On Friday, October 16, 2026 Hershey Park announced the reopening of their B&M Hyper Candymonium. It had been shutdown since the tragic incident with the similarly designed Goliath at Six Flags Over Georgia like other B&M Hyper and Giga roller coasters nationwide with the “clamshell” restraint. However, what was most telling and newsworthy was the press release. It stated, “We also consulted with the ride’s manufacturer. Based on the information presently available, the manufacturer has not identified an engineering basis to recommend shutting down similarly designed coasters solely because of the incident in Georgia.” Here’s the complete release.
“Candymonium plans to operate when Hersheypark opens to the public on Friday, October 16. Our thoughts remain with the guest’s family and everyone affected by Monday’s incident at Six Flags Over Georgia. Before making this decision, we had Candymonium thoroughly inspected. Our ride inspection team, which includes state-certified ride inspectors, and an independent external ride safety inspector each confirmed that the ride is operating as intended and that Candymonium remains safe to operate. We have also been in contact with the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture, which oversees Amusement Park operations in the Commonwealth regarding our decision to operate the attraction. We also consulted with the ride’s manufacturer. Based on the information presently available, the manufacturer has not identified an engineering basis to recommend shutting down similarly designed coasters solely because of the incident in Georgia.”
Based on the information presently available, the manufacturer has not identified an engineering basis to recommend shutting down similarly designed coasters solely because of the incident in Georgia.
This seems to imply the incident at Six Flags Over Georgia was not a design defect. Candymonium was custom-built to its own specifications, with multiple redundant safety systems, including a seatbelt at every seat in addition to the lap restraint. We still don’t have answers about what happened on Goliath, but it is good to see other rides begin to reopen.
