discounted Hershey Park tickets

Anonymous wrote:Op - check the weather. Might be very hot this weekend. Depending on your kids ages, it might not be that fun to be at the park when it's 93 degrees.

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They have a free water park inside the park.

OP, we have season passes. Here is how you tour the park:

First download app with wait times. get there 20min before gate opening and hit the coasters first. Skip the white wooden one in the front as everyone goes there. The line will be less later. If you have young ones, skip all the front rides in the very beginning. Trust me, there is never long waits for them later.

We usually do Farenheit, Skyrush, Super Dooper Looper, Great Bear first. Stick to the right and back areas of the park first. Do all the rides over there all AM. Eat lunch and spend the early afternoon in the water park. Then regroup and do Mid Way America and head back up towards the front. Do all of the Hollow on the way out.

If you are not doing many roller coasters, do the flying Frontier planes first. That que never looks long but it is the slowest moving line and has sucked an hour of our time before. Plus there is no shade.

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07/30/2015 16:33

Subject: discounted Hershey Park tickets

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Anonymous

Thanks PP. DD is 5 and we are going with a couple of her friends who are also 5. I was thinking we would skip the water park altogether because we won't have time. Once we take them in, not sure we'll be able to get them out of there. But your plan sounds enticingly doable.

Is it like a giant pool or splashpark? Slides? I'm assuming there are areas to change, etc. I guess you just stash extra clothes in lockers I heard they have at the back of the park?

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07/31/2015 01:52

Subject: discounted Hershey Park tickets

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Anonymous

No, it is a true water park. It is in the middle of the park, the kids will see it and WILL want to go in. Trust me. There is a wave pool, lazy river, multiple slides, mini wave pool, kids zones that are fenced in and perfect for 5yr olds with kid slides, water that is about 2ft deep etc... They have life jackets there and there are multiple changing rooms. We always go in with bathing suits on (clothes overtop) and get changed after back into clothes (bring undergarments in backpack) We do not bring towels - waste of space. We tend to get Nathan's or Pizza in the water park area and eat an early dinner while we dry off. Then get dressed to finish out the later afternoon/early evening.

With 5yr olds, I would walk right past Founders Way in the beginning. They will be begging to stop once they see all the rides but don't. Get on those Frontier Flyers first and then make your way to Kissing Tower Hill towards the back of the park. Hit Trailblazer on the way there. It is just like Thunder Mountain at Disney, even tamer. Perfect for 5yr olds. Back in Kissing Tower Hill there is a lot for kids there. Coal Cracker, Kissing Tower, antique cars, Flying Falcon (my 5yr old's favorite!) Frogger, Red Baron etc... It will be empty in the morning and you can walk on everything. Don't do the zoo. It is free and really nice but it will eat too much time and tire them out. Before you leave the area, there is a nice restaurant with A/C called the Gourmet Grill. We eat an early lunch before the crowds hit and the A/C is so refreshing.

After finishing that back side, go back and finish parts of Pioneer Frontier or hit some rides in MidWay America. Some good ones over there are Laff Track, Ferris Wheel, Whip (another favorite) Musical Express and about 4 more kid rides including a big slide.

Then they (and you) will be ready for some water rides at the Boardwalk. Stick with the closed in areas that you can keep an eye on them. They will be happy enough on the small slides into the 2ft pool areas. Save the big wave pool, big slides and lazy river for another visit. Eat an early dinner and dry off. Get changed.

Finish anything in Midway, walk back towards the front thru Pioneer Frontier and there are some more kids rides right there. Then head towards the Comet (white wooden roller coaster) if anyone is brave enough. If not, just go to Founder's Circle and enjoy the rest of the evening there. Scrambler, Carousel, Himalayas, Balloon Flight, Starship America, Tilt-A-Whirl etc... There will be little to no lines. Then when you are done, you are close to the exit/parking.

http://www.hersheypark.com/assets/pdf/park-info/summer-map-2015.pdf

Hope this helps - have fun!

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07/31/2015 09:16

Subject: discounted Hershey Park tickets

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Anonymous

PP, you are THE BEST! Thank you so much for the suggestions, the whole itinerary just looks awesome and we will def use many of your tips! Best to you!!

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07/31/2015 10:13

Subject: discounted Hershey Park tickets

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Anonymous

I would skip the water park. It's actually pretty easy to convince kids to do so because it's in the back part of the park and has walls around it. Just don't tell your kids it's there and they likely won't care at the age of 5.

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07/31/2015 14:05

Subject: discounted Hershey Park tickets

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Anonymous

OP here. We went before when DD was 3 and she didn't notice (hell, I barely noticed) and that was that. But this time, this age is all about water parks, and though I wouldn't want it to take up the majority of our time (drive 2 hours to play in a water park -- AAACK!), I think it could be fun for a couple hours.

Are you saying no because it would be too much time or trouble?

Now I wish we were spending the night so we could do the park one day and the water park for part of a second day.

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07/31/2015 16:17

Subject: discounted Hershey Park tickets

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Anonymous

Anonymous wrote:OP here. We went before when DD was 3 and she didn't notice (hell, I barely noticed) and that was that. But this time, this age is all about water parks, and though I wouldn't want it to take up the majority of our time (drive 2 hours to play in a water park -- AAACK!), I think it could be fun for a couple hours.

Are you saying no because it would be too much time or trouble?

Now I wish we were spending the night so we could do the park one day and the water park for part of a second day.

You do realize all tickets have a sweet preview option. Bring your ticket in the gate at 7pm and you get admission for the rest of the night AND the following day. Includes parking too. We stay at the Super 8 in East Harrisburg when we bring gaggles of kids/friends.

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07/31/2015 16:21

Subject: discounted Hershey Park tickets

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Anonymous

Anonymous wrote:OP here. We went before when DD was 3 and she didn't notice (hell, I barely noticed) and that was that. But this time, this age is all about water parks, and though I wouldn't want it to take up the majority of our time (drive 2 hours to play in a water park -- AAACK!), I think it could be fun for a couple hours.

Are you saying no because it would be too much time or trouble?

Now I wish we were spending the night so we could do the park one day and the water park for part of a second day.

This age will want to go and they will notice. They expended and there aren't walls around it now or at least there weren't last month. If you go on the Ferris Wheel or the Mouse you see the entire water park. I agree with the PP and go with bathing suits on. Boys can wear bathing shorts and wet tops all day. No need to change. Girls can wear wet tops, bikini bottoms as underwear and a skirt or shorts overtop. We don't even change. We hit the water if it gets really hot. Usually 2-4pm or 3-5pm. It is a great way to break for the day. We have dinner and dry off and then have more energy to finish the park. We love Hershey Park!

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07/31/2015 16:22

Subject: discounted Hershey Park tickets

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Anonymous

Actually PP, I did not know that. But we only planned a day trip. Our friends can't stay the night and we're all going in one car.

We should have thought it out better ahead, but we just ... didn't.