Visiting Hershey Park

[thunderbeast1968]

My wife and I are trying to figure out our summer vacation plans.

I would love trip tips, where to stay and or not stay. Is there a surrounding town to stay (safely) in, to maybe save a few dollars? Other attractions to visit, can't miss restaurants?

Any tips and advice would be appreciated.

We are probably visiting the park during the first week of June. Tues, Wed, or Thurs.

[TombRaiderFTW]

I visited Hersheypark last August for the first time. I never noticed a genuinely sketchy or unsafe part of town near the park, but the hotels in Hershey, PA are significantly more expensive than hotels even 10-15 minutes away from the park, so if you're willing to drive a bit, I'd suggest staying outside the town.

The park itself is fantastic, and it manages to have a incredibly wide collection of rides without feeling charmless (which places like Cedar Point tend to lose at times--for me, anyway). However, the layout of the park doesn't work well for its popularity--the entrance plaza is quite small, for instance--so there is a bit of skill and luck necessary to try to hit up all the coasters, if that's what you're interested in.

Work your way from the back of the park to the front. (You know how Raptor at Cedar Point tends to have pretty insane lines at the beginning and end of the day? Now take less than half of that people capacity, and you've got Comet at Hersheypark. It's a fantastic, classic little wooden coaster, but it and Skyrush are the first things you see when you enter the park, so they'll have huge lines at the beginning and end of the day.) The only exception to this is Fahrenheit, which is pretty much in the same position relative to the front gate as our Invertigo. We had good luck riding that first thing in the morning, just as the people started to fill the queue (which never left 90 minutes afterward. Then again, I'm pretty sure the day we went was exceptionally busy.)

But regardless, if you can do it, try to ride rides like Lightning Racer, Wildcat, Trailblazer, Storm Runner, and Great Bear early in the day. Like I said, they're all in the far corners of the park, and people tend to rush to Comet, Sooperdooperlooper, and (presumably) Skyrush first, since they're near the front. Those three will have significantly lessened lines come early afternoon, so you'll be able to enjoy them without waiting at least an hour for each. (Though, I'd imagine Skyrush will still keep a pretty heavy line, being the new ride and all.)

That's pretty much what I've got. Outside of that, all's I can give ya are ride opinions. (And, on that note: give Comet, Sooperdooperlooper, Great Bear, and Storm Runner my love. Those rides are amazing, though many beg to differ on Great Bear. GB towards the front is my favorite B&M experience, even though the line jumping was pretty bad when we went.) It's also not a bad idea to hop on the park's monorail or train if you'd like to take a break at some point. Both are charming experiences that you can't really find anywhere around here, and the monorail will take you to downtown Hershey and back, so it's got a decent length. (You don't get off--it's a continuous loop.) If you're interested, I also recommend ZooAmerica, which is included in the price of your admission. It's a nice little zoo back behind Storm Runner that doesn't really get the attention it deserves. Just don't forget to get your hand stamped on the way there!

Hope you enjoy your trip if you guys decide to go!

[thunderbeast1968]

I visited Hersheypark last August for the first time. I never noticed a genuinely sketchy or unsafe part of town near the park, but the hotels in Hershey, PA are significantly more expensive than hotels even 10-15 minutes away from the park, so if you're willing to drive a bit, I'd suggest staying outside the town.

The park itself is fantastic, and it manages to have a incredibly wide collection of rides without feeling charmless (which places like Cedar Point tend to lose at times--for me, anyway). However, the layout of the park doesn't work well for its popularity--the entrance plaza is quite small, for instance--so there is a bit of skill and luck necessary to try to hit up all the coasters, if that's what you're interested in.

Work your way from the back of the park to the front. (You know how Raptor at Cedar Point tends to have pretty insane lines at the beginning and end of the day? Now take less than half of that people capacity, and you've got Comet at Hersheypark. It's a fantastic, classic little wooden coaster, but it and Skyrush are the first things you see when you enter the park, so they'll have huge lines at the beginning and end of the day.) The only exception to this is Fahrenheit, which is pretty much in the same position relative to the front gate as our Invertigo. We had good luck riding that first thing in the morning, just as the people started to fill the queue (which never left 90 minutes afterward. Then again, I'm pretty sure the day we went was exceptionally busy.)

But regardless, if you can do it, try to ride rides like Lightning Racer, Wildcat, Trailblazer, Storm Runner, and Great Bear early in the day. Like I said, they're all in the far corners of the park, and people tend to rush to Comet, Sooperdooperlooper, and (presumably) Skyrush first, since they're near the front. Those three will have significantly lessened lines come early afternoon, so you'll be able to enjoy them without waiting at least an hour for each. (Though, I'd imagine Skyrush will still keep a pretty heavy line, being the new ride and all.)

That's pretty much what I've got. Outside of that, all's I can give ya are ride opinions. (And, on that note: give Comet, Sooperdooperlooper, Great Bear, and Storm Runner my love. Those rides are amazing, though many beg to differ on Great Bear. GB towards the front is my favorite B&M experience, even though the line jumping was pretty bad when we went.) It's also not a bad idea to hop on the park's monorail or train if you'd like to take a break at some point. Both are charming experiences that you can't really find anywhere around here, and the monorail will take you to downtown Hershey and back, so it's got a decent length. (You don't get off--it's a continuous loop.) If you're interested, I also recommend ZooAmerica, which is included in the price of your admission. It's a nice little zoo back behind Storm Runner that doesn't really get the attention it deserves. Just don't forget to get your hand stamped on the way there!

Hope you enjoy your trip if you guys decide to go!

Thank you very much. We are also considering Six Flags over Atlanta. We live in Southen Ohio (3hrs from KI) A drive down thru Tennessee, Georgia and so, on. We thought about Ruby Falls, Rock City on the way thru. Thanks again, and if you think of any other tips, let me know. Much appreciated.

[The Interpreter]

Chocolate Town is outside the park and free. Though shamelessly plugging Hershey Chocolate, it's worth a visit. Large outlet for Hershey Candies, too.

Condor, now very rare, is not to be missed (assuming it's still there). Del Grosso's and Lakemont Parks are not that far away, and incredibly inexpensive. Of the two, I much prefer Lakemont. Leap the Dips, the Skyliner, yummy food, etc.

[thunderbeast1968]

Chocolate Town is outside the park and free. Though shamelessly plugging Hershey Chocolate, it's worth a visit. Large outlet for Hershey Candies, too.

Condor, now very rare, is not to be missed (assuming it's still there). Del Grosso's and Lakemont Parks are not that far away, and incredibly inexpensive. Of the two, I much prefer Lakemont. Leap the Dips, the Skyliner, yummy food, etc.

I am the one who also posted a forum on visiting Six Flags over Georgia. I received a lot of great feedback, My wife and I are trying to figure out our best possibilities of a trip that would include at least a "side trip" to an amusement park. Not the main focus of our trip. Thanks

[TombRaiderFTW]

^^ Condor is still there.

Your post also reminded me that you can buy combo tickets for Hersheypark and Dutch Wonderland, and that those tickets aren't much more expensive than regular admission. I don't know much of anything about DW (besides that they have one of the first CCIs), but it's worth noting.

[The Interpreter]

I don't know that that will continue, as Hershey has sold Dutch Wonderland ( home of the first CCI ). If parks are not the focus of this trip, the Pocono's and Amish Country loudly beckon (Lancaster, Intercourse, and Bird In Hand).

Dutch Wonderland is a kiddie park. For many years, kid admission was more than adult's.

[thunderbeast1968]

^^ Condor is still there.

Your post also reminded me that you can buy combo tickets for Hersheypark and Dutch Wonderland, and that those tickets aren't much more expensive than regular admission. I don't know much of anything about DW (besides that they have one of the first CCIs), but it's worth noting.

What is Condor?

[thunderbeast1968]

Is Leap the Dips the oldest operating roller coaster in the U.S.?

[The Interpreter]

Only one of the most amazing flat rides ever built. Think of a somewhat shorter WindSeeker tower with Scrambler cars attached. Nice lighting package, too. Not as frenetic as when they opened, still a lot of fun. Most are gone.

Search for Condor ride in YouTube. Unfortunately, most are POV's, so I won't be linking them here. (Terms of Service and other concerns)

And Leap the Dips is the oldest operating coaster in the USA. It's a lot of fun.

[thunderbeast1968]

Only one of the most amazing flat rides ever built. Think of a somewhat shorter WindSeeker tower with Scrambler cars attached. Nice lighting package, too. Not as frenetic as when they opened, still a lot of fun. Most are gone.

Search for Condor ride in YouTube. Unfortunately, most are POV's, so I won't be linking them here. (Terms of Service and other concerns)

And Leap the Dips is the oldest operating coaster in the USA. It's a lot of fun.

Sounds like a great side trip.

[The Interpreter]

Be sure to check Lakemont's hours. It's beside a minor league ball stadium. During games, parking is tight but the park is often sparsely attended. The park can be as rustic as Camden Park.

Condor is at Hersheypark.

[thunderbeast1968]

Condor videos I found were OK, but I found a similar video with a ride called Ikarus, not sure though, looks the same, not sure

[The Interpreter]

[McSalsa]

^

Never been on one of those in real life, but it's in Roller Coaster Tycoon 3 (say what you will about the lag problems, that game does have the best selection of rides in the series though), and your description (Terpy) of it is quite accurate- it's a Scrambler that goes 100+ feet up!

[XGatorHead 8904]

I loved Condor! When I went to HP the first time, I had no idea that it even existed. I saw it and instantly said "We HAVE to ride that!" It did not disappoint.

Both times I went (in '09 with the family & last year with friends), we stayed at the Red Roof Inn in Harrisburg. It's certainly nothing fancy (my only requirement is that it be clean and cheap; I just need a place to lay my head for the night), and the hotels in the Harrisburg area are cheaper than the ones in Hershey. Plus, Harrisburg is just a short drive from Hershey.

HP is a very hilly park, so be prepared for that. Lightning Racer is very nice (my 100th coaster credit), especially at night with the chasing lights on it. I agree with others about the monorail & ZooAmerica, they're nice breaks from the action. As Terpy pointed out, make sure to stop by the World of Chocolate right outside the park's gate. They have a dark ride there explaining the chocolate making process, and at the end they give out samples, usually of a new product. In '08 we got a new kind of Hershey Kiss, and last year we got the new Hershey Chocolate Drops (which had not hit stores yet).

I also recommend the sea lion show and The Milkmen, which is a good band (and the Hershey characters are in the crowd to dance with the kids). Also, The Chocolate Covered Band puts on a good show. They are very similar to KI's old Clown Band.

[beastrider97]

Been there twice and it is a great park! The longest waits are in the waterpark, sadly, the waterpark really doesn't have anything special. Rollersoaker seems cool from afar, but the limited capacity left us with a 2 hour wait for an incredibly poor ride. When I've gone in the middle of the summer, it surprisingly doesn't get too crowded in the main park, with a 45 minute wait on Fahrenheit as my longest wait. Lightning Racer is a must ride as it is a truly incredible wooden coaster. Storm Runner is the other must ride and probably in my top 10 coasters. Also, if there is a s'more maker towards the front of the park, get one, they are delicious!