Trick Track tour pt 3 Hershey
Associated parks:
None
We actually got a early start for our 6/16/03 trip to Hershey Park. Our first visit but I've been by it probably three our four times. My overall view of Hershey before our visit was, It must not be nothing special, Nobody ever talks about it. Oh well, I was wrong!
We got to the park about 9am and found it difficult to finally get to a parking space right over by Chocolate World. It wasn't hard, Just seemed like alot of driving and the $6 for a corprate park parking wasn't bad.
Entering the park area we noticed several shops that could be visited before entering or after leaving. Good Idea in my view, Too many parks feature a hard opening and hard closing if you know what I mean.
We had gotten the combo pass from Dutch Wonderland. I always worry about purchasing anything in advance for fear of loosing, Damaging or it just not being accepted for some reason. After all them Williams Grove Cyclone Rides the previous day, I was worried that the ticket had somehow suffered some damage, dinkage, rippage or something so I checked in advance to make sure. Nope, Still perfect and at 10am we were let into the park with no problems and only visual security unlike them nazis at PKI that basically rape you for having a studded jean jacket on or work boots with metal hooks.
We walked in and at first notice we see no rides. Thats right, Just like PKI and a few other parks, Hershey has a entrance facade area with some shops, games, restraunts and sceenery. I think I noticed a nice fountain with a Miltion Hershey statue in front of it, Oh yeah, thats right! Anyhow it was nice and set the tone for Hershey, Laid back and well done.
Our first stop would be Comet Hollow as we were craving a coaster ride and a woodie at that. we get in line, The ride opens about 5 minutes later and we get the back seat. I don't know why, I had heard good things about Comet, Without even looking before or since at who made it. My view of Comet was TYPICAL JOHN ALLEN FORCELESS COASTER! Sorry got one of our own at PKI thats even a bit more thrilling if thats possible. Just didn't like Comet much and I'll leave it at that.
Next stop was Super Duper Looper. Our first freeform Anton coaster, (All others were fair or portable modles) Super Duper Looper was neat, It somehow made use of the topography and was actually a terrain coaster with a most excellent ending consisting of a helix carved into a cliff wall. There seemed to be only one negative to the ride and that was behind the station area, just before the helix was a block brake that kicked hard just before what apeared to be a excellent bunny hop that surely would have had airtime if not braked so hard. Oh well, Anton Rocks!
Our next stop was Great Bear. I had resigned myself that I wouldn't get to ride Great Bear due to it being a early model of the B&M invert. Steelforce told me it had big boy seats just before our visit and WOO HOO! I get to ride! Well the test seat has a belt that is clearly a inch longer than the actual big boy seat cause I got that latched myself, The actual ride seat brought out several dutch speaking dudes to force me in it! I don't know why, part of it was because I was riding in pain from being scrunched in the seat but Great Bear wasn't among my favorites. It's unique but I think the pacing sux. It starts out with this little dive into a pretty intense helix way up in the air then slows to a craw before going over the first big drop. A little airtime on the first drop, (Rare for a invert) then the typical B&M loop/Immelman/O'g roll followed by a lot of RAPTORING AROUND where the train basically just gose through a bunch of straight track and a few curves before hitting a final corkscrew. It's not a forceless ride but it also wasn't one of my favorites. Great Bear was a good coaster all I can say is it wasn't a favorite of mine. Try it, you might love it.
We made our way by the kissing Tower (Intamin Gyro sky tower with Hershey Kisses Windows and took notice of their Condor type ride. we didn't ride either, I was looking for the FLYERS! Down around the valley and we come upon the Mine Train ride. I was leary because this was a older Arrow Minetrain that usually has the T-Bar that has to go to one possition for the full carload. Unless Im riding a car alone, i can't ride those. None the less, We see it has the U bar simular to PKI's and thats no problem. We take a spin on the Mine train and it's a neat coaster but not fast except for the neat ending.
Finally we arive in Frontier Village and see the very small scale real live steam trains. The operators of the trains seemed to be having a hoot blowing wistles and doing wheelspins. We actually waited till almost dark before riding the train which actually takes you into some unused area of the park.
Frontier Flyers, Whats that? Do Not make any sudden motions of your wing, Do not buck the tub! OK so we thought they meant not to bounce in your tub. we get on the ride and first noticible difference is LOCKING SEATBELTS that the operator uses a key to unlock after the ride. The ride starte off and within one circut is FULL SPEED which is faster than about any other flyer I've ridden including Knoebels. We had already decided that we were going to see what the New Model of Flyers was capable of. On our first ride we got some moderate snaps but none that really got the attention of the ops or the onlookers. Our second ride I got a couple good snaps but was unable to keep momentum.
The we in my trip reports is Myself and my brother Rob (Robscoast on URC and AOL email). On our second ride as I said I got a couple good snaps, Robscoast breaks out some unknown P-FUNK and has a few of the hardest snapps I have ever seen on any FLyer. Im sure security is on the way and we are banned from the ride upon the rides ending. Im in a state of laughing at Robs antics and also being worried were in trouble. NOTHING WAS SAID TO US, except Enjoy the rest of your day at Hershey upon unlocking our seatbelt. Little did they know we would be back at the end of the day.
Ok we stumble upon Sidewinder the Vekoma Shuttle Loop, I usually enjoy these coasters for the tickle your belly backward loop effect. THIS COASTER SUX, I think I got Brain damage from a coaster that usually don't bang ya too much.
Midway America is at the back end of hershey park and if you start your way in Comet Hollow it takes a while to get too. The shortcut from the entrance is to turn left at the carousel and go over the hump there.
Midway America is clearly a newer area of Hershey and it is very nice, The only drawback is the lack of shade. There are trees but they are not mature, Just think of MI Aventure and you get the Idea, your going to get sunburnt and thats all there is too it!
Our first stop in Midway America was Wildcat a large GCI coaster. Only having ridden thee GCI's before I was looking to be impressed. I was not. Same old Turn, Dive, Rise, Turn, Dive Rise. It had some airtime which I noticed even more from a DEFECTIVE LAPBAR THAT UNLATCHED AFTER LEAVING THE STATION and therfore spent the first ride just HOLDING ON FOR SAFETY CAUSE I COULDN'T GET THE BAR TO LATCH AGAIN! Our second ride I got three clicks and had no problem and plenty of room. Robscoast got the bar latched and upon the op tugging on it, IT POPPED UP! Don't know what it is about PTC Ratchets but this is about the SIXTH Coaster we have ridden that the bars have come up either before or durring our ride. None the less I enjoyed wildcat a little bit more the second ride, It's pretty intense but also has the same ANNOYING Vibration with the PTC trains that the other GCI's Ive ridden had.
Next Stop was the Wild Mouse. Upon looking, This is the same model SFKK has I think. SFKK's is painful mainly due to trim brakes slamming you into the lapbar on the upper zig zags. THANKFULLY Hersheys mouse is run brakeless up top and I will say it Rocks for a standard mouse!
Ok We take a WHIP ride that wasn't so good but is a whip none the less (They are getting Rare and Hersheys apeared to be either new or restored).
Im beat and dehydrated, It's hot and I gotta sit down for a bit. I tell Robscoast to go ride Lightning Racer while I get a drink and relax a bit. He comes back, "CHUCK, THAT COASTER ROCKS DUDE!" I say, "DID YA WIN?" Robscoast said, "No but it still ROCKS!"
Lighting Racer, Well what can be said but most of the rest of our day was spent here! I feel they are two different coasters due to some subtle differences most notably Thunders first drop is one of the wickedest first drops I've ridden, Also Lightning has a great floater air hill before the first turn around.
These two coasters are one of the most amazing feats of engineering I have seen. Even though Lighting seemed to win more than Thunder it was always very close and just made a Thunder Win that much Sweeter (Why not, it's Hershey, It's supposed to be sweet!)
I dubbed this a Trick Track Tour since there was some kind of Trick Track on every part of our trip that wasn't necessaraly coasters. The Trick Track section on Lightining Racer is plainly a HOW DID THEY DO THAT MOMENT?! One of the reasons I liked these GCI's was that it isn't always a dive and turn but there are some straight sections that have quirks of sometype either a floater hill or a incredible over and under duel with the other train that would be neat by itself. None the less, your attention is split between the thrilling ride you are experiencing and the ALWAYS PRESENT OTHER COASTER that you are DUELING/RACING WITH and that makes this coaster AWESOME! I don't know where to rank it, it wasn't the most thrilling woodie, The fastest or anything like that. It is among other things though, VERY FUN!
A stop over to Rollersoaker apeared to have no line, A hour later we get our ride. Nice coaster but Robscoast dubbed the geysers as being crotch rockets and I agree!
More lighning Racer, Another Wildcat ride and a Ferris Wheel ride that gives a great view of both Wildcat and Lightning Racer and it was getting late. We actually decided to leave about 9 but came back up to Frontier area and took a train ride complete with wheel slips, Frightining heights over the valleys on bridges and nice sceenery.
Ok, it's 9:30, It's dark and theres the Flyers, A look to rob said YEAH! and went for another ride. Just like our first ride we got some moderate snaps but nothing to draw concern over and Rob and I both thought we didn't do good enough so a Second ride was in order. OMG, I got a few good snaps as I did on our second ride, ROBSCOAST came down, BOUNCE ABOUT 15ft of the ground from one snap and then kept doing it. I WAS IN AWE and a bit concerned that OH SH*T WERE OUT OF HERE! Again nothing was said to us but a look over at the line that was full WAS EMPTY! A guest went over to the ride op and said, "HOW IS THAT POSSIBLE?" The op responded, "Because they are doing something they are told not too." I don't know, I felt guilty in a way but I will say this, THE RIDE IS CAPABLE OF SNAPPING TRYING OR NOT! You can do it without making sharp quick movements and we were not BUCKING our tub, We were snapping them! Before I catch a ton of flak for doing that, Im going to say there are only two of the new model and both are over 600 miles away. We just wanted to see what they could do for the most part and I will say this much, If the rides capable of doing that, Someone's going to do it!
Our day ended with buying more Chocolate from the Hershey stores that is basically half the price for any size than you would find in your local stores. I gotta say it is so sweet when it's fresh, It's almost irrisistable. I had to talk myself our of buying a five pound bar LOL!
Hershey is corprate park that everything they have is good, Nothing is GREAT except maybe Ligtning Racer but everything the park has is well done. We never encountered any long lines except for RollerSoaker on our monday visit and all around had a great time.
Charles Nungester, who knows were not welcome back on Hersheys Flyers and understands that even though they never did say anything to us directly.
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Charles Nungester.
It's official Lesourdsville Lake is closed for 2003
Comet is a Schmeck, and it's "forceless" because of the castrating skid brake on the station turn before the bunnies. Blame Hersheypark for that, not Schmeck [or Allen].
"Ok we take a WHIP ride that wasn't so good but is a whip none the less (They are getting Rare and Hersheys apeared to be either new or restored)."
It's a new Whip, but I'm not sure of the manufacturer [Larson?]. As whips go, this one is a complete and atter disaster. Whip cars should have steel wheels running on a flooring of sheet metal, not polyurethane wheels on concrete! While I applaud Hersheypark for attempting to bring back a classic ride it's my opinion that they've failed in their attempt.
mOOSH
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A random Mooshter's Dawntionary listing: Testicle [n.] - a humorous question on an exam.
As for the Flyers... lucky you didn't get asked to leave the ride. In my one and only ride on them, I had to moderate at best snaps and on my first I was warned, and on my second the op stopped the ride and I was asked to exit. Shame too... because like you said, these things can snap if you try to or not. They have a potentially great ride here that they insist is not for thrills but rather a family ride that they are determined to run as a glorified kiddie ride. What is the use of having flyers if the rule is positively no snapping... zero tolerance for snapping?
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Kind of hard to take a post as objective if a park or coaster name is part of the "user name"
SFlake, truethfully on our four rides and 15 cycles worth of waits, I only seen one person get one snap and Im not so sure it was intentional. It is very aparent Hershey is a Family park and people going crazy on a ride that is capable or not is a deterent to parents bring small kids on the ride. As I said, The line just emptied, I don't even think the RIDE WAS CLOSED they just LEFT!.
Chuck, who apreciates you reading through all my typos. I never reallized how bad I spell and type till I put it in email and did a spell check.
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Charles Nungester.
It's official Lesourdsville Lake is closed for 2003
Hey, I didn't say that the things snapped great... just on the cycle that I rode them I had two instances that could have been considered, somewhat, a snap. Basically, the flyer that I was in wobbled a bit more than the ride op thought it should, and, as I was said, I was warned first, and the the ride op stopped the ride after the second time and I was asked to exit. The way it sounds, this op was having a bad day and taking the "no sudden movement" theory just a little bit too seriously.
Oh well... wish they would let people fly them like they are meant to be flown. But, since they don't, just gives me more of a reason to explain to my wife why we are driving 2hrs to Knoebels instead of 40 minutes to Hershey (where we have season passes to boot).
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Kind of hard to take a post as objective if a park or coaster name is part of the "user name"
*** This post was edited by SLFAKE 7/1/2003 2:47:53 PM ***
While I had some initial difficulty I also had very little problem getting them to snap. The ride op actually seemed amused by it. I did a 30 minute marathon at the end of the night and no one said a thing to me.
In regards to the trim brake on the Comet - it is original to the ride. Much like the Coney Island Cyclone - it used to have 3 manual settings - off, slower, slowest. It has been set to the slowest position for as long as I know.
I don't know if this was common for Schmeck coasters or not, but the Rocket in San Antonio (now the Pheonix at Knoebels) had the same sort of brake on the 2 second turnaround before the double up. Thankfully Knoebels decided not to replace that in the move.
Regardless - I would love to experience HP's Comet brakeless - I know that my one VERY LUCKY brakeless ride on Dorney's Thunderhawk completely floored me beyond belief.
All the best,
Jim 'jimvid' McDonnell
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Kind of hard to take a post as objective if a park or coaster name is part of the "user name"
*** This post was edited by SLFAKE 7/1/2003 2:55:34 PM ***
Like SFAKE said get em the kiddie version if they don't want people to do what the ride is capable of and SAFE TO DO! Flyers have been around for 60+ years and I've heard of not one incident of snapping hurting someone..
Chuck -----------------
Charles Nungester.
It's official Lesourdsville Lake is closed for 2003
*** This post was edited by Charles Nungester 7/1/2003 2:58:31 PM ***
SLFAKE, Ahhhh! good old # 3 on a Schmeck coaster. is there anything better? :)
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Signature will be closed today. Sorry for the inconveinance.
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