Wildcat (Hersheypark)
Wildcat | |
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Wildcat's first drop | |
Hersheypark | |
Coordinates | 40°17′33″N 76°39′21″W / 40.29250°N 76.65583°WCoordinates: 40°17′33″N 76°39′21″W / 40.29250°N 76.65583°W |
Status | Operating |
Opening date | May 26, 1996 |
Cost | US$5,000,000 |
General statistics | |
Type | Wood |
Manufacturer | Great Coasters International |
Designer | Clair Hain and Mike Boodley |
Height | 106 ft (32 m) |
Drop | 85 ft (26 m) |
Length | 3,183 ft (970 m) |
Speed | 50 mph (80 km/h) |
G-force | 3.5 |
Height restriction | 48 in (122 cm) |
Wildcat at RCDB Pictures of Wildcat at RCDB |
Wildcat is a wooden roller coaster located at Hersheypark in Hershey, Pennsylvania. The coaster opened on May 26, 1996, as the anchor attraction of the Midway America section of the park. Wildcat was the first coaster built by Great Coasters International, and initially ran with trains built by the Philadelphia Toboggan Company until 2007 when they were replaced with GCI's Millennium Flyer trains.
History
The ride was named after Wild Cat (Hersheypark), Hersheypark's first roller coaster, which operated from 1923-1945.
Ride experience
Like many other GCI coasters, Wildcat contains a curved first drop to reduce chances of nausea. There is an on-ride camera located towards the end of the ride prior to the final brake run.
Characteristics
The ride was known for being extremely rough and painful while operating with the original trains. After the ride was retrofitted with Millennium Flyer trains, guests and enthusiasts alike noticed that the ride was less painful but retained its original roughness.
The Wildcat is located on a relatively large hill, causing it to appear much higher than it is in reality.[1]
In October, when Hersheypark is decorated in a Halloween theme (Hersheypark in the Dark), the Wildcat is dubbed the Scaredycat.
Rankings
Golden Ticket Awards: Top wood Roller Coasters | ||||||||||||||||||
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Year | 1998 | 1999 | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | |
Ranking | 11[2] | 12[3] | 17[4] | 22[5] | 25[6] | 28[7] | 28[8] | 32[9] | 43[10] | 38[11] | 45[12] | 45[13] | -[14] | -[15] | -[16] | -[17] | -[18] |
Images
- Wildcat's lift, drop,and large twister segment
- Wildcat from the Kissing Tower
References
- ↑ Randy Kraft (August 11, 1996). "Test Drive Hershey's New Coaster". Allentown Morning Call / Indiana, PA Gazette. p. E-5.
- ↑ "Top 25 wood roller coasters" (PDF). Amusement Today: 6B. August 1998. Retrieved December 26, 2014.
- ↑ "Top 25 wood roller coasters" (PDF). Amusement Today: 6B. August 1999. Retrieved December 26, 2014.
- ↑ "Top 25 wood roller coasters" (PDF). Amusement Today. August 2000. Retrieved December 26, 2014.
- ↑ "Top 25 wood roller coasters" (PDF). Amusement Today: 6B. August 2001. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 19, 2013. Retrieved December 26, 2014.
- ↑ "Top 25 wood roller coasters" (PDF). Amusement Today: 6B. September 2002. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 19, 2013. Retrieved December 26, 2014.
- ↑ "Top 50 wood roller coasters" (PDF). Amusement Today: 10–11B. September 2003. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 19, 2013. Retrieved December 26, 2014.
- ↑ "Top 50 wood roller coasters" (PDF). Amusement Today: 14–15B. September 2004. Archived from the original (PDF) on April 3, 2007. Retrieved December 26, 2014.
- ↑ "Top 50 wood roller coasters" (PDF). Amusement Today: 22–23B. September 2005. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 19, 2013. Retrieved December 26, 2014.
- ↑ "Top 50 wood roller coasters" (PDF). Amusement Today: 30–31B. September 2006. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 19, 2013. Retrieved December 26, 2014.
- ↑ "Top 50 wood roller coasters" (PDF). Amusement Today. 11 (6.2): 42–43. September 2007. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 19, 2013. Retrieved December 26, 2014.
- ↑ "Top 50 wood roller coasters" (PDF). Amusement Today. 12 (6.2): 42–43. September 2008. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 19, 2013. Retrieved December 26, 2014.
- ↑ "Top 50 wood roller coasters" (PDF). Amusement Today. 13 (6.2): 38–39. September 2009. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 19, 2013. Retrieved December 26, 2014.
- ↑ "Top 50 wood roller coasters" (PDF). Amusement Today. 14 (6.2): 38–39. September 2010. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 19, 2013. Retrieved December 26, 2014.
- ↑ "Top 50 wood roller coasters" (PDF). Amusement Today. 15 (6.2): 46–47. September 2011. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 19, 2013. Retrieved December 26, 2014.
- ↑ "Top 50 wood roller coasters" (PDF). Amusement Today. 16 (6.2): 46–47. September 2012. Archived from the original (PDF) on April 2, 2015. Retrieved December 26, 2014.
- ↑ "2013 Top 50 wood Roller Coasters" (PDF). Amusement Today. 17 (6.2): 40–41. September 2013. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 19, 2013. Retrieved December 26, 2014.
- ↑ "2014 Top 50 wood Roller Coasters" (PDF). Amusement Today. 18 (6.2): 38–39. September 2014. Retrieved December 26, 2014.