Hersheypark - Hershey, PA

Website: Hersheypark
Season: May-September
Costs: Expensive
Expected Length of Stay: All day
Recommended Ages: All ages

We've only done non-Candylane Hersheypark twice so far, both times it was their Spring weekend (they open for one weekend in April as a preview). It's cheaper (less than half the regular season prices) but there are no water rides and some of the big coasters aren't available.

I was pregnant when we went in 2008 so I didn't get my money's worth but my husband and son managed around 15 rides. It wasn't crowded at all. We weren't so lucky in 2009. It was packed! We barely got to ride anything (partly because my son didn't want to). You just never know.

Hersheypark is a major amusement park so it has all the bells and whistles during the regular season and it also has the big price tag. Regular season admission isn't cheap - over $50 for adults and over $30 for kids over 2. That's a lot! And if you're taking small kids, you aren't going to get to ride any adult rides yourself unless you're travelling with other adults to watch the kids while you ride or if you ride alone (I did ride the Trailblazer by myself).

My son is funny - in 2008 he rode a ton of rides, in 2009 he barely rode anything. It makes it difficult to pay a hefty admission fee knowing he may only ride a couple of rides. There are plenty of rides for kids of all ages from toddlers to adults so if your child is more adventurous, they are more likely to get their money's worth.

Even in 2008 my son would not ride anything alone. He only road one ride alone and that was because my husband could not squeeze himself into this helicopter:


Parking is $6. (I keep hearing rumors that it will go up to $10 but I hope they are just rumors. )There is no food allowed in the park (they do search your bags) and food prices in the park are kind of steep for what you get. You can picnic outside the park so you can leave a cooler in your vehicle and leave the park (make sure to get your hand stamped). The vending machine prices will make your eyes leap out of their sockets.

There are plenty of games and a couple of arcades. My son loves that kind of thing and the game prices aren't bad (some arcade games were only a quarter). I find it hard to enjoy the games knowing we paid an admission to get into the park. Playing games means we aren't riding rides. At least my husband always manages to win something for my son and I notice a lot of other winners toting prizes around the park so the odds can't be too bad. It lessens the pain when we get to take home a big whale wearing a hoodie.

There are other admission options (multiple-day passes, sunset admission, etc.) One great option is the season pass. You can get either the regular Hershey season pass or the Gold, which includes Dutch Wonderland. The season passes include all kinds of perks (free parking, discounts, Zoo America, etc) and you really only have to make a couple of trips to get your money's worth. Our kids aren't quite old enough to appreciate it yet but I plan on buying the passes in a couple of years. The earlier you buy season passes, the better price you get so keep that in mind if you go this route. Think about it in the fall for the following year.

You can also get discounted tickets from Giant markets and perhaps other locations.

There is a lot to do at Hersheypark so it definitely qualifies as a full-day event, especially when it is busy since you'll be waiting in line a lot of the time. There are plenty of kiddie rides for the smaller kids. All rides are coded so you can measure your child upon entering the park and know exactly what rides they are allowed to ride by matching your child's category up to the ride listing on the map. There are shows, games, arcades, Zoo America and of course the rides. You'll stay busy. I find it exhausting to be honest.

The new Boardwalk area wasn't open when we were there but we got a glimpse of the work that they're doing. I think older kids will love it. I'm not so much of a fan of getting wet in the middle of an amusement park (a waterpark such as Great Wolf Lodge is another matter).

In conclusion, it's a great amusement park but pricey as most amusement parks tend to be.

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.