Congratulations Hersheypark!

As Hersheypark celebrates 115 years of operation, we look back at some of the projects that helped us build a relationship with one of the greatest parks in existence. Sally and Hersheypark have been teaming up to bring new attractions to their park for the last three decades. Time flies when you're having fun, and we can attest to that.

In the early days, we created an animatronic mermaid named Mimi for the new Kaptain Kid's Kove section of the park. The naval-themed land had all sorts of fun for young ones. Mimi sat high up on a rock, using her charming voice to lure audiences as she described the surrounding attractions and new experiences at Kaptain Kid's Kove.

In the early 90's, the famous five-piece animated band Daniel and the Dixie Diggers made their debut, performing for audiences on the Hersheypark main street stage for nearly a decade! The show consisted of many popular cover songs as well as a few originals.

Years later, Hershey reached out to Sally to design the park's first interactive dark ride, Reese’s Xtreme Cup Challenge (2006). This was truly an innovative ride for its time; vehicles would dispatch two-at-a-time, as team "Chocolate Lovers" vs. team "Peanut Butter Lovers" competed for top scores. Working with the Hershey brand to emulate Reese’s candy in the form of a dark ride was the first stepping-stone to the ride’s successor.

Over 10 years later, Hersheypark was ready to renovate the existing dark ride by completely reimagining the Reese's attraction. In 2019, Reese’s Cupfusion was introduced as Hersheypark’s first story-driven dark ride. Raven Sun Creative was the lead designer of this attraction, developing a storyline that would introduce a host of new candy cast members. The goal to develop a new IP from the Reese’s brand was achieved by The Hershey Company, Hersheypark, Raven Sun Creative and Sally Dark Rides working closely with one another.

It was paramount to precisely execute the story, media and sets in a way that stays true to the famous Reese’s brand. Developing a new environment and show around a pre-defined space presented a variety of challenges, but in the end the payoff was well worth it. Reese’s Cupfusion has been credited as the world’s most interactive dark ride and is filled with wall-to-wall action. The new, lovable Cupfusion characters can be seen beyond the ride itself, expanding throughout the park into games, retail and other attractions, becoming part of the identity of the 115 year old park.

Maybe it's the sweet smells in the air, or the buzzing sounds of laughter and excitement, but one thing is for sure, Hersheypark has always felt like home. Sally is grateful to our Hershey family and cherish our times spent together working on these memorable experiences. Congratulations Hersheypark! Here's to 115 more years.