Hersheypark Coaster Rankings: Where Does Wildcat’s Revenge Stand?

Since Hersheypark’s Wildcat’s Revenge opened earlier this month, you may be wondering “Where does Wildcat’s Revenge rank amongst Hersheypark’s collection of roller coasters?” Look no further, your question will soon be answered! After riding the new Rocky Mountain Construction (RMC) hybrid coaster, I have compiled a ranking of the park’s iconic collection of roller coasters to see where Wildcat’s Revenge lands. As one of my home parks, Hersheypark just keeps getting better each year with the park’s new additions — it’s truly astonishing to look back at how my coaster journey has progressed through the years with this park.

Please note that Cocoa Cruiser, Wild Mouse, Trailblazer and Jolly Rancher Remix have been omitted from the list due to their lack of comparison of size and intensity to other coasters at the park.

10. Laff Track

Photo courtesy of Hersheypark

What more is there to say about a Mauer-manufactured spinning coaster? This ride really puts the fun in a funhouse-themed coaster and is a great break from those extremely hot days during the summer. This ride does not quite stack up to the rest of the park’s coasters, hence the #10 ranking, but it does provide a nice smooth ride with a decent amount of spinning and theming to make you come back to this ride after each visit.

9. Lightning Racer

Only a stone’s throw away from Wildcat’s Revenge, Lighting Racer is a ride not to be missed but has started showing its age in terms of roughness. I used to remember the days when this would pull some pretty decent ejector airtime, especially at the hills toward the very end of the ride. However, the 23rd season of this Great Coasters International (GCI) racing wooden coaster makes me wonder how much longer this ride has before it receives some kind of renovation or steel track to smooth out the rougher parts of the ride. After a ride on Wildcat’s Revenge, I started to think about if this park could ever see a second (or third if they keep the racing aspect) RMC hybrid coaster.

8. Sooperdooperlooper

Photo courtesy of Hersheypark

Sooperdooperlooper’s ranking comes with some bias as this was my first ever inverting coaster, but this is still such a fun ride, pulling some strong forces on the loop which is a near gray-out moment for me. There’s really nothing bad about this ride between the massive loop, first drop, and tunnel—but nothing too great about it either. If it wasn’t for the nostalgia factor for me, this ride would probably not rank as high on my list. If the line is short, be sure to ride this Schwarzkopf coaster, but don’t spend your day at Hersheypark waiting for this one.

7. Comet

I used to call this ride “the kettle corn coaster” as the smell from the kettle corn vendor around the corner from Comet’s entrance wafts into your nose after each airtime hill. Second to the kettle corn smell is this Philadelphia Toboggan Coasters (PTC) wooden coaster, a rite of passage for coaster enthusiasts of all ages. It was one of my first larger-scale coasters. This ride is meant to be experienced in the back row for maximum airtime as the ride is basically just hill after hill. I would also consider Comet to be an iconic wooden location due to its location in the park by the water. These days, it has become overshadowed by the next six coasters on my list.

6. Fahrenheit

This is where the fun really begins. In terms of quality, Hersheypark might just have the six best coasters in a single park, and the fact that you can experience all of these rides in one day is remarkable. Fahrenheit features the steepest drop in the park at 97 degrees and is truly a wild ride through its many inversions. The fear factor for Fahrenheit might be the highest in the park. It’s intimidating to just look at the vertical lift and beyond-vertical drop, but the ride lacks the airtime and speed that can be found on other coasters at the park.

5. Storm Runner

Storm Runner is a “blink and it’ll be over” type of ride, but it might be the most adrenaline-inducing coaster in the park. The hydraulic launch on this iconic Intamin coaster is exceptionally heart-pounding — it launches riders from 0 to 72 mph in just two seconds as the train heads towards the 150 ft tall top hat. My favorite element on this coaster is easily the flying snake dive which really puts the coaster’s speed and power into full force. If it wasn’t for the short duration of the ride, Storm Runner might have cracked my top three coasters at the park. Every time I ride it, I can’t help but think about how another element or two would make this an even better ride.

4. Great Bear

Photo courtesy of Hersheypark

Spoiler alert: Great Bear really is great. There are so many things to love about this ride from the pre-drop helix to its beautiful sprawling layout over the ravine to the four intense inversions. Great Bear never lets up throughout the course of its layout. The only break on the ride really is the coast into the break run. It may not be the biggest or baddest Bolliger & Mabillard (B&M) inverted coaster, but it adds a huge level of depth to the Hersheypark coaster lineup and is just a fun ride time in and time out.

3. Skyrush

In full honesty, Skyrush might just be the best coaster at Hershey if it weren’t for the restraints. What you get on Skyrush is a breathtaking first drop, multiple points of ejector airtime and such a unique ride experience compared to the rest of the park — and perhaps even the continent. This ride truly is an adrenaline rush from start to finish that leaves you with the “what just happened?” mindset when it completes its cycle. However, Skyrush is one of those coasters that is almost impossible to marathon due to its relentless intensity and of course, the “thigh-crushing” restraints. There just has to be a better way to keep riders strapped in other than those restraints. The extreme factor is unparalleled, but something needs to change to make this a more enjoyable experience.

2. Candymonium

Here we are folks, Hershey’s top two coasters — and they’re the park’s two newest coaster additions. Candymonium is a B&M hypercoaster that stands tall over the beautiful Chocolate Avenue entrance. It features that iconic turnaround by the Hershey Kisses fountain. Add a few camelback hills, hammerhead turn, helix and off-axis, and you have the recipe for a very sweet and enjoyable ride, one that can be marveled at by all ages. The floater airtime and glass-smooth ride experience on Candymonium is enough to bring this into my top two. However, the slowing trim brakes just don’t help its case to be my number one at the park.

1. Wildcat’s Revenge

Photo courtesy of Hersheypark

RMC’s newest hybrid roller coaster is the perfect addition to Hersheypark’s already stellar coaster lineup. If you picked the best parts of the previous nine rides listed and put them in one ride, this is truly the product that dreams are made of. I had the pleasure of riding Wildcat’s Revenge four times at their media event and am confident when I say that this is the best roller coaster in the park. Its ejector airtime, exceptional pacing and inversions contribute to an almost seamless ride experience. If you want the best roller coaster experience and have time to ride one roller coaster at Hersheypark, Wildcat’s Revenge is your answer.

For more photos and video, check out our review of Wildcat’s Revenge.

What is your Hersheypark coaster ranking? If you’ve ridden Wildcat’s Revenge, where does it land? Let us know in the comments section below!

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