Hersheypark - What's next? Thrust Tower; Stand Up

Nice! You've done your homework. I thought I might try and slip that one by you to make a point but you were right on top of it. The problem with the polls as we know is that there is not near enough participation in the poll itself. Also, everyone that has (participated), have not been on all the rides in question thus skewing the results. If I rode the Raven and absolutely loved it but haven't ridden the Wildcat, how could I make any kind of comparison? I couldn't.... So with that in mind I don't even bother with the polls and don't lend much weight to them. They're mis-leading in a lot of ways and if you totally went by them, you'd be missing out on a lot of good coasters. I like how you called my bluff though, and for the record......Hershey's wood IS as good as anybody's.

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Just when you think you have all the answers, I change the questions

WILL get to Hershey in '02, I've promised myself.  Been about 25 years since my last visit INSIDE the park.  But I do see them as a bit more...family-oriented.  Can't wait to try out their woodies!  But anyway, as far as what's NEXT?  Try the hyper or maybe an ArrowBatic... Then again, I'd take Raven over Legend, and rate Phoenix as "off the hook", so obviously I'm not a typical enthusiast... 
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PoTP acolyte - remove fear to reply
Son of Drop Zone - PKI CoasterCamp I Champions!!!

*** This post was edited by rollergator on 12/29/2001. ***

That would be awsome if a B&M hyper could be built above the park, kinda like Hypersonic, if it had a helix, then the helix could wraparound the Flying Falcon tower.  Cool for Falcon and hyper riders.
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CLICKCLICKCLICK..... WEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!
Favorite Steel: Top Gun: the Jet Coaster
Favorite Wood:Hershey Park Wildcat.

I didn't find Wildcat as rough as its reputation and Lightning Racers id definetly NOT forceles.!
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CLICKCLICKCLICK..... WEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!
Favorite Steel: Top Gun: the Jet Coaster
Favorite Wood:Hershey Park Wildcat.

Superstew: Mitch Hawkers poll compensates for all those things, as well as # of riders, so it is not simply a popularity contest. It had 262 votes this year, which given the detail used on the ballot, gives quite accurate results.

Interesting Coaster Fantom....
I have documentaion that GB was a 52" height restriction,(the brochure from that year) I didnt bother to measure it when I was at the park in June, since it uses candy types as measurement tools. Good for them to lower it. That blows my philosophy all to heck, but I'll live.

HOWEVER....That doesn't excuse IOA.
That park is realy hurting, and if you notice, they quickly added 2 family rides very soon after it opened. Sure, it's obvious that they wanted to market the park to a more thrill seeking audience, but the market for Disney is families... and thats where the money is... not in teenagers.

I wouldn't say that teenagers don't bring in  money to a park.  I kept a log and I spent $763.58 this year so don't go and say that. Teens are a huge money maker whether it be through season passes, hungry appities, or just a one day pass to hang out at a park.

I don't know why, but I can see a ride like Silverstar added to HP, maybe a little smaller. Haven't ever been there either.
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People think I'm insane because I am frowning all the time.-Paranoid

Sorry... "stereotypically" the money is not in teenagers.

IOA is not hurting that badly compared with the slide that the rest of the orlando parks took, IOA only had a 8% decline in yearly attendance, while Epcot had the largest decline of 15%. Teenagers are always a key demographic in almost any entertainment business. Maybe in this new recession economy, the teenage demographic might be the most potent and prosperous. Common, lets face it, most SF parks are not family oriented yet they draw some of the largest crowds and attendance.

BTW, the two family rides added were to complement the two themed areas with the most thrills but no kid rides. it shows that IOA cares about attracting both demoghapics, without alienating the other. Hershey can do the same and they have with GB. Just because a park has major theill rides doesn't mean it is a non-family park, the quintessancial example of this is IOA, with its two kid themed islands.

I am also extremely tired of the notion that hypers are too intense for most families. I have seen tons of children ride quality hypers like Steel Force and Raging Bull. Hypers can be duanting but the kids always seem to come off with a smile. A morgan hyper is about as gentle as any coaster can possibly be.

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All Hershey Park needs right now is a nice sized drop towe, other then that i dont think they need anything more i mean sure a B&M stand up would be nice but then that would push them into the coaster wars a bit and they dont need that.

Can't say for sure, but there are other coaster types that I believe Hershey would go for before a stand up
On our way to the hockey game in Hershey on Saturday night, my wife and I were talking about what may be in store for Hersheypark in 5 years... 2007, their 100th aniversary season.
Mr.MightyMouse commented that a B&M Standup "would push them into the coaster wars a bit and they dont need that."   Adding another coaster would only push a park into the "coaster wars" if they let it.  Build good quality coasters that the customers like and you do not have to keep trying to "out do the other guy".  Only parks that fall into the "more / bigger is better" are the ones that get sucked into the "Coaster Wars".

Someone said "where would they put a new coaster".  Speculation has always been on the opposite side of Hersheypark Drive. There is a nice long strip of land there. Also, summer 2002 will see Giant enter opening.  While there has been no public talk about the old Hersheypark Arena going anywhere in the forseable future, that is not saying that all of the parking lots around it will stay as they are.  This is just my speculation, but with arena activity now being centered around Giant enter, some of the lots around Hersheypark Arena may be put to "other uses".

*** This post was edited by SLFAKE on 12/31/2001. ***

I agree with you SLFLAKE. I have heard after the Giant Arena is open that the parking lot between the old arena, and stadium would be used a new theme area. The old arena may end up being center attraction of that new area. I have heard and indoor coaster and some kind of dark ride. I have also heard that they were thinking about keeping the arena for use on smaller engagements, so its hard to say just what their intentions are. They definately have room to grow. The park started off with over 1000 acres. It even says that on the park's website in the history of the park section. How much of that is still left for the park to grow on is still unknown, but you can bet that section of land across Hersheypark Drive is part of their long term plans. You know they already got a bridge crossing the road to go over to ZooAmerica it wouldn't be a big deal for them to do the same thing over Hersheypark Drive from Midway America.

B&M coasters not family oriented. Silver Dollar City is a Family park and they had B&M come in and build one of the sweetest coasters I have ever been on. I have never been to Hersheypark (It's on my list) but reading reviews for some of the coasters there, it seems as if they like to build very exciting, very intense rides. A Hypercoaster sounds like a great investment for ANY park, but then again I have never been to HP.

Does PA even have a stand-up? I'm pretty sure they don't. HP needs to concentrate on steel and given some of their past moves, this would seem likely. I think it would also prove successful. I know I for one, a season pass holder for many years, wouldn't be upset at all if this is the direction they went.

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Just when you think you have all the answers, I change the questions

for those who have not yet become aware, hypers ARE "family" coasters...Intamins/Gios just happen to be the "intense" hypers IMO as compared to the B&Ms/Morgans.  But the fact remains that the hypers draw the pre-teens in droves, and will continue to do so...bit I have changed my mind in that, if Hershey got an ArrowBatic, it might be a little "too close" to what they just got in Roller Soaker - so that is probably not their "next"...
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PoTP acolyte - remove fear to reply
Son of Drop Zone - PKI CoasterCamp I Champions!!!

*** This post was edited by rollergator on 1/1/2002. ***

to respond to CoasterFantom responding to my post...
Yes, they have bridged Rt.743 to Zoo America... they have also "gone under" the road that runs between Chocolate World and the Giant Center and intersects Hersheypark Drive and Rt.39 at the light.

As for the future of Hersheypark Arena, all the talk is that it will remain as an arena for the near future.  Last I heard it will be the "home ice" for Lebanon Valley College's hockey team, the Flying Dutchmen. Personally, I would like to see it remain as an arena for a few reasons... 1) the history of the building and 2) alternative venue for things with Giant Center (no excuse for the Bears not to have "ice" during the playoffs when the circus is booked in Giant Center... just move across the street to their old home)... it would also give them a practice rink of their own rather than going to a near by skating rink for practices when the Arena is in use.

Related but yet unrelated, there are signs in the box offices at Hersheypark Arena for Dutch Wonderland season passes (the first visible sign that the two parks are now connected).  Unfortunately, the way it sounds, season passes at one will not get you into the other (wich means I'll have to pay if I would want to stop in to Ductch Wonderland for a ride or two on Sky Princess).
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"I wasn't always this cynical, but then I started kindergarden..."

*** This post was edited by SLFAKE on 1/2/2002. ***

*** This post was edited by SLFAKE on 1/2/2002. ***

I don't know.... I have mixed feelings on the HP Arena. On one hand, I'd like to see them keep it and continue to make some use out of it, and on the other hand, I'd like to see them tear it down and fill it with more HP attractions (rides, games, ect.). It's ultimate fate though, obviously, will be determined by what's going to make them more cash. Keeping it up and using it for whatever, or taking it down and using it for whatever.

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Just when you think you have all the answers, I change the questions

If it were any other building, I would probably feel the same way you do Superstew about Hersheypark Arena.  However, after seeing around 800 hockey games in that building over the past 19 seasons (and all but about 10 of those games from the same seat), I'd sure hate to see the old Arena go or even be converted to anything but an arena ... and that includes (gasp!) an indoor coaster.

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"I wasn't always this cynical, but then I started kindergarden..."