ABR
Posts: 277
Registered: 3/22/2003
Rank: Silver Critic
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 8/20/2004 2:37:04 AM
This week I had the oppurtunity to visit two amusement parks, Hershey Park and Kings Dominion. Here is my experience at Hershey Park:
Departure/Arrival
I departed my house (Northern VA, near DC) around 8:00am for what would be my 2nd visit to Hershey Park (the 1st was over 2 years ago).
Like I always do before visiting amusement parks, I checked their website to find out where I could get discount coupons. Found out that they were at Giant food stores located in PA. I decided that if I saw a Giant food that I would stop in, otherwise I'd try and bum some coupons off of people waiting in line to buy tickets.
Around 10:30am I passed by a Giant food store and stopped in for the discount coupons. Turns out that unlike the grocery stores around my house (one of which, oddly enough is a different Giant food store chain) instead of them giving you a coupon to give to the ticket seller at Hershey Park, you buy the tickets at Giant for the discount price ($8 off) and then proceed right to the gate (VERY GOOD THING too, keep reading). I sat in traffic for a while outside of Harrisburg, after that 2nd traffic light (which looks to be a very confusing intersection), I was free and pulled up to Hershey Park around 11am. I entered the Complex, the Hershey Park parking lot was on the left, and the Giant Center (an arena where a hockey team plays and concerts take place, sponsored by the Giant food store chain of PA) and it's parking lot were on the right. Oddly enough, I had to go right and pay for parking there, then I had to loop all the way around the Giant center and it's parking lot and get into the parks parking lot. I chose to walk instead of taking the trams, as the lines were rather long.
Front Gate
When you approach the front gate, there are two routes, one is for those needing to buy tickets (straight), and the other is for those who already have their tickets (left). Well, thanks to Giant, I already had my ticket, so I took the route for those who already had tickets. I looked over at the area where those who had to buy their tickets had to go. It was twice as crowded and the line was at a standstill. Not like the area I was in. It was moving at a slow but steady pace, and I got into the park fast.
Rides
Well, the main reason for me wanting to visit this park as a pose to Six Flags America or Busch Gardens was Storm Runner. As someone who visits Kings Dominion almost every season (and one who has heard about Cedar Point), I feared that Storm Runner would be like TTD, HypersonicXLC or Volcano, and be down for maintenance 90% of the day during it's first season. So I decided to head and do that first. It had a long line, but, it was why I came. And I figured that the line would just get longer and longer as those people buying their tickets got in the park, so I jumped in. The line moved pretty fast, it was only about a 40-50 minute wait. I just jumped in the row that I felt had the shortest line. As Swimace said in his trip report, this ride is full of suprises. I was expecting it to be out, up, down and back with one loop, but no. Plenty of hills and loops. It wraps around the perimeter of Trailblaizer. Beats HXLC hands down. After that I went towards the front of the park. I was gonna go on Comet, but the quene area was full and they were using an overflow area, it didn't seem worth it, one thing I remember from my preivious trip is how slow that line moved. So I went on Great Bear. Had a 30 minute wait. Then I had lunch at that chinese place next to great bear. I then visited the arcade right there for a while and proceeded to the back of the park.
Woodies
I went on Lightning Racer twice (once each side), as it was a walk on. I lost both times. Grrrr... I think in terms of speed and elements, Lightning racer is the best racing coaster around. The only problem is that the lift hills aren't next to each other (Thunder/Green is higher than Lightning/Red), that really takes out part of the experience. I've alwa
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*FreeBird*
Posts: 8264
Registered: 8/29/2003
Rank: Platinum Critic
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 8/20/2004 2:42:35 AM
Great review.  I never was in Hershey's arcade, it sounds good. 
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Swimace
Posts: 5916
Registered: 8/28/2003
Rank: Platinum Critic
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8/20/2004 5:17:18 PM
Quote:
ABR said:
The only problem is that the lift hills aren't next to each other (Thunder/Green is higher than Lightning/Red), that really takes out part of the experience. I've always liked cussing at my friends who were on the other train on Kennywood's racer on the way up. Well, after that I hit up Wildcat. 30 minute wait... how annoying when you compare it to lightning racer, which I believe is better.
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I personally like how you don't start out racing. It provdes for a great visual when you go over the first airtime hill to be spaced from the other train. I know what you mean about Wildcat. LR is so much better and always has a shorter line
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3r1c
Posts: 5466
Registered: 6/7/2003
Rank: Platinum Critic
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8/20/2004 5:57:00 PM
I think Wildcat is better hands-down because it's non-stop action while Lightning Racer fizzles out at the end and becomes fairly boring.
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Swimace
Posts: 5916
Registered: 8/28/2003
Rank: Platinum Critic
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8/20/2004 9:26:11 PM
Wildcat is definatly more intense. I'll give it that. I think it depends on your preference of wood coaster type. Wildcat is straight up twister, whie LR is like a combo of out and back, twister, and racer
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larrygator
Posts: 4654
Registered: 11/7/2002
Rank: Platinum Critic
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8/20/2004 10:17:00 PM
I like the fact that you don't go up the lifthills simultaneously to the same height
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3r1c
Posts: 5466
Registered: 6/7/2003
Rank: Platinum Critic
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8/20/2004 10:34:00 PM
Quote:
Swimace said:
Wildcat is definatly more intense. I'll give it that. I think it depends on your preference of wood coaster type. Wildcat is straight up twister, whie LR is like a combo of out and back, twister, and racer |
Yeah, I prefer the intensity and out of control feel rather than a smooth ride. LR just is so... predictable and it lacks any air over the bunny hopes. It has a great beginning/first drop though.
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Swimace
Posts: 5916
Registered: 8/28/2003
Rank: Platinum Critic
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8/20/2004 11:06:47 PM
I got tons of airtime in the back. I don't know why ppl say it doesn't have air
I think Wildcat needs Millenium Flyer trains, that would make it better. I kept banging into the seat divider
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3r1c
Posts: 5466
Registered: 6/7/2003
Rank: Platinum Critic
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8/21/2004 7:55:41 PM
There is air on the first two drops and a few hints of it but nothing powerful. I love Wildcat because of those sudden drops and getting banged up is part of the fun.
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Swimace
Posts: 5916
Registered: 8/28/2003
Rank: Platinum Critic
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8/22/2004 11:49:33 AM
I think Wildcat would be alot better if they had Millenium Flyer trains. Wildcat is insane, I love it, so was Roar at SFA. GCI twisters are just crazy and intense. I love them
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3r1c
Posts: 5466
Registered: 6/7/2003
Rank: Platinum Critic
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8/22/2004 8:41:58 PM
I think adding Flyer trains would take away from the classic out of control feel found on the Wildcat.
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