G-(t)whiz ride
Hersheypark gets into the swing of things with record-breaking Twisted Gravity
Let’s hear it for Screamin’ Swings, the midway rides from S&S Worldwide that use compressed air to launch gondolas back and forth. They are like freakishly large playground swings gone loco. For folks that love airtime–and that certainly includes me (and you?)–Screamin’ Swings deliver huge doses of the free-floating goodness. In fact, that’s pretty much all they do. It’s like taking a great airtime moment out of a roller coaster and putting it on repeat. That’s why I’m happy to report that Hersheypark in Pennsylvania will be unleashing Twizzlers Twisted Gravity, the worlds largest Screamin’ Swing, for the 2025 season.
Located in The Hollow land, the ride will feature a bright red structure with braided columns that will look like pieces of Hershey’s Twizzlers. The seats will be colored and themed to four licorice flavors: strawberry, cherry, chocolate, and black. (Chocolate-flavored Twizzlers? Hmm.)
Screamin’ Swings are quite simple. Riders sit back to back on two gondolas. One vehicle swings forward, while the other swings backward, and they continue alternating direction. The compressed air launches get progressively more intense until the gondolas reach their maximum speeds and arc beyond 180 degrees. Standard models are 62 feet tall and deliver a potent 4Gs of force as well as powerful negative-G moments. Guests on the custom-configured Twizzlers Twisted Gravity will rise 137 feet into the air, giving Hersheypark bragging rights for the tallest Screamin’ Swing. It will hit a top speed of 68 mph.
The Hersheypark ride will send passengers swinging a mere two feet higher into the air than the current Screamin’ Swings record holders, Tidal Surge at SeaWorld San Antonio and Serengeti Flyers at Busch Gardens Tampa. There are taller pendulum rides from other manufacturers out there. For example, Six Flags Great America in Illinois opened Sky Striker, the world’s tallest Zamperla Giga Discovery, this year. It sends passengers soaring 172 feet above the midway at 75 mph. For that ride, guests sit on outward-facing seats aboard a circular gondola that rotates as it swings back and forth.
Barnstormer at Dollywood in Tennessee, which sends passengers racing headlong through an old red barn, is among the nicer-themed Screamin’ Swings. While The Giant Canyon Swing at Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park in Colorado doesn’t go nearly as high or fast as what Twizzlers Twisted Gravity passengers will experience, it is perched on the edge of a cliff some 1,300 feet above the Colorado River.
Although it certainly makes sense to celebrate the town’s chocolate and confections legacy, Hersheypark’s candy theme can sometimes be a bit odd. Instead of cuddly anthropomorphic animals, cartoon characters, or superheroes, there are mascots dressed as Jolly Rancher, Reese’s, and yes, Twizzlers (the latter of which is, for some reason, decidedly female). The dark ride that takes guests on a simulated tour through a candy factory at the adjacent Hershey’s Chocolate World is great. And the chocolate-infused dishes and treats at Hersheypark’s The Chocolatier full-service restaurant and other dining locations wonderfully capture the theme. But it seems like a stretch to graft candy brands onto attractions such as Twizzlers Twisted Gravity. Still, the thrill ride will be a welcome addition to the park’s midway.
In other Hershey news, the company announced that it will be opening a new hotel, Hershey Inn & Suites, in 2026. The 130-room property will join The Hotel Hershey, the Hershey Lodge resort, and Hersheypark Camping Resort as accommodations for folks visiting the park, Hershey’s Chocolate World, and other attractions in the area. The Hotel Hershey is expanding with luxury accommodations at The Villas. Phase one debuted earlier this year with a second phase planned to open in fall 2025.
Have you been on any Screamin’ Swings? How about Giga Discovery rides? Do you love the airtime they deliver?
I've ridden Barnstormer at Dollywood, but probably never will again. These swing rides are the one attraction that really scare me, but not for the reason you might think! The real reason is I get super motion sick on them.
For some reason the rocking motion of any kind of swing ride really gets to me, so I can't ride the little pirate ships either. Heck, when my kids were younger I couldn't even swing on a swingset with them without getting a bit nauseous.
I do love the airtime they deliver, but unfortunately this is one ride that is on my no-go list. One ride and I'll be down and out the rest of the day.