12 Thumbs Up for Hershey Park

When my husband was living in a van down by the river…okay, he was working out of town, living in an RV in Pennsylvania, down by the Susquehanna River…Anyway, we would visit him in the summer and take the kiddos on adventures on the weekends. We decided to take them to Hershey Park, and we all had a blast!

Height Requirements

When you first walk in, the kiddos find out (according to their height) what rides they can ride:

Hershey Miniatures Under 36″
Hershey’s Kisses 36-42″
Reese’s 42-48″
Hershey’s Milk Chocolate 48-54″
Twizzler’s 54-60″
Jolly Ranchers 60″ and over

All you have to do is look for the signs at each ride entrance to see if your height/candy is listed as one that you qualify to ride.

The Water Park

Our family first walked over to the water park section of the park to lock up our towels and valuables. We also wanted to cool off since it was already getting hot (Not Alabama HOT, but pretty stinkin’ hot). We all loved the Inter-Coastal Waterway, which is a lazy river (I love anything lazy, honestly.)

There was also the East Coast Water Works. It was perfect for either small or an older child. My kids loved the water slides. There is also the Shoreline Sprayground, which is a family splash area that offers a lot of seating and shade for families.

There is the Waverider if you want to try surfing or you could head over to The Shore which is a great wave pool. Or take the little ones to the Bayside Pier, a wave pool for smaller children.

Thrill Rides and Kid Rides

This water park area was a little crowded, but the rest of the park had really short lines (We went on a Sunday in July). We did wait in a short line at the Sunoco Speedway, but mostly we got on the rides very quickly.

After visiting the water rides for a while, the hubs and the daredevil teens went off to ride the thrill rides like the Storm Runner, Skyrush, and Fahrenheit. They all came back with rave reviews.

We met up for a late lunch – pizza and Mexican food- and it wasn’t too bad for Amusement Park Food.

The kiddos and I enjoyed the water park and the smaller, more tame rides for kids. They loved that there were so many small versions of big rides for them, like the Mini Pirate Ship that swings. The kids also liked the train, mini planes, mini trucks, and Ladybug Tea Cups.

My son’s favorite was the Coal Cracker log ride. Even though the last drop was a little steeper than he was used to, he loved it and wanted to ride it over and over again. This is technically a water ride, but isn’t located in the water park (It is located in Kissing Tower Hill).

There are plenty of shops for souvenirs and chocolates, and we bought a few things for the ride back.

You can see a list of all of Hershey Park Rides and Attractions HERE.

Admission Prices

As of 2016, the one-day admission SUMMER prices for Hershey Park are as follows (plus tax):

Regular
Ages 9-54 $64.95

Junior
Ages 3-8 $41.95

Senior
Ages 55-69 $41.95

Senior Plus
Ages 70+ $25.95

Children
Ages 2 & younger FREE

There are different prices for different seasons and multiple days passes. They also offer Season Passes. The park runs specials from time to time and you can find a nearby GIANT Grocery Store to get $10 off coupons.

There are so many things to do in this area – like Hershey Gardens, The Hershey Story Museum & ZooAmerica.  Hershey, PA is also only about a 2-hour car drive to Philadelphia, PA. It would be easy to spend a long weekend or a whole week in this area.

Have you been to Hershey Park? What did your family enjoy the most?