Review: Laff Trakk at Hersheypark
Laff Trakk at Hersheypark is an indoor roller coaster that debuted back in 2015 at Hersheypark. The 13th coaster at the park was a spinning coaster manufactured by Maurer Söhne, which has identical twins at Lagoon in Salt Lake City, Utah and Waldameer in Erie, PA. What sets Laff Trakk apart is its setting–an indoor, glow-in-the-dark environment to further add to the disorientation and fun of...[Read More]
Review: Lightning Racer at Hersheypark
When the new millennium rolled around, it seemed everyone was trying to capitalize on the big event. Hersheypark joined the fray by opening Lightning Racer. It’s no Millennium Force, but this wooden dueling and racing coaster is still pretty fun. The second Great Coasters International woodie at the park, it is much better than the first, Wildcat. That one is more on the rough side, as Joel ...[Read More]
Review: sooperdooperLooper at Hersheypark
Back in 1977, the first looping roller coaster on the East Coast was about to open at Hersheypark. However, it lacked one key ingredient: a name. Bruce McKinney, the park’s General Manager at the time, had narrowed it down to two final candidates — his personal favorite, Merry Derry Dips, and the second option, sooperdooperLooper. He went to his family for advice, and they fatefully told him...[Read More]
Great Bear vs Talon | Roller Coaster Showdowns
Great Bear Anecdote When I came up with the idea of comparing Great Bear and Talon, I was reminded of something that happened in June of 2014 at Coasting For Kids, a fund-raising coaster marathon at Dorney Park during which I set a personal record of 36 rides in one day (12 on Steel Force, 16 on Talon and 8 on Hydra). On one of my rides on Talon I found myself sitting next to a teenage boy who st...[Read More]
Skyrush: But What About The Restraints?
Celestial Coaster As celestial a coaster as Intamin has ever produced, Skyrush holds the number 2 position on my list of the 10 most intense coasters I’ve ridden. (See my post of July 7, 2017). Riders start screaming as soon as the train is dispatched and makes its swift ascent of the cable lift hill, in anticipation of what lies ahead. What lies ahead is an astonishing ride that’s noteworthy ...[Read More]
Do Hersheypark’s Clues Point to a Water Coaster in 2018?
2018 is shaping up to be an incredible year for many parks, and Hersheypark is no different. Unlike amusement parks like Cedar Point or Kings Dominion, where everyone knows what is coming (I hear a Richard Michael Crosby is moving in…), there is more mystery over Hersheypark’s 2018 addition. They’ve been teasing their plans for this addition through a series of five clues on their website. L...[Read More]
Have Amusement Parks Gone Too Far in Imposing Restrictions for Ride Safety?
The Importance of Ride Safety Ride safety is obviously a top priority for amusement/theme parks. There have been numerous instances of loose articles on rides hitting riders and causing personal injury, with cell phones being the primary culprits. Although I’ve never seen anyone get hurt I’ve witnessed several incidents during which unsecured items came flying off El Toro and seen the paraphern...[Read More]
The 10 Most Intense Roller Coasters I’ve Ridden
Although my coaster count is quite modest compared with Joel’s, I thought it would be fun to compile a list of the 10 most intense coasters I’ve ridden and explain why I found them unusually forceful. I’ve ridden a number of incredible coasters so this was a challenge involving some tough choices. The top 2 picks were givens and didn’t require any thought but the others had me pondering over m...[Read More]
Should Hersheypark’s Wildcat Get an RMC Redesign?
Last year, the Wildcat at Hersheypark thrilled riders for its 20th season. Once the anchor attraction of the Midway America section of the park (yes, you read that correctly: it was an anchor), the very first wooden roller coaster from manufacturer Great Coasters International is now notably less popular. This has led many coaster enthusiasts, myself included, to speculate that famed company RMC—R...[Read More]
What Other Rides or Coasters Should Be Indoor Like Laff Trakk?
Hersheypark’s new roller coaster Laff Trakk is essentially a spinning wild mouse roller coaster inside of a dark, themed building. The glow in the dark sets look great and it’ll help the park balance its thrill machines (like Skyrush and Fahrenheit) with a family roller coaster, that incorporates some real theming. Check out this video of Laff Trakk at Hersheypark: What Other Rides or ...[Read More]
Top New Roller Coasters of 2015
Top New Roller Coasters of 2015 The giga coaster in my backyard has drawn me out of my “retirement”. While I’m back, I thought I’d take a look at the new roller coasters opening this year. I’ve essentially been “living under a rock” and have been completely out of the theme park world since I stopped posting last May. So, this will be an interesting first ...[Read More]
Hersheypark May Remove Roller Soaker
Screamscape recently reported that Hersheypark will likely be removing the steel suspended coaster Roller Soaker this winter. The park dropped a hint about a roller coaster leaving the lineup at a CoasterCrew event. And now, Screamscape has pointed us to a for sale listing that looks a lot like Roller Soaker. I never got to ride it, but I did ride a similar Setpoint coaster at Freestyle Music Park...[Read More]