THEME PARK ITINERARIES
Hersheypark
Hersheypark has a great variety of family rides and thrill rides, plus a waterpark.
There are multiple touring plans below depending on the height of your kids. All of these will:
- Save you a lot of time not waiting in lines
- Help you do the park in a fun and efficient way that minimizes crisscrossing the park
- Doesn’t require buying expensive skip-the-line passes!
The plans don’t give exact times because crowds vary and what you choose to ride may vary, but they give you a general order in which to do things that saves time.
Download the Hersheypark app to use the interactive map.
Hersheypark often has sales on tickets. Check their website to check for deals.
They often have deals on 2-day tickets. If you can stay 2 days, I recommend it. Especially if you’re visiting in the summer when it is more crowded and if you want to enjoy the water park. If you choose to stay at a Hershey resort, you can also enter the park for the last 2 hours of the day on the day you arrive so you could also take advantage of this if you can only spend 1 day in the park. If you will be only visiting for one day, we highly recommend using one of the plans below and skipping the water park.
Holidays will have special tickets and pricing.
- Wear comfortable clothing that matches the weather
- Wear shoes you can walk in all day comfortably
- If it’s going to be hot, think about what clothing will be best if you get sweaty. And bring an anti-chafing stick if you have any parts that tend to chafe.
- If you have kids age 5 or under, I would bring a stroller or rent one when you get there.
- Bring a backpack, cross-shoulder bag, or fanny pack to carry essentials.
- Inside your bag have sunscreen, medicines, an external phone charger, band-aids, phones, and anything else that is essential for the day. Don’t overpack!
- Wear sunglasses and/or hats on sunny days.
- Pack ponchos if there’s a chance of rain or if you want to ride water rides without getting fully soaked.
- If you’ll be visiting the water park, I recommend wearing your bathing suits under your clothes and then packing a change of clothes. Also pack towels. I recommend bringing microfiber towels like these so they are less bulky and easier to pack. You may also want flip flops or water shoes to wear in between water attractions because the pavement can get hot on sunny days.
We recommend staying at Hershey Lodge. It’s a great hotel for families with an awesome indoor pool and waterslide area. It’s an official Hersheypark hotel so you get free transportation to the park, you can enter the park 1 hour before official opening time, and you can visit the park for a few hours the night before your first full day in the park as a free preview night.
Learn more about the Hershey Lodge >
If you want a cheaper option or want to earn or use Marriott points, we have enjoyed the Fairfield Inn & Suites Hershey Chocolate Avenue and Courtyard Hershey Chocolate Avenue.
Jump to an Itinerary
Touring Plan for Older Kids & Teens who want to do all the thrill rides in one day
This plan is for people with kids over 54″ in height who want to ride as many thrill rides as possible in one day. If you only have 1 day to spend in Hersheypark, we recommend skipping the water park area because the lines get long and slow and there are plenty of great roller coasters instead. This plan helps reduce time spent in lines but also does not constantly crisscross the park.
If you are staying at a Hershey Resort, you can and should enter the park 1 hour before official opening time. This means getting on the bus at the resort to get to the parks 1.5 hours before official park opening, or 30 minutes before early entry. This gives you time to ride the bus and go through ticketing and security and be ready to start riding rides as soon as they open.
If you are not staying at a Hershey Resort, aim to arrive in the parking area 30 minutes before the park opening time. This gives you time to park, walk or catch a tram to the entrance, and get through ticketing and security.
This is the big coaster right in front of the entrance. If you don’t get to the park right at opening time, the line could be too long by the time you get to it. If it’s over a 40-minute wait, you can wait and ride it as your last ride of the night.
This coaster is fast, smooth, and a joy to ride! It has a 54″ height requirement.
Walk up past several kid rides and turn left toward Reece’s Cupfusion. This dark ride takes you through rooms where you have to aim your gun at targets to destroy the bad candies trying to keep the world from the joy of Reece’s. All ages will enjoy this fun attraction and can compete against the other in your 4-person car for who can get the top score. The line will get very long throughout the day so it’s good to ride it early!
Minimum height: 36″
Walk to the left as you exit Cupfusion and walk toward Fahrenheit, the big orange coaster.
Fahrenheit is a steel coaster with loops and a big 97-degree drop.
Minimum height: 54″
Continue walking to the left as you exit Fareheit, walk past Wildcat’s Revenge (don’t worry you’ll do it next) and continue to the indoor building for Laff Trakk. This one will get really long line later in the day as people make it back to this section of the park.
Laff Trakk is a really fun indoor coaster with a carnival theme where you sit in 4-person cars that spin (not crazy spinning though – I don’t like spinning and can handle it just fine). It’s a lot of fun!
Minimum height: 42″. Learn more about Laff Track >
This coaster is crazy! And awesome! But I was not ready for how intense it was the first time I rode it. It’s a combination wood and steel coaster and the first combo coaster I’ve done that goes upside down. My favorite combo coaster is still Lightning Rod at Dollywood but this is a very close second! It’s amazing!
There is only a 48″ height requirement. My 8-year-old rode it and loved it but she’s roller-coaster love daredevil. Some kids may not be ready for this intense ride at that height.
Also note: There is only a lap bar on this ride, even though you go upside down. They will make sure the lap bar is REALLY tight so you won’t be going anywhere. Not having much holding you in is part of the thrill, but you have to have full torso control to ride this safely.
Walk back past Laff Trakk and head to the wooden coaster in the back – Lightning Racer. This is a dual-track coaster where you race the other car. It’s a classic wooden coaster with lots of dips and curves. Ride in the front for a smoother ride.
If the line isn’t too long (which it’s usually not at this time of day), you can ride this one twice and try both sides!
Minimum height: 48″
We have now entered the part of the day where crowds are getting larger and which ride to do next is more about location than wait time strategy.
Wild Mouse is listed now because it’s the only other thrill ride in the Midway America section and you’re about to leave the area. It’s a typical wild mouse ride so if you’ve ridden one, you’ve ridden them all. It does always get screams and laughs though!
Minimum height requirement: 48″
It may be a good time to get some food! There are many food options in the park, including a large food area in Pioneer Frontier that has a Moe’s, a Subway, a Philly Cheesetake place, a Chickie’s & Pete’s, and more. If not everyone can agree on what they want, this is a great area to stop because it’s basically an outdoor food court.
This is a classic steel coaster with a twist – it goes both forward and backward on the same track while you listen to fun music! It only has one car so it’s pretty low capacity. The wait time at this point in the day may be a little long, but shouldn’t be significantly longer than other coasters. I have seen it occasionally get too long though. I couldn’t wait more than 45 minutes for this ride.
Minimum height: 48″
Learn more about Jolly Rancher Remix >
Note: If this ride is closed or you have some that don’t want to ride it, you can check on MIX’D – a spinning ride next to the coaster. My kids like this ride, but it loads slowly and the ride itself lasts a while, so just be aware that it could be a 30-60 time investment even if the lines doens’t look too bad.
Across from Jolly Rancher Remix you’ll find Storm Runner. This is a personal favorite of mine! It’s a launch coaster which means you will suddenly go from 0 to 72 miles per hour and then straight up and into some crazy loops and rolls. It’s so fun! But…my 10-year-old daughter was in tears the first time she rode it because she was so scared. (I don’t recommend watching it before you do it because it looks scarier than it is). But as soon as the launch happened she screamed “I LOVE IT!!!” Encourage your kids to try it once they’re tall enough…just don’t watch it first 🙂
Minimum height: 54″
Learn more about Storm Runner >
Head down the path that passes under the Storm Runner track and try out a sweet family coaster – Trailblazer! This is a great ride if you have a wide age range with you. With only a 36″ height requirement and no big drops, it’s perfect for younger kids and older adults (my mom loves this one!)
If the line is long or you are only interested in thrills, skip this one.
Walk across the bridge and up the hill to the 3 drop towers. There are 3 heights depending on your level of thrill-seeking! These towers don’t just drop you once but go up and down several times to really make sure you get that “tummy feeling” as my kids call it.
There are separate lines for all 3 so you can also choose which one depending on the size of the line, or if there’s no wait you can work your way up and try all 3!
Minimum height: 48″
Walk up and around the Overlook Food Court to Coal Cracker, a classic log flume ride. It’s fun, not too big of a drop for littles, and you typically get a little splashed, but not soaked. The logs fit up to 5 fit people.
Minimum height: 36″
I just love the smoothness and the roar of an inverted steel coaster! This is the kind where your feet dangle so make sure you’re wearing secure shoes.
Minimum height: 54″
It may not look like much, but you have to ride this one for the history of it! It’s the first looping coaster in the Eastern US and the first looping coaster my daughter tried (and the first loop for countless other kids!)
It doesn’t have a very high capacity so the line can get long at times which is why we have it later in the schedule which should mean the line is shorter later in the day.
Minimum height: 42″
It may not be dinner time yet depending on how quickly you’re getting through the park, but if you’re hungry, my favorite food spots near sooperdooperlooper are:
Dispatch – try the Chicken Bacon Ranch Flatbread or the Nashville Hot Chicken Flatbread. They also have chicken tenders and cheese pizza for kids.
Kosher Food Truck – try the Crispy Chicken Sandwich. They also have burgers, chicken strips, hotdogs, and more.
Skyrush is a thrilling winged-seat coaster with a 200 foot drop, multiple air-time hills, and fast turns. It does not go upside down and has restraints that hit at your lower waist (and if you haven’t ridden this one recently – the seats and restraints are much more comfortable than they used to be!)
The line can get long so this one is purposefully set later in the day when crowds are hopefully starting to thin out a bit.
Minimum height: 54″
She may be an old wooden coaster, but she is so much fun! And low capacity so the line gets long, which is why this one is last! It’s also fun to ride when the lights are on in the evening. It’s the oldest coaster in the park and worth doing!
Minimum height: 42″
Re-ride your favorites! I like hopping in line for one more ride on Candymonium before the park closes. As long as you’re in the queue before the official closing time, you get to ride!
Below are the medium and low thrill rides that are fun, but can take up a lot of time so they’re not on this 1-day big thrill list. But if you visit on a low-crowd day and want some filler rides, these are fun:
- Frontier Flyers – a spinning ride where you can adjust the rutter to shift in different directions.
- Kissing Tower – you get great views of Hershey but the area inside is small so I don’t recommend it if you’re claustrophobic.
- Mix’d – if you like that feeling of falling over and over, try this one!
- Music Express – listen to some old classic tunes while spinning around and letting the forces push you into whoever sits on the outside.
- Pirate Ship – who doesn’t love a classic swinging ship?!
- Scrambler – another classic!
- The Claw – this was is bit more of a thrill and has a 48″ height requirement.
- The Howler – like flying teacups.
- Tilt-a-Whirl – get dizzy on this classic.
Touring Plan for families with kids over 48" who want a mix of thrill rides and kid rides in one day
This touring plan is for families with kids over 48″ who can do some of the thrill rides, but are under 54″ so they can’t do all the thrill rides. It mixes thrill rides and bigger-kid rides and leaves out the baby rides. It does not include the water park. If you only have 1 day to spend in Hersheypark, we recommend skipping the water park area unless you really love waterparks because the lines get long and slow and there are plenty of great roller coasters instead. If you have 2 days to spend in the parks, then add in the water park.
If you are staying at a Hershey Resort, you can and should enter the park 1 hour before official opening time. This means getting on the bus at the resort to get to the parks 1.5 hours before official park opening, or 30 minutes before early entry. This gives you time to ride the bus and go through ticketing and security and be ready to start riding rides as soon as they open.
If you are not staying at a Hershey Resort, aim to arrive in the parking area 30 minutes before the park opening time. This gives you time to park, walk or catch a tram to the entrance, and get through ticketing and security.
Walk up past several little kid rides and turn left toward Reece’s Cupfusion. This dark ride takes you through rooms where you have to aim your gun at targets to destroy the bad candies trying to keep the world from the joy of Reece’s. All ages will enjoy this fun attraction and can compete against the other in your 4-person car for who can get the top score. The line will get very long throughout the day so it’s good to ride it early!
Minimum height: 36″
It’s a bit of a walk to this next one, and I promise this plan won’t continue to walk this far between rides, but it’s worth it to beat the crowds on this one! Continue walking to the left as you exit Cupfusion, walk past Farenheit and Wildcat’s Revenge (don’t worry you’ll do it next) and continue to the indoor building for Laff Trakk. This one will get really long line later in the day as people make it back to this section of the park.
Laff Trakk is a really fun indoor coaster with a carnival theme where you sit in 4-person cars that spin (not crazy spinning though – I don’t like spinning and can handle it just fine). It’s a lot of fun!
Minimum height: 42″. Learn more about Laff Track >
This coaster is crazy! And awesome! But I was not ready for how intense it was the first time I rode it. It’s a combination wood and steel coaster and the first combo coaster I’ve done that goes upside down. My favorite combo coaster is still Lightning Rod at Dollywood but this is a very close second! It’s amazing!
There is only a 48″ height requirement. My 8-year-old rode it and loved it but she’s roller-coaster love daredevil. Some kids may not be ready for this intense ride at 48″ tall.
Also note: There is only a lap bar on this ride, even though you go upside down. They will make sure the lap bar is REALLY tight so you won’t be going anywhere. Not having much holding you in is part of the thrill, but you have to have full torso control to ride this safely.
Walk back past Laff Trakk and head to the wooden coaster in the back – Lightning Racer. This is a dual-track coaster where you race the other car. It’s a classic wooden coaster with lots of dips and curves. Ride in the front for a smoother ride.
If the line isn’t too long (which it’s usually not at this time of day), you can ride this one twice and try both sides!
Minimum height: 48″
It’s not a must do, but if you like a big Ferris Wheels and want to ride it, ride it now because it can take a long time to load even if the line looks short. Or skip it!
This is a classic ride near the entrance to Lightning Racer. You get to listen to fun classic hits while spinning around and up and down and letting the forces push everyone into the person on the outside. It’s a lot of fun but make sure the smallest kids are on the inside!
Start to walk out of this section the way you came, but first stop and ride the Wild Mouse. It’s a typical wild mouse ride so if you’ve ridden one, you’ve ridden them all. It always gets screams and laughs though!
Minimum height requirement: 48″
It may be a good time to get some food! There are many food options in the park, including a large food area in Pioneer Frontier that has a Moe’s, a Subway, a Philly Cheesetake place, a Chickie’s & Pete’s, and more. If not everyone can agree on what they want, this is a great area to stop because it’s basically an outdoor food court.
Behind the food area in Pioneer Frontier you’ll find several mid-level thrill rides in one area. Depending on crowds and how long the park is open, you may have to pick and choose which ones you do before you move on to some of the bigger rides.
- Frontier Flyers – a spinning ride where you can adjust the rutter to shift in different directions.
- Pirate Ship – who doesn’t love a classic swinging ship?!
- The Claw – this was is bit more of a thrill and has a 48″ height requirement.
- The Howler – like flying teacups.
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This is a classic steel coaster with a twist – it goes both forward and backward on the same track while you listen to fun music! It only has one car so it’s pretty low capacity. The wait time at this point in the day may be a little long, but shouldn’t be significantly longer than other coasters. I have seen it occasionally get too long though. I couldn’t wait more than 45 minutes for this ride.
Minimum height: 48″
Head down the path that passes under the Storm Runner track and try out a sweet family coaster – Trailblazer! This is a great ride if you have a wide age range with you. With only a 36″ height requirement and no big drops, it’s perfect for younger kids and older adults (my mom loves this one!)
If the line is long or you are only interested in thrills, skip this one.
Walk across the bridge and up the hill to the 3 drop towers. There are 3 heights depending on your level of thrill-seeking! These towers don’t just drop you once but go up and down several times to really make sure you get that “tummy feeling” as my kids call it.
There are separate lines for all 3 so you can also choose which one depending on the size of the line, or if there’s no wait you can work your way up and try all 3!
Minimum height: 48″
Walk up and around the Overlook Food Court to Coal Cracker, a classic log flume ride. It’s fun, not too big of a drop for littles, and you typically get a little splashed, but not soaked. The logs fit up to 5 fit people.
Minimum height: 36″
It may not be dinner time yet depending on how quickly you’re getting through the park, but if you’re hungry, my favorite food spots near sooperdooperlooper are:
Dispatch – try the Chicken Bacon Ranch Flatbread or the Nashville Hot Chicken Flatbread. They also have chicken tenders and cheese pizza for kids.
Kosher Food Truck – try the Crispy Chicken Sandwich. They also have burgers, chicken strips, hotdogs, and more.
It may not look like much, but you have to ride this one for the history of it! It’s the first looping coaster in the Eastern US and the first looping coaster my daughter tried (and the first loop for countless other kids!)
It doesn’t have a very high capacity so the line can get long at times which is why we have it later in the schedule which should mean the line is shorter later in the day.
Minimum height: 42″
She may be an old wooden coaster, but she is so much fun! And low capacity so the line gets long, which is why this one is last! It’s also fun to ride when the lights are on in the evening. It’s the oldest coaster in the park and worth doing!
Minimum height: 42″
Re-ride your favorites! I like hopping in line for one more ride right before the park closes. As long as you’re in the queue before the official closing time, you get to ride!
Below are the medium and low thrill rides that are fun, but can take up a lot of time so they’re not on this 1-day big thrill list. But if you visit on a low-crowd day and want some filler rides, these are fun:
- Kissing Tower – you get great views of Hershey but the area inside is small so I don’t recommend it if you’re claustrophobic.
- Twin Turnpike – Let your kids drive their own car (on a track).
- Scrambler – another classic!
- Tilt-a-Whirl – get dizzy on this classic.
Touring Plan for families with children under 48"
This touring plan is for families with kids under 48″. It includes a few rides that still have height requirements so skip those if you have tiny kids, or take turns riding them with your bigger kids. This plan has you hit a few of the family rides that get the longest waits early in the day, then doing most of the kid rides late in the day when many small children have gone home. This flips the way many people do the park to save you time in line.
If you are staying at a Hershey Resort, you can and should enter the park 1 hour before official opening time. This means getting on the bus at the resort to get to the parks 1.5 hours before official park opening, or 30 minutes before early entry. This gives you time to ride the bus and go through ticketing and security and be ready to start riding rides as soon as they open.
If you are not staying at a Hershey Resort, aim to arrive in the parking area 30 minutes before the park opening time. This gives you time to park, walk or catch a tram to the entrance, and get through ticketing and security.
Walk up past several little kid rides and turn left toward Reece’s Cupfusion. This dark ride takes you through rooms where you have to aim your gun at targets to destroy the bad candies trying to keep the world from the joy of Reece’s. All ages will enjoy this fun attraction and can compete against the other in your 4-person car for who can get the top score. The line will get very long throughout the day so it’s good to ride it early!
Minimum height: 36″
The monorail is a fun way to get view of Hersheypark, Zoo America, and a bit of downtown Hershey.
If you have kids over 42″ who are ready to try a few roller coasters, head down the narrower path toward Comet. Comet and sooperdooperlooper are both first great real roller coasters for kids once they reach 42″. They can also both get longer lines and longer lines for nervous first timers increases the chances they will get too scared, so riding these in the morning with shorter lines will help!
About Comet: It’s a classic wooden coaster and is the oldest in the park! It has fun ups and downs but nothing too big. Ride toward the front for a smoother ride.
Learn more about Comet >
About sooperdooperlooper: This was the first looping coaster in the Eastern US! It has one loop and several small hills. The seats have a lap bar like a classic coaster, but ensure nervous kids with a science lesson – the centrifugal force on the loop makes it impossible to fall out! When you’re done, you can visit the gift shop and buy a “I survived sooperdooperlooper” shirt! It’s the most popular shirt in the park and this ride is a rite of passage for many kids!
If your kids are all less than 42″, continue to step 5.
Walk across the creek into the Kissing Tower Hill section of the park. Here you will find Coal Cracker, a classic log flume ride. It’s fun, not too big of a drop for littles, and you typically get a little splashed, but not soaked. The logs fit up to 5 fit people.
Minimum height: 36″
Let your kid experience the fun of driving a car (sort of)! There are two different options – either classic cars or race cars. They are the same experience so pick whichever most excites your kids or the one with the shortest line.
If you’re not afraid of heights or enclosed spaces and you like the idea of seeing a birds eye view of the area, take a ride in the Kissing Tower. It will slowly take you up and rotate for 360 views of Hershey through Kiss-shaped windows as a narrator tells you about the town and history.
It may be a good time to get some food! There are many food options around the park depending on when you and where your family gets hungry. If you’re in the Kissing Tower section of the park, try out the Overlook Food Court. It can get busy, but being food court style they have many different food options to make everyone happy!
Kids love the Frog Hopper! Near the Hershey drop towers, smaller kids can also get the thrill of going up and down and screaming to their heart’s delight. There is also a small truck-themed ride next to it.
Check the app for times for this fun show! It’s a 20-minute show featuring some adorable seals and sea lions. You’ll learn more about the animals and get to see some of their behaviors.
The seal stadium is down the hill from the Hershey drop towers, to the left.
Head across the creek toward Storm Runner and try out a sweet family coaster – Trailblazer! This is a great ride if you have a wide age range with you. With only a 36″ height requirement and no big drops, it’s perfect for younger kids and older adults (my mom loves this one!)
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Walk out of Pioneer Frontier toward the water park. If you have kids over 42″, check out The Howler. It’s like the teacups but flying!
Minimum height requirement: 42″
Depending on how tired your kids or (or you), how crowded the park is, and how late the park is open, you can decide if you…
- turn left and start walking back toward the entrance and do a bunch of kid rides along the way before you exit the park OR
- you can walk down past the water park to the Midway America section of the park to do rides there before heading toward the exit.
If you don’t have kids over 42″ – choose option 1.
If you have kids over 42″ that would like Laff Trakk (an indoor roller coaster) – choose option 2.
See the tab below about what there is to do with young children in the Midway American section.
It’s a bit of a walk to get to this section of the park, but there are several rides that younger kids could enjoy:
- Laff Trakk. If you have kids over 42“, this is a really fun indoor roller coaster with spinning cars. The line can get long though, so I usually recommend doing this one toward the end of the day.
- Pony Parade and Granny Bugs – two classic spinning little kid rides, one you sit it happy bugs, the other you sit in horse-drawn carriages.
- Music Express – minimum height 42“. You get to listen to fun classic hits while spinning around and up and down and letting the forces push everyone into the person on the outside. It’s a lot of fun but make sure the smallest kids are on the inside!
- Ferris Wheel – this is a large Ferris Wheel with circular, open-air gondolas. It can take a while to load and ride but will give you some nice views. I don’t recommend this for squirmy toddlers or babies – you’ll have to keep a strong hold on them the whole time to keep them safe.
There are several kid rides in this area as you walk back toward the entrance:
- Mini Scrambler – like the big one, but smaller
- Frontier Flyers – a spinning ride where you can adjust the rutter to shift in different directions.
- Dry Gulch Railroad – take a ride on a mini version of a 19th-century steam engine.
- Pirate Ship – Classic swinging pirate ship ride. Minimum height: 42″
If you need a dinner break, there are several good options in the area including a Chick-fil-A.
There are several kid rides in this area. Keep an eye on time because they can eat up more time than you expect so you may need to pick and choose.
- Fender Bender – If you like bumper cars and have kids over 42″, start with Fender Bender because bumper cars always load slowly.
- Cocoa Cruiser – A tiny kids coaster. Height requirement: 36″
- Mini Pirate – Like the classic swinging pirate ship ride, but smaller. Minimum height: 36″
- Dizzy Drums – Like spinning teacups but without theming. Minimum height: 36″
- Swing Thing – A smaller version of the classic spinning swings. Minimum height: 36″
- Misfit Bug – Spinning cars on a tiny track. No minimum height.
- Minty Bees – Classic spinning ride with cars shaped like drills. No minimum height.
Turn back around the corner from Reece’s Cupfusion toward the entrance and check out the kid rides that you passed this morning.
These include several classic spinning kid rides, plus carnival classics like the Scrambler and Tilt-a-Whirl.
The final ride as you exit the park is a beautiful carousel!
Two Days at Hersheypark
Spending two days is always what I recommend most if you have the time! You’ll get to see and do more and can add the waterpark and/or the zoo into one of your days. I still recommend following one of our touring plans for advice to save time waiting in lines. Below is advice for spending 2 days in the parks.
Day 1
- Prioritize popular rides in the morning.
- Arrive at the water park as soon as it opens. Do Breakers Edge Water Coaster First.
- Leave the water park when it gets too crowded.
- Do other popular rides near the end of the day.
- Pick one of the itineraries above to help guide your day.
- Can add in the zoo in the middle of the day
- Do Chocolate Word if it rains or if you finish everything else you want to do in the park.
If you are staying at a Hershey Resort, you can and should enter the park 1 hour before official opening time. This means getting on the bus at the resort to get to the parks 1.5 hours before official park opening, or 30 minutes before early entry. This gives you time to ride the bus and go through ticketing and security and be ready to start riding rides as soon as they open.
If you are not staying at a Hershey Resort, aim to arrive in the parking area 30 minutes before the park opening time. This gives you time to park, walk or catch a tram to the entrance, and get through ticketing and security.
These are the rides that get the longest lines and are best done in the early morning or toward the end of the night:
- Candymonium
- Reece’s Cupfusion
- Fahrenheit
- Laff Trakk
- Comet
- Great Bear
Waterpark:
I recommend only picking one day to do the water park. You don’t need a full day dedicated to ONLY the water park in my opinion, so you’ll want to bring a bag with changes of clothes for everyone and towels and place them in a locker.
Zoo:
There is a small zoo that is a part of Hersheypark. If you like animals and have the time, it is worth checking out. Admittedly though, we often skip the zoo (even though we are huge animal lovers and like zoos) because we’re mainly there for rides. It is a great place to walk around a napping child though if you have littles in strollers that still nap!
Chocolate World
Some people don’t realize when they first visit Hersheypark that there is a whole complex outside of the park gates that does not require a ticket. Chocolate World is a large building near the park entrance that has the famous Chocolate Factory tour, which is not really a tour of the factory but is a fun slow-moving ride that teaches you about how they make chocolate. It’s fun and similar to an old-school Epcot ride, which I like! You also get a free piece of chocolate at the end.
Chocolate World also has a huge store where you can buy all sorts of Hershey products, and a food court serving several types of food, a bar, a bakery, and a milk shake and ice cream Sunday shop. There are other ticketed activities in Chocolate World that we don’t think are worth doing personally, but if you have the time they can be fun! My favorite of the extra activities is the Trolly Tour which takes you through the town and teaches you about the history of the factory and the town. But the kids think it’s boring.
When to do visit Chocolate World –
When it rains. If there’s an afternoon rain shower, this is a great time to head to Chocolate World because it’s all indoors. OR
The morning of the day you leave. You can park for free for just Chocolate World and can spend an hour or two here before leaving the area. This is a good choice so it doesn’t take time away from your park day.
- Arrive at the water park as soon as it opens. This means making your way to the water park before it opens and putting your things in a locker or finding a chair and putting your stuff there.
- Do Breakers Edge Water Coaster First
- Do Coastal Plunge – Whirlwind next
- Then all the other Coastal Plunge slides
- Whitecap Racer
- Then everything else – wave pool, lazy river, kid areas – things that don’t get long lines
Photo Gallery
