Hersheypark 6/24

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Originally planned to go to SFOT yesterday however due to circumstance we could not so we decided to head to Hershey instead. Hershey is just one of those companies you've got to love: a great American entrepreneurship story, they make great candy, and they have an amusement park, what's not to like?

Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J-rQviSUrgU



Welcome to Brazil! I mean Epcot!



Universal Orlando, where you can be ordinary! And buy liquor at that Walgreens!



Pretty soon you will be able to watch drunk people mini golf here



Wizarding World actually looked like England today with the overcast



We arrived in Harrisburg, PA airport which is 10 minutes away from Hershey to discover that all of the brochures they had were for places that are not even close: including this visitors guide to Chicago and a Darien Lake park map



Hersheypark's entrance area reminds me a lot of BGW's and Great Escapes, but with candy all over the place!



Just got here and theyve already made me hungry



It took a minute to figure out how to get into the park. This is the only park i've ever seen where you buy your ticket and enter the park at the same window. We had pre purchased tickets so had to go the side entrance.



Found it



Guest relations

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I was surprised by how much of the parks food service is leased out. And speaking of food service, it is everywhere in this park!



One of the two Nathan's Hot Dog places I remember seeing at Hersheypark



When kids are height checked they are labeled as a candy



They grew out of Six Flags and found a new home



Chocolate everywhere



Hersheypark recently purchased Magic Mountain's old Metro trains to use for parts on their monorail



The midways are sprawling with both kids flats and normal flats



The directional signs at Hersheypark gave Mark Shapiro the inspiration for Six Flags' directional signage that was added to all the parks in 2006



Couldnt wait to ride Rattlers Revenge!



The first coaster we see when entering the park, a broken Intamin of course! Storm Runner was actually down also when we first came in (though got on both later numerous times)



Feel the heat






Pretzel loop

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Seems to be the right place



This mouse was a huge surprise, completely trimless






Hersheypark also has the most blatant signage of any park i've ever seen



The back area of the park is home to 3 GCI's, a whip, and this thing



Looks like we picked a good day to visit






Both sides of Lightning Racer were running 1 train all day



This ride was great! Thourougly enjoyed both tracks, and synchronized lifts makes the races close every time






The waterpark is in the middle of the theme park, no transition or anything you can freely walk through the waterpark to get to the other side of the park



Random kiddie pool with Lightning Racer in the background



This is a neat ride but it has AWFUL capacity, luckily we were walking by right after it opened, by the time we were off the line was already 45 minutes. Since it's technically in the water park though you don't have to be wearing a shirt or shoes to ride it.

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They have the supports for their new Intamin coaster next year sitting next to Roller Soaker



From Roller Soaker's queue you can see how close the park is to the surrounding neighborhood






When your on the ride you can drop water on people underneath (old people on ECVs beware!)



But then they can get revenge by spraying the riders back



Another shot of Farenheit's pretzel loop



We didn't feel like ruining our day just yet, so went to Storm Runner first



Despite being very short, this is an awesome Intamin accelerator coaster!



The ride can only run 2 trains, but since the ride is so short it still uses a double load station in order to prevent stacking






The rides layout is basically launch, tower, immelman, flying snake dive, s curve, brakes



The good thing about it having 2 stations and only 2 trains is that you don't have to worry about your stuff being stolen...they even have a "ball drop" haha



Time to try out the Boomerang with the new trains



The ride was still awful, but at least theres no headbanging

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There is hand sanitizer at almost every rides exit



Storm Runner has wicked airtime, especially in the front row when you go into the flying snake dive it rips you out of your seat



Just in case you wanted to buy a fruit cup



Random Farenheit picture






Words cannot describe how weird the flying snake dive is, probably one of the most unique elements on any coaster



And now back to Great America circa 2005



This guy kept sweeping the same part of the floor between cycles even though there was nothing on it






I think the milk vending machines are the most popular ones



Time for Great Bear!



Raceway cars sitting next to the shop

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After hearing many mixed reviews I ended up really liking Great Bear. Very unique layout and great use of terrain.



The very odd first drop that goes over the hill and into the valley






They also have an Intamin hydroflume just like Yankee Clipper (but make sure not to bring any paper products on)



Another view of Great Bears unique first drop



This ride is purposely designed so that none of the supports go into the water



As is Sooperdooperlooper



Sooperdooperlooper is a much better ride than Revolution at Magic Mountain, minimal trims and still has lapbars



A few more pictures of Great Bear






Airtime





Gotta love the old school Schwarzkopf coasters that have chains running through the station



Comet is a PTC-Schmeck coaster from the 40s which is kept in great shape



It's definitely the smoothest 65 year old wooden coaster i've ever been on

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Right next to Hersheypark is Hershey's Chocolate World



This is right up there with Monster Mansion and Mr Toads Wild Ride as one of the greatest dark rides ever



The queue gives you a background of Milton Hershey and the company



The "factory tour" is a weird mix of Journey Into Your Imagination, Test Track, and other random things



Like talking cows



And singing cows!



It shows you the different phases of how candy is made



The Intamin part of the ride



Everywhere



One of the best coasters in the park!



Just in case people forget what year it is



I thought I escaped this?



Milton Hershey tribute at the front of the park



Their shooting dark ride is themed to Peanut Butter vs Chocolate, amazing!






We had to leave due to having no small children to hold onto

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Just in case the way the handle/trigger are facing is not enough



The broadcasters laying it down



Hersheypark has a pretty nice monorail that gives some nice views of Storm Runner and the city



Kissing tower






This reminded me of Rocko's Modern Life when he's at the carnival and the frog is giving him a hard time



Wildcat is the first ever GCI coaster



It recently got new custom made millennium flyer trains after running PTC trains for years, the ride is still pretty rough but the nice seats absorb a lot of the roughness



Ill end this TR with a random picture of NBA jam