It’s Memorial Day weekend, which means that it is time to Ride the Edge! It’s been two years of waiting and to celebrate, winners from the local radio stations and RIT Jr. Researcher winners were treated to a party and first ride event on the day before the public opening.
This update over the two days will be divided up into sections. Here is the first!
After today, Hersheypark officially has a hypercoaster!
Several minor additions have appeared during the week.
This is one of them. Like the Boardwalk, The Hollow now has a sign for its area.
A friend of mine compared it to the entrance sign for Disney’s Haunted Mansion. I think it looks similar to El Toro’s entrance sign a little.
The entrance for SooperdooperLooper is finished and features a retro-looking ride sign and more queue space.
The elevator tower now looks similar to Skyrush’s and also features a ride sign.
Speaking of Looper, it has officially opened!
Looper Ride Experience Review:
The whole station received some off-season renovation. The queue fans were replaced with bigger ones, all the railings and walls were painted, and of course, new trains and brakes.
Comparing and contrasting the new and old trains, the newer ones seem like they go a little bit faster throughout the course. The bottom of the loop had some good positive g-forces, the hill before going through the tunnel did have a small pop of air, the mid-course brakes don’t slow the trains as much as the old ones, which makes for a more classic ride.The ending produces a good pop of air, then a trip slightly faster through the helix at the end.
As for the mid-course brake and ending, instead of the brakes feeling like they are gripping the train, the magnetic ones make the deceleration more tolerable and enhance the ride experience.
When you look at the trains, it is really hard to tell that this is a train that has been recently manufactured.
Schwartzkopf wound be proud.
The trains also seem to stop farther back on the brake run now too.
The logo on the front cars look beautiful.
Instead of a flat seat like the old ones, these are somewhat bowl-shaped, making for a more comfortable ride.
Nerd-shot.
Here is what a train looks like when filled with people.
More many more photos coming up!
