On Monday, December 12, Sam and I visited Hersheypark for Christmas Candylane. We didn’t expect much to be open with the temperatures in the mid-30’s, but were surprised to see Candymonium up and running at 5 p.m. when we arrived. If you didn’t get a chance to read that trip report, check out “Hersheypark – Another Cold Christmas Candylane Visit.”
With the luck that Sam and I had, I was hopeful that my return trip to the park with Renee, her fiancé, Chris, and her brother, Brady, just six days later, on Sunday, December 18, would also work out. The forecast was calling for similar weather and we’d even have a bit of sunlight on our side since the park opened at 2 p.m.
Alas, that was not the case. We found several rides closed upon our arrival, including Candymonium. Later in the day, as the sun began to go down, temperatures dropped even further and closed even more rides. Still, we managed to have a good time and make the most of thing.
In hindsight, we lucked out as the weather only got colder and colder. As I’m writing this more than a week after our visit, this so many people were hit by freezing temperatures, ice storms, and power outages. Most of the parks in this area ended up closing leading into, during, and even post-Christmas. With so many things impacted by the weather, it was understandable. I hope that all of you reading this were able to make it through this winter storm unscathed.
2 Coasters, Mostly Flats
When we arrived we saw that park staff were turning people away from Candymonium. We hoped that it might open at some point, but didn’t hold out much hope. According to the park app, Sooperdooperlooper was running, but we decided to wait to ride that until later. I wanted to squeeze in some photos of Wildcat’s Revenge before the sun went down.
Long story short, by time the sun went down, more ride closures followed. Sooperdooperlooper ended up being one of them, along with the Monorail. By that time, however, it was ice cold and we decided to finish off the night after a frigid ride on the Skyview. We lucked out, getting to see the light/music show take place while in line, then again while out on the ride. We couldn’t ask for a better view.
Laff Trakk
We began our day with Laff Trakk, which endlessly seems to have a line, no matter what time of year, or what day you visit. Talk about a great purchase for the park. You see so many kids and families enjoying this coaster. I couldn’t tell you how many times I’ve heard kids say how much fun they had on the ride, or that it’s their favorite ride, when exiting. During this visit, however, the little girl getting off the train behind us told her mom that Sooperdooperlooper was still her favorite. Sounds like an enthusiast in the making. Comet did it for me.
Giant Wheel
Not all of the crew members are fond of riding Ferris Wheels. So when I get a chance to ride one and get some aerial shots, I usually jump at the opportunity. In 2020 I was able to ride the Giant Wheel with Greg and get some snow covered shots of Lightning Racer. On this visit, however, my goal was to see what I could get of Wildcat’s Revenge.
The shot I posted to the We Were Inverted Instagram account (@WeWereInverted_IG) was quite popular and had a fair number of shares. It’s similar to the shot I used for cover shot of this trip report.
Reese's Cup Fusion
By time the evening rolled around, a ride on Reese’s Cup Fusion was such a blessing. Getting out of the cold weather was a nice break. Thankfully, it’s also a fun ride that I always enjoy hitting up whenever I visit.
That being said, I’m still trying to figure out how anyone can score in the 800,000 range shown on the chart at the ride’s conclusion. I don’t think I’ve seen anyone even reach 200,000 during a ride. I was in the 160,000 range, beating out the rest of the car. I think my all-time highest might be somewhere between 180,000 – 190,000. If your scores are higher than 200,000, let me know what you’re doing. And have you seen anyone reach 300,000 or higher?
Final Ride Counts
Laff Trakk (1)
Giant Wheel (1: Brady, Patrick, Renee)
Mix’d (1: Brady, Renee)
Music Express (1)
Reese’s Cup Fusion (1)
Skyview (1)
Whip (1)
Wild Mouse (1)
More Rides with Brady
For those who frequent the site you might remember Renee’s brother, Brady, from some of my past Hersheypark trip reports. Her brother has autism and Hersheypark is a place that he absolutely adores. He will ride anything and everything and loves when I come along. Renee says he’s always asking if I’m going to come whenever he knows he’s going to a park. So even on a day like this, where there are limited rides and weather-related closings on top of that, seeing him happy makes it all worthwhile.
A huge thanks to Hersheypark and their staff who always help make Brady’s visits memorable. I’m sure he’s already excited about his next visit. In a few months I’m sure he’ll be telling Renee that he wants to ride Wildcat’s Revenge with Mr. Patrick. And you know I’ll be there for it too!
Hersheypark Photo Gallery - December 18, 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
Renee
Commander
New Credit(s): n/a
