Hersheypark...as we speak, 6/7/12...not such a crushing disappointment

Totally. I can understand they're doing the whole cheesy version of the Flashpass, but just keep the seats open and when the next people using it come along, put them in the next train. In the meantime, fill the dang seats! Ask for single riders! Whatever!

I hit the Comet around 2pm on Friday. There was an employee at the top of the ramp assigning seats, something I never saw on Comet. I always like to wait for the front of this coaster, but was "instructed" to take a middle seat (one of the two chained off for their version of fast pass. And it wasn't bad enough that they were being assigned... the kid was yelling out directions like he was some sort of drill sargent.

And no, it wasn't just to fill the "reserved seats". He was blocking people off in at the top of the ramp. First person there he would yell "FRONT SEAT"... "SECOND SEAT"... etc etc etc.

I know they do this on Skyrush and during its first year they did it on Farehneit. However, in 30 years of riding Comet, I've never seen it before. All other coasters (except sky rush I assume... did not ride on friday) you could pick your own seat. Not sure if this is a new policy on Comet, or if the kid had just come off of working Skyrush and decided to take things into his own hands and do it here too. Not sure if it was going on all day either since I only rode it this one time.

I have never seen that before for Comet either. I have noticed a LOT of people riding Comet though as of late (now that SDL is back up and running and Skyrush is right there, Comet has more company, I think). Perhaps they need to do this now to speed up Comet's line since the trains are usually full (that I've noticed, anyway).

It really doesn't speed it up. Once loaded, we still had the wait time while people messed with their belts and they had to release the buzz bars twice. It's not a problem getting people into the trains (the gates are always filled, even with out being told where to go), the problem is that once people are seated someone always forgets the belt.

In all other trips to Hershey this year (5), they were not doing this... just this past Friday.

Well, if I go out there again anytime soon (not likely because Universal has officially buggered me for all my money), hopefully the Comet Nazi will be elsewhere. I don't ride the Comet all that much anyway.

I noticed that the Comet line is basically currently serving as the overflow for Skyrush. I'm sure it's seen more riders in past few weeks than it's seen in years.

I had the same thought about SDL.

Oh, I don't know...SDL is a classic, and it is riding nicely with those new trains. The trims are ridiculous though.

I meant about the overflow from SkyRush. SDL was my first looping coaster, I'd never skip it when I'm at Hershey, and it ran very well last Thursday.

Oh yeah...makes sense. Dduuuhhhh...lol