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 Review of Storm Runner @ Hersheypark
2 Rating Posted by: gonchar on 6/21/2004 6:57:00 PM
The only bad thing about this coaster is the bottleneck it seems to have created on the pathway between it and Sidewinder. Other than that its top notch beginning to end.

The queue - small. Ive seen some fairly large crowds at Hershey, but the queue seems to be set up to hold a 35 or 40 minute line at best. In fact, a sign near the start of the line proclaims a 35 minute wait from this point.

A dual loading station that works!? It works and it works well. Pretty steady dispatch all around. They send the first train and when it returns they send the other one. There seems to be a slightly longer delay before the first goes again than between the first and second. Im not sure if this is supposed to be, but if they clipped that dispatch time to the same time between trains 1 and 2 and kept a steady flow, the capacity would be maxed. As it is, its above good. We never saw more than a 20 or 25 minute wait on both Sunday and Monday.

The trains - nice. The restraints didnt bother me at all. No size issues in our group and we only saw one person turned away on both days and many rides. There is plenty of signage explaining that the restraint must rest on your lap, not your stomach - complete with little photos. The test seat out front is usually ocupied by bored kids, but its fun to make them move - especially when youre scary looking

The launch. Right up there with Xcelerators. Powerful. More powerful than TTDs without question. Im a hands-up on the lauch bozo - at least I know I have a problem. Storm Runner whipped my arms back in a way that TTDs didnt even come close to. Id still say that overall Xcelerator has the most kick, but Storm Runner is very comparable.

The Top Hat. My favorite of the three. I really prefer the vertical drop without the twist (both Xcelerators standard variety and TTDs 270.) It just feels better to me to dive straight down. Maybe Im just a plain vanilla guy. I dont need the sprinkles or chocolate coating.

The Cobra Loop. Felt somewhere between an Immelman and a Dive Loop. It was good. Ugly as hell. (I liken it to something drawn by a 3 year old) but this proves it doesnt have to look pretty to ride pretty. Smooth and fun.

The Barrel Roll/Snake Dive. Right here is the money on this coaster. The reason I kept going back. After the Cobra Loop you crest a medium sized hill, go directly in the barrel roll and right into the snake dive (it all seems like one element). Your ass will leave the seat at the top of that hill and not touch it again until the bottom of the pretty much vertical exit from the snake dive. If you have any kind of airtime whore in you at all (and hey, who doesnt?) then this is a MUST do experience. If the ride was just this, Id probably hug and kiss it. Its just that damn fun.

From there - its a speedy little jaunt up a morbidly, freakishly "S" banked double up (best I can describe it without my photos) into the final brakes.

All in all, it makes for one serious ride. Herhsey has a winner on their hands.

My take on the rocket coasters:

Ohio has the biggest, California has the first, but Pennsylvania has the best.
 

Review Comments

gonchar on 6/21/2004 6:59:22 PM said:
Not sure why it wont break into paragraphs. Oh well, sorry for the hard to read review.
coaster05 on 6/21/2004 7:03:56 PM said:
still a great review ill be at hershey in about 12 days and this has given some much needed info on wait times. thanks
3r1c on 6/21/2004 8:06:46 PM said:
gonchar - try putting in two [br] except with <> instead of [].
larrygator on 6/21/2004 9:10:34 PM said:
you must have stopped working out between the time you went on TTD and Storm Runner and your muscles must have turned to wet noodles. The TTD launch is much more powerful, you can feel the skin on your face moving back like in a bad sci-fi movie and I didnt experience that here.
Cyclonic on 6/21/2004 9:22:51 PM said:
Excellent review LG. Both entertaining and informative. 3r1c is right, to create paragraphs in the reviews, you have to you HTML code.
MovieCoast on 6/22/2004 10:00:32 AM said:
Awesome review! When I went and rode this ride there wasnt an on-ride photo. Was there one there when you went?
Swimace on 6/22/2004 10:53:48 AM said:
Wow, good job Gonchar! In case you havent heard yet, Ill be going in early August, so Im really glad to see that you liked it. I cant wait to get up there and ride my first rocket! Your review makes me want to start running to Penn. right now! (which would take a while being that Im in Florida)
*FreeBird* on 6/29/2004 1:37:30 AM said:
Yeah, Ill also being going late July / early August. Storm Runner will also be my first Rocket, it sounds awsome!
gonchar on 6/30/2004 3:26:46 PM said:
Thanks guys, finally broke this one into paragraphs.
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