8/23/02 Hersheypark smells like manure ...
Associated parks:
None
But is an amazing park!!! My first time ever visiting this park (although I'd been to the city before) and it really surprised me, I wasn't expecting this much! Met CoasterPunk (Dan) there and we had a great day.
The title comment was the funniest part of the day, and was heard on the way out from a 5-year-old. The air did smell like the chocolate factory, but this was this little guy's take on the world :)
Before I get to the rides, I'll mention a few things ... we visited nearby Williams Grove - cool little park - sort of what I imagined early Kennywood to look like - they have a Schwarzkopf (sp? someday I'll learn to spell that ...) Wildcat and an old old OLD woodie thats in terrible shape but still a fun ride. Good starting point for the day. Hershey has one of the biggest parking lots I've ever seen - this thing was massive and mostly full, but to me, the park still seemed kinda empty - although CoasterPunk didn't think so ... As for the rest of the park, I'll probably think of it as I write, so here goes the rides section:
Lightning Racer (10/10) - Oh WOW! I am quickly becoming a HUGE GCI fan. This coaster just blew me away, it was so incredibly fast, out of control, I loved the dueling/racing effect, the layout was so twisted, the first drop was incredibly steep - I just can't put into words how awesome this coaster was.
Wildcat (10/10) - Another GCI hit! I've read that a lot of people on here don't like this cause its rough and I have this to say - its wooden! That's how they're built! If you want smooth, go ride an Intamin hyper/giga! Wildcat was great, the drops, the helicies, the sudden twists, loved it.
Great Bear (9/10) - Again, I don't understand people's complaints about this ride. It's intense, element-after-element, without stops. The helix off the top is a great twist on the standard invert, the Zero-G roll is great, and the footchoppers and corkscrew behind SooperDooperLooper are just fun. Although, its camera is in the stupidest place - who ever heard of a camera on the brake run? And we rode this in the back - it was boring. I don't like inverts anywhere but the front seat, it just totally takes away from the experience when all you can see is the seats in front of you.
Comet (8/10) - Dan said that this is basically the Phoenix toned down, but I still had fun on it. Lots of good air on some parts, although I could see where a lack of brakes or some tweaking of the trains or tracks for some extra speed would make it a much better coaster.
Sidewinder (8/10) - My second boomerang and once again, I enjoyed it. Very weird feeling going through those loops backwards and through the station backwards. It was also fun to hear the people on the midways talking about the ride.
SooperDooperLooper (8/10) - Definitely a cool ride. The old-school loop is pretty intense and I love how it intertwines with itself and Great Bear. Our second ride we had a cool "dueling" effect with Great Bear as both times we went near it, the Great Bear train was right overhead.
Trailblazer (6/10) - A mine train ... what more can be said. Slow, kinda boring, but helixes are always kinda fun. Had a weird experience that our train got "stuck" on the brakes for a few seconds, they kept trying to pull it into the station and the train wasn't budging, but we eventually got moving.
Wild Mouse (2/10) - I did not like this at all. Slow, pretty boring, and just not intense. Exterminator just blows this one away. If this one's cars spun, maybe I'd rate it higher, but I doubt it.
Roller Soaker - Although we didn't get to ride this due to it breaking down at our "alotted time" for it and then not re-opening until it was too late in the day to dry off, I wanted to comment that I really despised the idea of one of these coming to Kennywood next year. But now that I've seen one in action, its perfect for Kennywood and I'm actually pulling for it over the invert rumor. If it would have been open, I would have gladly ridden it, and I usually HATE water rides, but this just looked like a blast.
Hersheypark was wonderful, and I'm definitely going back next year. Their wooden collection is amazing and the steelies aren't that bad either! The park has a great atmosphere too it - there isn't really heavy "themeing" but the different sections all look similar and it just is ... well ... nice. I highly reccomend this park!!
-----------------
1. Kumba 2. Millie 3. Mantis 4. Lightning Racer/Wildcat (Hershey) 5. Thunderbolt (KP)
"The key to a happy life is moderation" -- Jon Stewart
You forgot to mention the part when I spilled the soda all over trying to pick it up with my broken hand!:(
I'm still in awe the way the Wildcat was running. They must have put some high speed bearings or some magic pixie dust on the trains. It seemed to be running faster than ever before. I think that was the highlight of the day for me. Thank God the Cyclone wasn't running like that or we probably would have been airborn off the track and in the hospital.
Wait until you ride the Phoenix. Comet and Phoenix look basicly the same Flat turns and lots of bunny hops. Just imangine the speed and air of the Wildcat but on a layout similar to the Comet with the the 3 bench PTC's without seatbelts.
Too bad we didn't have more time to check out the zoo and some of the other rides. I guess there's always next time!
Does anyone know why Tidal Force is down? There was a sign out at the enterance telling us it was down for routine matainance.
When did they add the shower in the line for the Great Bear? Maybe they add that because too many people think it stinks! ;)
Glad you made it back home ok. Also glad you had a great day even if hershey smelled like manure!
-----------------
Knoebels visits in 2002. 6
Hersheypark smells like maneur? Doesn't he know that is the official scent of South Central Pennsylvania? Think Derry Township in Dauphin County smells like maneur? Take a drive down to Lancaster County if you want to have the full experience!
Anyway... Tidal Force. My wife and I visited HP back on Aug 7 (I think that was the date). While waiting in line for Wildcat, I noticed that they stopped running boats up the lift of Tidal Force. Later in the evening I noticed that they were running empty boats through, but soon stopped that. We visited again on Aug 18 and it was closed at that time. Not sure what is going on. I doubt that it is down for "routine" maintenance. PA is having one very hot summer... and water rides are VERY popular. It was suggested by someone in our group that it might be down to "conserve" water (we are also in a serious drought)... but I doubt that as well since it sort of recycles and reuses its own water (besides... Roller Soaker and Canyon River Rapids are still running).
Hershey does its "routine" maintenance during the off season. Tidal Force is not (usually) open for HP in the Dark and Spring Time in the Park (at least last year) so that means the off season for this ride is from late September to late April... plenty of time for "routine" maintenance.
ALL that to say... Considering that it was operating very intermitently on the 7th and appears to be down since (even during the hottest days of the season), I have the feeling that it is some mechanical problem.
-----------------
Kind of hard to take a post as objective if a park or coaster name is part of the "user name"
*** This post was edited by SLFAKE on 8/23/2002. ***
I think LR is my #1 wooden coaster.
Wildcat is my #2 i love these two coasters they have everything you want in a woodie.
They are in the same class as silver comet at MFI.I really think Great Bear is a great B&M the helix is great the ride is intense I loved it.
Comet was the surprise for me. This ride was a lot better than I thought, it was smoother and pops of air that I didn't expect.
Hershey is a great park in my opinion.
Great TR!
SLFAKE said:
"Hersheypark smells like maneur? Doesn't he know that is the official scent of South Central Pennsylvania? Think Derry Township in Dauphin County smells like maneur? Take a drive down to Lancaster County if you want to have the full experience!
LMAO! Isn't that the truth! Also, try I-81 from the PA border all the way up past Shippensburg, and then Harrisburg, and be sure to have all the windows rolled down for the full effect.
I went to Hershey last year for the Con and absolutely fell in love with the park. The Lightning Racer is one of the most fun coasters I have ever been on. I also think the Great Bear is highly underrated.
Williams Grove was fun also. ACE had the park to ourselves so we ravaged the place. Their funky Music Express is one of the best I have been on, and the Fun house is nice and tacky, but fun.
I am going to try to get back up to Hershey next Spring...............I am going into Lightning & Thunder withdrawl.....lol
Tina
*** This post was edited by coasterqueenTRN on 8/23/2002. ***
-----------------
Why do you have to have a license to own a dog, but not to have a child?
PittDesigner, although I respect your opinion, I would not consider Hersheypark's Wild Mouse to be slow, boring, or not intense. It is a peppy, zippy, and nearly brakeless little coaster with lots of lateral g's in those quick turns and incredible fear-inducing moments as the cars seem as though they are about to flip off the track with each turn. I'm a fan of wild mice, and Hersheypark's version is my favorite. Anyway, I am glad you enjoyed the park.
By the way, Tidal Force was running during my recent visit on August 13, 14, and 15.
Great TP, PittDesigner. Looks like we both have the same tastes in coasters. I don't agree with what you said about Wild Mouse. Although it isn't as exciting as Exterminator at KW, it's still a very intense and almost scarry ride. Maybe you rode it on a bad day.
With that out of the way, I agree with everything else you say about HP. Wildcat is one of my favorite woodies as well as a lot of other GCI rides. GB just doesn't get the attention it deserves. Heck, this whole park just doesn't get the attention it deserves. I have lately been VERY impressed with HP. They just keep getting better and better.
-----------------
-KoRn is the Millennium Force of ROCK-
-----------------
My experience on the mouse this year was horrible as well.
I don't know why but we were heavily braked at every opportunity even coming to almost a complete stop at about the midpoint, just before the bunny hops.
Last year my ride was insanely brakeless. It seems to be hit or miss.
-----------------
The countdown has begun to Gaydays 2003 at Disney and Universal.
The Wild Mouse: This year it is more heavily breaked than in the past. In previous years they used to run this thing with out breaks. As to comparrisons to Kennywood's Exterminator... Not sure if they are fair comparrison's. While they are both Wild Mice (actually, I thought I heard Kennywood's referred to as a Crazy Mouse because of its spinning cars... but I could be wrong), Kennywood's does a) have the spinning cars and b) is enclosed making the whole "dark ride" aspect part of the excitement. A more fair comparrison would be to Dorney's Wild Mouse, BGW's Wild Maus, etc. In that comparrison, Hershey's easily comes out the winner.
-----------------
Kind of hard to take a post as objective if a park or coaster name is part of the "user name"
*** This post was edited by SLFAKE on 8/26/2002. ***
If it (Wild Mouse) is more heavily braked now, I can't even imagine....our ride featured a couple of "hisses" as we passed the brakes, but it sure beat out almost every other mouse for "brakelessness"....it flew thru the curves, hit the air hills, and not even once we were "slammed"....as far as I'm concerned, HP's mouse comes in below KW's for the reasons already mentioned, and is *about* on par with MiA's....
HP was an amazing, incredible, we WILL be back kind of park....the wood was awesome, well-maintained, beautifully lit at night....SDL and Great Bear were FUN, *swoopy*, and intense enough. Roller Soaker was flat-out the most fun I've ever had on a water ride...or is that the wettest I've ever been on a coaster.....it was BOTH!
The staff was GREAT, beyond anything outside of HW and KG....and to me, the staff is the real key to any park...
coasterpunk said:
Does anyone know why Tidal Force is down? There was a sign out at the enterance telling us it was down for routine matainance.
Maybe... Routine maintenance? :)
I thought Wild Mouse ran great this year, mainly judging from the job it did to my ribs. I didn't hear any brakes at all.
Roller Soaker is WET. I'll just leave you with that comment... Drying = a long time after this ride. Don't ride with any... Shall I say... Nice clothing on? Swimsuit & bare chest, unless you want to buy a towel and have a few extra $.25 pieces to spend on dryers.
-----------------
"Well, I'm sure I'd feel much worse if I weren't under such heavy sedation." - David St. Hubbins, Spinal Tap
http://www.loopscrew.com
You must be logged in to post
