The Comet is the oldest roller coaster still operating at Hersheypark.
This classic wooden roller coaster is prominently featured towards the front of the park
and it has been thrilling riders for 75 years.
But does it still carry its own weight when compared to Hershey’s more modern coasters? Yes.
Comet opened in 1946. This coaster replaced the park’s original Wildcat,
which was in poor condition due World War II causing a lumber shortage.
Wildcat was interestingly the first coaster designed by Herbert Schmeck. Schmeck would go
on to design 72 different roller coasters for the Philadelphia Toboggan Company including Comet.
And interestingly, Hersheypark originally didn’t own the Comet in full.
PTC had an interesting business strategy. To help parks pay for the attractions,
they would become partners. The park would get a flashy new attraction. PTC would get a downpayment
from the park and share revenue with the park for a specified time. This arrangement worked
well in the days before pay-one-price tickets became the norm since the exact money raised
by each attraction could be easily determined. The exact details of Comet’s lease are unclear,
but in the 1950s, Hersheypark gained full ownership of the Comet. It’s unknown if the lease
was short or PTC terminated it early. And unlike Wildcat, Comet has been very well taken care of.
I have been riding Comet since 2005 and it has always been a remarkably smooth coaster
despite its age. This is smoother than a lot of modern wood coasters and even steel coasters.
That is how well Hersheypark maintains this ride. Outside of some light shuffling in the valleys
on a wheel seat, Comet is perfectly smooth. The ride also looks incredible. For many years,
this was the first coaster people saw when they arrived at Hersheypark. The coaster’s lift towered
above Founder’s Circle. And the ride has always looked great with its pristine white paint scheme
and chaser lights at night. The ride’s visual presence has been
lessened by two hypercoasters though. Hersheypark received a new entrance in 2020, so the first
coaster people now see is Candymonium, the giant B&M hyper coaster. And back in 2012, the park
erected Skyrush. And this Intamin hyper dwarfs Comet. The lift passes directly over Comet’s.
Comet is located in the Hollow section of the park. Originally, this area was named
Comet Hollow after the coaster, but it was shortened to just the Hollow in 2012
after the addition of Skyrush. Skyrush really likes to steal Comet’s thunder.
Comet often has one of the longest waits in the park. This is for several reasons.
First, it’s proximity to the main entrance makes it one of the first attractions people ride.
It’s not surprising for Comet to get a full queue shortly after opening.
This line can regularly reach 45-60 minutes in the park’s first hour of operation
and it takes a large chunk of the day to die down. If you want to avoid the crowds,
either hit this ride during early entry or come back towards the end of the day.
Second, the coaster appeals to a wide range of riders.
It holds a lot of nostalgia for older guests. It is large enough to appeal to thrill-seekers.
And the lack of inversions and 200 foot heights makes it accessible for most riders. Plus,
it has a surprisingly low 42” height requirement, which is fantastic for younger guests. Most wood
coasters have 48” height requirements. This makes Comet the first wood coaster for a lot of kids.
Comet has a classic station. I love the curved building that continues from the brake run.
This wood coaster sports two PTC trains. Each train is named after a famous comet and features
a navy blue paint scheme with striking red buzz bars. And these buzz bars are one of
the best parts about Comet. These restraints rest a good foot above the lap of most riders.
These restraints are paired with seatbelts. In terms of seat selection,
I strongly recommend the back car. The airtime is considerably stronger, particularly during
the ride’s first half, and it’s not the least bit rough as I mentioned earlier.
Once dispatched, you ascend the 84 foot or 26 meter tall lift. The lift hill used to
have a noticeable kink in it, but that was corrected during a 2014 retracking.
Once you reach the top, you descend down the 78 foot or 24 meter tall drop. This drop, as well as
the second drop, pass over Spring Creek. And the first drop gives some strong fl-jector airtime
the whole way down if you’re in the back car. You then rise up into the first turnaround.
Up front, you get a faint pop of airtime entering this element. You then round a tight corner,
getting a little bit of laterals, and then drop down the ride’s second drop. And this is the best
part of the ride. If you’re in the back car, you get a strong ejector pop. It’s a very strong burst
of airtime considering the buzz bar restraints. You then coast over a camelback adjacent to the
lift. It’s too drawn out for any airtime, but you get a dose of laterals since the hill banks
to the right. The laterals are stronger towards the back since you’re whipped down the drop.
You then rise up into the second turanround. Front row riders get a tiny pop of airtime.
Up until this point, Comet has been flying. But this turnaround features a trim brake.
This is a rising skid brake that always seems to grab the train. I’ve had rides were you’re
slowed to a crawl and others where you’re slowed down a bit. Regardless of the speed
at which you come off this turnaround, the second half is considerably tamer.
The drop off the second turnaround gives some floater airtime in the back and then navigate
an L-shaped turnaround. The entry into this element gives a decent pop of airtime up front-
the last bit of airtime front row riders will receive- but the descent
is exceedingly shallow and offers no airtime. Comet that traverses a series of slow bunny hills.
One of the issues with the second half of Comet is that it has a higher elevation than the first
half. The ride’s natural speed loss combined with the higher elevation causes the train to crawl,
especially if you’re severely braked. These hills give zero airtime up front, but the back car gets
a faint pop of airtime on 2-3 of the later ones as long as you aren’t severely trimmed. The only
cool thing about these hills is that they pass by the Founder’s Circle flat rides and Skyrush.
The turnarounds in the finale do offer some faint laterals though since they’re completely unbraked.
Eventually you sharply charge into the brake run, ending the ride.
Comet is a tale of two halves. The first half is great. I love the airtime on 3 of
the ride’s first 4 drops. Getting that type of airtime with just buzz bars is pure bliss.
But the second half is a slow, plodding dud. But thankfully the ride is extremely smooth,
so even when Comet is crawling, it’s not beating you up like some wood coasters do.
So what would I rate Comet? I would give this coaster a 6.5 out of 10. Comet is a Hersheypark
staple. It’s significance to Hersheypark’s cannot be overstated. And I think it’s still the park’s
best wood coaster. However, it is a flawed ride. The ride’s pacing and airtime really suffers
in the second half, which is a shame since Comet starts off strong. Overall, this is a
fun classic wood coaster that keeps me coming back for those initial drops and buzz bar restraints.
So those are my thoughts on Comet, Hersheypark’s oldest currently operating roller coaster.
Have you been on this coaster? What are your thoughts on the Comet?
I would love to hear your thoughts down in the comments. If you enjoyed this video, I’d
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lot more roller coaster and amusement park videos here at Canobie Coaster. Thanks for watching!