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Hersheypark (HP) Discussion Thread


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You're going to love both those parks. I have a feeling you'll be more of a Hershey guy than Knoebels, and mostly because they have beer.

 

Stay on site for both parks, really. The perks are worth it. Nothing quite like waking up and walking into Knoebels for breakfast. It felt like I was a kid again at summer camp. Both parks have cabins, and the quality is definitely better at Hershey than Knoebels. Knoebels is more DIY than corporate gloss, which I love, but I'm also a hillbilly from the Ozarks.

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Wildcat I'll defend until the day I die. I love the ride and anyone who says otherwise is dumb.

 

The Wild Mouse. Funny story, they told me to keep the hot chocolate with us rather than set it on the exit platform. Ummmm, OK? Thank god the lid on the travel mug is trustworthy! If you've been on this Wild Mouse you know it's one of the better ones because it doesn't ever brake. The first half with the hot chocolate was fine and dandy since it was just going around turns. Then the sudden drops, airtime, and crazy intense turns happened. I was fully expecting the lid to pop off and to come back to the station covered in hot chocolate but it held strong! We hit the brake run laughing like idiots and happily dry!

 

Good report!

 

 

Re vegas: Coal Cracker, yeah, essential. It can get a line, it might help that it's not about getting wet really, don't ride it when everyone is hot.

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Depending on how much you ride at Knoebels the wristband my not save you a lot of money. Especially if you can buy $20 worth of tickets at Weis Markets for $16. So far about $48 you can get either a wristband or $60 in tickets.

 

Personally I always get the wristband and try to max it out but there have been days with short hours where a barely came out ahead with the wristband.

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It looks like you guys gave me a ton of advice. I really appreciate it and will put it to good use.

 

As for culture... I mean, come on. You'll be so close. You'll pass right by the exit on your drive between the parks.

Funny you mention that! We were originally planning on hitting Knoebels, Kennywood, and Hershey all at once, but we decided not to. I think we'd be burned out of multiple days at three parks. Instead, we plan on spending an evening and a day at Kennywood probably around mid summer. Part of that trip will be visiting Yuengling. Solid advice.

 

You're going to love both those parks. I have a feeling you'll be more of a Hershey guy than Knoebels, and mostly because they have beer.

That's part of the reason we're going to try to go the cottage route, if the hotel/lodging snob in me can man up.

 

Personally I always get the wristband and try to max it out but there have been days with short hours where a barely came out ahead with the wristband.

Is each ride one ticket?

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Personally I always get the wristband and try to max it out but there have been days with short hours where a barely came out ahead with the wristband.

Is each ride one ticket?

No, they're all different dollar amounts. The ticket books come in rippable denominations from 25¢ to $1.00. All the major coasters are $3.00 a ride, most of the flats average between $1.50 and $2.50 a ride, and the most expensive ride in the park is the Skyway at $4.00 for about a 15-minute round trip.

 

I usually try to budget for the wristband, but I also have a habit of dragging the kids along on the weekend when they don't offer that plan, and to be honest, it doesn't really make much of a difference which way you go with it.

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Knoebels is one of the rare parks that I feel I get value using tickets if I absolutely have to on weekends. However, if a wristband is offered, I get it. I always end up marathoning Phoenix 7-8 times at the end of the night and that alone would cost me $21-$24.

 

Back to Hershey, I'm glad to see Breakers Edge construction coming along. I think that's going to be one of the sleeper hits of 2018 for me. ProSlide is knocking it out of the park with their aqua rocket slides.

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I enjoy using tickets. I dunno, it feels old fashioned and different. I've used a wristband once and did come out ahead, but only because I marathoned Phoenix. It basically comes down to that. If you stay at the park until close, you can always get a bunch of coaster rides in. If you do tickets, gotta go to Weiss Market as mentioned to get 20% off. I also have leftover from my last visit which gives me incentive to return.

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The ticket thing might be our way to go in order to keep a certain schedule, if it comes to that. Another $40-50 over wrist bands to conform to our schedule might be worth it. The ticket concept also seems pretty neat.

 

We're not big into flat rides, so we'll probably do a lot of hanging out. The only Eurofighter I've ridden so far has been Dare Devil. It was OK, but I didn't have any desire to ride it more than a couple times. My main objective is to ride Phoenix several times, sample the food, and really take in the atmosphere. I'm sure we'll sample several of the non coaster rides, but anything intense and spinning is a no go for us. Although, I'm really excited for the boats! A spin on the train and the sky ride are a must. I also want to try out unique rides like the whip.

 

We plan on spending two days at Hershey to do more of the same. Granted the coaster count is far greater, but I'd really like to take my time. I'm apprehensive about enjoying the main draw, being Skyrush. There is such a thing as too much ejector airtime in our preferences. For example, Storm Chaser at Kentucky Kingdom was really fun, but anymore than a couple rides became uncomfortable. I don't have much soft meat on me, so I hope the restraints aren't uncomfortable.

 

TBH, we had three new parks we wanted to his this year, being Hershey, Knoebels, and Kennywood. For whatever reason, I'm the most excited about Kennywood. It seems caught in between being a large park and a small park. Phantom's Revenge and the overall quirkiness of the park is really appealing to me. Although I have to say I'm a little bummed about their flume closing.

 

Again, I really appreciate all of this good advice. Sorry for talking so much about Knoebels within this thread.

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Hope you enjoy Skyrush.

 

(I didn't enjoy it, but will give it another shot in 2018, when I get back to Hersheypark. . Farenheit too, since we skipped that on our prior trip).

 

by far tho, my favorite in the park is StormRunner.. . love that thing.

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The ticket thing might be our way to go in order to keep a certain schedule, if it comes to that. Another $40-50 over wrist bands to conform to our schedule might be worth it. The ticket concept also seems pretty neat.

 

We're not big into flat rides, so we'll probably do a lot of hanging out. The only Eurofighter I've ridden so far has been Dare Devil. It was OK, but I didn't have any desire to ride it more than a couple times. My main objective is to ride Phoenix several times, sample the food, and really take in the atmosphere. I'm sure we'll sample several of the non coaster rides, but anything intense and spinning is a no go for us. Although, I'm really excited for the boats! A spin on the train and the sky ride are a must. I also want to try out unique rides like the whip.

 

We plan on spending two days at Hershey to do more of the same. Granted the coaster count is far greater, but I'd really like to take my time. I'm apprehensive about enjoying the main draw, being Skyrush. There is such a thing as too much ejector airtime in our preferences. For example, Storm Chaser at Kentucky Kingdom was really fun, but anymore than a couple rides became uncomfortable. I don't have much soft meat on me, so I hope the restraints aren't uncomfortable.

 

TBH, we had three new parks we wanted to his this year, being Hershey, Knoebels, and Kennywood. For whatever reason, I'm the most excited about Kennywood. It seems caught in between being a large park and a small park. Phantom's Revenge and the overall quirkiness of the park is really appealing to me. Although I have to say I'm a little bummed about their flume closing.

 

Again, I really appreciate all of this good advice. Sorry for talking so much about Knoebels within this thread.

You really can just hang out at Knoebels and take a leisurely pace and still do a lot. I say that and I went in early August during a very busy time. I also don't do a lot of spinning flats, but I still found a lot to do at Knoebels. Try to catch the brass rings on the Grand Carousel. You'll need to dash to an outside horse and fight off some kids to do it. So worth it. So fun.

 

As for Skyrush...well, the restraints are going to be uncomfortable. More uncomfortable than Storm Chaser for sure. Just be prepared for that. Hopefully they don't hurt. I didn't find them painful at all, but I definitely felt a lot of pressure. They're just weirdly designed and you should know that going in.

 

Oh, and don't apologize for talking about Knoebels. Knoebels should be in every thread.

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Hope you enjoy Skyrush. (I didn't enjoy it, but will give it another shot in 2018, when I get back to Hersheypark. . Farenheit too, since we skipped that on our prior trip). by far tho, my favorite in the park is StormRunner.. . love that thing.

 

When are you going to HP, Bert? StormRunner is one of my favorite rides anywhere so I agree with you there!

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Hope you enjoy Skyrush. (I didn't enjoy it, but will give it another shot in 2018, when I get back to Hersheypark. . Farenheit too, since we skipped that on our prior trip). by far tho, my favorite in the park is StormRunner.. . love that thing.

 

When are you going to HP, Bert? StormRunner is one of my favorite rides anywhere so I agree with you there!

 

Late July timeframe

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Hope you enjoy Skyrush.

 

(I didn't enjoy it, but will give it another shot in 2018, when I get back to Hersheypark. . Farenheit too, since we skipped that on our prior trip).

 

by far tho, my favorite in the park is StormRunner.. . love that thing.

 

I too thought StormRunner was my favorite in the park, but a lot of it probably had to do with expectations that were off base for both StormRunner and Skyrush, plus my ride on Skyrush was just kind of weird. I'm anxious to get back to that part of the country to try them both again.

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I'm apprehensive about enjoying the main draw, being Skyrush. There is such a thing as too much ejector airtime in our preferences. For example, Storm Chaser at Kentucky Kingdom was really fun, but anymore than a couple rides became uncomfortable. I don't have much soft meat on me, so I hope the restraints aren't uncomfortable.

 

I have meaty thighs and this ride does not bother me like a lot of people, though after riding over and over I can start to feel it. Nothing anyone can say can really prepare you for Skyrush. Just do it. It's one of the few rides that no matter how many times I've done it I still get butterflies before riding because of how insane its going to be. Just expect absolutely unreal ejector airtime. Skyrush is ridiculous in the best way possible. Some tricks to maybe make the ride more enjoyable: sit in the front. Not only can you see whats coming, its just a better ride up here. It's less of a yank and more of a push up into the hills. Don't bother trying to ride with your hands up. Hang on, tuck your legs under the seat a bit to help keep yourself upright, and so your thighs don't slam as hard into the lapbar going over the hills. The airtime is still ridiculous and awesome in the front but the back row will literally try to kill you, notably the back left wing death seat. If you like it in the front then try the death seat. I recommend a ride back there, but I definitely like the ride better in the front.

 

The great thing about Skyrush is if you hate it Hershey has an all around great coaster line-up so there's much more to get into if you're not a fan.

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Call me crazy, but I think one of the major reasons I love Skyrush so much is because of those restraints. They aren’t exactly the most comfortable, but the way the bar sits in the middle of your thighs rather than on your waist is what exaggerates the already insane airtime, since your butt lifts off the seat but your obviously still restrained. I don’t think I would like the ride nearly as much if it had typical lapbars that sit comfortably against your waist.

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The great thing about Skyrush is if you hate it Hershey has an all around great coaster line-up so there's much more to get into if you're not a fan.

This. The second day I was at Hershey was rainy, so Skyrush wasn't open until late afternoon, and there was still a ton to do there. Lightning Racer and Fahrenheit are both fantastic, and there's Great Bear, Coal Cracker, Storm Runner, and Sooperdooperlooper as well. All of those are very good, so even without Skyrush, this is an amazing park.

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Call me crazy, but I think one of the major reasons I love Skyrush so much is because of those restraints. They aren’t exactly the most comfortable, but the way the bar sits in the middle of your thighs rather than on your waist is what exaggerates the already insane airtime, since your butt lifts off the seat but your obviously still restrained. I don’t think I would like the ride nearly as much if it had typical lapbars that sit comfortably against your waist.

 

I definitely agree where those restraints rest add to the ride's intensity. I really feel like I could slide out even though there's no way my legs could possibly bend or slide through that restraint.

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I like Skyrush's restraints. The fit me better than El Toro's and feel safer than Superman tR despite its seatbelts. Make sure nothing is in your pocket between your leg and the restraint, even a comb or key will hurt. I held on to the sides of the bar nearer to straight down not the handles way forward until the brakes, they ratchet the bar down more and don't hold you down. Don't feel like you have to start with the seat of doom, they're all good.

 

The restraints are great for what they have to do. If you swapped them with a milder coaster yeah they'd ruin the other ride but the results on Skyrush would be disaster. You can't reason that it has bad air because of the restraints, you could say it has bad restraints because it has such great air.

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We ended up picking up some of the tickets for Christmas Candylane around Thanksgiving while they were on sale, and were planning on visiting tomorrow and Wednesday, but with temperatures forecasted in the teens and twenties during the entire time we'd be here (and the rest of the week while they're open), we are seriously rethinking it, especially since we're all fighting off the remnants of colds and coughs we picked up down in Pigeon Forge.

 

Does anyone have any experience exchanging Christmas Candylane tickets for regular season tickets, or are we probably going to have to eat that cost?

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06/04 - 06/05 two full days at Hershey park from 10am-8pm. I didn't realize this park closes so early.

 

I'm somewhat flexible on the dates and I was curious how the crowds have been in the past on these days. I'm assuming a lot of kids will still be in school, but I fear we may hit a lot of school groups. I hate going when we're surrounded by teens. Again, we're looking for a compromise between crowds and long operating hours. Maybe we could shift our HP day to 06/03 and have our culture day in between to avoid crowds.

 

Any advice is appreciated. Thanks.

 

 

Most of the schools in our area will be out at that point. My kids are done on the 1st (I think, I'm slacking in the scheduling department at the moment). I know it's very early this year as compared to previous years for the last day of school.

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  • 4 weeks later...

From a couple pages back, I think we decided to stick with the original plan.

06/01 Friday - 12 hour drive

06/02 Saturday Knoebels. Hopefully we can still book one of the smaller (run down) cottages and maybe have a couple beers at night. If not, no big deal. We'll just find a somewhat close hotel. Paying more money for tickets doesn't bother us, since we don't have to pay for entrance tickets or beers, and it allows us to conform to our own schedule. That, and the ticket thing sounds kind of fun.

06/03 Sunday Culture Day

06/04 Monday, Hershey Park

06/05 Tuesday Hershey Park

06/06 Wednesday 12 hour drive

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  • 2 weeks later...

THIS IS HUGE!!!

 

HERSHEY HAS UNLIMITED FAST TRACK NOW!!!!!

 

Choose Your Fast Track Pass Experience:

 

Fast Track Pass*

Skip the line one time per day on each ride

Available from $65

 

Unlimited Fast Track Pass*

Skip the line unlimited times per day on each ride

Available from $110

 

Fast Track Pass access is available on the following Hersheypark attractions:

Great Bear®

Laff TrakkSM

Skyrush®

Storm Runner®

sooperdooperLooper®

Fahrenheit®

CometSM

SidewinderSM

Lightning Racer®

WildcatSM

Wild Mouse

Reese's Xtreme Cup Challenge®

TrailblazerSM

Hershey Triple TowerTM

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