On Friday, April 23, 2021, Hersheypark held its Season Pass Holder Preview Night from 6-9 p.m. Wanting to experience some night rides, Sam, Renee, and I made our way up to the event. We didn’t know what to expect, but we quite stunned to see the turn out.
Entering the Park - A Mob Scene
We arrived about 10-15 minutes late due to traffic and stopping for a quick bite to eat. The parking lot was more crowded than any of the visits we had the last two years. We had to park out by Hershey’s Chocolate World, outside the pass holder lots. With one exception last year, the pass holder lots had never been full on standard days. Then there was the lines for temperature checks.
Those lines stretched back to Chocolate World as well. Once inside the Chocolatetown region, every line to get into the park and for guest services was packed. Lines were slow moving and it seemed like the park had to deal with people trying to attend the event who didn’t have the King-Sized and/or Full-Sized passes. Because of large crowd and huge loss of time trying to get into the park, we didn’t even bother picking up our pass holder bags and cups.
Inside the Park - Limited Time
By time we got through all the long lines to get into the park, it was already 6:50 p.m. We made our way to Great Bear to find them running only one train and a line that was a 45 minute wait, according to the park app. I never find those wait times on any park app to be overly accurate. I’ve seen 15 minute wait times listed and find a walk on. I’ve seen ones that said 15 minutes also be 30 or more. The super slow dispatches on Great Bear led me to believe we were looking at close to an hour wait. We left the line and headed down into The Hallow.
SooperDooperLooper
When we walked down the hill to SooperDooperLooper, we saw the line looked to be about 15-20 minutes. They were also running two trains. We decided to get in line and grab our first of two rides on this classic looper. It’s been fun riding this again in 2021. Renee also grabbed a solo ride on Looper later in the night when Sam and I jumped on Skyrush.
I have to say, I love the loop on this ride. I wish more coasters featured full circle loops. The whip coming down, especially in the back, is such a great feeling. You just don’t get that with the teardrop shaped loops.
Comet
After our first ride on Looper, we made our way to Comet for the first of two rides on the classic woodie. We rode in the back and the airtime was pretty good. We also saw what looked like some fresh wood on the portion running behind the Skyrush loading station. Hersheypark certainly takes care of this beloved coaster.
Our second ride was the final ride of the night. The queue line was closed off behind us a few minutes after we entered the line. It was dark by this point, but sadly, the chaser lights weren’t running. I always loved seeing those on wooden coasters. Wildcat always runs its chaser lights and for some reason, they were taken off of Lightning Racer. Please Hersheypark, don’t neglect that old school aspect of Comet.
Skyrush
Speaking of night rides, Sam’s goal was to get in at least one night ride on Skyrush during the visit. It was part of the reason why we decided to stay in The Hallow after striking out with Great Bear. It was easy to keep an eye on the lines for Skyrush, Comet, and Looper and walking between the three wouldn’t waste much time.
Renee sat this ride out, getting a solo ride on Looper instead while she waited. On our April 12 visit, Renee ended up getting a bruise on her thigh from Skyrush. With a tattoo appointment the following day for a leg tattoo, she didn’t want to chance getting another bruise.
For Sam and I, this was one of the smoothest rides we’ve had on Skyrush. We didn’t take wing seats, however, and were closer to the front. Still, the ejector was strong. I just wish we had more time to get a second ride before the night was over.
Final Ride Counts
Comet (2)
Skyrush (1: Patrick, Sam)
SooperDooperLooper (3: Renee, 2: Patrick, Sam)
Final Thoughts
I was happy that we managed five rides with the two hours we had once inside the park. I wish the event had been a bit longer. I think three hours enough time, especially with the crowd that turned out. I think a 4-9 p.m., or a 5-10 p.m. would have been much better. It would have also gave some extra time to lessen the crowds trying to get into the park if it opened before some people got off work.
Getting in night rides again while warm outside was so nice. Even though we got in lots of night rides in 2020 during winter holiday events at various parks, it just hits different in the spring and summer. The lights, the smells, the sounds… I’ve always loved that and miss it. Once this pandemic passes, I really hope parks don’t keep with the 7 p.m. and 8 p.m. closing times. Our rides on SooperDooperLooper, Comet, and Skyrush at night were amazing and I really missed it.
Hersheypark Photo Gallery - April 23, 2021
If you would like to use any of the images in the gallery above for your 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
Captain
New Credit(s): n/a
Renee
Lieutenant
New Credit(s): n/a
