For weeks on end I have been itching to get back to Hersheypark for some rides on Skyrush. I wasn’t sure if the park would end up reopening it in 2021, but alas, they did. The thing is, with the end of Hersheypark in the Dark looming, I was running out of time to get my butt up there. After having such a fun, relaxed day at Six Flags America (SFA) on Friday, I decided to try my luck again on Sunday and go get those rides on Skyrush. I’m just glad I decided to go when the park opened instead of waiting until after the Ravens game finished like I originally planned. They got stomped, so I didn’t miss anything.
Numerous Coasters Getting Repainted
Although my main goal for the day was to ride Skyrush, especially at night, I also wanted to check out the new ongoing paint job on Sidewinder. I’ve seen some posts of the green and blue combination, but what I wasn’t expecting to see purple on a few of the supports when I arrived. I’m not sure how recently that color was added into the new scheme.
In addition to Sidewinder’s repaint, I had heard that SooperDooperLooper was also being repainted. I had saw a very early shot of some white on the infamous loop, so it led me to believe the whole ride was going to repainted white as an ode to its original color scheme. That is not the case. The loop is the only part of the ride getting the white paint. The rest of the track and support structure is receiving fresh coats of the blue that we’ve had for decades.
These two coasters are not the only ones getting some new paint either. I put together the mini-vlog above focusing on Sidewinder and Looper, but showcases a couple of other coasters in the park getting some new paint. Be sure to give it a watch and let me know what you think of the new color schemes Hersheypark decided to go with moving forward.
First Time Riding Skyrush in Months
The draw of riding Skyrush was so great when I entered the park, I knew I had time to film all the footage you saw in the YouTube clip above. I needed my Skyrush fix and I got it. Then it was on to film and shoot photos for a couple of hours. I was content, knowing I was going to re-ride it at night, along with a few other favorites. I’ve been on a huge night rides kick since our visits to Kings Island and Holiday World a week ago. It had been a while since I experienced coasters at night. SFA on Friday gave me more of that goodness and I fully planned to keep it going at Hershey once the sun went down.
Skyrush
Once all was said and done, I ended up riding Skyrush four times on Sunday – twice during the day and then twice at night. The first ride right after opening saw the longest lines for the coaster that I’ve seen in a few years. It was about five bullpen rows deep on the ground. There have been so many times when I’ve walked straight onto the staircase, or at worst, waited for just a row or two down below. Oh well, it wasn’t going to deter me. I was overdue.
During my first ride, something unexpected happened. It felt slow. I rode in the back and it felt sluggish. I figured it was either the temperature (low 50’s), or perhaps I got used to riding coasters that exceed 90-mph like Fury 325 and Orion.
A few hours later, when I returned for my second ride, I got the second to back row. It felt the same way. I had good airtime moments, but it just didn’t feel as fast to me.
My final two rides, one in the front row and then again in the back, came about half an hour before the park closed. It was pitch black outside and I was beyond ready. Thankfully, both night rides felt faster. I could have very well been the fact that it was nighttime and that makes things “feel” a bit faster. Who knows. I just know it felt more like what I’ve come to know from this ride.
Candymonium
After my second ride on Skyrush mid-day, I took a few minutes to shoot some footage along the walkway by the river. As I made my way closer to the front of the park, I decided to check out Candymonium’s wait time. It read 45 minutes above the entrance, which was not even close. The line began on the staircase and turned out to be no more than 10 minutes.
A few seconds after getting in line, I saw a guy walking in wearing Ravens gear. Since I was wearing my Ravens jacket, we begin talking about the thrashing the Ravens experienced earlier. By time we got to the top of the stairs, our topic had shifted to roller coasters. I found out his name is Shawn and told him about We Were Inverted. Low and behold, he follows the site on Facebook. I was shocked. I told him to shoot me a message online so I could send him an invite to Coaster Appreciation Society (CAS) as well. And guess what? He was already a member! I found the whole situation to be wild. We decided to ride together since we were both going up solo and had so much in common.
We got ourselves a back row ride, which turned out to be his first-ever ride on Candymonium. He was looking forward to the coaster for a while now. I told him he’s going to love the airtime and by time we pulled back into the station, all he could say was, “Wow!” If Shawn had not been at the park with his family, I think we would have rode a few more coasters together for sure. He was great company and I’m glad we met. Hopefully like the meet up with Maya and Taliyah on Friday, we keep in touch and end up riding some coasters again down the road.
Comet
Much like Skyrush, I was looking forward to getting in a night ride on Comet before the park closed. Ultimately, I ended up getting in two as the final minutes of park operations ticked away. I was lucky enough to get in a front row ride followed by a back row ride to end the night.
Also like Skyrush, I also got in a ride on Comet during the day. That’s when I met another enthusiast named Colby. He was wearing a Cedar Point shirt, so we began talking about coasters all over the United States. I gave him one of my cards and he told me about his Instagram account, Rail Fan Coasters (@RailFan.Coasters). Be sure to check out his page and give him a follow.
After three amazing rides on my first-ever “big” coaster as a child Sunday, I was loving life. At the same time, however, I was left pondering something that has been bugging me all season. For the last two years, Comet has ridden better than ever in regards to its smoothness. The airtime, however, is extremely random each visit. One day the airtime is great in the front and dead in the back. The next time I go, the front is ho hum, but the back has standing up in my seat. I could see it if the entire coaster wasn’t hitting the airtime one day, but that’s not the case. The airtime is always good somewhere, it’s just a matter of finding just where that is each time I go. Has anyone else found this to be true?
Final Ride Counts
Candymonium (1)
Comet (3)
Fahrenheit (1)
Great Bear (1)
Skyrush (4)
SooperDooperLooper (1)
Trailblazer (1)
Hitting Up All the Hershey Classics in the Dark
I went to Hershey yesterday looking to ride Skyrush for the first time in a while and get in some night rides. I did ponder spending the entire night marathoning Skyrush on the drive up, but I’m so glad I didn’t limit myself to just one ride. The call of Comet was just too great to ignore.
As a matter of fact, not only did Comet call to me last night, but so did Trailblazer and SooperDooperLooper. Both had longer lines during the day, but by time 7:30 p.m. came around, the crowds had dissipated immensely. My heart told me to ride all three rides like I used to do as a kid as part of my nightcap. I honestly couldn’t tell you the last time I rode Trailblazer at night. Sure, it’s a family- sized Arrow mine train. I didn’t ride it for its intensity though. I rode it for the memories. I even gave a little shoutout to my cousins, Bob and John, on Instagram as they have that same connection to the ride and park as a whole as I do.
When you add in all the above with the people I was able to meet and talk to throughout the day, I’m so glad I decided to get in the car on Sunday and head up to Hersheypark!
Hersheypark Photo Gallery - October 24, 2021
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
