Hershey Park info needed- going on Saturday

[kpgclark]

Does anyone have any tips on Hershey Park? What rides are the best to go for first? Do they open the whole park at once? Are there any restaurants that are better than others? Any info you have would be most appreciated.

 

[iNTeNSeBLue98]

It's supposed to be HOT this weekend. I suggest Roller Soaker, Canyon River Rapids or Tidal Force first thing. Last year we went on CRR after DD & DH rode The Claw. I was wet almost all day. *** take a change of clothes - including socks, underwear and shoes if you are going on any water rides ***

If you like roller coasters - Lightning Racer and Great Bear are my favorites. Wildcat is exhilarating, but it is a wild ride not for faint of heart. Brand New this year is Storm Runner - I expect lines will be long for it.

On your way back to Midway America there are two places to eat. One is a walk-up pizza place, the other you go inside to a cafeteria line to order burgers and chicken sandwiches. The burgers (Black Angus) are pricey, $6+). I had a grilled chicken sandwich that was very good.

 

[soccerchick]

Gosh -- can't help much. I was preggers last time we went and couldn't ride much. It was more of a trip for DD. The soaker roller coaster was new then and had the longest line. Avoid the log flume ride-- it is a very slow loader/unloader and just not worth the time. The ferris wheel is also a slow loader. HP is such a nice park, I prefer it over Kings Dominion, which is about the same distance to me in the other direction.

My DN will be playing in her school band there this Saturday

Have fun!

 

[kpgclark]

Do you know whether if you stay in one of the Hershey hotels you get any special priviliges such as early park entry? How is the transportation from the Hershey Lodge to the park?

 

[Otto's Doll]

I just found out about the preview plan, if you go the night before and show your ticket, you can go in and go on the rides and then return the next day. We will be doing this at the end of June. I am not sure about early entry to the parks, but I know that the Lodge and Hotel offer shuttle service.

 

[Steffi]

Originally posted by kpgclark
Do you know whether if you stay in one of the Hershey hotels you get any special priviliges such as early park entry? How is the transportation from the Hershey Lodge to the park?

We went to Hershey last summer, in early June, and stayed at the Hershey Lodge. It is a very pretty resort! They didn't have any special on-site privileges like early entry, but they did have some fun kids' activities at the resort. During our stay there were daily candy hunts, arts & crafts, and character visits in the lobby.

The transportation was okay. Our longest wait going to the park was about 25 minutes. The longest wait getting back from the park was a little longer, but only because they were waiting for the bus to fill up. I don't think they have a huge fleet of busses, but it wasn't too bad.

We did the preview thing and were able to ride a ton of rides during our 2 and a half hours that first evening! There were no lines at all and the park was pretty at night. The next day the crowds were a little heavier during the afternoon, but lightened up again in the evening. We rode almost everything at least twice and had a fantastic time. I hope to get to take my family back sometime soon!

I hope your family has as much fun as mine did!

 

[Otto's Doll]

Hey Steffi, when you were there did they have either Candy Bar Bingo or Dive In Movies? They both sound like fun. We decided to spend an extra day just at the Lodge without going to the park, cause it sounds like there is a lot to do. How was the pool?

 

[mom2boys]

take a change of clothes - including socks, underwear and shoes if you are going on any water rides ***

Excellent advice. We were there last month & had a blast. Be sure to hit Chocolate World. DS did a hershey kiss conveyor belt thing - reminded me of the famous I Love Lucy episode. You can particpate without buying the package - id, kisses & hat. Of course, DS had to have the package.

 

[Steffi]

Originally posted by Otto's Doll
Hey Steffi, when you were there did they have either Candy Bar Bingo or Dive In Movies? They both sound like fun. We decided to spend an extra day just at the Lodge without going to the park, cause it sounds like there is a lot to do. How was the pool?

They did have Candy Bar Bingo, but we missed that. They had a lot of fun-sounding activites planned all day, but we spent most of our time either at the park or in the pool. The girls who were in charge of the activities were so fun & energetic. My DD loved them & really enjoyed the arts & crafts & the candy hunt! (Only about 3 kids showed up for the candy hunt, so each kid got a lot of personal attention AND a ton of candy.) I'm pretty sure that they didn't have a Dive-In movie while we were there (maybe it's a weekend thing?). That does sound like fun!

The indoor pool was great, very clean, very big, and nice & warm at 83 degrees. It was hard to get DD out of there! She loved that it was so deep (9 feet, I think). The outdoor pool was open, but way too cold for this native Floridian!

The resort has a lot to offer & I think it's a great idea to set aside a day to play there. Our stay there was much too short! I have big plans for next time. We have yet to see the Hershey Gardens, the Hershey Museum, and the Hotel Hershey. Also on my to do list: the trolley ride, the 3-D movie at Chocolate World, a stroll down the streets of Hershey, and a visit to the surrounding area. DD & I fell in love with the Pennsylvania countryside!

 

[Kteacher]

thanks for the great tips I am taking my GS troop there for a big camporee in a couple weeks!

 

[aprilgail2]

Originally posted by soccerchick
. Avoid the log flume ride-- it is a very slow loader/unloader and just not worth the time. Have fun!

I actually though tthe lines for the log flume went the quickest of any ride when I was there becasue its a continious loader, they dont run the ride, stop it, unload and load again all at once...it continously goes....my 3 year old loved that ride and we rode it over and over again.

 

[keenercam]

All of the advice here is great! But let me add one thing -- be prepared for the park to be very crowded. There is some kind of music festival going on -- my son's band is going to be there (he's not -- he is doing a boy scout camping trip, instead). And this is the time of year when many schools fit in a class trip before the end of the school year in the northeast.
Have fun!

 

[djh96]

The Great Bear & Canyon River Rapids tend to get the longest lines.Look at your map closely and plan your day. There are some hills to walk so jumping around can be very tiring.I would suggest going into the park head past the carousel and see if the comet is open. This is my favorite roller coaster, old wooden with a nice straight drop. If open ride it and then head to the Great Bear up the hill. Ride the cars also by the Great BEar as these can get very long and the sports car line can be very slow. After this I would head over to the area with the water rides and do everything on this side of the park for the majority of the day. In the evening work your way backtowards the comet by way of the claw.If energetic ride the Comet again and go back up to Great BEar, this is super when it's dark out.Don't ever wait in a long line for the log flume, it's usually short and does move quickly. It also can be ridden at night because you don't get very wet unlike some of the other water rides..Have fun