Candylane at Hersheypark - Hershey, PA

Website: Candylane
Season: mid-November - December
Costs: see rates here. You can usually save $2 off each admission with coupons from Giant, CVS, McDonald's. Parking in not included. It was $8 in 2011.

Expected Length of Stay: depends on your stamina
Recommended Ages: Geared more towards younger kids but there is something for everyone
We've been going to Candylane since my older son's first Christmas, 8 years ago. It was free admission at that time. It became our tradition and that wasn't going to end even when they started charging admission a few years ago.

You would think the admission would have thinned out the crowds but it hasn't really. Heck, even we've gone twice some years since they started charging. We've had varying experiences at Candylane - cold, warm, crowded, not crowded, long line for Santa, no line for Santa. Generally speaking the earlier in the season and the earlier in the day you go, the less crowded it is. I suggest starting early. It will be less crowded, the ride lines will be shorter, you can visit the zoo and see Santa without waiting in a long line. It gets dark early in the evening that time of year so you'll still be able to enjoy the lights and the atmosphere but you'll have a better shot of getting your money's worth if you start early.

I can remember, the first year or two, waiting in line for what seemed like an eternity, in a hellishly hot room, to get my son's picture taken with Santa. The past few years, we've walked right up. I'm not sure why that is. Candylane always has a very nice looking Santa but the pictures aren't cheap. You get less for more than you did a few years ago. I got a package with a 5x7, 2 4x6s and I think 4 wallets, plus another package that just had an 8x10 (which used to be included with the other package, then they stopped the 8x10 all together before bringing it back as a separate purchase) and that ran me about $50. Yes, I know. It's tradition, what can I say? I think the first year, I paid in the upper $30s for about the same pictures.

Our first year, they were giving out nice little stuffed toys as favors to the children who saw Santa but the favors have become less impressive each year, usually just a small piece of candy now. Those better gifts were usually sponsored by an outside company so it's not really surprising that no one wanted to foot the bill for those anymore.

Most of the rides open for Candylane are for smaller children but there are several that the older kids will like. All of the kiddie rides are open, plus the Kissing Tower, the antique and race cars, the pirate ship, the Claw, the Monorail, the Skyride and few other things. (See complete list here.) None of the coasters are running. The lines can be long. My favorites are the small train and the monorail since you get the best view of the lights in the park.

Zoo America is open (and included with admission) until 4:30pm. There's a music show. Santa's reindeer are on display. There are plenty of shops and refreshments available. The game room and games are open, with many holiday themed prizes.

I have to admit that some years I've been happy to get out of there - it can be cold and crowded. Other years, we've had great weather and light crowds. I'm going to keep up the tradition until the boys outgrow it (and maybe even after that!)

Please add your comments regarding this activity or let me know if you have any questions about it that I might be able to answer.

Day Out With Thomas at Strasburg Railroad - Lancaster County, PA

Website: Day Out with Thomas at Strasburg Railroad
Season: Thomas comes for a week-long vist, a few times each year
Costs: $18 for all for just Thomas, $25 for age 3 and up for combo (Age 2 and under can ride regular train free)
Estimated Length of Visit: Several hours
Recommended Ages: Any Thomas the Train fans would enjoy this.

This was a great outing for a 3 1/2 year old, which was how old my son was when we did this. There is nothing like watching the excitement on a little boy's face the first time he sees Thomas in the flesh. It was an enjoyable day and driving through Lancaster, it reminded me that there are probably lots of other fun activities in that area.

Thomas comes to Strasburg Railroad a few times each year, usually June, September and December. You can buy tickets just to ride Thomas (about a 20 minute ride) or get a combo pass and also ride a train to Paradise and back (about a 45 minute ride). We opted for just Thomas. You can also upgrade for a fee after you're there, if you show up with just the Thomas ticket.

The train was really beautiful. It was a short ride but it was pretty, inside and out. There were cows and school buses to be seen which are very exciting to a 3 1/2 year old. For some reason most of the parents on board looked miserable - it was actually comical to watch their faces. The staff all looked to be enjoying themselves.



Included in the ticket price are also rides on some of the railroad's other attractions - the small steam train ride, the caboose ride and the push cars. Your child can also pose with Sir Topham Hat and Thomas. They take pictures you can buy and they'll also take a picture with your own camera. They pictures they take are unfortunately very expensive (I bought one, a 5x7 for $18 in 2007). It's a shame they're so expensive because I would have bought more if they weren't. I only bought the picture with Thomas but we also had our picture taken on the train and my son had his picture taken with Sir Topham hat. They do allow you to use your own camera too.



They also have tents where they sell merchandise (which is not unreasonably priced for licensed merchandise) and they offer other free activities - tattoos, a small hay bale maze, a small push car ride, toy tracks set up (but no trains on them since they would probably have a tendency to 'walk away'), puzzles, jewelry making, musical acts, food vendors etc. Some of it was a bit rundown looking but we were there on the last day so that probably had something to do with it.

It does get crowded. We saw cars from several different states in the lot. Parking was free (although the property next door was charging $10 - I have no idea why as they seemed to have plenty of free parking). Refreshment prices were a bit high. Water in the vending machines was very expensive. I bought a large fountain drink for the three of us to share - it was $4! We opted to eat at Applebees after we left. There are plenty of restaurants in that area.

Thomas travels all over the country and I believe it's somewhat the same everywhere. It's definitely a good time for any Thomas fan. We've only done it once so far. I planned on going again but we just couldn't work it into our schedule. We'll definitely go back when the baby is ready to enjoy this.

Please add your comments regarding this activity or let me know if you have any questions about it that I might be able to answer.

Wiggles Concert

***This is not a regular event but it's an activity that we enjoyed and it may inspire you to plan something similar.***

Website:Wiggles
Cost: Typical concert prices for everyone - no reduced tickets for children.
Recommended Ages: Toddlers seem to like the Wiggles best.

This is not an ongoing event but the Wiggles tour somewhat regularly. We saw the Wiggles in 2005. My son was probably still a bit too young to get the full impact. We went to the Wilkes-Barre show since it was near where my parents live. I bought them tickets and brought them along.

The show went off well. It was cute and had nice energy. They go into the audience and overall, really do their best to excite the kids. Even I was excited to see the Wiggles in person. We had all of the real Wiggles that day - no understudies and Greg had not left the group yet.



It was enjoyable but I still question whether it was worth the expense. I bought five tickets so that could be clouding my view. On one hand, my son was a bit too young to fully appreciate the show (he was between 1 and 2 years old at the time). On the other hand, he was young enough that we could get away with not buying any of the pricey merchandise they offered for sale.

So the jury is out on this one. If you take the cost out of the equation, it was a good show but unfortunately for most people, the cost needs to be considered. My son still talks about it.

Please add your comments regarding this activity or let me know if you have any questions about it that I might be able to answer.