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Candymonium is a steel roller coaster located at Hersheypark in Hershey, Pennsylvania, United States. Designed by Bolliger & Mabillard, the ride was announced in 2019 and opened on July 3, 2020. It is the tallest, fastest, and longest roller coaster at Hersheypark. It was introduced with a newly-themed section of the park called Hershey's Chocolatetown, adjacent to Hershey's Chocolate World.
In July 2019, Hersheypark officials announced that the new roller coaster would be called Candymonium, marketed as the "world’s sweetest coaster". According to Hershey Entertainment and Resorts Company CEO John Lawn, "the coaster was a key ingredient to the entire Hershey’s Chocolatetown". By that time, the first few track pieces and part of the station had been built.
In an Instagram post in October 2019, Hersheypark posted an image showing that construction on the lift hill was partially complete. In November 2019, Candymonium Topping out when its lift hill was installed. The final track piece was installed in February 2020, though an opening date had not been announced at that time. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Pennsylvania, construction on Chocolatetown was delayed in April 2020, though construction resumed the next month. The first test train on Candymonium ran on May 6, 2020, with the coaster officially opening on July 3, 2020. Because of COVID-19 restrictions, only a limited number of guests were initially allowed in the park, and riders had to wear face masks while waiting for the ride (although they could take off their masks on the coaster).
The three trains represent three Hershey's candies: Reese’s, Kisses, and Twizzlers. Each car seats four riders in a single row for a total of 28 riders per train.
Critical reception
When Candymonium opened, Attractions Magazine wrote: "Candymonium is a hyper-coaster that lives up to that name, packing in thrills without leaving riders rattled." A reporter for LNP (newspaper) wrote: "In many ways, Candymonium is the more refined cousin to Skyrush. ... But whereas Skyrush is a ride I would not recommend to people who are skittish about roller coasters, Candymonium could be just what people hoping to overcome those fears are looking for due to a lack of loops and truly death-defying spins." The ride won a Golden Ticket Award from Amusement Today magazine in 2021, in which Candymonium was ranked as the 5th best steel roller coaster in the world.
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