A Hersheypark Discussion

I do know that if they are blue flags it means water piping. I forgot the others though.

Yes, the blue flags normally mean water piping or something like sprinklers. Red markings mean electric, yellow for gas, and blue, like said, for water.

I'm wondering if they decided to hold off this season (after adding three major attractions), only to begin working out in the golf course for 2011. Even though these markings are utilities for something, but maybe they are a sign for what is yet to come.

If they do, I hope they do something to the neighboring sewage treatment plant. I drove by that with the windows up and the smell was unbearable.

I know what you mean about the sewage plants, though not with that specific one. The bridge I take into NYC has a sewage plant actually right below it, and its by the water. When its being used, its insanely bad smelling.Comes in through the A/C.
Anyway... I think the markings can just be for utilities with Chocolate world or just some piping they have to redo.

Well you never know. Funny how they're popping up now when the rumors are going around about them looking to expand out there. Remember when they had markings during the 2005 season through the park? Alot of us thought it was for a new monorail system, but didn't they turn out to be for utilities that had sometime to do with the early stages of the Boardwalk (which we didn't know was going to be built at the time)? Just a thought.

HPCrazy wrote:I'm wondering if they decided to hold off this season (after adding three major attractions), only to begin working out in the golf course for 2011.

If something big was being added in 2010, we would have heard about it by now.

^ That's true, and the project would take more time, so they will get working on it right away.

Of course we would've heard something by now if there were big plans coming up in the next year. Like I said, it'll probably be like 2005, general park improvments. But they did start on the Boardwalk: Phase I in early 2006 (there was already construction in Feb 2006 I believe) for a projected May 2007 grand opening. So you never know.

Turbulence was supposed to come in 2005. The park saved money by canceling it. If they did have it, would we sill have RXCC and would the Boardwalk be different?

Good point. Turbulence would've been an eyesore, hovering over the Carrousel and from outside the park. Balloon Flite and Starship both look alot better there than any massive steel tower that would permenantly destroy the scenery for good. While it may have been a unique ride, that's all the positive I ever had to say about it.

It would be an eyesore. It just wouldn't have fit where they planned to put it. What's there now and the new additions from 2005 onward are much better than what Turbulence was supposed to be, and maybe they would have never been there if HP had gone through with it.

Starship was originally supposed to go to Dutch Wonderland, along with Earthmovers and Wells Cargo, but it was decided to put the ride in storage for future use at HP. We know what came of that situation.

Right. I just mean that I'm glad what's there is there and I don't think I would have liked it to be any other way, really.

In some ways, I'm glad that Rodeo went to Dutch Wonderland. But in some others, I wish HP would've kept the ride and moved it to another lcoation. There are plenty of "spots" located within the park where a flat or two can be installed without having to remove something else. For example, the space next to the Whip that always catches my eye when I exit the ride.

Right, there are a few open spaces for flats in Midway. They should utilize that space t throw in a few more flats.

I know this was brought up before, but the tent needs to go. Two or three decent flats can be put there. They have enough catering areas and can also utilize one of them, or the Amphitheatre for the Talent Quest program.

That definitely should be done.

Just to jump around a bit; are they going to fix up Minetown a little bit? Like make it more themed? Maybe with the fixing of the queues they might tweak a few other things.

You mean add more mine theming back there? I don't know. They re-did the zoo entrance and made it more tie into the zoo more. Coal Cracker and the building with Minetown Restaurant really pull off the theme well. Tower Plaza and the Gourmet Grille building have nothing to do with mining. I think the Frog Hopper should have not been placed in its current spot. That should be moved back out to Midway in another spot.

That's exactly what I mean. Maybe some more theming. Certain things up there show it off well, while others don't. I think it's one of parts of the park that has the least to do with its name.

We were talking to the one guy working at the monorail last night and he told us that he believes Hershey is slowly removing the theming in some places, mainly because of money purposes. I mentioned to him how the Polka and English music were dropped from Tudor and Rhineland and that Midway and the Boardwalk are the only areas that seemed to have the appropriate music yet. I know Pioneer Frontier is another one with the Country music but I forgot to mention it to him.

Interesting. Its funny because one of the last times I went to HP, the monorail guy was talking to me about the removal of CRR. I guess there's some good conversation when waiting for a train.

Fanatic wrote:Interesting. Its funny because one of the last times I went to HP, the monorail guy was talking to me about the removal of CRR. I guess there's some good conversation when waiting for a train.

It's sad that they got rid of that, but the Lazy River ride is enjoyable.

Ccron10 wrote:(7/27/05) So far there are no rumors at all about bringing back the Turbulence concept, which is a shame. There is talk about replacing the park’s Chaos ride with the Rodeo and adding some other small water attraction where the Rodeo currently is. We’ve also heard that something may be planned in the Music Box Way area that could be indoors. Anyone else know more?

Well still no Turbulance (I dont think there ever will be). Beside Rodeo will be some big water attractions (almost right). That indoor attraction is Reeses
X-Treme Cup Challenge.

Turbulence is gone. The company that designed the ride was completely discredited. The theming in Founder's Circle would have actually worked and looked nicer than what was there before it (Giant Wheel). But the Balloon Flite and Starship rides have done fantastic in regards to ridership.

Ccron10 wrote:(6/26/07) While answering questions about the park, Ted Kleisner (CEO Hershey Entetainment & Resorts) mentions that the new Boardwalk area has been “an overwhelming success that tells us that we need to add more to that whole water experience. We're looking in the future to a larger wave pool experience, taking the Canyon River Rapids ride and changing that into something that has a little more excitement to it and larger, and in the process of doing that we retire rides that have seen their day.”

Nope It was compleatly removed

Well, Rapids was removed in the sense that none of the interactions remain behind, nor does the canyon. However, a significant part of the Intercoastal Waterway runs in the footprint of the old Rapids. And the old wave maker for Rapids is used on the little wave pool from the 2007 Boardwalk rides.

While we are on the subject, did you know that it was orignally rumored that part of the Canyon River Rapids trough was going to be used for part of the Lazy River?

I could not see that one coming true, and it didnt.

Stormwinder wrote:While we are on the subject, did you know that it was orignally rumored that part of the Canyon River Rapids trough was going to be used for part of the Lazy River?

I could not see that one coming true, and it didnt.

Well there's partial truth to that, because part of the waterway runs through the old footprint of the ride, though they tore out and built new troughs for the entire ride.

^Im confused,did they add that to Bayside Pier this year?

Stormwinder wrote:^Im confused,did they add that to Bayside Pier this year?

It's been that way since they built it. They stopped using the Rapids wave maker years ago, so they took it out of the ride and used it for Bayside.

So it is an old part.

I guess by them doing that, we know that made the days of the old rapids numbered.

I'm guessing that you're referring to the section under Roller Soaker, as well as the part that divides the SEA-qual from the main Boardwalk midway. From above, it looks almost identical to the old rapids trough.

By the way, how would they have used the old trough for a lazy river without tearing it out? I don't think that would have been very safe the way it was constructed.

^ Correct, it wouldn't. There were LARGE rapid-makers under the water that could injure someone. I don't know what they were made of, but they wouldn't have been safe. The current for the lazy river also needed to be re-done, which also probably played a part into it. And, who knows, there may have been pipes below or coming out of the trough, too.

^No, the wave machine was removed many years ago. It was an area along the river that opened up wider with wave machine creating turbulence in the river, and the rafts lingered there for a few moments before eventually moving on. The wave machine was removed from most if not all parks that had such a feature on their raft rides. They became a safety issue after rafts backed up in the wave pool area and flipped. On the raft rides that previously had such a feature (the former HP ride and BGW's for example) you can see the remains of the wave pool area that has been made narrower with pillars along the path.

gardener14 wrote:^No, the wave machine was removed many years ago. It was an area along the river that opened up wider with wave machine creating turbulence in the river, and the rafts lingered there for a few moments before eventually moving on. The wave machine was removed from most if not all parks that had such a feature on their raft rides. They became a safety issue after rafts backed up in the wave pool area and flipped. On the raft rides that previously had such a feature (the former HP ride and BGW's for example) you can see the remains of the wave pool area that has been made narrower with pillars along the path.

Hershey didn't pull there's until after the 2005 season.

HPCrazy wrote:
By the way, how would they have used the old trough for a lazy river without tearing it out? I don't think that would have been very safe the way it was constructed.

I have no idea, It is just what I heard from somewhere on the internet. I cant remember where, and I did not believe it.

It may have been in place until 2005 but was it actually operating? I thought that since long before that the wave machine was not operating and that the pillars were in place to prevent rafts from lingering in that pool.

You were referring to somewhere on the internet, that would've been on Screamscape. You even posted it in your thread about all the true and not-true rumors.

gardener14 wrote:It may have been in place until 2005 but was it actually operating? I thought that since long before that the wave machine was not operating and that the pillars were in place to prevent rafts from lingering in that pool.

You're correct in that it wasn't operating for several years before hand. I said in my initial post that the "old wave maker" was being used in Bayside. By old I meant that it wasn't being used. As in it was "standing, but not operating."

[/quote]Well there's partial truth to that, because part of the waterway runs through the old footprint of the ride, though they tore out and built new troughs for the entire ride.[/quote]

That's exactly it. They didn't necessarily keep the walls and the height of the original trough, nor the whole trough in some areas, but it does have a similar footprint to CRR.

Theirs talk about possibly expanding the park toward the golf course. What I'd like to see? I'd like to see Roller Soaker ripped out and replaced with something else.s

Another Rumor. I am starting this one.
This is the first time since 2007 that Hersheypark took the show list off the website. This makes me think that we will be having a new show line up next year. The ampitheatre stage already has been taken apart and is going to be redone for the first time since the Road Trip show started. Since the park is not geting any new rides, I think that they are going to focus on their entertainment.

I heard they were doing a new sea lion show next season instead of the Great Candy Caper.

Here's some concrete information about Hersheypark's entertainment lineup for 2010. First some background...

After a three decade relationship with Alan Albert Productions Hersheypark began a new entertainment linup in 2007 with several new production companies. For the past three years, Hersheypark has used several entertainment productions companies for it's shows throughout the park. Matt Davenport Productions has produced The Milkmen, Ultimate Roadtrip, The Boardwalkers, Wild Country, and Home Sweet Home For Christmas while SRO Associates has produced Beyond the Garden Gate (formerly known as Velocity) and Lightning Strike (formerly Impact Effect). Three other companies provide other entertainment for Hersheypark including The Great Candy Caper, the evening country show, The Soda Pops, and other strolling entertainment.

In 2010 Ultimate Roadtrip will not return, however Matt Davenport Productions will continue producing The Milkmen, The Boardwalkers, Wild Country, and Home Sweet Home for Christmas. Matt Davenport Productions has also entered a new three year contract to produce two new shows in the Music Box Theater. These are a tap dance themed show called Tapestry, and a Pop/Rock themed show called Jukebox Heroes.

Here are the details of these shows from Matt Davenport Productions' website:

Tapestry, a powerhouse show, features the artistry of Tap Dance. From the street, the stage and the silver screen this musical tapestry loosely traces the history of American tap dancing through five dynamic styles!

Dont bother knockin, come on in because Jukebox Heroes will be rocking the house, celebrating award-winning musical artists from Michael Jackson to Madonna along with some of popular music s most memorable eras from Disco to Motown!

I assume the shows formerly produced by SRO Associates in the Music Box Theater will not return, and I don't know if Hersheypark's relationship with that production company has ended. I also don't know what the park has planned for The Amphitheater in 2010.

I do know that Matt Davenport Productions presents very high quality shows as evidenced by their shows at Hersheypark and elsewhere such as Busch Gardens, and I believe that allowing them to use the Music Box Theater will provide them with a proper venue to showcase their abilities. I'm also very pleased that they are being given reign over an additional show at Hersheypark. I have never been a big fan of Beyond the Dragon's Gate or Lightning Strike (although they did grow on me slowly), so I will not be disappointed if Hersheypark has decided to end their relationship with SRO Associates as a show producer. I hope The Amphitheater returns with a show lineup that meets the quality presented their by Matt Davenport Productions.

The complete announcement fom Matt Davenport Productions can be read in the "News" section of their website. www.MattDavenportProductions.com

Thats interesting to know. Nice find.

The Great Candy Caper is changing too.

I'd be happy if The Great Candy Caper changed to something new, but how do you know this, and do you know any more?

From Screamscape

(5/2/10) Could the end be near for the Hersheypark Monorail? I believe some of this may have been mentioned before but this article from March outlines some proposed road changes, relocations and an intersection removal all around the area of Hersheypark where the back section of the Monorail route goes, which is sure to have some kind of effect on the park. Specifically the bit about realigning the way Cocoa Ave. and Park. Ave connect, which you can see in the map would make the easiest way to do this to run the new road right down the same path that the monorail beam takes.
With construction on the two year project set to begin as early as this summer, it does make it wonder if perhaps we may be seeing the end of the park’s monorail system. They could move the monorail and rebuild a new beam for it, but nothing was mentioned about that in the project’s modest $10.5 million dollar budget, so I have doubts. Has anything more been mentioned about this since then?
Previous rumors from last fall also mentioned a possible plan to move the western side of Park Blvd. so that it would travel through the golf course site instead, opening up that property for the next 100 years of happy expansion possibilities. Unfortunately the only really solid way to access this section of the park would be right through the current main entrance area, requiring a new main entrance area to be built elsewhere. The most likely idea could be to just simply move it over slightly to take up the location of the current backstage road and building(s) between the current entrance and the Arena, allowing them to keep on using most of the existing gift shops and amenities now in place in Tudor Square.
Keep in mind this is all very long term planning being rumored here… stuff that would probably take most of the next decade to see realized… if they opt to go that way. I was just thinking that perhaps some of this was a related trade-off… a bit of Quid Pro Quo if you will.

Also from Screamscape

(5/3/10) I’m glad to report that we were contacted by someone who claims to have worked on the plans for the rerouting of the roads behind Hersheypark who tells us that the Hersheypark Monorail was taken into consideration and the plans for the new roads were designed to go around it, so it will not be removed.

Whew! That's a relief! The monorail is one of my favorite rides there to relax and I'd hate to have to make the drive over to Dutch Wonderland just to ride one.

A friend of mine told me a while ago that the park was hoping to get the Monorail to see 50 years in the park. I don't know how true that is, but 50 years is the end of the decade, so I wouldn't see it going anywhere any time soon.