Reviews • Sean R.

A relatively fun ride...very much in the spirit and design of a Gerstlauer - maybe a bit smoother. Nothing to go out of your way for, but if you happe...

A relatively fun ride...very much in the spirit and design of a Gerstlauer - maybe a bit smoother. Nothing to go out of your way for, but if you happen to be at Knoebles, it's a nice complement to the park's exceptional wooden coasters.

What Phoenix is to airtime, Twister is to laterals...really nice surprise. Enjoyable ride with a unique layout, a modest degree of intensity, a high d...

What Phoenix is to airtime, Twister is to laterals...really nice surprise. Enjoyable ride with a unique layout, a modest degree of intensity, a high degree of fun, and an apt name. Especially well done for an in-house, local build.

Airtime like you read about. I get the allure. It’s not as intense as most of my faves, but it’s quite enjoyable. The unique lap bar format played a b...

Airtime like you read about. I get the allure. It’s not as intense as most of my faves, but it’s quite enjoyable. The unique lap bar format played a big part in enabling the airtime. But the bar that the lap bar was attached to absolutely abused my knees, which put a slight damper on my experience. If you’re tall (I’m 6’3”), be ready for some pain. If you’re under 6’, you’re getting a near flawless airtime experience - my 10-year-old daughter ABSOLUTELY LOVED it (and she's under 5'.).

I came into my first ride on Skyrush with extremely high expectations...as much as anything I've ever ridden outside of Steal Vengeance. I love big, i...

I came into my first ride on Skyrush with extremely high expectations...as much as anything I've ever ridden outside of Steal Vengeance. I love big, intense Intamin coasters...i305 is a top 3 for me. And SkyRush is a fantastic ride, but it didn't quite deliver for me what I was hoping. I wanted it to become a top 3 and it just didn't. It's not even a top 3 at Hersheypark for me at the moment. The express first hill lift was fantastic, the first drop is unbelievable and the ejectors were solid throughout - all things I was looking forward to experiencing. The restraints were not an issue at all for me despite all the criticism around them from others. All these things pointed to a world class coaster...and it is world class. BUT, this is the first coaster I've ridden of this caliber where the rattle greatly impacted my perspective and experience. It was extremely pronounced and it took some of the shine off things. My 9 year-old daughter felt the same way. She liked Skyrush a lot, but it wasn't as good for us as Candymomium or Storm Runner. I do want to give it another shot. The weather really limited our repeat riding ability. We didn't sit in the wings, which I've heard is truly special. And I was nervous my daughter was going to think it was too much, so I was slightly distracted keeping an eye on her while riding. But it really comes back to the rattle. It made the ride feel past its prime to me...and like an aggressive, physical running back who plays the game really hard (the best metaphor I can think of for Skyrush) - the decline can come fast. I certainly hope that this is not the case here. We'll hopefully give it another shot with clearer skies when we visit next year. Update (5.18.25): Finally got back to HP and gave Skyrush another shot. Two rides with one on the wing, both in the back...while I never had issue with the restraints, I felt the new versions were great and allowed for the airtime to be thoroughly enjoyed. Skyrush is an airtime machine - and for this alone it is special...it's unlike anything else stateside that I've been on. There was a slight rattle/jerkiness in certain parts. My first review was a bit harsh - albeit, not totally inaccurate. But lower expectations, a perfect day in Hershey, and really manageable lines led to me enjoying round 2 quite a bit more. Upgrading from 4 to 4 and 1/2 stars.

Went on this in its early days as The Sidewinder. A classic boomerang that I remember more for the lines than the experience. It gave Hershey a little...

Went on this in its early days as The Sidewinder. A classic boomerang that I remember more for the lines than the experience. It gave Hershey a little more pop in its lineup, but I felt the park could've gone bigger at the time and still trailed SFGA and Busch Gardens by a notable margin as a result. It appears Hersheypark has significantly closed the gap in recent years which is too bad for my childhood, but something I hope to take advantage of on a future visit home. Update: went on it as Jolly Rancher. It’s still just a boomerang, but potentially the best I’ve seen or experienced. The theming is pretty awesome. One of the better makeovers out there!

Unlike anything else I've been on...a hair inside of the intensity I was seeking, but two rides provided two totally different experiences and both we...

Unlike anything else I've been on...a hair inside of the intensity I was seeking, but two rides provided two totally different experiences and both were quite enjoyable. I guess a trip to Belgium is next...

I'm not the biggest fan of floorless B&M's, but I think they are unheralded and Wildfire might be my favorite. The layout was really nicely positioned...

I'm not the biggest fan of floorless B&M's, but I think they are unheralded and Wildfire might be my favorite. The layout was really nicely positioned in the park against the backdrop of the Ozarks (I think), the color of the ride is striking against this backdrop, and the ride itself has a lot of intensity - the first drop, great whip in the inversions, a solid cobra-roll....not much not to like here.

I found Thunderation really uncomfortable and generally underwhelming. I liked Roadrunner Express a lot more - that's the closest experience I could c...

I found Thunderation really uncomfortable and generally underwhelming. I liked Roadrunner Express a lot more - that's the closest experience I could compare it to. The lift-hill conclusion vs opening was novel, but aside from that, this ride wasn't for me. The family behind me on the other hand, they loved it! And so I'd say just know what you're getting before you go. An entry-level family coaster with some nice speed and intensity - that's what we've got here.

I couldn't tell what was going on...the acoustics were awful, the story made no sense as a result, and Fire in the Hole ultimately felt like a dated r...

I couldn't tell what was going on...the acoustics were awful, the story made no sense as a result, and Fire in the Hole ultimately felt like a dated ride without any meaningful enhancements or memorable elements. And I got really wet somehow...boo!

I found powderkeg to be a disappointment. It's not bad by any means, but all the elements were a little bit less than what they could've/should've bee...

I found powderkeg to be a disappointment. It's not bad by any means, but all the elements were a little bit less than what they could've/should've been and the aggregate was an underwhelming ride for me. The launch isn't quite punchy enough, the drops aren't quite intense enough...it's just not quite what I hoped. And if we're being totally honest - it's a bit janky. I liked it...but it felt like a missed opportunity - so close to being something special.

I can only imagine this ride in its prime. It was a little too rough for my liking, but aside from that, I found the ride nearly perfect. The layout i...

I can only imagine this ride in its prime. It was a little too rough for my liking, but aside from that, I found the ride nearly perfect. The layout is top-notch, the setting and backdrop on what was a sunny day were both amazing, and I found every element to be properly punchy from the first drop all the way through the break-run. Others have complained about the length, but I thought it was plenty long. Not every RMC needs to be SteVe and short lines enabled high re-ridability.

Its not offensive, but it certainly isn''t a ride an enthusiast should chase down. The theming is quite a production for what this ride really is...re...

Its not offensive, but it certainly isn''t a ride an enthusiast should chase down. The theming is quite a production for what this ride really is...reminded me of Skull mountain at SFGA, but this has a few degrees of intensity beyond what you might expect. It's certainly not dreadful (Skull Mountain is...) The lap bars on Jaguar were an enigma...I'm not sure what they were stopping or supporting.

Don't love the format, did not love my ride. But I can appreciate why others dig it. I was stuck facing backwards most of the ride while the cars rig...

Don't love the format, did not love my ride. But I can appreciate why others dig it. I was stuck facing backwards most of the ride while the cars right behind me were spinning and having a much more dynamic ride. It's pretty forceful...but its not for me.

Really enjoyed the Infinity format…solid intensity throughout after a climactic start. Much punchier than the Euro-fighters I've been on. Frankly, muc...

Really enjoyed the Infinity format…solid intensity throughout after a climactic start. Much punchier than the Euro-fighters I've been on. Frankly, much better than I expected.

10 out of 10. I waited so long for today and was tormented one final time by what seemed to be another extended closure right as I was about to board....

10 out of 10. I waited so long for today and was tormented one final time by what seemed to be another extended closure right as I was about to board. But alas, the fates were kind and after a short delay, I finally got to ride X2. In spite of outrageous expectations, X2 overdelivered. I loved every second. If there’s anything resembling a complaint, its that the ride could’ve been a bit longer. I'm still waiting to catch my breath...wow, just wow!

First drop suggests promise, but it was janky, uncomfortable and short. Its rare I run into a roller coaster I don't like. But I didn't like Excalibur...

First drop suggests promise, but it was janky, uncomfortable and short. Its rare I run into a roller coaster I don't like. But I didn't like Excalibur at all.

GCI's are increasingly growing on me...I'd put Renegade below Thunderhead (my favorite) and Mystic Timbers, but ahead of Texas Stingray and Apocalypse...

GCI's are increasingly growing on me...I'd put Renegade below Thunderhead (my favorite) and Mystic Timbers, but ahead of Texas Stingray and Apocalypse. No moments of calm at any point on the ride. I would've liked a bit more airtime, but the first drop was quite unique and the pacing was fantastic. Lots of good lateral moments, nice ejector and airtime...just not quite enough.

My first and only impulse coaster to date. Pretty wild experience. The holding break is the headliner, but the first reverse launch was my personal fa...

My first and only impulse coaster to date. Pretty wild experience. The holding break is the headliner, but the first reverse launch was my personal favorite moment. I don't know why these don't get more love...it was by far the most intense coaster at Valleyfair.