Storm Runner is the extreme launch coaster at Hersheypark.
While Storm Runner may not be the tallest or fastest Intamin accelerator coaster, this ride
has a much longer and more unique layout. You have the usually awesome hydraulic launch and top hat,
but then you have 3 different inversions as you whiz through Pioneer Frontier. So is this
Intamin’s best accelerator coaster in the United States? Find out in this review of Storm Runner.
Intamin debuted the hydraulic launch in 2002 on Knott’s Berry Farm’s Xcelerator. This
would immediately become one of the most powerful coaster launches on the market.
This new propulsion method hooked the train onto a catch car attached to a cable. A series of
hydraulic motors would spin a large winch drum, rewinding the cable and pulling the train down
the launch track. Xcelerator would launch riders from 0 to 82 mph or 132 kph in just 2.3 seconds.
In 2003, Cedar Point would use this launch method to produce the world’s tallest
and fastest roller coaster in Top Thrill Dragster.
Meanwhile, Hersheypark contracted Intamin to build a much different accelerator coaster for the 2004
season. Named Storm Runner, this coaster would use a hydraulic launch to accelerate riders from 0
to 72 mph or 116 kph in 2 seconds. It would actually have America’s fastest and the world’s
second fastest acceleration when it opened. But what really differentiated it from the prior
accelerator coasters was its layout. While the other two were contained in a small footprint,
Storm Runner would feature a sprawling layout throughout Pioneer Frontier,
the park’s western area. And this was done out of necessity. If you’re familiar with Hersheypark,
you know this Pennsylvanian park does not have much room to work with. So Intamin really had
to cram this coaster around existing rides, pathways, and trees. The end result is great.
The giant red elements look imposing as they pop above the treeline. The top hat in particular
looks amazing since there’s a specific angle from the parking lot where it looks to be supported by
two smokestacks from the Hershey factory. Then the ride adds a ton of kinetic energy to the park as
it zips by at a blistering pace. And on-ride, those interactions create some awesome visuals.
In particular, you have a terrifying headchopper towards the end with the monorail. It’s one of
my favorite head-choppers on any coaster. While this coaster has a nice appearance and
a cool logo, it doesn’t have any theming in the station or along the course.
That’s fine for this type of ride though. Storm Runner is one of Hersheypark’s most
popular coasters, but it usually has a manageable wait. Unless the park is packed, I usually don’t
have to wait more than 15-30 minutes for Storm Runner. Even if you have a skip-the-line pass,
you typically don’t save much time on this one because of how far back the merge point is. If
you head to Storm Runner early, you can usually marathon it for the first hour with no wait
since it’s pretty far back in the park. This coaster has a dual load platform.
So keep an eye out which side has a shorter wait for the seat you want. And since it
almost always runs two trains using both sides, the ride dispatches trains at a steady rate.
Each train seats 20 riders, although they sometimes won’t fill every seat. Since the
hydraulic launch likes the weight of each train to be relatively consistent, they will sometimes
block off the back 1-2 cars on quieter days. This prevents a scenario where one train goes out full
and another goes out nearly empty. The alternative is holding a train
until they get enough people. This is the method Great Adventure uses on Kingda Ka for comparison.
Intamin hydraulic launch coasters are notorious for downtime. Storm Runner is
both good and bad in this area. On the bright side, this one is more consistent on days
when it’s open. From experience, Storm Runner rarely has the short breakdowns
that plague Top Thrill Dragster or Kingda Ka. This coaster tends to have larger breakdowns.
The coaster has snapped its cable before, which the park can repair quickly if they
have a spare on hand. But the ride was most recently closed for the entire 2020 season
when they were awaiting a part. It’s also worth noting this coaster cannot run
in the rain. This isn’t exclusive to Storm Runner. It’s an issue for all the accelerator coasters.
So which seat do I recommend? I have a slight preference for the front so you can feel the
full extent of this coaster’s speed, but there isn’t a bad seat on this coaster.
Unlike the first two accelerator coasters, Storm Runner has over-the-shoulder restraints.
Through the 2015 season, the coaster had hard shoulder straps.
For the 2016 season, the straps were replaced with softer ones.
These are the same restraints now found on Maverick or Intimidator 305.
This was a much appreciated change. Storm Runner tracks very smoothly, but there are some wild
turns where you previously could hit your head. The one thing to watch out with the new straps
is that they don’t have much clearance with your head. So if you wear glasses, watch out because
they’ll try to rip them off when they release, even if you have a strap. I typically turn my
head 90 degrees to the side to prevent this. While I’d prefer lap bars, the restraints are
tolerable. The portion that sits across your lap is a little bulky, but it won’t inhibit your
ability to experience this coaster’s airtime. Once dispatched, you slowly roll out of the
station and pause on the launch track. Once the catch car engages, you roll back slightly.
The brakes drop and then you hear a pre-recorded audio in a super deep voice say
In past seasons, I remember you’d launch immediately after the voice said go.
But in 2021, there was a second delay where you’d hear some thunder crackling before you launch.
I liked that since it made the exact moment you’d launch a little more unpredictable.
And that launch is exceptional. The force causes my stomach to drop. You are forcefully
pinned against your seatback from the acceleration. And if you’re up front,
your face is also powerblasted by the wind. This is easily one of the best coaster launches. And
even after all these years, it is still has the 6th fastest rate of acceleration on any coaster.
After the exhilarating launch, you get blasted with some positive Gs at the next
element’s pulllout and then you effortlessly clear the 150 foot or 46 meter tall top hat.
Unlike Top Thrill Dragster or Kingda Ka where the ride is more rollback prone, Storm Runner
consistently clears its top hat. So while your odds of getting a rollback on this one are slim,
the airtime over the top more than compensates. Up front, you get strong, sustained ejector airtime
clearing the tight apex of the top hat. In the back, you get floater airtime ascending the
hill and then it morphs into powerful ejector airtime on the vertical drop that follows.
The top hat’s drop is considerably taller at 180 feet or 55 meters,
so this valley is where you actually hit the ride’s max speed of 75 mph or 121 kph.
The pullout from the drop is super tight, so you’ll get some good sustained Gs into the next
element. I frequently start to greyout here. You then wrap into the cobra loop,
which is this bizarrely profiled Immelmann. The ascent carries the Gs from the top hat’s pullout,
but the flip at the top doesn’t do too much.
You then twist downwards and the banking results in some faint laterals if you’re up front.
The next valley is even more compact than the prior one, so you get slammed with positive Gs.
I suspect this is where Storm Runner pulls its advertised 5 Gs.
You then sharply rise into the air, getting a great ejector pop. With barely any time to return
to your seat, Storm Runner throws two exceptional inversions at you. You have an inline twist
immediately followed by a flying snake dive. The first inline twist is super snappy
and delivers some forceful hangtime. And it immediately leads into the flying snake dive.
This element starts as an inline twist before diving downwards. But unlike a regular dive loop,
the drop also twists 90 degrees. This element doesn’t offer any hangtime. Rather,
it’s extremely disorienting and also offers very strong laterals from the sudden twisting.
The subsequent valley is where you get that aforementioned headchopper with the monorail,
so it really sneaks up on you. Storm Runner then traverses this
weird double up finale. The first part doesn’t give airtime. Rather
it’s sharply banked to the right, so it feels like a weaker version of a Stengel Dive.
It delivers an abrupt lateral jolt. The second part of the double up gives your
more traditional airtime. It gives some nice fl-jector airtime throughout the train.
You then hit the brake run with a ton of speed, ending your 2600 foot or 790 meter long journey.
So what would I rate Storm Runner? I would give this Intamin launch coaster a 9 out of 10. This
ride delivers the powerful launch we expect from an accelerator coaster, but it also gives a full
ride too. While the coaster is still over in a flash, that’s because of how fast you rip through
the layout. Storm Runner has near perfect pacing between its eye-popping speeds and great elements.
Storm Runner has some powerful airtime moments, excellent transitions, and 3 inversions with the
final two being some of the best on any coaster. This is my third favorite coaster at Hersheypark
after the two hyper coasters and I think this is easily my favorite accelerator coaster in America.
I just love the more extensive layout. I do think Formula Rossa
is the best accelerator coaster overall since it has a superior launch and far longer ride,
but Storm Runner is a very respectable number two. This really is a top notch launch coaster.
So those are my thoughts on Storm Runner, the hydraulic launch coaster at Hersheypark. What
are your thoughts on this Intamin accelerator coaster? Do you agree it’s the best one in
America? I would love to hear your thoughts down in the comments. If you enjoyed this review, I’d
appreciate it if you gave this video a like and you considered subscribing since there will be a
lot more roller coaster and amusement park videos here at Canobie Coaster. Thanks for watching!