Dutch Wonderland: An Amusement Park For All
Disclosure: This year I am happy to announce I am a Dutch Wonderland Royal Ambassador! What does that mean? This means I received complimentary one-day admission to their park in exchange for my review, and posts. I also received a discount link for my followers/readers. (Yeah savings!) As always, I would not recommend a product or experience I, or my family, did not like.
Dutch Wonderland: A Kingdom for Kids! ®
We had such a blast at Dutch Wonderland’s opening weekend. Located near Lancaster, PA Dutch Wonderland is a 43-acre amusement/theme park for all ages. (I reside in Maryland and the park is only 1.5 hours from my house.) It has rides, a water play area, games, food, entertainment, and more. (They also have a campground!) While it caters towards kids the park has so much to offer. My family has been going to Dutch Wonderland for years and I can see why it’s so popular with families. Below is just a snapshot of what Dutch Wonderland is, and how much fun my family had on our visit.
Rides
There are so many rides at Dutch Wonderland. (Actually, there are over 35!) No matter your age there is a ride you can go on. (From the Merry-Go-Round to bumper cars, and roller coasters.) All rides are assigned a stone/color to let you know what height you have to be to ride. My youngest is 15 months old and she was able to ride with us on many rides such as the Gondola Cruise, the Wonderland Special Train, and more. My 3-year-old was able to ride almost every ride, even a roller coaster! She loved riding the Joust coaster and rode it about 5 times during our visit.
Her second favorite ride was the Turnpike where you get to drive. Dutch Wonderland is truly A Kingdom for Kids! ® but the best part is there is something for everyone and every age. Adults and older kids will love Dutch Wonderland’s newest roller coaster, Merlin’s Mayhem. I went on it with my husband and it was so much fun. (When my 3-year-old is big enough she is going to love going on it.)
The Joust Roller Coaster 
TurnPike 
Ride Height Chart 
Merlin’s Mayhem Roller Coaster
Dukes Lagoon – UPDATE!
Dukes Lagoon is the water play area at Dutch Wonderland that is open Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day. Dukes Lagoon is now open! We recently made a visit after Memorial Day weekend, and we had a blast! There are four areas to Dukes Lagoon. Pipeline Plunge, and then the splash area has three sections. It is great for all ages! There are tons of tables and chairs to sit and relax. Along with cabana’s you can rent to help keep you out of the sun.
Pipeline Plunge 
Get your picture with Pirate Duke! 
Dukes Lagoon
Exploration Island
This section of the park is all about, you guessed it, exploration! You can go mining, dig in the sand, ride the Gondola Cruise and Turnpike rides, and go back in time to see Dinosaurs on the Prehistoric Path. What makes the Prehistoric Path even cooler is the dinosaurs move and make sounds. It makes a great learning opportunity for kids. While my 15-month-old wasn’t too enthused about the animatronic dinosaur’s my 3-year-old thought they were pretty neat.
Exploration Island 
Dino Egg Photo Op 
Dino’s! 
Dino’s!
Entertainment/Attractions/Character Meet & Greets
Beyond the roller coasters and rides, Dutch Wonderland offers fantastic Entertainment. You can meet & greet The Knight of Safety, Princess Brooke, Merlin, and Duke the Dragon. You will also see these character’s around the park walking or preforming during some of the shows. We attended the “Royal Fiasco” show and the singing and dancing had my 15-month-old on her feet rocking out. Another awesome performance was “The Adventures of the Frog Prince” at The Aqua Stadium. I was not expecting to see people diving into the water, but the performers did such a great job. (We laughed so hard and the kids were in awe of the divers.) There is also face painting, games, and the gift shop!
Food
Other than rides and attractions food can make or break an amusement park. Good thing Dutch Wonderland doesn’t disappoint! They have many food locations throughout the park with differing fare. From Barbecue to pizza everyone in the family will find something to eat. During our trip, we really enjoyed eating at the Potato Patch. The fries and chicken tenders were delicious. We also made sure to snag some 2019 souvenir cups. (They come with 99 cent drink refills!) Oh, and popcorn! (Also, 99 cent popcorn refills when you buy the souvenir bucket.) One food item I was really hoping to devour was some Dole Whip, but unfortunately, they were closed. That’s ok! Just another reason to go back. 🙂 (On a side note Dutch Wonderland does offer a season pass meal plan that allows for 2 meals a day with snacks such as Popcorn, Cotton Candy, and Soft Pretzel.)
The Potato Patch and 2019 Souvenir Cup 
Auntie Anne’s Pretzel 
Breyer’s Ice cream and Kids 2019 Souvenir Cup 
Chicken Tenders from the Potato Patch
Ticket Pricing
Dutch Wonderland has varying ticket pricing depending on if they are running a special or not. Kids 2 years and under are free, but current one-day ticket prices are $44.99. If you are military you get a special discount that will make one-day tickets $34.99 for ages 3-59. (Over 59 years of age is even cheaper.) They do also offer season passes, season meal plans, and a photo fun pass. (Premium season passes will also get you into Dutch Wonderland for their Halloween and Christmas celebrations.)
I ran the numbers and for a family of 4 to get season passes with a meal plan and photo fun pass it would be slightly under $1,000. (Even cheaper if you purchase season passes when they are running a special!) If you plan on going to the park more than 3 times in a year the season pass with a meal plan and photo pass is worth it. To purchase tickets simply go HERE.
But Wait! Don’t Forget My Ticket Discount!
One of the best things about being a Royal Ambassador for Dutch Wonderland is having the ability to pass on a special ticket discount to my readers. So, when there isn’t a ticket special going on make sure to use the code: summerblog19 at check out to receive $5 off one-day tickets, making the price $39.99 per ticket. Or click my Ambassador deal link.
Deal link: https://www.dutchwonderland.com/BlogReader
Super Duper Bonus! Free Printable!
During our visit to the park, we weren’t able to go on every ride. Dukes Lagoon was closed, and because it had been raining earlier in the day some of the other rides were closed as well. So, the next day I wondered what rides, attractions, and shows did we miss, and which ones did we need to make sure we go on next time. So, I made a printable. I call it the Kingdom Checklist! The best part is I am sharing it with you! Print it out and take it to the park with you to make sure you enjoy all of the rides and attractions Dutch Wonderland has to offer.
My favorite part was my granddaughter yelling “best day ever!” as we were getting ready to leave Dutch Wonderland
? Sounds like that calls for another visit.
great info! we’ve always wanted to visit for the roller coaster and other rides and it’d be a fun road trip!
It’s such a fun park! You get the big pack feel in a small park setting. Plus there is Dole Whip!