park complaints

Just got back from Hershey. Maybe it's because of the cold, but I have a few complaints. When I got there about 4pm, the only coasters open in the park was comet and SDL. They were both only running one train with long waits. Great Bear was advertised, but closed (maybe because of the cold?) and when I got there Stormrunner was not going, and I was told if it warmed up maybe, but it was too cold and it wasn't making over the top hat. Then around 5:30 it started and ran (as it got colder) til 9pm! I don't understand the logic...but I didn't care I was just happy to get to ride it. Only one train as well. they could of used t2 trains til it started getting dark, then 1 would of been good.

Some complaints: 1)Kids running and pushing thru in the line q's. I don't know what you all think, but once your in the que, no passing! Where are these young kids parents? And once they get to the line they are os anxious all they do is keep hitting on you and bumping you. And I'm not saying just a slight bump, I mean constant like a pecking rooster.

2)I can't wait til regular season when the price goes up. I am a season pass holder so it doesn't matter to me, but when the price is so cheap to get in (19.95) the park is filled with alot of rift-raft and under watched and very NOT well behaved children.

3)And my god the line cutting today! Why do kids think excuse me is a reason to go to where there friends are in line. And parents and older people are just as guilty. Stand in line and wait like the rest of us. I personally think the people should come back to you, not you cut thru the line to them.

4) this one isn't the end of the world, but...No more free piece of candy at the end of Resee's Extreme Cup Challenge :(

I don't wanna sound like a total jerk or butmunch. I did enjoy the day, even with the cold. I rode Storm Runner 3 times. I needed that after a long winter break, and Comet was cool too. they have a new painting on the front of the Comet trains. I just needed to come home and vent!

I'm going to guess here, half the reason for one train operation/rides closed is staff and the other is weather.

As far as people line jumping, I can only figure since the park was shy on employees that they guess they can get away with it. It happens everywhere.

Yeah, Like I said I just needed to vent. I usually love HP

If several other coasters were scheduled ot be open, I'd think they could have put those extra employees on the coasters that were open and get multiple trains out. I don't see how cold weather would make two train operation a danger, compared to say rainy weather where braking can be an issue.

I'm completely with you on the line cutters. When I was a kid I waited my turn like everyone else and couldn't believe all the people that felt they deserved to cut ahead.

My experience with line jumpers, especially kids, is to give them a stern warning that what they are doing is "against the rules". If you are convincing enough, they will listen. Sometime others in line will back you up and tell the kids not to do it too.

This usuially works with kids under 12ish...not so much with older kids or even adults.

I've never had a bad day at HP. Did you go to the GS window to complain? I feel that HP really cares about their guests day.

*** Edited 4/7/2007 5:28:08 AM UTC by dexter***

Dex has it right on. With younger kids, and even some teens, I find that pulling my "Dad Thing" usually is very effective.

(Then again, I'm pretty good at the Dad Thing. I've had plenty of practice on my own knucklehead children.)

---

Acoustic Viscosity said:
I don't see how cold weather would make two train operation a danger, compared to say rainy weather where braking can be an issue.

---------------------------------------------------Have you ever heard of ice and frost?

---

I’ve seen Cedar Point routinely only run 1 train in very cold conditions when the park isn’t packed to ensure the trains go out full, otherwise they would risk a rollback.

With little or no lines while running multiple trains, they’d have to wait for the trains to be full. This means the trains out would have to sit for a while on the brake runs in the cold. Not only does that leave the passengers stuck out there, but as the lack of movement risk rollbacks on all trains as they get cold again.

With one train the waits might be 20 or so minutes, but with 2 on and double capacity they risk the possibility of no line and this happening. They could play the transfer on/off game but again that means bringing on cold trains and risking rollbacks. A vicious cycle pretty much.

It’s just one of those things you have to deal with in cold weather.
*** Edited 4/7/2007 2:43:55 PM UTC by Joe E.***

I was there. Nothing was icy at any time. The brake run on Comet is huge and covered, and the train doesn't come in as fast as it could. The brakes on Stormrunner are all magnetic.

It's not like we're talking about sub-zero temps here.

Halloweekends at the Point can get pretty darn cold, and as my memory serves, that hasnt stopped them from running TTD, Raptor, etc...heck we've ridden MF is sleet (ouch).

Now wind is a different story, but cold? How cold was it? It was in the 30's in Ohio.

Yes, I've heard of ice and frost, but apparently such weather-related elements were not an issue at this juncture.

If it was only a 20-minute wait, then it makes sense to use just one train in order to maintain a full load. I was under the impression the waits were worse than that. 20-minutes is borderline anyway.

Good point. I have to admit I have never even set foot in Hersheypark (first visit in 2008), so I am clueless as to what their crowds are like. This weather has been brutal lately around here (OH)

I was there yesterday, from open (10 AM) until close (9 PM). The crowds (and the waits) were the worst from about Noon until 5. I didn't try to ride Storm Runner during this time...it was closed for a large chunk of the day anyway...so I can't comment on its wait times during this period. I didn't wait for more than half an hour for any of the rides I took (except Comet, more about that later). Total I was on about 30 rides during the day, 26 of them being coaster rides. Yes, we counted. We're dorks. We spent the first hour or so in the Pioneer Fronteir rinding Sidewinder and Trailblazer (both walk-ons) over and over until we saw that Stormrunner open up. When it did we got about three rides in until the line started to look too long.

During the middle of the day we went on mostly flat rides, which are fun and I don't go on them much because I don't like the longer wait they have on normal summer days.

Reeses Extreme Cup challenge has to be the dumbest thing I have ever been on. As someone else mentioned, WHERE WAS MY SWEET TREAT?!?

Then there was Comet. The line didn't look too long...the little covered tent thing was only half filled....but it was still an hour wait. Two trains could have been nice for this ride, but I don't know enough to know why they didn't.

By the end of the night all the coasters seemed to be walk-ons again. It took about an hour to ride storm runner three more times, with two of them being with front row waits. I would have gotten in more, except that some kid got a bloody nose and caused a delay.

Many of the coasters did close, but to Hershey's credit they did manage to open them back up. I don't know why Great Bear was closed all day, but they did open up some of the rides in Midway America, which wasn't supposed to be open at all.

I can't comment on the line-jumping, because I didn't see that much of it. All in all it was a great day, well worth the $20.

What is the Reeses Cup Challenge? Is it a dark ride?

It's a dark ride similar to the Buzz Lightyear ride at the Magic Kingdom. There are four people in a car and two cars paired together. One car is chocolate, one is peanut butter. Each person has a laser gun and you have to shoot at targets to get points. The most points wins. The one at Disney was more fun.

The little intro you have to watch while you're waiting in line (over and over and OVER) promises you a sweet treet at the end. I would have been less bitter had I been given free candy.

If you just have to do this, I would suggest going into the single rider entrance. It's not worth the wait, in my opinion.

I was back at HP on Saturday with my 5 y/o god daughter. Cold and chilly, and I stand by my first post when I said I can't wait til regular season because with the cheap price there is too much rift raft in the park. Two things in particular, we first rode the carousel, which was over ran by teenagers and to no avail, the op sreamed her lungs out yelling at these kids to stop changing horses mid ride. What a great learning experience for a 5y/o.

Then onto the Fun Slides. I think this should be a kids only ride...or maybe one slide for young kids and the other for adults. here's what happened. We climbed to the top, placed our mat and slid down. At the bottom I lift her off my lap and then I get up. Well she didn't get hit hard, but it could of been worse and she did get hit by one of the mid teen boys that came racing down on the sides of us. 3 questions...why didn't they wait...why weren't they instructed to wait, and why didn't the op at the bottom warn me? What was he doing? Now if we ever ride that again...and I say if because she is now scared, I will always look back before getting up.

UGH!! anyways the rest of the park was ok. COLD but she did ride her fist coaster on TrailBlazer...6 times in a row! She loved it and the only thing stopping her form SDL and Comet is about another inch in height.

BTW< Comet from what I saw could of used 2 trains miday, but I say around 4 or 5 it was almost walk on.

PS.. . . Not only did I take her home with a chocolate buzz (choc tour 3 times, a smore(which are really Tasty) and a brownie), she now says over and over.... "Watch the tram car Please" Anything to annoy the parents

That's fine if they don't give out the candy anymore, but then they should change the intro movie. I was all excited for the candy.

I'm glad to report that the free chocolate on the factory ride in Chocolate World is alive and well...I'm not too sure how I feel about the addition of the singing cows, though....

And thats fine with the chocolate, but I agree to change the video.

Also I understand why some roller coaster were not running, and I'm not complaining about that. I love HP and fully understand they cannot control the weather. But I do think to as a service to the guests they should of been running 2 trains on Comet. It isn't worth an hour wait.

My biggest complaint though is the guests that such a reduced rate brings out. As much as it seems like I'm 'profiling' those who were there have to admit they noticed?

One interesting thing about the line jumping is the Hershey's rule in the brochure is that "rude and deliberate line jumping isn't allowed". That's like saying if someone says "excuse me" that's polite line jumping and is allowed.