Monday, June 29, 12 p.m. couldn’t come fast enough. I had purchased my first-ever season pass for Hersheypark in January of 2020. Living 1.5 hours away from the park, I have no idea how I never owned a season pass for the “Sweetest Place on Earth.” It really is beyond me when I think about it. Add to the fact that I go at least once a year… what have I been thinking?
When I got my first glimpses of the construction of Candymonium during 2019’s Christmas Candylane, it forced the issue. I went home and within a few days, I had signed up for my Hersheypark King-Sized Season Pass, complete with the meal and drink plan. I went all out! I was going to make use of this pass in 2020. Or so I thought!
Construction
For months the suspense of Candymonium, as well as the whole new Chocolatetown addition, had me reeling. I was so excited about this ride that back in February, I asked my wingman, Sam, if she’d like to head up to Hersheypark on our day off so I could process my pass. I made sure to mention the discount I got on chocolates inside Hershey’s Chocolate World, which probably helped seal the deal. Seeing how much chocolate she bought that day all but confirmed it.
We arrived at the park and decided before anything else, we were going to go look at Candymonium’s construction. We parked in front of Chocolate World and we were off to take some photos. It was a good thing we got there early too because, boy did I ever take some photos! Have a look at some of them below. They’re from February and things were certainly taking shape. The coaster wasn’t testing yet, but if the track had been complete, I would have gladly been a test dummy.
Coronavirus
In the months that followed, sadly, we all know what happened. Covid-19, better known as the Coronavirus, swept over the world. Things everywhere shut down. For us roller coaster enthusiasts, we knew what would be in store. No parks for the foreseeable future. In the grand scheme of things, I was sad, but I also knew that certain measures had to be taken. It just figured it would happen the first year I purchased a season pass to Hersheypark. I was so excited and then Corona!
As the weeks and months went by, I kept a close watch on any news of parks reopening. I had already told my boss that whenever Hersheypark held their King-Sized Members Preview Day, I would be taking off work to go. Eventually, however, it felt like that day would never come. And then it did!
Candymonium!
I made it into the park about 45 minutes before my scheduled ride time. I put my GoPro to use, grabbing bunch of footage of the coaster making its rounds. I’ll tell you what, Hersheypark really wants this coaster to be front and center as you enter the park. It goes on for as far as the eye can see in both directions. And that Hershey Kiss Fountain, although not yet finished, is going to be the number one spot in the park for photos once its completed.
Okay, okay… I know, get on to the part where I parked my butt on those comfortable Bolliger & Mabillard (B&M) trains and talk about the ride! So here it goes…
I liked it. I’m not sure if I loved it. Not yet, anyhow. I am planning on going back to the park again soon, so I will offer more of a detailed insight after more rides. One just isn’t enough. I did, however, share some sentiments about my ride on the Facebook group, Coaster Appreciation Society. If you haven’t seen those, here is a quick list of my initial Pros and Cons:
Pros
- Lots of floater airtime.
- Smooth!
- Seat belts didn’t inhibit airtime at all.
- 3 train operations.
- Indoor queue line.
- Very photogenic.
Cons
- Hit a trim brake going up the airtime hill immediately following the turn around. Slowed us down quite a bit.
- Still an active construction site surrounding the coaster (to be expected).
Can't Wait to Return
I’m eager to get in some more rides on Candymonium with some of the site’s Flight Crew. I want to see if my one glaring negative (the trim brake) hits again on future rides. I was surprised how much it slowed our train, but we did have a bunch of single-rider rows due to social distancing measures. I talked with other park guests around the ride’s signage about their experience and no one seemed to notice the trim brake I experienced. So maybe it’s not an every ride thing? Let’s hope.
Once Hersheypark is able to get the rest of their landscaping and construction surrounded the ride finished, this area is going to look amazing. I can’t wait to see the grass grown in, especially with the winding creek down below. Hersheypark has a very photogenic coaster on their hands and I’m sure the internet will soon be flooded with countless photos of this ride. That being said, be sure to take a look at some of the shots I took of Candymonium’s first day open to the public in the gallery below as well as on the We Were Inverted YouTube channel (above). I can’t wait to share more content with you moving forward. Let me know your thoughts!
Hersheypark Photo Gallery - June 29, 2020
CREW MANIFEST
The following flight crew members attended this park, & earned the respective credits below:
Patrick
CAG
New Credit(s): Candymonium
