Top 5 Moments of 2022 at Hersheypark
As another year of Hersheypark Happy ends, let’s look back at the top 5 sweetest moments of 2022 at Hersheypark amusement park.
Opening of new Jolly Rancher ride experiences
The Hersheypark skyline got brighter this summer with two new Jolly Rancher attraction experiences that opened on Memorial Day Weekend.
Jolly Rancher Remix is a reimagined boomerang roller coaster that takes guests on a flavor ride by sending them and their senses forward and back on the same flavorful track. Riders of Hershey’s height category (48”) and above blast through the flavor tunnel, invert six times in 90 seconds and jam to sweet tunes. Each ride is different with five randomized flavor rides like Watermelon or Green Apple, complete with different music, lights and scents for an only-in-Hershey sensory experience.
Mix'd Flavored By Jolly Rancher is an all-new family ride just steps away from Jolly Rancher Remix in the heart of Hersheypark. Riders of Reese’s height category (42”) and above sit in one of the four arms and spin 360 degrees. The ride then shifts into gear and mixes in lifts, drops and never-before-seen views while dodging the other riders.
Both attractions are open during all four seasons, so there are still a few days left to get your rides in during Christmas Candylane through Jan. 1, 2023.
Inaugural year of Dark Nights
This fall, Hersheypark debuted its largest investment to date for a seasonal event with Dark Nights frightfully immersive haunt experience. Dark Nights spread its shadows over the Hersheypark landscape every evening during Hersheypark Halloween with four spine-tingling haunted houses and three scare zones as part of integrated thrill experiences guests can only find at Hersheypark.
For those who don’t like to be scared, Hersheypark Halloween offered festive family experiences for more weekends than ever in September and October. Families enjoyed thrills on 50 rides and attractions, lights-out coaster rides, Treatville trick-or-treat trail, Character Glow Dance Parties and the original Creatures Of The Night flashlight tour at ZooAmerica North American Wildlife Park.
In case you missed it, we just announced that Dark Nights will return in 2023 - stay tuned for more details!
New seasonal food and retail offerings
Speaking of Dark Nights, our Food & Beverage and Retail teams knocked it out of the park with the new eats and treats this year. Each season featured innovative food and unique merchandise inspired by what was new at Hersheypark.
Guests could celebrate the summer opening of Jolly Rancher Remix and Mix’d by indulging in Jolly Rancher sorbet from a new food truck inside the Park, a Jolly Rancher sundae from Milton’s Ice Cream Parlor, and Jolly Rancher cocktails at The Chocolatier Restaurant, Bar + Patio. Plus, they could take home some Jolly Rancher swag - from blankets and pillows to candy and clothing - to remember their Hersheypark Happy visit.
The teams went all out again in September and October for Hersheypark Halloween and Dark Nights with exclusive, Instagram-worthy offerings to feed fears and quench frights. From crab and corn fritters with a cocktail sauce syringe to eyeball cake pops to glowing cocktails, we heard from guests that the limited-time festive eats and irresistible treats were worth the trip alone. Dark Nights also featured event-exclusive branded merchandise at the new Dark Nights Emporium, Halloween BOOtique and Hersheypark Supply Co.
And, of course, we can’t forget our award-winning King Size Shakes that were (almost) too beautiful to eat and the new loaded potato bar that instantly became a guest favorite during Christmas Candylane.
50th anniversary of the Aquatheatre
2022 marked the 50th anniversary of the Aquatheatre at Hersheypark, which has provided educational and entertaining programming to generations of guests. Hersheypark, in partnership with Ocean Connections, offers daily performances of Our Friends From The Sea during the summer season. The 15-20 minute show is included with a Hersheypark ticket.
Six animals reside at the 50-year-old Aquatheatre. A juvenile California sea lion named Cruz joined the flippered family earlier this month. Another California seal lion named Ripley, three Atlantic harbor seals named Cocoa (the first seal born at Hersheypark), Cobh and Harper, and a rescued gray seal pup named Bowie, who was introduced to the group in January 2022, also call Hersheypark home.
A bonus - let’s not forget that seven other rides and attractions also marked significant milestones this year.
Wildcat’s Revenge announcement
In early June, we announced that Wildcat was closing at the end of July and asked for suggestions on what we could do with 3,100 feet of wooden track. The viral Facebook post stirred up much excitement and speculation about the future of the wooden coaster.
Then, on November 2, we introduced Wildcat’s Revenge, an all-new hybrid coaster coming to Hersheypark in summer 2023. Wildcat’s Revenge adds a new steel track with unique elements to the wooden framework for a one-of-a-kind thrilling ride experience found only at Hersheypark.
Manufactured by Rocky Mountain Construction (RMC), the hybrid coaster features three custom-themed trains, a design first for Hersheypark. The 2-minute and 36-second experience begins as riders climb a 140-foot hill, plunge into an 82-degree drop and hit a maximum speed of 62 miles per hour along 3,510 feet of red track on a black steel and wood structure. The pursuit continues as riders stalk their prey through four inversions, including the World’s Largest Underflip, an inversion that begins with an upward climb, followed by a counterclockwise 270° roll and a dive down towards the side.
The addition of Wildcat’s Revenge to one of the largest and most iconic coaster collections in the United States makes Hershey a must-visit destination in 2023. Will we see you?