Hersheypark Skyrush Construction Update (4-8-12): A Look at The Hollow

Ok guys, here’s the update that we’ve been anticipating for the last several months! After four months of constant updates from Park Boulevard, let’s head inside the park to check out Skyrush!

Let’s begin at the entrance to the new path. It’s still under construction, gut let’s see what the beginning of it will look like.

Great view of the far turnaround…

Curbing is in, but black-top still needs to be added to the rest of it…

The creek is now flowing over the dam, which means that the creek is now back up to its orignial level for the first time since construction began over a year ago.

There seems to be a path heading over to the former Creekside Catering area.

Compare it to the updates from back in December and it’s amazing how much progress was made.

Looks like Hollow wasn’t the only area to receive something new. In addition to the small new building in Lower Rhineland, Upper Rhineland received a new Kettle Corn building.

In Founder’s Circle, it is hard to not notice Skyrush surrounding it.

I do think Milton Hershey would be proud.

See? You can’t escape it.

Tilt-A-Whirl is now back in Circle.

The whole queue and a portion of the old Tiny Track platform was re-used, from the looks of it.

When we last saw Skyrush in the park, this section of track had yet to be installed.

The lights around the ride looked like they received the LED treatment this year.

The stengel dive looks even better from inside the park!

I wonder if this last hill might provide a short pop of airtime before hitting the reduction brakes?

These three hills show so much potential for airtime.

Split!

Where are we now?

If you guessed under the reduction brake, then you’re right.

The final stretch before the brakes.

It has a slight turn at the end.

Now, without further a-do, welcome to…

The Hollow…

What used to be just the Comet and Great Bear dominating the skyline down here is now Skyrush.

In this area renovation, Comet’s station was repainted and renovated with iron railings taking the place of the old wooden walls.

Looper Lanes has opened with brand-new Skee-Ball machines and Whack-A-Mole being now located in front of Comet’s new entrance.

Speaking of Comet’s entrance, it was moved to the opposite side of the old queue entrance.

The whole line itself was re-done and while it may look smaller in dimensional size, it looks like it actually holds more people than the old one.

It is longer though.

Looper Lanes’s old location is now Skyrush’s brake run and a spot for a Dippin’ Dots stand.

Time for some brake run and lift hill eye-candy.

I am really liking the fact that there is a path below this section.

Some trees have been added to the midway as well. It should look really nice down here once they start growing in.

Transfer track!

So far the station looks like it’s on-par with Midway America’s coaster stations if not even better.

Here is the ADA elevator to the station.

The Looper Sandwich Shop has been renovated and will now house a Famous Famiglia.

Mr. O’Connell WAS right! They were building a slushy stand!

I found that the closer you are to the lift, the steeper it looks.

Seven more weeks!

The new restrooms were open.

Up in the station, the queue railings and entrance gates have been installed as well as the fans.

Here you compare Comet’s lift hill height and Skyrush’s.

The elevator entrance on the 2nd floor.

Here is the base of the stairs to the station. Left side is for the front row, center is for the rest of the train, and the right is the exit, which looks like it will take you past the photo booth. The footer in the center might be for the entrance sign and the poles to the right of it look to be for the height sign.

Your journey to ride the edge will start right here.

It looks like what the park did was move all the games out of Looper Lanes and scatter them around The Hollow area.

Here is where the new path will come out at.

Looks good so far!

Here’s the queue area. It looks like they still need to pour some more concrete and that it will cover that stone area in the distance.

I think I see some light pole bases…

…more pieces for the path lights, an old fence, and Tilt-A-Whirl’s old queue railings??

The stengel dive looks banked even steeper over here.

Here is Skyrush from the top of the Kissing Tower.

This shot is strikingly similar to the photos that you can take of Intimidator 305 from the top of the Eiffel Tower at Kings Dominion.

Here’s a better close-up.

The park’s first Intamin coaster, Storm Runner,  says hello.

Skyrush’s control booth.

Looper, while it wasn’t open, was looking blue today.

I really like this funky turn over Comet’s station.

I wonder how fast the trains are going to go around this section?

Speaking of trains…

As you can see, Skyrush comes pretty close to Comet’s roof.

You can get a good view for the reduction brake from Comet’s exit.

It also received some new landscaping as well.

So there you have it!

I’ll try to stop by and get some photos of the filled-up creek sometime soon and do another Hollow update sometime next weekend.

Thanks for reading!