Looking for tips for Dorney/Hershey/Kennywood parks
Any plan of attack to ride all the coasters, good places to eat or any other information would be appreciated.
Im going to visit Dorney/Hershey and Kennywood parks the first week of August and im looking for any info that might be helpful. Ive never been to these parks so any plan of attack so i can ride all the coasters/good places to eat or any other information you have would be appreciated by me and hopefully any other people planning a visit to these parks. Also any discounts available and how do these parks handle carry-ins-ie snacks/water bottles etc. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
When you go to Hershey, start in the "back" of the park...which is the part that contains pretty much all of their newest and best rides. Lightning Racer is back there, as is Storm Runner, Roller Soaker, the wild mouse, and Wildcat. The front of Hershey can get really congested in the morning, as that is where most of the kiddie rides and such are located, and everyone seems to start there. My advice, walk to the back and work your way forward to avoid early morning lines. There really are only a few rides in the front that are worth waiting a while for. Those are Comet, Great Bear, and the log flume thats kind of hidden. Also, don't forget to check out ZooAmerica, which is a free zoo dedicated to North American animal species.
Contrary to popular belief, buying candy at Hershey is no different than buying it at WalMart. It's not any cheaper, or more fresh, and Chocolate World is very very crowded. Not sure about their policy on carry in stuff. I would imagine that they are probably like everyone else. Good discounts are also a little hard to come by, but you can catch some coupons around town. I stayed in Harrisburg and opted for the 10 minute drive, and found a $6.00 off coupon at a gas station.
HersheyPark has a great deal called Preview Night. Basically, just show up 2.5 hours before closing, buy a 1-day ticket, and you can use it that evening plus all day the next day. Since HP is largely a family park, it's not as crowded the last couple of hours of the day anyway, so you can get quite a bit of riding in. You can also re-use your parking pass the next day.
One plan of attack would be to arrive late afternoon and head over to Chocolate World (literally right next door to HersheyPark). It's a little dorky, but it's free, they have a dark ride (fake tour of a factory), and they give free candy samples. Do the tour, grab a bite to eat, then stroll next door right at 7:30 to take advantage of your Preview Night.
If you're staying in the area, your hotel should be able to sell you discounted tickets, or you could probably get them from a local BK or McDonald's. However, even at full-price, an HP adult 1-day ticket is less than $40 (and parking is only $7), so as major theme parks go, it's quite reasonable.
Thanks for the info.
Has anyone here tried the deal HersheyPark has where you can visit several hours the night before and then come back the next day??
How much time do you think is needed to properly see these parks?? I was hoping 1 day for each would be enough park, but thought Hershey may need more.
I think that one day is sufficient for Hershey, as long as you arrive early and make it a lengthy day. There is a lot to do, but the lines move pretty quickly. As always, I recommend visiting during the week and not the weekend.
If you want to do everything the town of Hershey has to offer, it's a definite 2 day trip (Park, Hershey Gardens, Hershey Museum, Chocolate World, etc.) I just returned from Hershey and we did the park (I didn't get to do everything I wanted), the Gardens, we stayed at the Hotel Hershey, and Chocolate World.
From Kay Mason
Posted July 31, 2005 at 5:16 PM
Best price yet for Hersheypark tix is Giant Supermarkets. All of them sell them at the Customer Service counter. The preview night is good if you are staying in the area. You can get a lot of the coasters in at night and focus on the water rides the next day. And the coasters are great in the dark!
I recently went to Kennywood for my first time. IIRC, bring a coke can and you get a whopping $10 off admission! Also, you can purchase a discount ticket for Idlewild ($15), which is about 40 min east of Kennywood on Rt. 30. I went to Kennywood from opening time to dinnertime, recouped at my Hotel for about an hour and then skipped on out to Idlewild. (Rollo Coaster at Idlewild may be small, but it's way fun.)
I know you didn't mention wanting to hit Idlewild, but it's a really small park and doesn't cost much or take too much time and it's a great opportunity to ride an ACE classic. They've also got a pretty decent wild mouse and a bunch of carnival rides. And it's a gorgeously wooded park. If you've got little kids, it has a lot for them as well, including Mr. Rogers Neighborhood!!!!!
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