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In my opinion, Hershey’s Sooperdooperlooper is the Revolution of the East Coast. Both are Schwarzkopf terrain coasters with one loop. Additionally, both are similar in the fact that their popularity has dwindled a good deal over the years amongst park goers simply due to the ride’s age and newer, more thrilling coasters being erected. Having said that, the Sooperdooperlooper is still a very enjoyable coaster that honestly hasn’t shown any signs of aging in my opinion.
Located in Comet Hollow, the Sooperdooperlooper’s layout looks awfully intriguing off-ride. While portions of the ride’s blue track can be seen, such as the first drop and famous loop, other parts are concealed by the numerous trees running along the perimeter of the park. From the station, one can see part of the ride’s second half and brake run as well; however, future riders have very little time to spend gazing at the layout since the Sooperdooperlooper is almost always a walk-on. This is partially due to declining ridership, but the primary reasons why the line is so short are incredibly fast dispatches, 2 train operations, and a simple lap bar restraint. At worst, I think I have had to wait 10 minutes, but that was because Hershey was only running one train on this particular day. Honestly, all seats provide an almost identical ride, but my personal favorite is the front solely because of the better view. As a plus, one typically only has to wait one or two additional trains, which is definitely a rarity for most roller coasters since the front usually has a far longer wait.
Once dispatched, the Sooperdooperlooper begins with a slow climb up the lift. Following that is a tight turn and then riders are treated to the Sooperdooperlooper’s first drop. While not particularly steep, the first drop generates a good deal of speed. Immediately after the first drop is the ride’s signature loop. Like all Schwarzkopf loopers, this loop is incredibly forceful and pins me to my seat every time. Afterwards is a large, sweeping turn that eventually threads through the loop. Then, the Sooperdooperlooper creeps into a very dark tunnel. Ultimately, nothing really happens in this tunnel, but I guarantee you someone on your train will be screaming.
After exiting the tunnel, the Sooperdooperlooper meanders back and forth for a bit before hitting an unfortunately strong trim brake. Ultimately, this proves to be my only gripe with the ride since it slows the train down pretty significantly. Following this brake is a quick drop, and following that is the ride’s finale: a forceful downward helix. While the train enters the helix at fairly low speeds, by the end of the helix the riders are experiencing some pretty strong Gs. Then, the Sooperdooperlooper zooms into the brake run, ending the ride.
Despite its age, the Sooperdooperlooper is still one of the better attractions at Hersheypark. What the ride lacks for in height and speed is made up for by an incredibly unique layout. Thankfully, the ride has aged very well and is remarkably smooth from start to finish thanks to the absence of those pesky over-the-shoulder restraints. A visit to Hersheypark is incomplete for a coaster enthusiast without a ride on the Sooperdooperlooper since the ride quite frankly is sooper dooper.
Favorite Seat: Front (1:1)
Best Part: Loop
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