Hershey Park Review & Tips
Disclosure: My family and I love amusement parks and theme parks. Hershey Park was kind enough to provide my family with complimentary tickets to their park in exchange for this Hershey Park Review post. All thoughts, experiences, and opinions are my own. 🙂
Family Time!
I finally made it to Hershey Park! Haha! I have lived near Hershey Park all of my life and have never been to the amusement park. Now I want to go back multiple times a season for more family fun. Our trip to Hershey was fantastic, and we wish we had stayed longer. It was also the first time in the park for my kids. (My husband had been before as a child.) We stayed at the Hershey Lodge and took advantage of our extra preview park hours the night before, and the sweet start hour the day of our park visit with our kids. Here is a brief Hershey Park review, and some tips for your next trip to make it a little sweeter.
The Park
Located in Hershey, PA, Hershey Park has over 70 rides. (14 of which are roller coasters, and they will be adding a 15th soon! Eeek!) It has a water park, a small Zoo, food, games, and more. Outside of the park is Hershey’s Chocolate World and Hersheypark stadium where they hold concerts. (You do not need a ticket for Hershey Park to enter Hershey’s Chocolate World or the stadium.) You can make a whole weekend going to the Park, Chocolate World, and a concert at the stadium. (TIP: Hershey Park is very hilly. Be prepared if you have kid’s in strollers or family members in wheelchairs.)
Rides
There are so many rides at Hershey Park. There is a ride for everyone. From the little kids to the adults. (TIP: Get your kid’s measured at the official measuring station so they can get a wrist band. It will save time, and make it so the ride operators know right away if they are tall enough to ride.) You can use the Hershey Park app to find the current wait times and locations of all of the rides. The app also has a function that will help navigate you to a ride you select. Since we have younger kids, we spent a lot of our time going on the rides for younger kids. (i.e. The frog hopper, convoy, the Ferris wheel, helicopters, misfit bug, etc.)
The Boardwalk
Free with your park admission is access to Hershey Parks water park. This section of the park really does feel like you have been transported to a boardwalk. You can ride the beautiful Ferris wheel, and cool off on the rides and in the waterworks. (TIP: If you want to spend the day at the water park arrive early. It was very crowded the day we went, and if you want to maximize your time on the water rides an early arrival is a must.)
Food
There are so many places to eat at Hershey Park! The best part is they have a wide variety of food. (TIP: If you have dietary restrictions you can look up all of the food locations on the Hershey Park App and filter to find places that fit your needs.) While we were at the park, we were able to try a BBLz, a King Size Shake, and The Overlooks Loaded Perogies and Walking Taco. (TIP: Purchase a reusable souvenir cup, and refill it throughout the day. It will save you money in the long run. Plus, you can bring it back any time that year and save even more money on drinks.) A big plus for us, as a family, was that the meal sizes were big. You definitely get your money’s worth.
New for 2019
Hershey has two new attractions for 2019. Hershey Park has Reese’s Cupfusion, and Hershey’s Chocolate World has Hershey’s Unwrapped. I, unfortunately, did not get a chance to experience Hershey’s Unwrapped since it rained and everyone made their way to Chocolate World. I did, however, get a chance to ride Reese’s Cupfusion. Not once, but twice! Whew, I have to tell you though it was a long wait both times. Over an hour each time. (TIP: If you really, really, want to ride Reese’s Cupfusion splurge for the Fast Track pass to skip the line.) Reese’s Cupfusion has a great cue line though so if you do have to wait you will still be pretty entertained. It is an interactive ride that is great for all ages!
ZooAmerica
Also free with your Hershey Park admission is access to ZooAmerica. If you need a break from the hustle and bustle of the park ZooAmerica is a great place to escape. You can see over 200 animals, and even touch some! There are places to eat in ZooAmerica, and there is enough to see and do you could spend hours here.
Sweet Extra: Chocolate World
Right outside of Hershey Park is Hershey’s Chocolate World. It is a HUGE place where you can shop, eat, go on the Chocolate Tour, create your own candy bar, see the 4D Chocolate movie, Hershey’s Unwrapped, climb aboard the Trolley Works, and more. You can spend a good part of the day in Chocolate World. The Chocolate tour is free, but you will need to purchase tickets for some of the other attractions. (TIP: It can get a little crowded if it rains so I highly recommend purchasing tickets in advance, and to beat the rush of people.)
Hershey Park Tickets
Ticket costs for Hershey Park can vary. Hershey will run sales on tickets, or you might be able to find a coupon at your local grocery store. Also, if you plan on staying at an Official Hershey Resort, they sometimes run their own ticket specials. (TIP: Click HERE to read my review of the Hershey Lodge, and to learn about all the Hershey Park perks you receive.) There is also different ticket pricing for their Sunset Tickets, Hershey park In the Dark, and their Christmas Candylane. As of right now, Hershey Park is running a 20% off ticket sale on one-day tickets, until July 31st. The cost of tickets for a family of 4 would be $215.00. (That is without any extra add-on’s such as a fast track, meal plan, etc.) Oh, and don’t forget about season passes!
Because Pictures Are Not Enough. Haha!
I have so many photos and videos from our trip to Hershey Park, but unfortunately, I cannot put them all in this blog post. So, I created a Hershey Park Review & Tips video! You can check it out below.
Had a horrible time at hershey! The zoo takes horrible care of their animals! Lines were long, rides were short, more food then rides, just a horrible experience!
Oh no! I am sorry that was your experience. Truthfully, not every time I go to a theme park is it a fantastic experience. (Even at Disney.) If you have younger kids I highly recommend Dutch Wonderland though!