From age two, Central PA has been my home and in a small way, Hersheypark is too. I have so many great memories of funnel cake, field trips, Chocolate World, my dad & cousin Joey teaching me to stand up suuuuper tall when getting my height measured so I could ride sooperdooperLooper, the Comet & our favorite rides and spending time with those I love having a blast.
Now that I'm a mom of three, one of my favorite things about parenthood so far has been introducing my kids to the magic of Hersheypark. There are so many things to see, do & to eat, and there is something for every age to ride on or enjoy.
Below are some of my family's favorite tips and tricks to visiting Hersheypark! I hope your family can make as many great memories at the park as my family has :)
Outside food is not allowed inside the park, unless it is baby food/bottles/snacks or one sealed bottle of water for each person in your group. Your bags will be searched when entering the park, the guards have always been great about not worrying about baby items.
Parking is available on site and will run $15 unless you are a season pass holder. When you park walk towards the white fencing that runs through the parking lot to catch a ride on the tram if you do not wish to walk the whole way in. Be prepared to fold your stroller to catch a ride on the tram - they can't be loaded fully open.
Quarters are super helpful in the park. Not only will they get you a game of skee-ball at most arcades & game locations, but will get you corn to feed the ducks at a few bridges and will get you a pressed souvenir penny (if you have two & a penny).
A Nursing Room is located inside the first aid station. When you pop into the first aid station, as the attendant for the room & you will go through the door and use one of the two chairs and changing table area.
Games are located throughout the park. Each game is $2/game, or uses game tickets. Game tickets can be found at any Guest Service location for a pack - packs are $19 and contain 13 game tickets giving you a nice savings! One of the easiest games for kids is the Go Fishing game located near the Frog Hopper - kids win every time there.
The Boardwalk is super fun for kids! Kids must wear life jackets in certain areas depending on their height. Right outside of every area's entrance you'll see notifications & height restrictions for life jackets. Parents are strongly encouraged to join their kids in the fun & must wear appropriate swimming attire. The Boardwalk area will get PACKED during the afternoon when it's hot out. It's less busy & easier to find chairs earlier in the morning or towards evening. There are some great dining options in the Boardwalk area so you won't have to get dressed to grab a bite to eat.
Season passes are a great option if you want to visit the park more than three times a season - including Christmas, Spring & Halloween. Being a season pass holder allows you to visit as many times as you want, as long or as short as you want and enjoy free parking! When you sign up for your passes you'll also get a coupon book that has coupons for other attractions in Hershey, PA.
A HUGE perk of Season Passes is Sweet Hour - during the summer (and select weekends in spring/fall), you receive admission to the park an hour before the park opens to the general public. Founders Way & Comet Hollow are open during that hour, allowing plenty of rides on sooperdooperLooper, Comet, Fahrenheit and all of the kid rides before the lines! You'll also be in the park ahead of everyone else so when the park opens at 10am you can make it to the other roller coasters and catch a ride or two before everyone else.
Discount tickets are available through Giant Food Stores, Central PA's Kosher Market & Boy Scouts of America and occasionally local sports groups or organizations on a limited basis.
The Hersheypark App is a fantastic tool to add to your smart phone. It allows you to mark & remember the location of your car, see ride wait times, height restrictions & how far a ride is from you, find food (and allergy/kosher friendly food), buy tickets, find out where the characters will be and what time(s) & more! It's a great way to make a game plan - if you happen to see a short wait on a roller coaster you've been dying to ride you'll know it's a great time to head there :)
Kids Swap is great for parents who want to ride some of the thrill rides but not every person in your party is eligible to ride. There are two great ways to use it:
- All of you wait in line, the first person rides while the second person & the child wait in line, after the ride the first person hops off, grabs the child & heads to the exit while the second person gets to ride.
- If you have more kids who can ride than adults to sit with them, the adult who will be riding keeps riding the ride back to back while the non-riding adult waits in line with the kids and one by one puts them on the ride. This worked great for us when I was pregnant or had a newborn and my husband was taking both boys on rides that needed a taller rider. He couldn't take them both at once, so we kid swapped to allow him to ride with both of them while I waited.
Comfortable attire is a must! Wear shoes that you can walk up & down hills in, clothes that protect you from the sun & bring a small backpack for your one sealed water bottle, towel/swim suit, sunscreen & anything else you think you'll need. The hills at the park aren't terrible, but some are no fun to push 2 kids in a double stroller up.
Phone charging stations are available throughout the park. Look for the small black & pink T-Mobile stations to find the juice you need to keep your phone going. There are a variety of charger adapters there, so it's almost guaranteed you'll be good to go. Also, be sure your phone is either left with a non-rider, in your bag or tucked away SUPER well before hopping on roller coasters. There are always a ton of phones, wallets, keys & sunglasses flipped out of pockets on these rides. Hersheypark will generally not stop a ride from running to send someone to collect your belongings.
An Official Height Station is located inside the park, just before the carousel to the right. Stop there to get kids' height officially measure & to get a wristband to match their size. When they want to ride, all they have to do is show their band instead of being measured by each ride attendant individually and worrying about being slightly under/over to ride.
GIVEAWAY - Congratultions, Jackie Binder! You are the lucky winner of two tickets to visit Hersheypark this summer season. Please check your email and get back to me within 48 hours to claim your tickets or a new winner will be selected from the original entrants.
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