Hershey Park's Fun All-Year Long
by Rachel Zendt & Katrina Hayday Wester
If you’re looking to visit a theme park that offers the rides of a big
park with the service and care of a small park then Hershey Park is the
place for you. Located in Harrisburg, PA, Hershey Park offers rides for
the thrill seekers, the rollercoaster addicts and the kiddie rides too!
They have 10 roller coasters but the most famous are the “Great Bear” and
the “Stormrunner.” I’m a white knuckle rollercoaster rider, but I visited
with some rollercoaster addicts who went on everything from the
Superdooperlooper to Sidewinder and the Wildcat and Mouse! They have been
on rollercoaster’s everywhere and they were not disappointed!
When we arrived at Hershey we were greeted by life-size versions of the
candy that serve as rulers to determine your size. The kids were anxious
to see if they were finally a “Reese Peanut Butter Cup” or a “Twizzler.”
In our group we actually had three “Jolly Ranchers” – the adults, one
“Twizzler” which is 54" to 60", two “Hershey’s bars” which is 48" to 54"
and one “Reese Peanut Butter Cup” which is 42" to 48". The kiddie rides
are for Hershey Kisses and Hershey’s Miniatures and those sizes are 36" to
42" and under 36". We also had a newborn, but she wasn’t going on
anything!
It
felt like we were there on the hottest day of the year and it seemed that
most people were swarming to the water rides. The kids (and adults)
tried almost everything from the Lightning Racers, which is an wooden
rollercoaster with two tracks that race to the hot new ” Reese’s Xtreme
Cup Challenge” a fun new ride that is a multi-sensory laser gun
competition. The kids loved that ride, because at the end you got the new
Reese’s Caramel cup.
As a nursing mother, who nurses everywhere I was actually very happy to
use their room for “Nursing Mothers” that provided a changing area,
rocking chairs, cold water and more importantly air-conditioning. It is
located in the First Aid center and if you are traveling with infants it
really is a very nice amenity.
If you are hot, there are plenty of places to cool off. You can go under
the “Roller Soaker,” and shoot the water cannons, you can stand in the
spray mist that is around the wet ride areas, or you can stand at the base
of the “Tidal Timbers” that will soak anyone within the pathway it seems!
There is something for everyone at Hershey Park; there are rides, carnival
food, shopping, shows and games. There is shady refuge for hot travelers
and plenty of benches to rest weary feet! It’s a great place for families
to visit with easy parking, polite staff and an extremely clean facility.
All in all a great place to play!
Accommodations
The Hershey Lodge which is located a couple minutes from Hershey Park is a
full-service resort located in Hershey, Pennsylvania. It offers 665 guests
rooms and we stayed there the night before we went to the park. The kids
had a blast at the hotel doing their own “check in” and they also really
loved the fact that we all got Chocolate Bars when we checked in. During
the evening my son and I hung out while one while one of my writers was
taking in the American Idol concert. My son and I were able to enjoy one
of the swimming pools for a little while which was really nice and packed
with kids. Unfortunately a huge rainstorm blew through so our swimming was
cut short, but we enjoyed it never-the-less. In the morning, before
heading to the park the kids met some of the characters and took pictures.
Many kids were gathered in the lobby, excited about meeting some of the
characters from the park.
The rooms themselves were spacious, nicely appointed and comfortable. The
service at the hotel was very efficient and the property is nicely
maintained. I would highly recommend staying at the property when you plan
a trip to Hershey. Rates vary depending upon the time of year you plan on
visiting and they offer a “Value Season” where kids can go for free. For
more information click here.
Special Events
Hershey Park Family Fridays!
September 8, 15, & 22. Purchase a Family Friday package which includes 4
regular admissions, 4 ice creams and 4 games for only $79.95.
Hershey Park is open Fridays Nights in September (Sept. 8, 15 &22)
from 5 PM to 10 PM. Enjoy the Park for a special sunset price of just
$21.95.
Halloween:
Hersheypark in the Dark
For three big weekends
ALL rides and entertainment are included in a one-price admission.
Regular (ages 9-54) $21.95
Junior (ages 3-8) $15.95
Senior (ages 55+) $15.95
Children (ages 2 and under) FREE
The road to HERSHEY'S Trick-or-Treat Adventure for kids 12 and under
starts at HERSHEY'S CHOCOLATE WORLD and continues deep inside HERSHEYPARK
in Treatville, their all-new hometown village of sweets and treats.
And, don't forget your flashlights to get a rare glimpse at the nocturnal
habits of the animals during CREATURES OF THE NIGHT in ZOOAMERICA
(included in the one-price admission).
Christmas:
There’s no place like Hershey for the holidays! Winter is
always a magical time in Hershey, with more than two million twinkling
lights and festive decorations. Beginning November 17 at HERSHEYPARK
CHRISTMAS CANDYLANE, visit Santa and his reindeer, enjoy the Music Box
Christmas Show, and browse their quaint village shops for uniqu gift
ideas. New for 2006, ALL HERSHEYPARK CHRISTMAS CANDYLANE rides and
entertainment are included in a one-price admission.
Resources:
HERSHEY Lodge
West Chocolate Ave. & University Dr.
Hershey, PA 17033
P: 717-533-3311
Fax: 717-533-9642
Hershey Park's Fun All-Year Long
When we arrived at Hershey we were greeted by life-size versions of the
candy that serve as rulers to determine your size. The kids were anxious
to see if they were finally a “Reese Peanut Butter Cup” or a “Twizzler.”
In our group we actually had three “Jolly Ranchers” – the adults, one
“Twizzler” which is 54" to 60", two “Hershey’s bars” which is 48" to 54"
and one “Reese Peanut Butter Cup” which is 42" to 48". The kiddie rides
are for Hershey Kisses and Hershey’s Miniatures and those sizes are 36" to
42" and under 36". We also had a newborn, but she wasn’t going on
anything!
It
felt like we were there on the hottest day of the year and it seemed that
most people were swarming to the water rides. The kids (and adults)
tried almost everything from the Lightning Racers, which is an wooden
rollercoaster with two tracks that race to the hot new ” Reese’s Xtreme
Cup Challenge” a fun new ride that is a multi-sensory laser gun
competition. The kids loved that ride, because at the end you got the new
Reese’s Caramel cup.
Accommodations