Wheeee! Remember The Simpsons episode when he visits the Land of Chocolate? I had that song stuck in my head all day yesterday. 🍫🍫🍫🍩🍩🍩🍩🍪🍪🍪
Hersheypark is just a lot of FUN! We are a family of four seeking excitement and a break from the worry that is our world now. I was searching for a mini vacation that has great value, close to home, and has something for every age; Hersheypark was the answer!
Here is a glimpse into our first day with some of my tips. I'd love to hear your tips and tricks, so flood my comments section with your comments!
Hersheypark is a one stop shop of everything a theme park should offer. With the addition of Chocolate Town, there is another layer of dining and experience added before you even enter the theme park.
Once inside the park, there are rides, character meets, carnival style games (that are really decently priced), and entertainment that range for all ages. Everyone in your group (sized KISSES to Jolly Rancher) will have a great time.
Here are a few tips from our first "day," and I'll get to why I put that in quotes.
By purchasing a theme park pass, you get two hours free with all admission tickets, and ul to three hours feee if you're staying onsite. Some rules apply to this deal, so check out the fine print here. https://www.hersheypark.com/tickets/free-extra-hours.php
This is a sweet deal that I loved the most! There are no hidden fees, you just show your ticket and enjoy the perks. Plus, we really didn't know what to expect from our first theme park day, so getting the Kay of the land is a huge help. The last time we were at Hersheypark was during the holidays, and the park takes over a different feel (lots of holiday spirit), so the thrill rides aspect is not really present. Going in the winter versus normal park operating days (spring and summer) are totally two different experiences! I highly recommend that you try both.
Hersheypark is just a lot of FUN! We are a family of four seeking excitement and a break from the worry that is our world now. I was searching for a mini vacation that has great value, close to home, and has something for every age; Hersheypark was the answer!
Here is a glimpse into our first day with some of my tips. I'd love to hear your tips and tricks, so flood my comments section with your comments!
Hersheypark is a one stop shop of everything a theme park should offer. With the addition of Chocolate Town, there is another layer of dining and experience added before you even enter the theme park.
Once inside the park, there are rides, character meets, carnival style games (that are really decently priced), and entertainment that range for all ages. Everyone in your group (sized KISSES to Jolly Rancher) will have a great time.
Here are a few tips from our first "day," and I'll get to why I put that in quotes.
By purchasing a theme park pass, you get two hours free with all admission tickets, and ul to three hours feee if you're staying onsite. Some rules apply to this deal, so check out the fine print here. https://www.hersheypark.com/tickets/free-extra-hours.php
This is a sweet deal that I loved the most! There are no hidden fees, you just show your ticket and enjoy the perks. Plus, we really didn't know what to expect from our first theme park day, so getting the Kay of the land is a huge help. The last time we were at Hersheypark was during the holidays, and the park takes over a different feel (lots of holiday spirit), so the thrill rides aspect is not really present. Going in the winter versus normal park operating days (spring and summer) are totally two different experiences! I highly recommend that you try both.
Guests of official resorts of Hersheypark also get a Sweet Start! We can visit the park an hour before it actually opens!
Use the free Hersheypark app and get your free HPGO bands. The Hersheypark app has filters to see which rides are suitable for the whole family and rides just for the adults to get their sillies out too! You can also bookmark and create lists of must do eats and rides, which helps to organize your day without really adhering to set a schedule. The app also has a great navigation system that will guide you through the
The HPGO bands can be linked to each park guest where ride photos, Fast Track passes (separate purchase), dining plans, and more can be accessed. I like the feature of getting your ride photos automatically added after you ride.
Chocolatetown is a new addition to the entrance of Herskeypark! The last time we went, there was just a huge gap between The Chocolate Experience and the park's entrance. Now you've got a brand new restaurant, The Chocolatier that has great vintage theming, and Milton's Ice Cream Parlor. The Chocolatier is very popular, so expect a wait. We didn't have the time to spare, so we decided on Milton's instead. We didn't get to experience the desserts there, but we tried a majority of the menu to share, and it is all delicious! For $60, our whole family of four ate well! We got the bucket of chicken with three sauces to choose from; I got four sauces, because I am sauce obsessed. We chose rosemary garlic aioli, ranch, smokehouse barbecue, and the chocolate molé. I would skip the Rosemary garlic aioli the next time, but the rest were superb! I love sauces--I need my dipping sauces, so this was a treat for me! The chocolate mole is really divine and a little goes a long way for a dip as it's got a big kick! The ranch was a huge surprise, because it went to so well with the chicken. The smokehouse barbecue sauce is the best I've had in a long time! We also got the bucket of fries , which comes with three sauces and four different types of potatoes to dip--tater tots, Pinwheel fries (they're like steak fries), waffle fries, and curly fries.
I'm not sure if you can, but I would just opt for the Pinwheel fries and Waffle Fries--those are the best for dipping! The kids loved the tater tots, of course. We also got the cheeseburger sliders as your get two, and they're pretty big, so they're perfect for two people. For our youngest picky eater, we got him the grilled cheese and fries off of the kid's meal menu. Let me tell you, the size is perfect for an adult to enjoy and the sandwich itself is comparable to an artisanal sandwich. You don't get your run of the mill theme park food at Hersheypark. We are well, and it was our only meal of the day, because we were saving room for CHOCOLATE!
Remember what I said about one stop shop? Well Hersheypark is literally everything you love about theme parks in one--it's really all that and a bag of chips (tip: you can find homemade chips sold at Milton's Ice Cream Parlor!).
With the newest land, The Boardwalk, you have a whole other park to explore! The Boardwalk features all water rides for the whole family, so come wearing your bathing suit! We haven't fully explored this part of the park yet, but here are a few tips just from my own experience at water parks and what I saw available at The Boardwalk. There are lockers for your belongings so you can be completely free of excess (think cell phones and even your wallet!). Make sure you're wearing your HPGO bracelet, too. If you just have your phone, get a holder here on Amazon. https://amzn.to/3jt5nYx
I highly recommend that you wear sneakers to enjoy the rides at Hersheypark, plus there is a lot of walking with little hills through each land, so comfortable walking shoes are a must. If you're just heading to The Boardwalk, wear sandals or water shoes that are suitable for walking. There is a lazy river, a zero entry pool, loads of slides, and more at The Boardwalk! This is all at the same park--no leaving the park at all! If you only have one day at the park and want to experience both, I would recommend visiting The Boardwalk in the morning and use their family dryer (for a separate fee) to get yourselves dry, or just bring a change of clothes!
Remember what I said about one stop shop? Well Hersheypark is literally everything you love about theme parks in one--it's really all that and a bag of chips (tip: you can find homemade chips sold at Milton's Ice Cream Parlor!).
With the newest land, The Boardwalk, you have a whole other park to explore! The Boardwalk features all water rides for the whole family, so come wearing your bathing suit! We haven't fully explored this part of the park yet, but here are a few tips just from my own experience at water parks and what I saw available at The Boardwalk. There are lockers for your belongings so you can be completely free of excess (think cell phones and even your wallet!). Make sure you're wearing your HPGO bracelet, too. If you just have your phone, get a holder here on Amazon. https://amzn.to/3jt5nYx
I highly recommend that you wear sneakers to enjoy the rides at Hersheypark, plus there is a lot of walking with little hills through each land, so comfortable walking shoes are a must. If you're just heading to The Boardwalk, wear sandals or water shoes that are suitable for walking. There is a lazy river, a zero entry pool, loads of slides, and more at The Boardwalk! This is all at the same park--no leaving the park at all! If you only have one day at the park and want to experience both, I would recommend visiting The Boardwalk in the morning and use their family dryer (for a separate fee) to get yourselves dry, or just bring a change of clothes!
Overall our first "day" was a success.
Marcello and I went on COMET yesterday--his screams were hilarious! He's been on coasters before but nothing like the COMET. He couldn't believe how many drops and twists there were. COMET is the oldest coaster in the park, and it's really beautifully maintained! There's so many twists and turns, and even though you're topping out at 50 mph, it feels like you're going way faster! Hopefully we can hit up Laff Trakk and Candymonium today! Laff Trakk was closed yesterday!
Rocco was also so happy to ride in a hot air balloon yesterday! It was the first time the boys went on a ride together -just the two of them.
Yesterday we just explored a bit--that preview the night before your first full park day is really a sweet deal. Now we have an idea of how we're going to tackle today! Lots of snacks and rides today!
If you've never been to Hersheypark with the kids, add it to your bucket list, so far we're having a blast!
#hersheyparkhappy #hersheypark #hersheypark2021 #summertime #themepark #familytravel
