick. Yes I305 is amazing, yes it had the grey out turn, but to me Maverick feels more out of control and I almost feel like it beats I305 at it's own game.

 

Weird, I didn't even think there was any comparison. Maverick's opening switchbacks did nothing for me (except bang my neck around), while I305's twists felt like they were trying to eject me from the train. I wonder how I would feel now that the restraints are the same.

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I don't think it would kill you, but it would be pretty painful. It's sorta the same case as I305's modification; they found that the roll rate (rather than the positive g's in I305's case) would be painful for riders and would damage the wheels and equipment on the train like I305 did. I saw that in some interview, but I completely forgot where exactly.

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Just got back from our two day visit to Hershey. Checked out the park with my family (wife and son) and had a really good time. Thankyou to people who gave the advice earlier, we took advantage of the 3.5 hour evening perk which worked nicely. The drive from Pittsburgh was OK with no problems and The hotel Hershey was a REALLY nice place to stay.

 

My general overview of the park is positive. We only had problems with the HEAT on Weds...it was probably about 35-36 degrees centigrade. This was the HOTTEST day we have EVER done a roller coaster park (including Florida and California) and it really does drain you as the day goes on....and makes for some rather grumpy punters round the place. The Boardwalk actually was not a pleasant place to be as it was SO crowded...the lines to go down a waterslide were insane. We got better value by going back to the Hotel and using their outdoor pool (which was lovely). My wife and I spoke about coming back in early season as the heat did affect the family experience a bit (through no fault of the park). Ice cream sales must have been pretty high.

 

Anyway...the rides. My top ten has been altered!

Skyrush.....shot straight up to number 4 on my list...above Maverick (maybe controversial to some). I rode it 3 times...the first two I was somewhat..."well this is good but not great".....3rd time...I was close to the back on an outside seat...and I have NEVER felt so close to coming out of my seat on a coaster!!. When people call it an airtime machine...I fully get it now! My goodness....only Apollo's Chariot tops it for me in terms of airtime. It was great fun....I love the headtrip of thinking you are coming out of your seat..even though you are fully latched in. I love Maverick...but feel well strapped in on it....Skyrush had that pure terror feeling that puts it top 5.

 

Other rides

Laff Track...we took everyones advice and went there straightaway (after the early hour). There was still a 20 min wait even just after 10am.....we did not run....it was too hot! I thought it was a fun ride...but I would not want to wait over an hour for it. I am guessing the fact that it is new means it is a main draw right now? We loved how it "zipped" around and it had a nice theme (the mirrors are great for a 7 year old kid). Thankyou to those for the advice of getting to it first.....as much as I thought it was fun...I would have been "fatigued" if I had waited an hour (especially in the heat).

 

Lightening Racer...I loved it and found it really comfortable. I love racing wood coasters. I thought it was better than Gemini at CP.

 

Wildcat....Was running fast on Wednesday. Pretty rough...and marred by some rather incessant 12 year old screaming the WHOLE ride behind me. It did seem to rattle up a fair rate of knots! I got off with the "ooooof!!" feeling that you get on some woodies. Still a fun ride.

 

Great Bear...A pleasant PLEASANT surprise. I have read mixed reviews...and I am not really a B and M invert type person. I thought it was smooth, comfortable, packed enough kick to make it fun...but also had some really fun "swooping" type sections, which I am always a fan of. I actually thought the name should be more "birdlike" as they really had some long sweeping sections that didn't seem very bearlike. I would put it just below Montu now as favourite B and M invert. Good fun.

 

Storm Runner. Liked it..good fun...but left me wanting more (which is a positive thing). It was better than Top Thrill Dragster (for me) as it added a bit more punch after the launch.....I just felt that it was just getting started as it ended. Personal opinion only. It is a good ride for sure..but it didn't hit my top 10.

 

Farenheit..Same as storm runner. Liked it, good fun...but wasn't completely knocked out by it. I do LOVE those vertical lift hills though. Saw the ride (which is in my top 10) has one and I think they are good fun. Part of the problem I had on Farenheit was related to my height and the restraint system...I just got a bit too banged around on the neck and side of head. I did actually prefer Farenheit to Storm runner though (personal opinion) for the vertical lift hill alone. Plus there was a VERY nervous teenage American college kid in front of me who kept up a VERY colourful commentary during the ride...and improved my grasp of teenage cursing lingo. Most amusing

 

I did not get to Comet or Sooperdooperlooper as we were trying to stay cool in the Boardwalk, and also doing some of the kid rides. Flying Falcons was EXCELLENT fun. My son LOVED it....which always counts for a lot with me (which is why to be fair Laff Track is actually OK...he loved that aswell). Trailblazer was another that had him smiling. Parents are able to unwind on it while the little ones lift their arms up on the ride.

 

Anyway...all in all a fun visit.

The one criticism we did have on the day we visited...maybe regulars can confirm or explain.....the loading crews on some of the rides were.....ermmmm....not very efficient?!??!???. Skyrush...mid afternoon..was leaving half empty train after train after train (with a 45 minute line?). The time I rode...the ride attendants were letting LARGE groups of kids on camp dictate to them the ride operation ie "I am riding with them, no I don't want so sit there, I need to ride with this person etc etc etc" The train I went was delayed 3 mins as the ride attendant tried to cajole these kids into speeding it up. This happened on Storm Runner and Farenheit aswell...I was VERY surprised...you certainly would not see this at Wonderland. I don't believe the ride attendants need to be rude...but they should be in CHARGE of the ride....I think they were letting themselves get bullied by people their age....and it detracted from the park operation. I shudder to think what would happen if Disney let the Seven Dwarfs mine train leave half empty every cycle because people don't want to sit in x, y and z place!

 

Thankyou again to everyone for their advice. The biggest compliment I can pay is that my wife and I have decided we WILL return.

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Great trip report glad you and the family had fun! To answer your main concern, yes the ride operations are below average on a regular basis with an occasional ride being better than others. Personally just ignorance on the workers parts, most are teenagers around my age who don't seem to care about getting customers the best experience possible, but rather the paycheck at the end of the week. They usually do assign seats on Skyrush however like you said you can opt to sit where you want if you ask and are approved. I think they could improve by being stricter when the lines are longer, however Skyrush tends to die down shortly after opening anyway. To me best operations over the years have been on Storm Runner.

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Over the weekend we took a trip out to Hershey and decided to do it right this time by getting a hotel nearby so we could be there from open to close and not have to worry about a 3.5 hour drive each way.

 

We went on a busy Saturday but we knew what we were getting into and were prepared for lines. The place was packed but the weather was perfect and we had an absolutely great time. I love the atmosphere of Hershey and every time I go I wonder why we don't visit more often. The park has a great atmosphere, everything looks like it's maintained extremely well, the landscaping is beautiful and the staff and clientele is always friendly. I love visiting this park between the solid coaster collection, great flat collection and awesome atmosphere.

 

Despite the lines, we managed to get on every coaster we wanted to (we already had every credit except for Laff Trakk). We skipped Trailblazer, SIdewinder, Wildcat and Wild Mouse which are all rides I could have ridden but didn't mind missing out on either.

 

Anyway... on to the rides.

 

Laff Trakk 1x

Once the park opened we headed right to Laff Trakk but were greeted with a full queue spilling out onto the entrance. The line moved faster than expected though and after a little more than an hour we were on. The line was a little ridiculous because it's a new ride, but overall we loved it and think it's a great addition to the park. The interactive elements in the queue were a nice touch and everyone seemed to be enjoying them too.

 

Lightning Racer 2x

This ride was running as great as ever. In the morning it was a walk on and later in the day it was about 20 minutes (the waterpark had just closed) but it's easily worth the wait as it's an exceptional ride. We rode both sides and I can't pick a favorite.

 

Farenheit 1x

We rode this relatively early in the day and only had to wait about 30 minutes. I have high standards for Intamin so I've always considered this to be a bit of a let-down but we actually really enjoyed it the other day. The ending is quite forceful and while it's not nearly as intense as the other 2 Intamin coasters in the park it's still a lot of fun. I love that lift and first drop.

 

Storm Runner 2x

This is absolutely my favorite coaster in the park. Both times the wait was about 45 minutes to an hour but we waited for the front both times and I'm glad we did. This ride is a powerhouse with an awesome first hill / drop and as soon as you dive down from that barrel roll the ride goes absolutely nuts. I can't get enough of Storm Runner.

 

Coal Cracker 2x

I love Coal Cracker... the drop and bounces that follow are great and we got a little more wet on this than we remember which was nice. We rode once during the day and waited about 30 minutes and again at night with a walk-on.

 

Comet 1x

This ride is tremendously fun. It's not overly forceful, it doesn't have much airtime but it rides great and always delivers a smooth, fun ride. Apparently we're not along in our love for this ride because it always has a huge line, even in the afternoon when a lot of people have moved on to the back of the park.

 

Skyrush 1x

We've ridden this once before and I didn't really know how to feel about it. On one hand it delivered an insane ride, probably the most intense ride I've ever ridden outside of Maverick and I305 and I loved that. On the other hand my ride was so uncomfortable that I was almost wishing it would end. After reading the great reviews we were both excited to give it another shot and we were going to make sure we gave it more than just one ride like we did on our last visit.

 

After riding again I still don't know how to feel about this ride. I rode on the outside left seat on the back row and it was flat our ridiculous in a good way. I love super-intense coasters and this more than delivered... but once again those horrendous restraints had me wishing the ride would end. Call me a whimp if you want but I can really only ride this ride once a visit. It's a cool experience but I still don't know what I think of it because those lap bars are brutal. I don't dislike the ride but I don't really like it either. I'm just confused by it... it's not that it's too intense for me as we power-ride Maverick all the time, it's just a painful experience.

 

I'm glad it's there because it's a very unique ride, but it's always going to be a once-a-visit ride for me. And that's okay... my girlfriend absolutely hated it though (and again... she power rides El Toro, Maverick and I305 all the time) so next time we visit I may be riding alone.

 

Great Bear 4x

We ended the night with 3 consecutive front seat rides on this criminally underrated coaster. It's a short ride but I love the unique layout and every element (especially the zero g roll and corkscrew) is really forceful and fun. I love every B&M invert I've ever ridden and this is no exception. What a great ride. Why don't people talk about this coaster more?

 

Sooperdooperlooper 2x

Praise be to Anton. Amen. This ride is just all kinds of great. Not only is the loop itself really forceful but the entire layout is fun and it's so great to see the atmosphere around the ride and the general appreciation the ride seems to have from everyone.

 

By now It's normal for old rides to close for future expansion and everyone always reacts the same way... everyone decides that they loved it and a giant nostalgia-fest ensues where it becomes everyone's "favorite ride" even though the rides never had lines until the last week of operation. Sooperdooperlooper is the exception to this rule and it's amazing to see.

 

I'm not saying Sooperdooperlooper is ever going to close because I highly doubt that it ever will. My point is that this is a rare example of a classic ride that everyone seems to genuinely love and appreciate and even though there are plenty of newer, better rides in the park people flock to Sooperdooperlooper in droves. The ride always has huge lines, it seems to be a right of passage for all the kids that visit and we saw everyone from little kids to senior citizens getting on the looper and having an absolute blast.

 

It's amazing walking around the park and nearby areas that in a park with a launched Intamin rocket coaster, a ridiculously intense hyper and a huge invert all you see is people walking around with "I survived Sooperdooperlooper" shirts but it's really all you see. It's so great to see a classic like this that's as loved and appreciated as it is. Clearly the ride is a local legend and kudos to Hersheypark and the Hersheypark clientele for giving it the appreciation it deserves.

 

In addition to the coasters, we also took in a few other rides (Kissing Tower, Skyview, Falcon and probably a few I'm forgetting). We usually ride more but we sort of ran out of time. We did get to check out the Sea Lion show which was very entertaining and yesterday morning we got to spend some time at Chocolate World and go through the ride and check out the new chocolate tasting experience. We had a great weekend visit at Hershey and will absolutely be back soon.

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Lightning Racer 2x

This ride was running as great as ever. In the morning it was a walk on and later in the day it was about 20 minutes (the waterpark had just closed) but it's easily worth the wait as it's an exceptional ride. We rode both sides and I can't pick a favorite.

 

 

Farenheit 1x

We rode this relatively early in the day and only had to wait about 30 minutes. I have high standards for Intamin so I've always considered this to be a bit of a let-down but we actually really enjoyed it the other day. The ending is quite forceful and while it's not nearly as intense as the other 2 Intamin coasters in the park it's still a lot of fun. I love that lift and first drop.

 

 

Storm Runner 2x

This is absolutely my favorite coaster in the park. Both times the wait was about 45 minutes to an hour but we waited for the front both times and I'm glad we did. This ride is a powerhouse with an awesome first hill / drop and as soon as you dive down from that barrel roll the ride goes absolutely nuts. I can't get enough of Storm Runner.

 

 

Skyrush 1x

We've ridden this once before and I didn't really know how to feel about it. On one hand it delivered an insane ride, probably the most intense ride I've ever ridden outside of Maverick and I305 and I loved that. On the other hand my ride was so uncomfortable that I was almost wishing it would end. After reading the great reviews we were both excited to give it another shot and we were going to make sure we gave it more than just one ride like we did on our last visit.

 

After riding again I still don't know how to feel about this ride. I rode on the outside left seat on the back row and it was flat our ridiculous in a good way. I love super-intense coasters and this more than delivered... but once again those horrendous restraints had me wishing the ride would end. Call me a whimp if you want but I can really only ride this ride once a visit. It's a cool experience but I still don't know what I think of it because those lap bars are brutal. I don't dislike the ride but I don't really like it either. I'm just confused by it... it's not that it's too intense for me as we power-ride Maverick all the time, it's just a painful experience.

 

I'm glad it's there because it's a very unique ride, but it's always going to be a once-a-visit ride for me. And that's okay... my girlfriend absolutely hated it though (and again... she power rides El Toro, Maverick and I305 all the time) so next time we visit I may be riding alone.

 

 

Great Bear 4x

We ended the night with 3 consecutive front seat rides on this criminally underrated coaster. It's a short ride but I love the unique layout and every element (especially the zero g roll and corkscrew) is really forceful and fun. I love every B&M invert I've ever ridden and this is no exception. What a great ride. Why don't people talk about this coaster more?

 

 

It's almost like I could have written these parts of your Trip Report! You pretty much summed up my thoughts about those rides! And yes - I'm glad to know my Wife and I are not alone regarding our thoughts about how great, and underrated, Great Bear is!

 

Hersheypark is truly one of the great ones! Every time I read TR's about it, it just makes me wish even more I had a trip planned to go there ASAP! Thanks for sharing! (Yes, I know every sentence ended in an exclamation point, but a)I often type in an excited manner, and b)Hersheypark makes me THAT excited! )

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Awesome TR, sounds like you had a great time.

I really want to ride Skyrush sooner rather than later but when I had the opportunity I chose to visit Great Adventure because I already know how good El Toro is and I didn't want to be let down with a first timer to both parks.

And we don't have to pay for a hotel/admission which played a big factor

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That's what I've heard and I can almost expect at this point. Great Adventure has one of the most impressive coaster collections in the world, but everything else is mediocre at best. For this situation though it made the most sense because of budget/travel/goals of the trip (with a first timer that is really only interested in the coasters).

I'll definitely be making sure I get to Hershey when I can though.

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Call me a whimp if you want

 

Wimp!

 

Seriously though, I was looking forward to hearing your thoughts on Skyrush after we talked about it, and where it fell in your rankings, and how you had only ridden it once. I must have thighs of steel of something because I don't understand the disdain for the restraints. I can see how after marathoning many times they would start to bother someone but after two rides in a row I was ready for a third. But I'm glad to hear you got a back row wing seat ride on it because it's absolutely bonkers back there, but I love it so much. SDL and Great Bear are both great too, very underrated.

 

Glad to hear you guys had a great time. I know two other sets of people that were at Hershey this weekend and everyone said it was very busy but everyone had fun. I was thinking about all of you and wishing I was there (I was at my 2 year old nephews b-day party, of course we bought him one of those tiny backyard kiddie coasters which was a HUGE hit - we could have charged admission - but sadly I was way over the height/weight limit and therefore denied any coaster rides this weekend LOL).

 

Anyways, I love this park so much and I'm trying to get there sometime later this month, hoping its quiet the last week of August, I'm gonna try to go on a weekday. I still need the Comet, Sidewinder, Trailblazer and Lightning Run (right side) credits. And I need to marathon my baby some more.

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