Laff Trakk

Location: Hersheypark. Hershey Pennsylvania

This coaster is the first indoor, 360-degree, spinning, “glow-coaster” in the United States. The indoor queue and ride load/unload station are the only areas using strictly white light which helps transition the guests from the exterior of the attraction to the crazy blacklight world further inside the attraction.

The bright white light also provides the guests safe and proper illumination levels for playing in the fun house mirrors and entering and exiting the compact ride vehicles. Key Image

Strict budgetary restrictions meant no control system, so the designers relied on quality of light, contrast, angle, distance and guest sight-lines to highlight and draw attention to the primary focus in each moment of the experience.

As the ride is comprised of dips and turns and colorful multi-dimensional scenic flats which are seen from all sides, the lighting had to be strategically placed to illuminate each one without drawing focus to the fixtures.

The lighting design reinforces the story of being in a crazy fun house with surprises around every corner. Through the use of a variety of UV lighting instruments, and a minimal white light spectrum any structure that wasn’t painted with the specialty UV paint would visually recede and disappear; leaving only the brightly painted scenic pieces illuminated.

Lighting locations were carefully chosen to be clearly outside the ride safety envelope and no fixture could be mounted to the ride track or ride vehicle itself. All locations selected are easily accessed for maintenance purposes.

The layout was carefully calculated to project even illumination levels on the massive number of elements in the room, so as to not distract from the whimsical atmosphere or reveal the interior walls of the building beyond.

Awards: 2016 IES Illumination Award of Merit.

Photos: John Jenkinson.

Laff Trakk photos courtesy of Hershey Entertainment & Resorts Company.