Luxury Family Adventures

We decided to take our two young teens to Hershey Park for the first time… Living in New York City, I am surprised that we haven’t made the trip before. Perhaps because I am not the biggest amusement park person!

TICKETS:

We bought our tickets on the Hershey Park website and were able to buy a family package for $225. This included park admission for 4, parking and a sweet treat. What was interesting also is that the park admission gave you 2 hours of access to the park the day before (2 hours before closing) as a preview. Here you get to experience the park at night and get in a few extra rides.

THE DRIVE:

We made the drive from Manhattan on a Friday afternoon and it took a good 4 hours for us to get to the area. Traffic leaving the city is impossible and with road closures etc it made for a long drive. We opted to use our Marriott Free Night Certificates and stayed at the Spring Hill Suites for 2 nights to make for a more ‘relaxing’ trip. The accommodations were spacious and fine for a couple of nights. The rooms were clean, the staff friendly and the rooms looked like they had been recently renovated.

OUR DAYS

On Day 1 we checked into our hotel and took a breather and then made our way to Hershey Park for 7 pm. It’s good to note, that on the preview night, you do not have to pay for parking. it’s free! As we arrived to the park, the girls were very excited and scoped out all of the rides they wanted to do. We got in 2 rides on Wild Mouse, Jolly Rancher Mixer and 2 rides on the Claw.

On Day 2, the weather forecast had rain… this actually worked to our advantage as it didn’t rain (it was cloudy ) and thus the park was a bit emptier. We arrived right as the park opened and we were able to get in several rides/rollercoasters in the first hour with little to no wait. I highly recommend getting to the park as it opens if you are not planning on buying the ‘fast pass’ (which can run a family $600-$800!). We left the park at around 4 pm, went back to the hotel to relax and then went for dinner as a family.

The surrounding area has several chain restaurants and big block buster stores all in close proximity (Five Below, Home Goods, Marshall’s etc), which is fun if you like shopping!

Below are some of my tips as a first time visitor.

1. If you can, spend the night or two as it makes for a much more relaxing experience.
2. Take advantage of the preview in the park the night before.
3. Sometimes rain can be a good thing, as it keeps crowds low.
4. Try and get to the park as the park opens to take advantage of line free rides. If you are planning to buy a fast pass, think about buying it on the day off so you can see if the pass is worth it.
5. I would consider bringing a portable charger as I am sure you will do some scrolling while waiting in line. Also consider a fanny pack, as you can keep that with you on the rides, as long as it’s around your waist.

The experience at Hershey Park was all around great! The kids had a great time and we will likely make this a tradition each summer (or every other summer!).