It’s been a few months since my butt sat down on a roller coaster and enjoyed myself. Things have been all over the place for me since January between work and my mental well-being. I apologize for the lack of blogs and videos on the We Were Inverted YouTube during that time, but in all honesty, I needed to step away from this and some other things for myself.
With all that said, on Friday, April 21, 2023, I was able to venture out to Hersheypark for a few hours to get in some much needed “coaster therapy,” as Chris called it. He was 100 percent correct on that. Last week’s visit hit the spot and had my spirits up.
I got in six rides during my 2 hour, 40 minute stay. If you’re asking, “Why so short of a visit?” Well, the park was only open from 5 – 9 p.m. for a pass holder preview. I decided to go up after work and even managed to leave at 4:30 p.m.. I didn’t arrive until 6:15 p.m., due to a little bit of traffic, but it was a 1 hour, 20 minute drive regardless. No matter, I was going to make the best of it.
A Couple of Rides to Start
At some point during this visit I wanted to check out the progress being made on Wildcat’s Revenge. I have seen other people’s photos and videos online, but I wanted to see it all for myself. Not knowing how crowded the park would be, however, I didn’t want to sacrifice the little bit of ride time I had. So instead of going left once I entered the park, I took the path under Skyrush and made it my first stop. I ended up riding it and Comet before heading over to the construction site.
Skyrush
I was very happy to find Skyrush to be a walk-on, well except for the front row. I walked right up into the station and made my way to the back. Someone was waiting, but with seating for four per row, we each took a wing seat.
As always, Skyrush was hauling. It was a great way to start the evening and get my first ride since New Year’s Day when Sam and I visited Kings Dominion and rode another airtime-filled machine in Twisted Timbers.
I had thought about going back up for a re-ride, but the line was now down onto the steps. It took a few minutes to load both the train prior to ours as well as ours. I know it wouldn’t have taken too long to jump on again, but Comet’s line was also pretty short, so I decided to go there instead.
I always planned to come back for a night ride on Skyrush anyhow, which I was able to do. That ride took place in the second row. Oddly, I was flung all over the place in Row 2, which I expected to be a little tamer. I’m not complaining though.
Comet
Any chance I get to ride Comet, I take it. Many of you know by now that this was my first large-scale coaster. It holds a special place in my heart and I still think it’s the best woodie in the park. Hersheypark knows this classic coaster is still a major draw and gives it the TLC it deserves.
I was lucky to get in a back row ride here as well. I had some good airtime pops and it felt like the ride had some extra forces in places I don’t usually feel them. The key place I felt these were on the turn around above the station and in the bunny hills. Nothing major, but still more than I’m used to feeling. Anyone else notice this?
Great Bear
Speaking of feeling a little more forceful, Great Bear seemed like it had a bit of an attitude that Friday. On my second to last right of the night, I got in a fourth row ride on this awesome invert. I didn’t expect much as I jumped in row with the shortest wait. I wanted to make sure I had enough time to make my way down to Skyrush for my night ride. But yeah, normally the middle has the lesser forces.
Well, Great Bear felt like it was running fast. Even in the fourth row I felt some extra G-forces through the inversions and turns. The ride also felt like it was being pulled, if you will. It’s hard to describe as there was a bit of a bounce like it was being yanked through some of the elements that I’ve never noticed before. It wasn’t the typical smooth Great Bear flow. I thought it was just me, but I saw a few people talking about the same exact sensations on Facebook the day after my visit. I liken it to riding Alpengeist at Busch Gardens Williamsburg (BGW) and/or Raptor at Cedar Point. Both those inverts are much more intense and Great Bear felt like it was giving me some of that style of intensity. I have to ride it again soon to see if I still feel it, or if the ride was just in a mood.
Final Ride Counts
Comet (1)
Fahrenheit (1)
Great Bear (1)
Skyrush (2)
Storm Runner (1)
Looking Forward to Wildcat's Revenge
I debated on whether or not to film some footage while over at Wildcat’s Revenge. Since it’s been a good while since I last published something to the site’s YouTube channel, I said, “Why not?”
It’s not a long video, and I know there are a ton of them out there at this point, but I’d appreciate if you gave it a watch, like, comment, or any of the other stuff everyone always asks you to do with their videos. I’d love to know your thoughts on this upcoming Rocky Mountain Construction (RMC) creation. The more I see of this ride, the more badass it looks.
Surprised to See a Few New Pins
Last year Hersheypark began stepping up its pin offerings when it comes to ones based on their rides. Sam picked up two new for 2022 sets for me during her visits last year. One featured wood coasters and the other, steel. They featured the following pins:
- Wood Set (3): Comet, Lightning Racer, Wildcat
- Steel Set (7): Candymonium, Fahrenheit, Great Bear, Jolly Rancher Remix, Skyrush, SooperDooperLooper, Storm Runner
Of course, those sets didn’t include all the park’s coasters, most notably, Trailblazer. With my history of visiting this park since I was a child, that was a ride I wanted a pin for at some point. Well, I am happy to say, not only did they release a Trailblazer pin, but they also released pins for Coal Cracker, another beloved ride of mine, Cocoa Cruiser, Laff Trakk, and Wild Mouse. This made an awesome evening that much better! I grabbed one of each and even managed to find a Wildcat pin for Chris. I tried to get one for him last year, but they flew off the shelves for obvious reasons.
And with that, it was past 9 p.m. and I was in need of some rest. I had been up since 6:45 a.m., worked, and got in some much needed “coaster therapy.” I can’t wait to get back out to a park again soon. When I do, I’ll be right here to share my experiences with you.
Hersheypark Photo Gallery - April 21, 2023
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
