Typo - that should be shows not shoes haha.

Ride operations at HP are notoriously bad/inefficient. The fast pass is very helpful if you want to ride the coasters. If you get there at rope drop, try to head to the back of the park first OR go on CupFusion if you want. CupFusion gets some of the worst lines in the park. It is an interactive indoor ride suitable for all ages so that’s why but the line is ridiculous.

At the back of the park, try Wildcats Revenge and Fahrenheit. Storm Runner doesn’t get as long of a line and is tamer but still big and nice for kids. I didn’t go to the water park so no advice on that. HP is quite large and hilly, I found portable fans/neck fans to be helpful. You get hot very easily. The climate is not all that different from here especially in the summer. The park app is helpful for navigation but the average wait time features are so bad as to be completely useless.

Despite ride ops being not great, we found park ops to be good, most/all food stands open, trash not piling up, restrooms were clean. We liked the smokehouse food stand/restaurant in the Pioneer World and the different flavored funnel cakes that were closer to the front of the park. Oh the shoes are cute too especially for little kids! They didn’t have them for awhile due to Covid but are slowly bringing them back and it’s a good way to get out of the heat for awhile.

We did the villas. Separate rooms off a common area.
https://www.thehotelhershey.com/accommodations/villas.php

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Oh man, I hope OP is having a good time in the awful weather. I’m going to Hershey next week and was checking the app for wait times and half the park is closed this afternoon due to rain.

Hershey is really bad when it comes to this. I realize erring on the side of extreme caution is probably wise for an amusement park, but some of those rides close at the merest hint of rain.

Safety first. It would suck if someone got struck by lightning on a roller coaster.

Anonymous wrote:We are heading to Hershey Park tomorrow. Our 1st time.

For those who have done it, any suggestions on strategy to make the most of the day. Which out of the 3 areas (water park, amusement park, zoo, chocolate factory) should we go first? Which rides are most popular and we can hit it when the park opens? DS loves roller coasters. We have meal pass so any recommendations on good places to eat with it? TIA!

I'm sorry. It's a dump.

we always go in early June. shorter lines, better weather.

usually do a 2 day pass. we've stayed at the lodge, but prefer to stay at the homewood suites.

we leave from DC, pack a lunch and snacks. have lunch as soon as we arrive. then ride rides. get a game card around 4pm, a couple of troegs for the adults, and hit the arcade. leave around 7pm, have dinner at the Mill nearby. breakfast the next day at the First watch. Then rides, lunch in the park, and then dinner at Troegs, they just redid their menu.

DS is still a hershey bar, so he's still a little under height for the biggest rides. we've done just about every ride he can ride: wildcat revenge, thunder & lightening, sooperdooperlooper, comet, etc. when he is tall enough for the bigger rides, i will get the fast pass just to cut down on waits.

you can bring an empty water bottle and refill during the day! love this part. all of the rides have a space to store small belongings, or they will have lockers for you to use. remember sunscreen! in my cargo pants i usually carry some bandaids, sunscreen, eyedrops and electrolyte tabs. there is hand sanitizer all over the park

i love hershey! its clean and well run! we did go last october for the halloween night, but found it greatly understaffed and will not go back in october.

download the app, it can tell you wait times. go to the back of the park when you first arrive and work your way forward.

HAVE FUN!

Anonymous wrote:Oh man, I hope OP is having a good time in the awful weather. I’m going to Hershey next week and was checking the app for wait times and half the park is closed this afternoon due to rain.

Hershey is really bad when it comes to this. I realize erring on the side of extreme caution is probably wise for an amusement park, but some of those rides close at the merest hint of rain.

Oh man, I hope OP is having a good time in the awful weather. I’m going to Hershey next week and was checking the app for wait times and half the park is closed this afternoon due to rain.

Yeah, if you're only going to be there for one day you should either concentrate entirely on the main amusement park (ideally with Fast Pass) or entirely on the water park. Otherwise you're not going to get a good appreciation of either.

If you have 1 day only, I wouldn’t bother with water park or zoo. The rides are enough to keep you busy the whole day. If you have 2 days, then water park one day and park the other. Chocolate world - eh. You could do it if you really want but if you skip it you’re not missing much tbh. We went every summer when I was a kid. Sooper Dooper Looper was my first roller coaster but Great Bear is still my favorite. I also love the Kissing Tower and it’s a nice break with air conditioning

The water show with the seals was cute and a nice break. Check the schedule and then get there early to grab a seat.