Candymonium - New for 2020 at Hersheypark

Last week, Hersheypark in Hershey, Pennsylvania, unveiled their new hyper coaster to the masses. Dubbed Candymonium, it is the third ride (and first roller coaster) to embrace the thing that made Hershey… their CANDY! With chocolate brown track rising 210 feet in the air and trains themed to Kisses, Reese’s, and Twizzlers maneuvering through the course, Hersheypark wanted the perfect ride to show off their brand new entry experience, Hershey’s Chocolatetown. I got the chance to experience Candymonium with my oldest son on June 30th and July 1st, 2020.

Anticipating Candymonium

Candymonium rising above Hersheypark and the new Hershey’s Chocolatetown entrance plaza — *Candymonium* rising above Hersheypark and the new Hershey’s Chocolatetown entrance plaza

It is literally impossible to miss Candymonium. The roller coaster rises high above the new entrance plaza and is the first ride you can see from outside the park. Hersheypark did an amazing job of making the entrance to the park feel like a grand experience. Moving past the relocated and updated Carrousel and turning right past the park’s first Starbucks, we enter the Candymonium plaza. A vibrant sign with all of the incorporated candy brands greets us as a train crests the airtime hill behind it and wraps around the eventual Kisses-shaped fountain. As landscaping finishes up and the fountain is completed, it will truly be beautiful and dynamic setting for this coaster.

The entire queue line, save for some potential overflow, is housed underneath the ride station. There is some minor decoration on this main level of queue but I would not call it themed. The biggest benefit of having to wait in this line is the temperature. While not fully enclosed, it was very cool waiting in line on a 85+ degree day. I can assume during the cooler months, some heat could be pumped in to also make it a comfortable wait. It is also neat to see the support columns so close as the line wraps around a few of them directly under the loading station. After a couple flights of stairs with candy-themed ceilings and flashing lights, we are in the load station. Candymonium trains have 7 rows with four seats side-by-side; I have ridden in the very middle and very back of the train. Once seated and strapped in with the lap restraint secured, we are ready to ride.

Experiencing Candymonium

Our candy-colored train pulls out of the station and climbs the 210-ft lift hill and a quick but steady pace. If we look to our left, we can see the town of Hershey, PA once we crest the treeline, but our focus is really what’s in front of us. As we crest the hill, we accelerate towards earth and then level out, reaching speeds around 75 mph. The first element is a large airtime hill where everyone in the train receives a good amount of airtime (that floating feeling) over the top and coming down from the hill. As we enter the hammerhead turn around, look to the right and smile for the on-ride photo.

Dustin and Ronan riding Candymonium for the first time — Dustin and Ronan riding *Candymonium* for the first time

After the turn around, there is another large airtime hill followed by a smaller speed hill. These two hills provide two different types of airtime and are both quite fun. Following those two hills, we reach the most unique element on Candymonium. Our train banks to the right and begins to climb in a helix. After completing almost a full turn, the track straightens out and points us towards the finale. The train, however, over-rotates past level to the left and dives down, creating an insane “sideways airtime” moment similar to the Hive Dive found on Fury 325 at Carowinds. While not as large, the quick changes in direction provide a more out-of-control experience not usually seen on B&M hyper coasters.

Candymonium’s twisting dive and airtime hills — *Candymonium*’s twisting dive and airtime hills

The twisting dive is followed by a perfectly parabolic airtime hill (the best moment of airtime on the ride) and another nearly full helix around the Kisses Fountain (coming soon). The train really has a lot of speed in this portion of the ride and zooming past guests in the entrance plaza adds to the experience. After another quick moment of airtime, the train hops up onto the first brake run on top of the Starbucks, giving us our first chance to catch our breath. A swooping turn over the midway completes our journey as we come to rest on the final brake run and then enter the station to unload.

Our Reactions

Candymonium is a hyper coaster (over 200 feet tall) manufactured by Bolliger and Mabillard (B&M). I have been on a few roller coasters similar to Candymonium and they have always provided a good to great overall experience, so I was very excited to have one considerably close to me. After two rides, I can say Candymonium is very near the perfect example of this type of roller coaster. With the perfect combination of airtime, speed, and unique elements like the twisting dive (they need to come up with a fancy name for this), there is truly something for everyone to enjoy on Candymonium. It does not have the most intense airtime in the park (I’m looking at you, Skyrush!) but it does have the most fun airtime.

Dustin and Ronan arriving at Hersheypark

Ronan gave Candymonium “5 Stars” and proclaimed it the best roller coaster at Hersheypark. He liked the themed lights in the queue and station and said his favorite moment was the first airtime hill; he put his hands up after that on his first ride. Ronan crossed the 54” height over the winter and was very excited to ride his first B&M hyper coaster; it did not disappoint!

Candymonium is the perfect addition to Hersheypark: a fun and graceful airtime machine. We look forward to seeing what the future holds for Hersheypark and Hershey’s Chocolatetown.