New Hersheypark roller coaster opens this week: What’s it like to ride Wildcat’s Revenge?

Wildcat's Revenge, Hersheypark's newest roller coaster, opens to the public starting on June 2. But the park welcomed a few guests to a special media sneak peek, and PennLive was there to get the first look at the park's latest attraction.

The new ride includes a 140-foot-tall hill with an 82 degree first drop, four inversions, a top speed of 62 miles per hour, and the world's largest underflip. It boasts a hybrid steel/wood construction, converted from the all-wooden Wildcat into an entirely new ride by Rocky Mountain Construction.

"[Rocky Mountain Construction] have really passionate followers, because they take wooden coasters and convert them to be hybrid," said Quinn Bryner, director of public relations with Hershey Entertainment & Resorts. "We now have the best of wood and steel, for a ride you can only find here at Hersheypark."

So what's it like to take a ride?

The ride is about two and a half minutes long, and it wastes no time getting started. There's a dip and curve right out of the gate before you get to the big first hill, which is a pretty quick climb into the big drop. From there, it's a series of curves, turns and inversions.

Like most coasters, there are warnings before riding about making sure to take off and store any loose objects. But these are a bit more strongly worded than most, and for good reason. My glasses fit my face snugly, but I’m glad I decided not to risk wearing them - there's almost constant spinning and banking back and forth.

"We do hear from our guests that the intensity doesn't let up from the second you hit the first drop," Bryner said. "But it's very smooth, it's thrilling, you don't quite know what to expect next, and that's where those four inversions come into play.

Personally, I would rate this ride as more intense than Candymonium, the next most recent roller coaster at Hersheypark. Despite Candymonium's significantly bigger first drop as the tallest ride in the park, Wildcat's Revenge has more twists, turns and spins.

It's also notably smoother than its predecessor, the wooden Wildcat coaster which opened in 1996. Thanks to its steel track set onto wooden scaffolding, the cars move a lot more easily along without some of the shaking that can happen with wooden coasters.

Riders are locked in tight for the duration - I’m over six feet tall, and felt a bit cramped buckling myself in, so larger guests in particular should prepare to be cradled tightly by the seats. And as the Wildcat's Revenge is prone to suddenly change directions on you as you hit four inversions, it's a necessary precaution.

Overall, I would give the Wildcat's Revenge full marks, offering an exciting and action-packed ride for riders 48 inches and up (that's Hershey bar, Twizzler and Jolly Rancher sizes, for those using Hersheypark's height measurement system). For people who don't mind a lot of twists, turns, dips and spins, it's definitely something they’ll want to check out.

"We think a lot of families who are thrill-seekers will want to ride it together," Bryner said. "It's hard to compare it [to other roller coasters], because it's really one of a kind. But as a hybrid, we think it's definitely something all guests should try."

More information on Wildcat's Revenge, as well as ticket info and hours for Hersheypark, can be found on the park's official website.

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