Laff Trakk
Laff Trakk is an indoor-spinning steel roller coaster at Hersheypark in Hershey, Pennsylvania. The roller coaster was designed by Maurer AG while the indoor theming was designed by Raven Sun Creative. Laff Trakk is Hersheypark's 13th current roller coaster and is located in the Midway America section of the park, adjacent to the Whip and Merry-Derry-Dip attractions. The site of the coaster is on the former location of Granny Bugs, Miniature Train, and Pony Parade, three kinds of kiddie rides. The coaster is considered a "glow coaster" because of the interior theming of the ride which appears to glow in the dark. The ride track is black-blue as is its support, with the ride vehicles being violet. The theming also recalls past funhouses that were in Hersheypark between 1930 and 1972. Laff Trakk opened to the general public on May 23, 2015.
| Laff Trakk | |
|---|---|
 | |
 Entrance and queue line of Laff Trakk. | |
| Hersheypark | |
| Location | Hersheypark |
| Park section | Midway America |
| Coordinates | 40.29354°N 76.65512°W |
| Status | Operating |
| Opening date | May 23, 2015 |
| General statistics | |
| Type | Steel – Spinning |
| Manufacturer | Maurer AG |
| Track layout | Indoor-Spinning Glow |
| Lift/launch system | Chain |
| Height | 51 ft (16 m) |
| Length | 1,400 ft (430 m) |
| Speed | 40 mph (64 km/h) |
| Inversions | 0 |
| Duration | 1:10 |
| Capacity | 850 riders per hour |
| Height restriction | 42–76 in (107–193 cm) |
| Laff Trakk at RCDB Pictures of Laff Trakk at RCDB | |
History
On July 15, 2014, the first hint of Hersheypark's 2015 attraction was released.[1] Each clue would consist of a riddle, relating to the theme of the attraction. The clues were released every Tuesday for four weeks until Laff Trakk was officially announced on August 12, 2014.[2] with the official name announced, an animated on-ride POV, photo-ops referencing the ride theme, and meet-and-greet characters seen in the clues including a fortune teller and Laffing Sal. The ride reaches an approximate height of 50 ft (15 m) and consists of 1,400 ft (427 m) of track. The ride vehicle consists of four seats, back-to-back, that will begin to freely-spin 360° during the ride.[3] The spinning of the ride vehicle depends on weight distribution throughout the car. The ride vehicle features decals including the Hersheypark Logo, the Laff Trakk logo, and multiple playing cards featuring Laffing Sal.
On December 19, 2018, Laff Trakk, The Whip and Music Express were shut down after police confirmed that tear gas from their training drills infiltrated some of Hersheypark's areas. The park received complaints of coughing and sore throat localized to Midway America.[4]
Ride experience
After boarding, you take an immediate right out of the station and travel up the lift hill to approximately 50 ft (15 m). Turning left off the lift, you proceed through a short brake run, with a giant 2-D stack of cards to your right. The car then takes a dip to the right through three pairs of giant green picture/mirror frames. After going up another hill, you glide past a 2-D large snake on the wall before turning left into a small brake run with walls on the left and right of the cars. Upon exiting this brake run, your ride vehicle is able to freely spin 360°. Taking a dive to the right, you then experience an 85° high-banked turn. Then, you turn around and go through multiple short s-bend track parts until you turn right into yet another break run with 2-D "fire" rings going around the track. Following the brake run, you go through a helix around a fortune teller's table featuring a "crystal ball". Going through more s-bend turns, you curve around and enter the final brake run featuring small fun house mirrors on each side of the car. At this point your ride vehicle spins to its neutral position and the ability to spin locks.
See also
References
- "Hersheypark 2015 Clue #1-#4". All American Thrills.
- Mellon, Ryan (August 12, 2014). "Hersheypark Adds 13th Roller Coaster". LancasterOnline. Retrieved May 22, 2015.
- "Laff Trakk Fact Sheet" (PDF). Hershey Entertainment and Resorts Company. Retrieved May 23, 2015.
- "Hersheypark rides closed after tear gas from police training seeps into park".