HERSHEYPARK (Hershey, PA)

[Pikester]

That's so cool. I would love to do a similar thing. Maybe as I get more involved here come into contact with various members who live in this area and visit the park often. Hey, at least it's something to hold me over until my next visit to Disney lol.

It was a lot of fun meeting them. We all stayed at the same hotel, had dinner together and toured HP together.

I live about 25 min away. I enjoy the Sunday concerts. A lot of variety. Bowser is the best. He really brings in some oldies. I have not looked up who will be there this year.

Speaking of one of the DISesr I met at Hershey...HI M&N!

 

[brockash]

This thread makes me excited, we are moving to Lancaster this summer and I think it's only about 30 minutes away. We did go to Chocolate World when we were visiting last month, and I had a blast. Much more fun than I was expecting! My DD4 got to dance with all the candy bars in a little parade and it was hilarious. I grew up going to Carowinds (NC/SC) every summer, so I'm glad to be close to another fun park.

I'm so jealous. I grew up in Lancaster and miss it so much. Hope you enjoy it, and yes Hershey's only about 30 mins. from Lancaster. Not sure if you have little ones, but Dutch Wonderland is a kiddish theme park (probably ideal for the 1-9ish age) in Lancaster. I think it has some kind of connection with Hershey, as they sell combo tickets for both.

 

[Mkrop]

We LOVE Hershey Park, we missed going last summer and I am so bummed, hopefully this summer. We usually go every summer and NYE.

On NYE, we drive up, go to Chocolate World, go see the Sweet Lights (Christmas lights display drive thru), have dinner somewhere in Hershey and we are home by 9:30. It is a family tradition and bc we are home so early even my high schooler agreed to go bc then he could still go to his party with friends.

 

[averill94]

Moved to the area in October and we bought our annual passes. We visited the park once for the Halloween festivities and three times for the Christmas Candylane.

For us the park is a bit of "culture shock" since we have been pass holders for Busch Gardens Williamsburg for many years.

Hersheypark has it's highlights (the Chocolate chief among them). But, to me it doesn't look like much more than a carnival that was permanently installed. Too much asphalt and not enough landscaping (this from a highway engineer) - the park could be so much more.

We will be going for the first opening this Spring (next Friday) and I'm looking forward to maybe seeing a better side of Hersheypark this spring and summer.

It is so great to see someone else going next week!!! We are planning to go also. I was hoping to get lucky and get a 50 degree day.....Are you concerened about going in 40 degree weather? We are having second thoughts!

 

[ckay87]

I'm an hour from Hershey, we end up down there throughout the year for different things. Have grown up going to that park. I have a love/hate relationship with it. I love it as a park, and boy are they beefing up the coasters! But the crowds and the crowd control is just horrible anymore. I won't go in the summer, just May or Sept.

Who has ridden the new coaster? Talk about another love/hate.... it is an amazing, amazing ride. Just everything I love about coasters EXCEPT....and this is a biggie.... the restraint system. When I say I thought my thigh would break, I'm not at all exaggerating. The bar came down right in the center of my thigh. Rather than locking in both directions, it tightened throughout the ride. Meantime, I'm getting MAJOR negative-Gs which would be fantastic on any ride except one where my legs are so tightly locked down. So every time we hit the top of a hill, I would fly up, creating the same force on my leg that's used when you snap a twig. I was honestly horrified. I pray they fix that because it's such a great coaster!

 

[HPCrazy]

This thread makes me excited, we are moving to Lancaster this summer and I think it's only about 30 minutes away. We did go to Chocolate World when we were visiting last month, and I had a blast. Much more fun than I was expecting! My DD4 got to dance with all the candy bars in a little parade and it was hilarious. I grew up going to Carowinds (NC/SC) every summer, so I'm glad to be close to another fun park.

You're referring to the "Hersheypark Chocolate Character Parade" that's held every weekend in February. We do that every year and really enjoy it! If you go at the right time and it's not too crowded, you can get lots of great pics of the characters. The band is pretty cool too and they also play in the park during the summer months as well.

You guys plan on hitting up the park this year? Would be cool to make some new Disney friends here who also like the park and maybe meet up with some of you guys through this summer.

I'm an hour from Hershey, we end up down there throughout the year for different things. Have grown up going to that park. I have a love/hate relationship with it. I love it as a park, and boy are they beefing up the coasters! But the crowds and the crowd control is just horrible anymore. I won't go in the summer, just May or Sept.

Who has ridden the new coaster? Talk about another love/hate.... it is an amazing, amazing ride. Just everything I love about coasters EXCEPT....and this is a biggie.... the restraint system. When I say I thought my thigh would break, I'm not at all exaggerating. The bar came down right in the center of my thigh. Rather than locking in both directions, it tightened throughout the ride. Meantime, I'm getting MAJOR negative-Gs which would be fantastic on any ride except one where my legs are so tightly locked down. So every time we hit the top of a hill, I would fly up, creating the same force on my leg that's used when you snap a twig. I was honestly horrified. I pray they fix that because it's such a great coaster!

I've ridden the new coaster ten times within the last season and never had a problem with the restraint system or my thighs. However you aren't alone with this issue and it seems to be something that the park is trying at their best to resolve (along with the trains themselves). This is why the ride closed in October and still won't be ready come their Springtime in the Park event.

 

[hiwaygal]

It is so great to see someone else going next week!!! We are planning to go also. I was hoping to get lucky and get a 50 degree day.....Are you concerened about going in 40 degree weather? We are having second thoughts!

LOL! I'm not sure you should be asking me this! We moved up here from southeastern VA. Our perception is it's MUCH MUCH colder here!

But all-in-all, unless there's "precipitation" of some kind, we'll go. DH and I are not big on rides so that doesn't matter much to us. My SIL said they might go with us. That would be her, my neice (14), and my nephew (4). My neice may brave a ride here and there (and I may go with her) and my nephew will ride the little rides. We'll buy refillable cups for the season and probably fill them with hot drinks. Or hop over to Chocolate World for hot chocolate.

We'll go for a while and if it gets too cold, we'll head home. We can always go back!

But, I'm with you, a 50 degree day would be nice!

 

[jrmasm]

I'm an hour from Hershey, we end up down there throughout the year for different things. Have grown up going to that park. I have a love/hate relationship with it. I love it as a park, and boy are they beefing up the coasters! But the crowds and the crowd control is just horrible anymore. I won't go in the summer, just May or Sept.

Who has ridden the new coaster? Talk about another love/hate.... it is an amazing, amazing ride. Just everything I love about coasters EXCEPT....and this is a biggie.... the restraint system. When I say I thought my thigh would break, I'm not at all exaggerating. The bar came down right in the center of my thigh. Rather than locking in both directions, it tightened throughout the ride. Meantime, I'm getting MAJOR negative-Gs which would be fantastic on any ride except one where my legs are so tightly locked down. So every time we hit the top of a hill, I would fly up, creating the same force on my leg that's used when you snap a twig. I was honestly horrified. I pray they fix that because it's such a great coaster!

My dd said the same thing. I'm not sure she'd ride it again because of how much she said it hurt.

For me, Hershey Park is just ok. Don't love it or hate but I don't find it worth the cost or dealing with crowds.

 

[HPCrazy]

Have you ridden the new coaster with the newer restraints? They were replaced last year to help alleviate the problem.

 

[ckay87]

Have you ridden the new coaster with the newer restraints? They were replaced last year to help alleviate the problem.

No, but I will. It's an amazing ride otherwise, so I'm not ready to give up on it yet.

 

[jrmasm]

Have you ridden the new coaster with the newer restraints? They were replaced last year to help alleviate the problem.

What ride are you talking about? Skyrush opened last year.

 

[ckay87]

What ride are you talking about? Skyrush opened last year.

The poster was referring to Skyrush also, I think. I read that the restraints were changed sometime during the 2012 season.

 

[Mkrop]

Which coaster is everyone referring to with the issues?

 

[HPCrazy]

Yes, it is indeed Skyrush. The ride originally opened with different restraints but it was causing complaints from the riders about thigh pain so they were replaced about a month or so later. I've ridden it with both sets of restraints and have had no issues with it either way.

Who's in for a Disney meet at Hershey this summer!?

 

[jrmasm]

Yeah, I just googled and saw there was some work done to them during the season last year. My daughter can't remember if she went before or after that. Seems there were still complaints after the improvements were made.

Sky Rush is not on the list of rides for Hershey In The Spring. Speculation is they are still working on the restraints.

 

[disney junky]

Yeah, I just googled and saw there was some work done to them during the season last year. My daughter can't remember if she went before or after that. Seems there were still complaints after the improvements were made.

Sky Rush is not on the list of rides for Hershey In The Spring. Speculation is they are still working on the restraints.

They are working on Sky Rush. I would be surprised to see it opened before the official summer opening.

As a hard core WDW fan, HP is not WDW. But it's nice. It's clean. It's not crazy expensive (except the food). It's not the thrill ride capital of the east coast, nor does it want to be. It's very central Pennsylvania. Kind of conservative.

I don't know if this was mentioned, but they are closing the Super Soaker. I thought that was always a silly ride. Someone mentioned seeming like a permanent carnival. I think that's the intent of the one whole area. That's why it's called Midway America. It's supposed to be reminiscent of the type of thing you would see in a carnival.

 

[HPCrazy]

Yeah Midway America's original intention was to be a carnival which would pay homeage to older attractions. Roller Soaker is completely gone, all that's left is the station and the former on-ride photo structures. I do know the structures are staying but not sure as to what they will be repurposed into yet.

 

[princesspiglet]

We live in Palmyra-which is the next town over from Hershey- and we are about 2 miles from the park. I can see the Kissing Tower from my front yard. Needless to say, we are season pass holders and are there about 3-4 times a week during the summer season. We always attend every day of Springtime in the Park and every day of the Halloween and Christmas season. We love it!

 

[princesspiglet]

Yeah Midway America's original intention was to be a carnival which would pay homeage to older attractions. Roller Soaker is completely gone, all that's left is the station and the former on-ride photo structures. I do know the structures are staying but not sure as to what they will be repurposed into yet.

Roller Soaker is being turned into a water spray area. More slides are proposed for down the road.

 

[3DisneyBuggs]

We're going to Hershey the last weekend in April.My kids love the park and Choolate World. I hope the weather gets milder for our weekend. Last year we went too and was a mild sunny day. My DD can't wait to get a new Hershey hoodie. The 4 D show upgrade sounds good too.