Heshey Park tips/ Hotel information

Hey I'm going to Herhey Park Sunday for the first time and to Knoebels for the first time on Monday. Any good tips to navigating either park? I plan on hitting Storm Runner as soon as the park opens. Also how do you get the ride ops at Knoebels to give you an "adult ride" on the High Speed Thrill Coaster? Anybody know of any decent motels/hotels around either park that are modestly priced?

I can't really help you with hotel info, sorry, but you should find all the park info you need in this thread:

http://www.coasterbuzz.com/forum.aspx?mode=thread&TopicID=42070

Hotels in Hershey proper are pretty expensive during the summer. If you check along the Interstate about 10 miles northe of town the rates are much cheaper.

www.travelhero.com helps me a lot when it come to finding hotels.

I'm starting to really like Motel 6's prices, especially on the weekdays.

We booked EconoLodge in Harrisburg, on Eisenhower Blvd. for the week of July 4th, for $45 a night back in March, and is only a 15 minute drive to Hersheypark, with breakfast included. I'm glad I was an early booker, since now it's listed for $76.50 a night...but if you actually do a quote, it comes out to $49.50 for Internet Users Rate. To me, the hotel is for sleep, shower , and a quick breakfast, so we don't need anything extra, cause that's what the park is for :)

*** Edited 6/18/2005 8:21:41 AM UTC by midwave***

The Hershey campground looks like a good choice, plus you get early entry to the park.

http://www.hersheypa.com/accommodations/hershey_highmeadow_campground/index.html

Mark

I believe we stayed at the Comfort Inn just a little down the road from park, right across the street from a little diner and a gym.

Anyway, the prices were somewhat reasonable, and Hershey's hotels were booked up. For being a comfort Inn, the hotel was really nice.

Also, you can buy tickets for Hershey right at the front desk. If you get there late the first day...around 6 or 7 they had it where if you buy the next days tickets...you get a little free preview in the park that night for like 2 or 3 hours for nothing. Pretty sweet deal if you ask me. :)

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unitykid said:
Also how do you get the ride ops at Knoebels to give you an "adult ride" on the High Speed Thrill Coaster?

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I think the ride is always on "adult ride" mode, though maybe I was just lucky my only time out there a couple of summers ago.

Maybe the ride op will hold back if he sees small kids in the train -- so you may want to make sure that you board when the riders appear to be more daring -- but, other than that, it never hurts to ask.

Adult ride mode? What do you mean? The ride has different thrill settings?

My best advice to you concerning navigation of Hershey is to not run around the park due to the steep sections of the park. Trust me, I had shin splints following my recent 2-hour marathon. I don't know if this would get you there any faster, but, you could try veering right towards Great Bear out of Comet Hollow, bear a left towards Flying Falcon and then down the hill and then back up the other hill to the Storm Runner station. Most of the crowds in my guesstimation will probably go left instead at Comet Hollow and head up the hill towards The Claw and then continue on towards Midway America.

I know you want to pick up Storm Runner first, but may I suggest that you pick off two other coasters first? If you take the crazy route suggested above, you pass right by Trailblazer and wind up right in front of Sidewinder. These two are sometimes notorious for long lines. If you haven't already done so, take a good look at the online map. It's not the most straightforward park out there.

At Knoebels there really are no navigation tips. Since it feels more like a camping ground than an amusement park, it's kind of a free-for-all as far as to where you want to go next. Just make sure to cross the bridge to get your handstamp and you'll be all good.

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unitykid said:
how do you get the ride ops at Knoebels to give you an "adult ride" on the High Speed Thrill Coaster?

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I'm sorry, but that just sounds evil.

The closest thing I've ever seen/experienced is that if there is no line-- and this is usually close to the end of the night-- the ride op will give you an extra lap or two around the track. Don't know if that's what the poster means, but there's no real way to make the ride go faster or wilder or anything like that.

Bear, I didn't get an "adult ride" on this coaster, but I noticed that the ride op was timing the turning on of the lift to slow down the ride for it's second cycle. I don't know if he can control the speed of the lift, but maybe the ride would go a little faster around the course if he ran the lift before the train got to it, therefor helping it to keep it's momentum while it went over the first hill.

Maybe?

What you're suggesting, dex, is what I've seen the ops do most often, so the lift is running by the time the train gets to it. It's probably more a question of the experience of the op.

I've seen a few times where they cut the juice too soon on the last lap and the train almost teeters back and forth on top of the lift hill. Then they have to give it another shot to carry the rest of the train over. I guess the kids don't mind, but it does ruin the continuity of the ride.

I haven't been on HSTC for a few years now. The last few times I've been, when the lift grabbed the rear of the train, it wasn't too good on the lumbar region. I had to take a spin on the Whip to straighten up. :)

This "adult ride" term still cracks me up. Whaddaya want, someone sitting on your lap for the whole ride?

I was disappointed when we rode because of the tameness of Hi-Speed Thrill Coaster. My friend was peeved that I made him ride it. The op would turn off the lift motor when about half the train was over the top. Much different than the video I've seen of it when the lift motor runs until the train drops off. Quite a bit more speed + airtime that way.

Just means I'll have to go to PPP one of these years.