DUTCH WONDERLAND or HERSHEYPARK?

[aprilfoolwed]

Oh, when they are little Dutch Wonderland is just so much fun. The rides are all either very tame kiddie rides, or things you can do as a family. Your 5 year old would still have enough to do there too. The little waterpark is so much fun, and it's all shallow water so there's no worries.

the park is just the right size for little ones. I have such fond memories of taking my kids there when they were little. We went two years with all three kids - best time was when they were 6, 4 and 1. It was PERFECT for that age group.

We also did the railroad. And I highly suggest looking into one of the B&B/Farm stay places - we did that one year and it was a hoot to see my kids gathering eggs for breakfast and feeding the goats. Really fun!

 

[Kimkimba]

Another vote for Dutch Wonderland. Your kids are the perfect age.

We usually go to Hershey Park at Christmas time, and I really like it. But I'm not a fan of it in the summer.

 

[Kycha]

I agree with pp's, Dutch Wonderland is the way to go. It seems to be a more relaxing park and very family friendly. Hershey Park is a theme park. Which usually means, in the summer, tons of unsupervised teens running amok. Don't get me wrong, I love Hershey. Living in Lancaster Co for 40+ years, I have been there dozens of times and love it. But for a young family like yours, DW would be more enjoyable, imo.
Here is the Dutch Wonderland link.
http://www.dutchwonderland.com/index.php
And I agree with pp, Cherry Crest Farms and Strasburg Railroad are fun activities if you have time on your trip.


As far as hotels near Dutch Wonderland, there is the Eden Resort. Which is directly across the street from DW. I have been there many times for weddings, seminars, events, etc. But I have never actually stayed there.

http://www.edenresort.com/

Personally, I would recommend Revere Tavern. It is about 5 miles down the road(Rt. 30) from DW in Paradise. It is away from all the hustle and bustle. Much quieter. I've stayed here and had a nice stay. Both Eden Resort and Revere Tavern are Best Westerns.

http://www.reveretavern.com/rooms.htm

As far as discount tickets, if you have a AAA membership you can usually get discount tickets through them. Also, check with whatever hotel you book. Some sell discount tickets or offer coupons. It's still a little early. So none of the promos have started yet. But many times Turkey Hill convenience stores, WaWa convenience stores and Giant Food stores off coupons or sometimes discounted tickets. When are you going? If you need any more help or info, let me know.

 

[aprilfoolwed]

We stayed at the Eden resort and loved it. I think we loved our farm stay more, but the Eden was great. Clean, spacious and many amenities!

 

[aprilfoolwed]

Also wanted to mention that if you go to DW, Hershey is just a short drive, so you could do Chocolate World (no admission for the Chocolate World ride) and the Chocolate World attractions (small fees - not park admission). The outlets are right across the street from the Park, so lots of shopping.

For quite a long time, my kids thought Chocolate World *WAS* Hershey Park.

 

[mfduddy]

Mine loved Dutch Wonderland when they 4 and 5. So much for them to do. The staff was wonderful. Lovely memories from our trip there. Enjoy!

 

[gillenkl]

Dutch Wonderland would be better for you with the smaller kids - in the summer they have a nice waterpark that is also on a small scale for the younger ones.

As far as hotels: Fulton Steamboat Inn is my favorite hands-down. They even have rooms with bunk beds for kiddos - very clean.

 

[Soarin_04]

I have been told that Hershey isn't ideal for young children but Dutch Wonderland is. So I would go with Dutch Wonderland. You can visit parts of Hershey Park without having to buy tickets for the park.

ITA.

Little ones = DW. Older ones = Hershey.

 

[ginger123]

Anyone been to Dutch Wonderland? or Hershey? I have a 5 year old daughter and 1 year old boy. Which park is better for these ages?
Also, where can I get coupons?
Cheap places to stay near here?

Thanks!!

Dutch Wonderland is great for your children's ages as it is geared to younger children. My kids always loved it! We would also go to the Strausburg Railroad, Thomas the Train is sometimes there, you would have to check their website. You can take a buggy ride also. We've been to Hersey Park as well. I think it was a bit more crowded (long lines) and geared more to older kids. They've got great roller coasters there! Good Luck! They're both great places!

 

[bigmama67]

We just booked 3 nights at the campground right next to DW for late June. I'm excited! We'll do the preview evening plus a full day at DW. We're also planning to check out the North Museum in Lancaster - they have a reciprocal agreement with the Newark Museum where we are members; we'll catch a minor-league game (they are in town the week we're there), and taste some pretzels or chocolate on a tour. DH and I MUST go to Stoudt's Brewery for a tasting if we can schedule it the right way. Cherry Crest isn't open on weekdays till the beginning of July (too bad, it looks cool)...but there are other farms we can tour. I'm really looking forward to this trip!

What is a MUST-VISIT restaurant if we just pick ONE of the "authentic" Amish meals? And should we do breakfast, lunch, or dinner? What's the best value? My DD is a great eater; DS, not so much so I don't know if the buffet is the wisest choice or not (though the kids love buffets). DH is on low-cholesterol; will there be things he can eat? Thanks.

 

[bigmama67]

Also has anyone done the Dining Car on the Strasburg Railroad - was it worth it and what kind of food did they have? I'm leaning towards doing the train the day we go home but we may be better off just getting sandwiches and eating lunch on the regular car? Thanks for any thoughts on this too...

 

[PrincessToozie]

Millers family Restaurant and Shady Maple are 2 very good buffets that I highly recommend!!!

The campground next to Dutch Wonderland is fabulous! Very clean, VERY friendly people....we stay at Old Millstream CG at least once a month...sooo nice....Also the Continental Inn is right next store to Dutch Wonderland. Goto www.padutch.com and they list all sorts of things to do and places to stay!

 

[PrincessToozie]

If you do the Strasburg Railroad there is a picnic area that you can get off the train that has picnic tables and has a little playground as well. We did this in the summer and had a nice picnic lunch. Best thing is there is no rush, just hop on a train whenever you are ready to leave the picnic areas!

 

[camikey]

DW!!!!! Hands down for this age. I took my DD, 3 at the time, to Hershey at Christmas time and although she loved it there was a lot of walking from one area to the other for rides for her candy/height group. She didn't really like the Candy Bars walking around.

We went the summer she was 3 & 4. Last summer we got the two day pass. We live about an hour away so we did it twice for about $25 each. We also go at Christmas. It is so cool to see everything decorated.

DW is the perfect size with cute little shows throughout.

DW also has a little water park. My daughter really loves it there. Also, there is a CiCi Pizza right down the road and we go there for lunch before heading to the park. It is a buffet pizza where you can get a slice of all different kinds of pizza.

 

[Kycha]

Also has anyone done the Dining Car on the Strasburg Railroad - was it worth it and what kind of food did they have? I'm leaning towards doing the train the day we go home but we may be better off just getting sandwiches and eating lunch on the regular car? Thanks for any thoughts on this too...

I've done the dining car a couple of times, years ago. The first time was a special Mother's Day lunch. Took my Mom, Mother in law and Sister in law. It was a sit down meal with a set menu. I've also done special holidays and murder mystery. Those also had set menus plus live entertainment. Well worth it. For those meals, you stay on the train for the round trip. I see now, they have a luncheon deal. Where you get your ticket ahead of time for the dining car and then pick your food and pay for it on the train.

What is a MUST-VISIT restaurant if we just pick ONE of the "authentic" Amish meals? And should we do breakfast, lunch, or dinner? What's the best value? My DD is a great eater; DS, not so much so I don't know if the buffet is the wisest choice or not (though the kids love buffets). DH is on low-cholesterol; will there be things he can eat? Thanks.

I'm totally jealous!I miss living in Lancaster Co. And you are going to see my favorite team, the Lancaster Barnstormers. The ball park is great too. Free parking, and the food is pretty good. They have rides and games for the kids too. You can either buy tickets or a wristband. They have a rock climbing wall, merry go round, bouncy house and water bumper boats.

As far as restaurants, I would choose Shady Maple Smorgasbord, hands down. Their food is great. Each night they have a different dinner feature. I know Tuesday night is seafood night and Wednesday is Prime Rib and Honey Ham. You can check their website to get prices and see whats on the menu. Don't forget that they are closed on Sunday's though. As are many things throughout the county. If you go to Shady Maple, check out the market too. Especially their deli, bakery and meat dept. Pick up some stuff to take home. Then check out Goods Store.

 

[bigmama67]

Thanks, everyone! Shady Maple looks YUMMY...on Thursdays the buffet includes Asian stir-fry and ribeye...I think that's our night! (I LOVE seafood and DH won't touch it but he eats steak and I don't...LOL...we're tough to have over for dinner!)

I seem to remember there being loads of picnic tables at Strasburg and the cafe was OK or maybe we'll bring sandwiches. The dining car food sounds good but pricey (what a surprise!)

Great to know that the Lancaster ballpark has so much to do for the kids. I'm probably the only one in my family who pays much attention to the game, LOL. It's fun though! I was thinking we would get lawn seats because it looks like the play area is right near that section.

OK, I'm excited and there's still a LOT to do between now and then...at least I know we will have a lovely and fun (if not relaxing) mini-trip. Has anyone been to the North Museum? My friend LOVED it!

 

[Kycha]

Thanks, everyone! Shady Maple looks YUMMY...on Thursdays the buffet includes Asian stir-fry and ribeye...I think that's our night! (I LOVE seafood and DH won't touch it but he eats steak and I don't...LOL...we're tough to have over for dinner!)

I seem to remember there being loads of picnic tables at Strasburg and the cafe was OK or maybe we'll bring sandwiches. The dining car food sounds good but pricey (what a surprise!)

Great to know that the Lancaster ballpark has so much to do for the kids. I'm probably the only one in my family who pays much attention to the game, LOL. It's fun though! I was thinking we would get lawn seats because it looks like the play area is right near that section.

OK, I'm excited and there's still a LOT to do between now and then...at least I know we will have a lovely and fun (if not relaxing) mini-trip. Has anyone been to the North Museum? My friend LOVED it!

Lawn seats would be alright. Make sure to take a blanket with you. Parts of the lawn area are steep and you wouldn't be able to use a lawnchair. They do have a couple of bleachers in the lawn section. But you have to get there early to snag them. They used to have a small section of seats in Sec 26 that was given lawn seating pricing. I don't know if they still do that though. Up until last year they also gave free same day lawn seat tickets to any kid under the age of 13 that showed up in a sports uniform. Most kids would just wear their jersey or tshirt. DH used to coach a youth baseball league and they would go to games all the time. I don't see that listed on their website though. So, ymmv. Maybe give them a call and see if they still have that program.

I would suggest like pp's, bring a bag/box lunch to Strasburg. Ride the train to the picnic area, get off the train and enjoy. As far as picnic food, either hit up Central Market in Lancaster City. It's a farmers market that's open Tues, Fri and Sat. And it's only a couple of blocks from North Museum.
http://www.centralmarketlancaster.com/

Or Isaac's deli. One of my favorite restaurants. Everything they make is delicious. But I love their soups and desserts. They have a location in Strasburg.
http://www.isaacsdeli.com/lancaster.asp

Sorry, I haven't been to North Museum since high school(the 80's). So, I can't really give you much help there.

 

[SPBendersky]

Dutch Wonderland is designed for the ages that you have at the moment. In fact I think most kinds over 13-14 might think its a little waste of time and would rather go to the larger parks. Its a scaled down version in terms of size the rides are. Roller coaster, ferris Wheel, tee Cups, etc. all with children in mind and gear so they don't get scared but introduced.

 

[ckoncurat]

Dutch Wonderland!!!! The whole park is perfect for little kids. Save hershey for when they are older.

 

[ckoncurat]

The Hands on House Museum is also in that area and is super fun for little kids. http://www.handsonhouse.org/