It’s hard to believe that after all the Hersheypark visits Sam and I have made throughout 2020 and 2021 that we hadn’t yet visited together in 2022. Sam’s been busy and I’ve been pinching pennies over the last few months. Still, we had to rectify the situation and Monday was the day. Naturally it wouldn’t be a Christmas Candylane for us without some freezing cold temperatures. That’s been our luck over the last two years, but unlike 2020 and 2021, things ended up working out pretty well.
What Rides Would Run?
Between Covid shutting down indoor attractions and cold weather or wind downing others in 2020 and 2021, Sam and I haven’t had the best of luck when visiting Hersheypark for Christmas Candylane. Oddly, the Candylane visits we did separate from one another always ended up falling on warmer days.
With a high of 36 when the park opened at 5 p.m. and it slated to drop down to 32 at 9 p.m. when the park closed, I wasn’t holding out much hope that things would be different this year for us. I fully expected Candymonium to be closed and figured Jolly Rancher Remix might be as well. Sam and I even debated on whether or not we should even go, but I’m glad we did.
Not only was Candymonium running, but the park was so empty that we rode whatever we wanted and as much as we wanted. Jolly Rancher Remix was closed, but even with the improvements made to it since it was Sidewinder, that didn’t upset us at all. We also managed to run into El Toro Ryan in the Candymonium station. Both Sam and I enjoy his content, so it was nice getting to chat between trains and even catch a ride together.
Candymonium
Candymonium was running one train Monday, but it was all they needed. I’m also guessing that since it was so cold, they needed to fill as much of the train as possible. El Toro Ryan’s friend pointed out the wheel heaters in the station, which I believe are new. I’m guessing they contribute to the coaster running here in 2022 since it closed for warmer temperatures in past years. Good move on the park if that’s the case.
For our first two rides, we rode in Row 7 (the back) and then went back up for an immediate re-ride in Row 6. Our second ride was with El Toro Ryan and his friend. As I said on the We Were Inverted Instagram (@WeWereInverted_IG) post Monday, we got to ride some block zones with the man who made them famous.
A few hours later, while heading out of the park, we were surprised to see Candymonium still operating. We rode it first thing just in case it ended up closing due to the cold. I asked Sam if she wanted to ride it again before leaving, but she was done. She was cold and told me she’d meet me in the Hersheypark Supply Company. It’s a good thing she sat this one out too because I jumped in the front row and wow! It was so cold with all the wind hitting me directly. El Toro Ryan and his friend were on the train too, but in the back row. I wonder if they stuck to Candymonium all night or if they hit up some of the other rides too?
Sooperdooperlooper
Our second ride of the night was on the classic, Sooperdooperlooper. While this ride sure lacks in intensity and forces compared to the other rides at the park, it’s always something I love getting riding when there are short lines. On Monday, there were none.
We jumped in the back seat and the two of us made up half of the train’s ridership for that cycle. There was a couple sitting in the front row and then there was us. Just four riders. When we finished our ride and re-entered the station, we were told we could re-ride. All four of us stayed on for a second lap.
The one thing I really enjoy about a ride on Sooperdooperlooper is the yank going through the loop when in the back seat. The ride is moving along at a slower, steady pace, but when the front of the train begins to drop out of that loop, those in the back get tugged through the remainder. I love it!
Oh… This was something I noticed last year too. What’s up with the lights on tunnel during Christmas Candylane? It’s neat seeing what it looks like inside, but I think it would still be better if they were off, or maybe even illuminated with some Christmas lights. Food for thought if anyone from the park reads this.
Mix'd
Mix’d has had some super-long lines throughout its debut year. Renee and I waited almost 2 hours for it at the end of summer, which was our first-ever ride on the Zamperla NebulaZ. We also rode it again with Brady during our Dark Knights visit in October. Sam, however, had yet to ride it. Seeing it was a walk-on, we took full advantage to get in a ride. And a second. Then a third.
While we loved it, we didn’t love it enough to ride it three times. Let me explain why how those three rides came to be. Usually this park loads people on the bottom, runs a cycle where you either go forward or backward, based on what side you sit. Once that cycle is done, you’re left up top while they unload/load the next group of riders. When all is ready, the ride goes in the opposite direction from your first cycle. When that finishes, you unload and exit. Well, on Monday the ride rode only one cycle and all riders were placed on together. Riders would then exit when finished instead of staying on for the second. This meant you weren’t left in the air while they loaded the next group of riders. It also resulted in all ride cycles going in the same direction.
For our first ride, Sam and I ran backward. Sam was surprised at how much airtime the ride provided. When I explained how the second cycle usually runs the opposite way, we decided to ride again. At that time we didn’t yet know that the cycles were all running the same direction. We expected the next one to go in the opposite direction and sat in the same seats. So our second cycle was also backward. That’s when we realized to get the forward cycle the way the ride was being operated we’d have to switch to a seat facing the opposite direction. We did that on our third ride.
Final Ride Counts
Candymonium (3: Patrick, 2: Sam)
Dry Gulch Railroad (1)
Laff Trakk (1)
Mix’d (3)
Reese’s Cup Fusion (1)
Sooperdooperlooper (2)
Back for More Sunday
It was nice getting out to a park with Sam again. She’s been my wingman for so many trips since the site’s launch. It felt so weird not visiting Hersheypark with her all year up to that point. We also hadn’t been to a park together since August when we drove down to West Virginia to visit Camden Park. So yeah, we were long overdue.
Sam and I are hoping to get down to Kings Dominion for Winterfest before the end of the year, maybe on New Year’s Eve again. Last year was fun since marathoning Twisted Timbers as the New Year hit. Any reason to ride Twisted Timbers a bunch works for me.
When it comes to Hersheypark, it looks like I’m heading back again on Sunday, weather permitting. Renee invited me to come out with her fiancé, Chris, and her brother, and my coaster buddy, Brady. I’ll be sure to share our day with you here as always. I do, however, feel like I’m running out of photo ideas to share in these trip reports. Having gone so many times, I feel like I’m photographing the same things every visit. Maybe I’ll get some Wildcat’s Revenge construction shots since the park opens at 2 p.m. We shall see!
Hersheypark Photo Gallery - December 12, 2022
If you would like to use any of the images in the gallery above for your commercial and/or non-commercial projects, feel free to do so. I ask that you credit We Were Inverted whenever they’re used. I also ask that you do not alter the image or remove the watermarks. If you need any images/video resized or without the watermarks, please contact me directly.
CREW MANIFEST
The following flight crew members attended this park, & earned the respective credits below:
Patrick
CAG
New Credit(s): n/a
Sam
Admiral
New Credit(s): n/a
