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Hersheypark (HP) Discussion Thread


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Thanks for the replies, guys.

 

Regarding Skyrush, TBpony's comment about the restraints is actually pretty insightful. I always assumed I loved the wing seating because it puts the rider so far from the heartline/center of gravity/whatever you want to call it, therefore creating that violent whipping action. I never considered that the reason the wings are so out of control is because the lower half of your body--usually used to stabilize and balance yourself during the ride--is completely worthless on Skyrush, as it's just as much at the mercy of the crazy layout as your upper half. It makes sense.

And because I forgot to mention it in my initial TR, I have to ask: has anyone else noticed that in the back half of the train, the first drop on Skyrush incorporates this (probably unintentional) little kick about halfway down the hill. You get the initial push out of the seat over the crown, and then about 2 seconds later comes this near-death-experience donkey kick type deal that is seriously the closest to death I've ever figured myself to be on a coaster (other than when my seat belt disconcertingly unbuckled at the beginning of Leviathan's first drop). That strange element really puts Skyrush's drop in a special place beyond my metaphorical Mount Rushmore of coaster drops (El Toro, Millennium Force, I305, Diamondback, Twisted Colossus in the back seat, etc.).

 

As for the GB camera, it's kind of a funny story. My first ride of the day, I made sure to do some sort of goofy smile going into the break run because I know that nobody is ever expecting to have their picture taken there. When I passed the photo booth, however, I was shocked to see that not only did I look like I was having a blast, but so did the rest of the train. That was the moment I realized that Hershey pulled a fast one on me and moved the camera elsewhere. A little night-time detective work helped me to realize that the rapid-fire flashed of light from the camera were coming from the section of track right after the wingover under sooper dooper Looper. So yeah, they didn't move it back much, but just far enough that nobody's brain has yet registered that the ride is an anticlimactic S bend away from being over.

 

P.S. I used to have a "Greatest Roller Coaster Thrills" vhs tape which claimed that Great Bear had seven elements to go along with the 7 stars of Ursa Major--one of which was the meandering S bend into the break run. So before anyone complains about Cedar Point's whole "Steel Vengeance has the fastest airtime hill on any coaster" trope, remember that the industry is more-or-less built upon the constant embellishment of standard elements!

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I've said that about Skyrush over and over. The airtime is bonkers but what makes it such a challenge to ride for most is that in addition to the upper body, your lower body is also out of control. I'm 6'2 and even on the inner seats can barely touch the floor. For a ride with such violent airtime and transitions, there's nothing holding you in but the edge of that airplane tray lapbar. I love the thing to death tho - that its trying to kill me is the big thrill. No other ride does it like Skyrush does. I long ago gave up trying to ride with my hands up. I find its best to just hang on for dear life, and to tuck my legs up under the seat. I've had very enjoyable rides like that, and now find the front to be a better ride that the back. I do get serious day after thigh pain if I ride a bunch in a row though.

 

And yes, there are two moments of airtime down the drop, most noticable toward the back of the train, namely the death seat (back left).

 

Also, nice report. I love Hershey and agree with most of what you posted. But next time post pics!

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I have to agree with the others on Skyrush. I'm an adrenaline junkie and this coaster delivers every single ride. Only 2 of my kids will ride with me though and my oldest isn't a fan. After my first ride I said "I think that literally just tried to kill me for riding it". I could ride over and over all day. However I also don't have the problem with the restraint crushing my thighs. I'm 5'2 though so that may make a difference. I also said perhaps a different type of restraint or the ability to put your feet on the floor in the middle seats would make it more rideable for more people. All in all though it's my favorite steel coaster out there.

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And because I forgot to mention it in my initial TR, I have to ask: has anyone else noticed that in the back half of the train, the first drop on Skyrush incorporates this (probably unintentional) little kick about halfway down the hill. You get the initial push out of the seat over the crown, and then about 2 seconds later comes this near-death-experience donkey kick type deal that is seriously the closest to death I've ever figured myself to be on a coaster (other than when my seat belt disconcertingly unbuckled at the beginning of Leviathan's first drop). That strange element really puts Skyrush's drop in a special place beyond my metaphorical Mount Rushmore of coaster drops (El Toro, Millennium Force, I305, Diamondback, Twisted Colossus in the back seat, etc.).

 

I've only ridden Skyrush three times, and I would say it's in my top 5, but I do need to ride it again to decide where it falls. The first drop is one of the clearest memories I have of the ride. In the back seat, after the initial yank of airtime and knowing the second one yank was coming, I just could not manage to keep my hands up. It is one coaster moment that actually scared me, but I absolutely love it.

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And yes, there are two moments of airtime down the drop, most noticable toward the back of the train, namely the death seat (back left).
I've definitely noticed both airtime moments down that drop, but are you suggesting that, on the first drop, you notice differences between the right and left wing seats?

 

My take on Skyrush is that its airtime makes it the finest coaster on Earth, and then it has to lose a couple of points because of uncomfortable harnesses and the sideways motions being rather unpleasant with so little against which I can brace myself, so it winds up as my #5.

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Skyrush is my favorite coaster just because it is so damned out of control feeling (and I feel that I will end up somewhere out in the parking lot during some of those airtime moments.)

 

I'll agree with the "donkey kick" on the first drop. First time I rode, I was hands up....until about 1/4 of the way down the first drop.....when I screamed like a girl and held on for dear life

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And yes, there are two moments of airtime down the drop, most noticable toward the back of the train, namely the death seat (back left).
I've definitely noticed both airtime moments down that drop, but are you suggesting that, on the first drop, you notice differences between the right and left wing seats?

 

No just that that second kick down the drop is more pronounced in the back as opposed to the front (tho I still feel it up there), but I did mention the left wing of the back row since that seems to be the "magic" seat as far as getting the craziest ride. Anywhere in the back is bonkers imo, but the back left I'll forever refer to as the death seat. It's a magic seat - but it convinces you death is imminent.

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Boldikus is right. The back left seat was the craziest ride I ever experienced on a coaster. My first ever ride on Skyrush was in that seat; I was hanging on for dear life and enjoying every glorious second of it. Best coaster ever.

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why do more people not consider Skyrush a top-tier ride?

I loved Hershey Park when I was visited as well — definitely a favorite. Skyrush, however, is too much about endurance and not enough fun for me. I actually rode it a lot when I was there (somewhere around 15 times!) as I figured I wouldn't be back anytime soon and I wanted to really commit it to memory. I just found it unnecessarily aggressive at points, and a little dull at others. Unlike others, I never found the first drop to be all that; the extended s-shape curve in and out of the drop felt more like forward tipping than falling, to me. I liked the speed and some of the directional shifts, but what it comes down to for me is that I want more from a coaster than just extremes — it has to be fun, well-sequenced, and as enjoyable as it is thrilling. Favorites in the park for me were Fahrenheit, Lightning Racer, and Comet.

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I really need to make it back to Hershey Park. I've only been once back in 2014 and with all the talk about people not being able to keep their hands up on Skyrush I'm really curious to get on it again. I can't remember if I had them up the entire ride or not but I definitely want to try now lol I do remember loving the ride though.

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Is the park typically crowded on Saturdays in September? Thinking about going on the 16th.

Yes. This was the line a year or two ago on a Saturday in late September. The weather was also really nice this day as well:

IMG_1414.thumb.JPG.f0fa7d2bf25e43006d1591f43d3e2a3f.JPG

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I fully plan on trying to get over there for Hersheypark In the Dark. Best time of the year to go. Changing leaves on the trees, and barely any coaster lines.

 

Completely agree. Went a few years ago on a Sunday late in October and hit every coaster in just a few hours. We usually leave late Saturday Morning and hit Knoebels from open to close then spend the night between Knoebels and Hershey. Hit Hershey at opening and are done with everything there with time to get home before Sunday Night Football. It's a really stress free easy trip for anyone in the area looking to close the season with a great coasters and low crowds. Plus the area is beautiful that time of year especially around Knoebels.

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Small TR from my trip to HP on Monday. I went for a few hours before the Matchbox 20 concert and had a fantastic time! Arrived at noon and left at 7:45pm to go to the concert. The park was relatively empty and operations were hit or miss. Skyrush's operations were absolutely abysmal even though there were at least 6 attendants there. I really wish the worker at the entrance to the queue would request that heavier folks try out the test seat before getting in line. On every single train they would have at least one if not two ops at the same time literally jump up and down on the bar trying to get the restraint to give the green light. The line crawled and guests started getting agitated. It would take minimally 3 minutes of struggling and in every case the people had to eventually take the walk of shame. It seems to me that it's more embarrassing to hold up an entire station full of grumbling folks and have to take the WOS, than try to test seat outside and realize it ain't happening. Several of these folks were absolutely enormous and there was just no way they would ever fit. If you're on the bigger side - absolutely try. But severely obese people who need an extra 8 inches of seatbelt before it can click together holding up the trains for 3-5 minutes every dispatch (I timed them) is outrageous. Can't get situated in 60 seconds? You're out. The ride ops were extremely frustrated with this as well. We didn't encounter problems this badly on any other ride. In order:

 

-Skyrush

-Comet - saw a mother screaming at the top of her lungs in a horrible manner at her young son in the queue the whole time who was absolutely terrified and hysterical about riding. He was going to be on the next train behind us but ended up not riding and I saw him sobbing and curled in a ball behind the exit gate. Poor kid. That's no way for a parent to get him used to coasters... or behave, especially in public.

-Skyrush

-SDL

-Great Bear 2x - extremely fast operations

-Triple Tower - Reeses and Hershey. I was surprised how fun these were! I still wish Flying Falcon were there as that was my favorite flat in the park and one of my favorite flats ever (up there with the flyers at Carowinds and Skyhawk at CP) but the towers were a lot of fun and very popular. There was quite a bit of line jumping going on and the ops and queue attendants just watched it and shrugged. Really frustrating.

-Coal Cracker - I got absolutely soaked and mom got barely a spritz. I'm fanatical about dry feet and somehow, even after ducking down low with my feet off the bottom and shoved way under the nose of the boat, my sneakers were saturated and squishing for the next solid hour.

-Storm Runner

-Seal and sea lion show - which was a blast! Geneva the sea lion did a fantastic job and Mango the harbor seal has greatly improved on her skills since last year. Since I'm very into clicker training with my dog, horse, and rabbit (yes that's correct) I spent a while speaking with the lead trainer after the show. She was wonderful as always and it was nice to get some ideas and have a clearer understanding of why they do certain behaviors a different way that I would. Some of those ideas I will implement into my training and other things they do I do not think is beneficial to the learning process so will not apply them.

-Trailblazer

-Storm Runner 4x - in line we ran into Dean Z. who is a maintenance man for SR for 10 years now. He was unbelievably friendly and gushed about the ride and how much he loves working on it. Storm Runner is my favorite ride in the park and one of my most favorite rides anywhere so it was cool chatting with him. He was actually working the line separation position near the bottom of the station steps and he was frustrated that 1. they were only running one train due to staffing issues, and 2. that there isn't enough room on the platform to have the attendant stand there to keep the station from getting chaotic as that causes a lot of issues. He saw us later on in the day and waved enthusiastically - super nice guy and it made our day extra special!

-Lightning Racer, lightning side

 

I didn't take many pictures myself but my mom who went with me took a lot. Unfortunately they're all still on her phone so you'll have to survive on this one picture of Storm Runner. The day started off with absolutely beautiful weather, blue skies and a few clouds, and ended up quite grey. The rain held off thankfully but it poured the entire day yesterday on our drive home.

 

1520041652_StormRunner8_28_17.thumb.jpg.9d71968bde364cfa912d70640d40ffe0.jpg

 

Can someone tell me what is inside the futuristic building by Triple Tower that says "Bblz" on it? We didn't have time to go inside and check it out. I asked a few ride employees and they all said they had no idea. Hmm, ok then! I was really disappointed that I still couldn't find a shirt I liked or a magnet. I would love a shirt for Storm Runner or Great Bear and a magnet of anything but a peanut butter cup or chocolate bar but there wasn't anything whatsoever in any of the shops I went in. This has been true for the past several visits as well. Is there a secret souvenir location that I don't know about?

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Nice little report.

 

Also,

 

http://stories.hersheypa.com/bblz-launches-first-permanent-location-at-hersheypark/

 

What is BBLz? Every BBLz beverage combines a soft drink from Pepsi-Cola’s portfolio, such as Pepsi®, Diet Pepsi®, Mountain Dew® and Mist Twst®, with fun ingredients, including Hershey’s confections, such as Reese’s Pieces Candy and Twizzlers Strawberry Twists, to create unique, whimsical beverages. Visitors can choose from seven innovative BBLz recipes, including:

 

WHIP SCREAM SUNDAE: Float away with this fizzy spin on a sundae, blending Pepsi, vanilla and cherry flavor, vanilla ice cream foam, Hershey’s Syrup (chocolate and caramel), vanilla frosting, maraschino cherries and sprinkles.

ALL-DAY PBJ: America’s favorite sandwich gets a sweet bubbly remix, combining Mist Twst grape flavor, sweet cream foam, Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups, grape jelly, peanut butter and Reese’s Pieces Candy.

LAFFING LIME: Spin your taste buds through pops of fruity flavors with a refreshing twist of Diet Mountain Dew® mixing lime and coconut flavor, lime popping candy, vanilla frosting, lemon gummy (candy) and cotton candy.

 

BBlz.thumb.jpg.42538bcecab11cdc89c0f296c398d8ca.jpg

 

I"m torn between thinking they look disgusting but also really wanting to try one. I will if its open when we're there in the fall.

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^^ Nice trip report! Can't wait to get back there next Saturday and Sunday.

 

Can someone tell me what is inside the futuristic building by Triple Tower that says "Bblz" on it? We didn't have time to go inside and check it out. I asked a few ride employees and they all said they had no idea. Hmm, ok then!

I was thinking it was a bubble tea place, but what Boldikus posted above looks... uh... IDK. Yikes.

 

I was really disappointed that I still couldn't find a shirt I liked or a magnet. I would love a shirt for Storm Runner or Great Bear and a magnet of anything but a peanut butter cup or chocolate bar but there wasn't anything whatsoever in any of the shops I went in. This has been true for the past several visits as well. Is there a secret souvenir location that I don't know about?

Last time I was there, I found a green shirt with the Storm Runner logo on it at Hersheypark Outfitters, right by the main entrance. Super comfy too. Don't think I've ever seen anything Great Bear related though.

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Nice little report.

 

Also,

 

http://stories.hersheypa.com/bblz-launches-first-permanent-location-at-hersheypark/

 

What is BBLz? Every BBLz beverage combines a soft drink from Pepsi-Cola’s portfolio, such as Pepsi®, Diet Pepsi®, Mountain Dew® and Mist Twst®, with fun ingredients, including Hershey’s confections, such as Reese’s Pieces Candy and Twizzlers Strawberry Twists, to create unique, whimsical beverages. Visitors can choose from seven innovative BBLz recipes, including:

 

WHIP SCREAM SUNDAE: Float away with this fizzy spin on a sundae, blending Pepsi, vanilla and cherry flavor, vanilla ice cream foam, Hershey’s Syrup (chocolate and caramel), vanilla frosting, maraschino cherries and sprinkles.

ALL-DAY PBJ: America’s favorite sandwich gets a sweet bubbly remix, combining Mist Twst grape flavor, sweet cream foam, Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups, grape jelly, peanut butter and Reese’s Pieces Candy.

LAFFING LIME: Spin your taste buds through pops of fruity flavors with a refreshing twist of Diet Mountain Dew® mixing lime and coconut flavor, lime popping candy, vanilla frosting, lemon gummy (candy) and cotton candy.

 

[attachment=0]BBlz.jpg[/attachment]

 

I"m torn between thinking they look disgusting but also really wanting to try one. I will if its open when we're there in the fall.

 

Preston and Steve from WMMR got a sneak-peak taste of it when they did their annual Hersheypark broadcast in June and they really liked it. I'm intrigued myself.

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I've tried 2 flavors at bblz. Birthday Kiss and Melon Baller. I will say that while they were different and my kids really liked them, they were not (IMO) worth $7.49. Not even a little bit. The frosting is smeared on the outside of the bubble cup and is a mess. The bubbles are not easily cleaned and I refused to toss it for that much money so we walked around with sticky plastic balls in the heat. You can see how small they are in comparison to the Coke bottle next to it. If the cost doesn't make you say no and if the weird mix of flavors doesn't scare you away (mint chocolate Pepsi anyone? ) then go for the experience. I personally won't do it again.

1504293379858145098761.thumb.jpg.6171dd28e026f49117258c1a051841b4.jpg

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^Wow that Bblz cup is seriously tiny!! Now that I know what it is, it's definitely not something that's up my alley but it seemed quite popular when I was there the other day.

 

Sadly I didn't see any Storm Runner shirts, or SR anything, at any of the shops including the big one up front. One of these years I'll get some SR merch!

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