Hersheypark 7/3,7/4 Knoebels 7/4

Long Time Lurker first time trip report. From the Syracuse NY area.

Girlfriend decided that we should go somewhere for my birthday on 7/3. Knowing my love for amusement parks she decided that was it. After himming and hawwing knowing what crowds would be like on the 4th i decided to try my luck at Hershey betting everything on the preview plan to save me. A quick google search netted $41 dollar day passes through the boy scouts. Not much to lose at that price. Usual Howard Johnson Harrisburg hotel at $70 a night for a bed.

7/3 Arrived in Harrisburg around 2pm after traveling down. Checking into hotel and relaxed for a bit. Severe thunderstorm warning in

Harrisburg area till 9pm, Ugh. Had a excellent meal at Lancaster Brewing restaurant next to the hotel. Preview starts at 7:30, head to the park at 7. Light rain but sky black as night behind me driving. Which way is it headed? Eveidently already through the parks as i do not think i could have parked any closer, right by the arena close to ticketing. None of the tall coasters appeared to be operating but ill take my chances. We decide we will just meander the park and take photos if nothing else. Walking towards the Hollow, Comet is Running, Great! Great Beat is running Excellent. Skyrush is stagnant. Nobody in the park. Storm emptied them out no lines whatsoever.

Comet - running as good as i can remember, always great to me.

SDL - I feel the best loop in the park, i love that loop. The new trains are butter smooth.

Great Bear X2- also smooth, love the drop helix, second ride much faster feeling.

Skyrush X2 - opened after a bit, no thigh pain, rode twice, very intense and nothing else like it as far as i am concerened. It did however seem to shudder around the track at times, has me a bit concerned for years to come.

Fahrenheit X2- Good drop, for some reason seemed slower than i remember and also seemed very unsettled on the track at times. felt like an old wood coaster that hand been maintained at times.

Storm Runner - Front row continues to put a smile on my face. love the ride.

7/3 After really having rode everything i was looking for on Thursday and witnessing the crowds on Friday(expected) i decided waiting in lines just wasn't in my cards today. It always makes me laugh the Zoo that chocolate world is at times. Pushing past the awestruck crowds at the door is challenging. This day i rode

Monorail - Love it - hope they extend it. Hersey could really use a people mover from front to back. The Old factory area the monorail traverses seems like it could be used for a small expansion. Drop tower out of the silos?

FerrisWheel - Never had, good views of that side of the park.

Walked to the LR's broke down, not going to wait or return to the back to the park. Disappointing as i love that ride.

Skip wildcat, not looking for the pain on the ride home. Sad as i loved this when it opened, lately not so much. RMC?

Ride the mouse, always fun.

Hop on Kissing Tower. Hit some shops decide to head towards home, Crowds prohibitively large. Thank You to the preview, Why again do more parks not do this?

See the Knoebels signs on Rt81 decide why not. Stopped a few weeks ago on way through but no time to enjoy.

Knoebels 7/4

Parking lot Jammed Full, No basis to know what this means, will check out anyhow.

Had enough tickets left for GF and I to get in line for Phoenix. Amazing coaster, not enough good to say here.

Park is simply neat, skyride is fun, old time charm at work here. Food i had was amazing.

Twister, felt like it was running like a Bat out of Hell, Loved it. Seemed pretty smooth to me.

Black Diamond - I get it as a Dark ride but not a coaster.

Haunted House - Awesome. reminds me of the Sylvan Beach pretzel but much better.

Flying TurwWns - looked cool but not going to wait in the 1 plus hour line.

About all the time i had, GF thought motorboats looked cute, ok we will wait. get in right line. Big mistake as all boats naturally head towards the left line and the workers arent splitting them. The charm was there just not much after the 45 minute wait.

Packed a lot of fun into 2 short days, A wedding was my driving factor in cutting the trip so short.

Rant - It frustrates me that Lightning Racer is sooo far back into the park. with no other option than walking it is not a casual line to hop into. Also the walk back towards the front makes me realize how much i miss the Conestoga Wagon. That ride was for one fun, but really livened up the frontier area on the trip back through. Seems to me that some signature flats have really become apparently lacking at Hershey as of late. Drop tower would fill the gap some.

Conestoga wagon was all kinds of awesome. The airtime was actually a tad scary.

I think with LR they had a plan for that area to be bigger (and more popular), and it just never happened. They're so locked in in that park. I know a lot of people that never make it back there because of the distance (which is a shame because LR nicely rounds out a decent coaster lineup. Riding it at night is amazing). I hope they put something else back there someday.

The layout of that park sucks.
:-)

It does. And yet I have an odd affection for that seemingly unplanned layout.

HP's front half is pretty. Those hills though....

I love Lightning Racers so much. It really does suck that the ride is so far far back, but I like Wildcat and the Mouse too, so at least there are a few more things to do in that area.

The layout of that park really does suck. Really, it does. Seriously. lol

I really enjoyed Lightning Racer.

The park layout, it's almost like there was never any long term planning involved. "We'll just throw down some pavement and put a ride over yonder, call it good."

I think they've long since destroyed the charm the former Comet Hollow had, back in the day, but I'm amused/impressed that they just keep adding roller coasters, or parts of coasters, to the area.

Hersheypark is a lot of fun, but because they installed new, larger coasters over top of the old coasters, Comet Hollow has lost something that made it special at one time. I'm all for progress, but it seems like they are not thinking ahead when it comes to where to place new attractions.

It's still a great park though. And just so people don't accuse me of hating and being all Negative Nancy, I'll repeat a few time that I like the park and it is a lot of fun. It is a lot of fun, by the way. Fun.

Herhseypark is a lot of fun, just in case you missed it.

You better say its fun. Or that would be Heresypark.