Hersheypark Announces Reese’s Cupfusion for 2019

Hersheypark unveiled plans yesterday for Reese’s Cupfusion, an interactive dark ride that will open in the summer of 2019.

Reese’s Cupfusion will replace the park’s existing Reese’s Xtreme Cup Challenge attraction, a similar interactive dark ride that opened in 2006.

According to a news release from the park, Reese’s Cupfusion will “engage multiple senses during the ride; sight, smell, touch and sound.”

As part of the ride’s story, guests become “Reese’s Agent Trainees” at “Reese’s Central,” a futuristic factory that runs on “Reese’s Spirit.”

Of course, given the family-friendly nature of Hersheypark, riders are equipped with “amplifiers” to protect the legendary “Crystal Cup.”

The Cup “collects and amplifies the love of chocolate and peanut butter to create Cupfusion Energy that powers the factory.”

Using the amplifiers, guests will be able to activate targets to power the factory and “stun” intruders to unlock extra points and more. Top scorers will become Reese’s Legends in the Hall-of-Fame.

The ride contains a variety of characters, but the one central to the story is Commander Cup:

As a Reese’s Agent Trainee, it’s the guests’ mission to protect the Crystal Cup and ensure that the factory keeps running under the guidance of Commander Cup, a new character to be introduced in 2019. Other new characters like Mint the Merciless and The League of Misfit Candy are always around the corner trying to steal the Crystal Cup for their own “evil” purposes. Guests can unlock additional features and try to beat their score with every ride to become a Reese’s Legend in the Hall of Fame.

It’s an interesting premise for a ride centered around sweets. I also like the idea that the “evil” candies are basically non-chocolate candy. The last line of that quote is also interesting, implying there will be hidden Easter eggs in the ride that will allow higher scores (maybe similar to how Toy Story Midway Mania does?).

Sally Corporation — a leader in the immersive dark ride space — is Reese’s Cupfusion’s manufacturer, while Raven Sun Creative is designing the ride’s thematic elements. Sally Corp has a long history of interactive dark rides, including the “Battle For Metropolis Rides” that have opened at Six Flags parks in recent years. For more on them, check out our interview with Sally Corporation’s John Wood and Rich Hill.

Not surprisingly, no opening dates for the ride are announced yet. To learn more about Reese’s Cupfusion, including more on how the scoring will work and to see the full roster of “villains”, visit Hersheypark’s website.

What do you think about Hersheypark’s 2019 plans? Share your thoughts in the comments section below.

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