Hersheypark opens 15th coaster weeks after new Hershey’s Chocolate World attraction debuts

Eve Chen, USA TODAY

May 19, 2023 at 6:17 PM·3 min read

Guests can meet larger-than-life Hershey's candy characters at both Hersheypark and Hershey's Chocolate World.

It's a good time to be a Hershey fan.

Hersheypark's new hybrid roller coaster, Wildcat’s Revenge, opens Friday. With it, Hersheypark now has the most coasters of any park in the Northeast.

Neighboring Hershey’s Chocolate World opened a new attraction as well, in May. Hershey’s Great Candy Expedition takes guests on a simulated train ride through whimsical lands of Hershey’s candy. And all year long, Hershey's Chocolate World is celebrating its 50th anniversary.

Hershey lovers can easily visit both destinations, which are just steps away from each other in Hershey, Pennsylvania. Here’s what guests should know about them this summer.

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Wildcat's Revenge is the 15th coaster at Hersheypark.

What is the difference between Hersheypark and Hershey’s Chocolate World?

Hershey’s Chocolate World is a freestanding attraction owned by The Hershey Company. It’s free to enter, but there are fees for experiences like Create Your Own Candy Bar and the new Great Candy Expedition.

Hersheypark is a 121-acre amusement park owned by Hershey Entertainment & Resorts. It features more than 70 attractions, as well as a water park and zoo, which are included with Hersheypark admission. One-day admission costs just under $59 for guests ages 9 through 61. It's just under $55 for kids ages 3 to 8 and adults ages 62 and up.

Hersheypark is the largest amusement park in Pennsylvania,

What’s coming to Hersheypark?

Wildcat’s Revenge is the first hybrid roller coaster at Hersheypark and its 15th overall. Its name is a nod to both the park’s previous Wildcat coaster and original Wild Cat coaster from a century ago.

The new wood and steel coaster hits a maximum of 62 miles per hour and plunges guests down an 82-degree drop from a 140-foot hill. Wildcat's Revenge features four inversions including the "world’s largest underflip, an inversion that begins with an upward climb, followed by a counterclockwise 270-degree roll and a dive down towards the side,” according to the park.

In addition to the new coaster, this year Hersheypark is marking the 90th anniversary of The Hotel Hershey and 60th anniversary of Hersheypark Camping Resort.

Wildcat's Revenge is Hersheypark's first hybrid coaster.

What’s new at Hershey’s Chocolate World?

The newly-opened Great Candy Expedition is a simulated train journey. Guests start out in “Hershey's Chocolate World Train Station, which is inspired by trains that Milton Hershey himself traveled on to explore and find ingredients for his candy-making,” according to a press release. They then head to Sweets Expedition Co. Platform 73, a nod to the year Hershey’s Chocolate World opened, before boarding the Hersheyland Express.

The train is actually a theater with 270-degree, 4K screens and interactive seats. Guests use buttons in the armrests to help decide where the train will go, including lands like Twizzlers Forest and Jolly Rancher Junction. At each stop, they’ll smell candy scents and at the end, walk away with a sweet souvenir of Hershey’s candy.

The 30-minute long Great Candy Expedition costs just under $20 for guests ages 3 and up, but visitors don’t have to spend a dime to look around Hershey’s Chocolate World, which also features a free chocolate tour ride and on weekends, photo opportunities with Hershey’s characters. There will also be free festivities on its 50th birthday, June 30, including music, games and a parade.

Guests sit back for Hershey's Great Candy Expedition on its opening day, May 19, 2023.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Hershey’s Chocolate World, Hersheypark open new attractions

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What is the difference between Hersheypark and Hershey’s Chocolate World?

What’s coming to Hersheypark?

What’s new at Hershey’s Chocolate World?

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