SKYRUSH

SKYRUSH
HERSHEY PARK

As of May, 2012, this is Hershey Park’s newest, tallest and fastest coaster.    The park needed a good hypercoaster and they certainly got one with this gem from Intamin.    The coaster seats four across, with the two inside seats on the track and the two end seats off the track.  Unlike other hypercoasters I’ve ridden, this one has lap bars which are pulled down from overhead and hooked up to a safety belt.  The first thing that impressed me about this ride is the absolutely amazing speed with which the cable lift got the train to the top of the lift hill – that and the fact that on every dispatch I observed while waiting to get on the ride, the riders were screaming their heads off as the train took off like lightning.    The first drop of 200 feet at an 85-degree angle is pretty sensational, enhanced by the fact that the drop is not straight as it is on many other coasters of this type but banks to the right.  The ride is packed with high-banked turns, airtime hills and unexpected changes of direction – although there are no sizeable drops after the first one.   I found some of the turns to be much more intense than those on other hypercoasters I have ridden.  The ride is very, very intense.  It also has phenomenal ejector airtime.  I made it a point to ride off the track; this was so much fun!   The only thing I didn’t like is that on my second ride, the restraint was too tight, causing me considerable discomfort by digging into my thighs on every curve.   Even so, that wouldn’t prevent me from riding again, as the restraints are adjustable to some extent and you just have to get the right degree of snugness before the train is dispatched.    Numerous people have complained about the restraints and the park has been working to resolve the problem.  I do wish that the ride were longer; it's only a little over a minute.   Riding Skyrush gave me a real rush of adrenaline, so the coaster is very aptly named.    4 1/4 out of 5 stars.  For more information about rides at Hershey Park, visit www.hersheypark.com/

LIGHTNING RACER

LIGHTNING RACER
HERSHEY PARK

Because this coaster has been consistently ranked among the top 25 wooden coasters by Amusement Today, I decided that it was a must-ride.    Like Gemini at Cedar Point,  Lightning Racer is a duelling coaster with a race to the finish line.   There are two trains, Thunder and Lightning.  Although the track layout is such that both trains pretty much go through the same drill although at different times,  I found the Lightning side to be a better ride because of the superior airtime.  ( Despite that I found that Thunder wins the race more often than not.) The first curving drop of 90 feet was good enough and this coaster has a number of nicely banked turns with a decent amount of airtime.   It has the feel of a classic woodie without being at all rough; I experienced no discomfort whatsoever during the course of the ride.    One thing I didn’t like is the fact that each row has a single seatbelt for both riders, which feels somewhat weird for a single rider like myself.   That being said, I found it to be a fun ride – but by no means exceptional.   I think that Lightning Racer is somewhat overrated but have come to like it better every time I ride it.  3 ½ out of 5 stars.  First photograph courtesy of Coaster Image, a great site for coaster pictures: www.coasterimage.com. For more information about rides at Hershey Park,  visit www.hersheypark.com/

WILDCAT HERSHEY PARK

WILDCAT

WILDCAT
HERSHEY PARK

After riding Lightning Racer, it seemed only fitting to ride Wildcat, another wooden coaster built by Great Coasters International.   This coaster is a twister with a pretty good amount of airtime.  I think that I liked the first drop of 85 feet on a right-banked curve a little more than I liked the first drop on Lightning Racer but otherwise found this ride to be less enjoyable.   Compared with Lightning Racer, Wildcat is a very rough ride.    At one point I felt as if I were suffering from whiplash.  Like Lightning Racer, this ride has a single seatbelt for each row.  One thing I particularly liked about this coaster is the fact that a horn sounds as the train is returning to the station.  An OK ride but nothing to write home about.   2 ½ out of 5 stars.   For more information about rides at Hershey Park, visit www.hersheypark.com/