Hershey Park is a family theme park located in Hershey, Pennsylvania. Plan a getaway for the day or overnight for your family and experience everything from exhilarating coaster rides and chocolatey adventures to premier dining and luxurious spa treatments. There's something to do in every season including Hershey Park in the Dark for Halloween, and Christmas Candylane for Christmas in the colder months of the year. During the summer children will enjoy the water park inside Hershey to cool them off.
Spend time with family and friends and create new traditions this winter. You can experience a winter wonderland with selections of fun activities at Hershey's Chocolate World Attraction, Zoo America, The Hershey Story Museum and more. Don't forget to check out Hershey's Sweet Lights which features two miles of lit Christmas displays. If you're staying overnight, The chocolate themed Hotel Hershey or Hershey Lodge is waiting for you. Both offer restaurants and shops for your enjoyment as well as endless chocolate. The Hotel Hershey is a little bit more upscale than Hershey Lodge. The Lodge is more for families and also has an indoor water park. You'll leave with sweet chocolate-filled memories that can only be made at the Sweetest Place on Earth!
I went to Hershey back in the summer of 2008 for the day and did not stay overnight. I remember meeting a Reese's character, riding rides, and going to their water park. Since I am an avid lover of chocolate, Hershey was right up my alley. Fast forward 10 years later, and we wanted to take Scarlett for her 4th birthday! She loves chocolate just as much as her mom and I knew it would be a memorable trip for her. I always try to take her to new places so she can experience as much as possible.
Once we arrived at the Hershey Lodge, my family knew they were in for a wonderful stay. The lodge was fully decorated for Christmas with beautiful lights, trees, and wreaths everywhere you looked. You even get a Hershey bar for each member of your family when you check-in! If you're looking for amenities, look no further. Hershey Lodge offers several restaurants including Forebay, Hershey Grill, The Bears Den, and Fire and Grain. After you have dinner at one of the fabulous eateries, you can check out the gift shop to buy a chocolate themed souvenir for yourself or a loved one. The Lodge also offers Water Works, a new indoor water park that opened in 2016. There's also daily events at the Lodge for the season including a meet and greet with Santa, kid crafts, a Reese's character appearance and more. You'll receive a daily list of events at check-in.
The Lodge is extremely clean and well-maintained. I noticed that all of the employees were very friendly and were happy to answer any questions you may have during your stay.
Once we got settled into our room, we headed over to Water Works. Scarlett absolutely loves water parks and the fact that the lodge has one makes the trip that much more exciting for her. The water park isn't enormous, but large enough to keep the kiddies happy. There's three sections of water fun for all ages. The youngest children will enjoy the toddler section which 3 small water slides and fountains to bring smiles to their faces. If you have semi- older children, they will enjoy a pool that isn't too deep that has interactive water elements inside. Finally, there's a pool that is much deeper for older children and adults with a water slide. The Reese's Walkway is a favorite for children of all ages. Step onto the weighted floating Reese's cup's while holding onto the above net to get across! Scarlett spent a few hours going down the kiddie slides and had a blast. Adjacent to Water Works is also an arcade room and activity room with Lego's for children once they dry off. You're also able to get a bite to eat or have a refreshing drink at the food stand in Water Works.
After that, we went to dinner at the Bear's Den which had an extensive menu with options that everyone will enjoy. My husband had a Black and Blue Burger, I had a sandwich, and Scarlett had a kid's hot dog. Everything was extremely tasty and we enjoyed our meals a lot.
Unfortunately, we were unable to go to Christmas Candylane that night. I preferred to go at night since all of the lights would be so beautiful in the dark, but it just wasn't in the cards since Scarlett was tired.
In the morning, we went to Fire and Grain for Scarlett's birthday breakfast. You can either opt for the buffet breakfast or choose from menu items. We chose menu items and Scarlett opted for the chocolate pancakes, I had a regular short stack of pancakes, and my husband Jay had the biscuits and gravy platter with a side of grilled tomatoes. Everything was delicious and the chocolate pancakes were definitely not short on chocolate! Our server knew it was Scarlett's birthday and gave her a kid's cup full of Hershey's kisses. What more could a 4 year old want? She was thrilled.
After breakfast we hit Water Works for some more splashin' fun. Once our time there was up, we headed to Christmas Candylane and Chocolate World for our final stops of the trip.
Once we arrived at the Hershey Lodge, my family knew they were in for a wonderful stay. The lodge was fully decorated for Christmas with beautiful lights, trees, and wreaths everywhere you looked. You even get a Hershey bar for each member of your family when you check-in! If you're looking for amenities, look no further. Hershey Lodge offers several restaurants including Forebay, Hershey Grill, The Bears Den, and Fire and Grain. After you have dinner at one of the fabulous eateries, you can check out the gift shop to buy a chocolate themed souvenir for yourself or a loved one. The Lodge also offers Water Works, a new indoor water park that opened in 2016. There's also daily events at the Lodge for the season including a meet and greet with Santa, kid crafts, a Reese's character appearance and more. You'll receive a daily list of events at check-in.
The Lodge is extremely clean and well-maintained. I noticed that all of the employees were very friendly and were happy to answer any questions you may have during your stay.
Once we got settled into our room, we headed over to Water Works. Scarlett absolutely loves water parks and the fact that the lodge has one makes the trip that much more exciting for her. The water park isn't enormous, but large enough to keep the kiddies happy. There's three sections of water fun for all ages. The youngest children will enjoy the toddler section which 3 small water slides and fountains to bring smiles to their faces. If you have semi- older children, they will enjoy a pool that isn't too deep that has interactive water elements inside. Finally, there's a pool that is much deeper for older children and adults with a water slide. The Reese's Walkway is a favorite for children of all ages. Step onto the weighted floating Reese's cup's while holding onto the above net to get across! Scarlett spent a few hours going down the kiddie slides and had a blast. Adjacent to Water Works is also an arcade room and activity room with Lego's for children once they dry off. You're also able to get a bite to eat or have a refreshing drink at the food stand in Water Works.
After that, we went to dinner at the Bear's Den which had an extensive menu with options that everyone will enjoy. My husband had a Black and Blue Burger, I had a sandwich, and Scarlett had a kid's hot dog. Everything was extremely tasty and we enjoyed our meals a lot.
Unfortunately, we were unable to go to Christmas Candylane that night. I preferred to go at night since all of the lights would be so beautiful in the dark, but it just wasn't in the cards since Scarlett was tired.
In the morning, we went to Fire and Grain for Scarlett's birthday breakfast. You can either opt for the buffet breakfast or choose from menu items. We chose menu items and Scarlett opted for the chocolate pancakes, I had a regular short stack of pancakes, and my husband Jay had the biscuits and gravy platter with a side of grilled tomatoes. Everything was delicious and the chocolate pancakes were definitely not short on chocolate! Our server knew it was Scarlett's birthday and gave her a kid's cup full of Hershey's kisses. What more could a 4 year old want? She was thrilled.
After breakfast we hit Water Works for some more splashin' fun. Once our time there was up, we headed to Christmas Candylane and Chocolate World for our final stops of the trip.
Chocolate World is paradise and the jackpot for all chocolate lovers. Everywhere you turn you're met with fabulous bagged Hershey's candies, Hershey themed items to buy, make your own chocolate bars, a tour of how the chocolate is made, and so much more. The food court inside serves lunch options like pizza, sandwiches, and soups, as well as sweet treats like mega stuffed cookies, sundae's, brownies, and milkshakes. Chocolate World is certainly not for those looking to watch their weight, but a special time to indulge in whatever you want. Scarlett and I shared a pizza for lunch and afterwards we also dug into a Reese's sundae while Jay had a Hershey's melting hot chocolate. This wasn't just an ordinary hot chocolate but it consisted of two melted Hershey bars made with lots of milk to make your tummy smile. He was in chocolate bliss for sure. The sundae had the perfect combination of peanut butter and chocolate and we both said YUM!
Afterwards, we went to our last activity of the day, Christmas Candylane. Christmas Candylane is magical for both children and adults, and the event has just celebrated its 35th anniversary. Step foot inside and you'll be met with over 4 million lights, 45 rides, and many shops and eateries featuring irresistible chocolate treats. Take a spin on Laff Rider and WildCat among others then take a break and have a delicious frozen hot chocolate or snickerdoodle s'mores to make your stomach happy.
It was interesting to see that the park was really not crowded. If you picture a theme park, you envision it in the summer and crowded with thousands of people. This was not the case at all. It was funny to be in a popular theme park and have 3 or 4 people be on line in front of you. Scarlett loved not having to wait for the rides! She went on the carousel, Balloon Flite, and a few others. It was chilly outdoors but not horrible. As long as you're dressed warmly enough and bundled, you should be good to go. We enjoyed walking around the park and seeing all of the holiday lights and decorations. Christmastime is certainly a magical time of year!
We had a wonderful weekend at Hershey Park and look forward to coming back sometime in the near future. This surely will be a trip that we'll remember for a long time. If you're looking to book a family vacation in the warmer months of the year, why not take the family to Hershey Park for a fabulous vacation this summer? Fun in the sun is always on the agenda.
*DISCLOSURE* Thank you to Hershey Lodge for providing accommodations as well as tickets to Christmas Candylane. All thoughts are strictly my own.
Afterwards, we went to our last activity of the day, Christmas Candylane. Christmas Candylane is magical for both children and adults, and the event has just celebrated its 35th anniversary. Step foot inside and you'll be met with over 4 million lights, 45 rides, and many shops and eateries featuring irresistible chocolate treats. Take a spin on Laff Rider and WildCat among others then take a break and have a delicious frozen hot chocolate or snickerdoodle s'mores to make your stomach happy.
It was interesting to see that the park was really not crowded. If you picture a theme park, you envision it in the summer and crowded with thousands of people. This was not the case at all. It was funny to be in a popular theme park and have 3 or 4 people be on line in front of you. Scarlett loved not having to wait for the rides! She went on the carousel, Balloon Flite, and a few others. It was chilly outdoors but not horrible. As long as you're dressed warmly enough and bundled, you should be good to go. We enjoyed walking around the park and seeing all of the holiday lights and decorations. Christmastime is certainly a magical time of year!
We had a wonderful weekend at Hershey Park and look forward to coming back sometime in the near future. This surely will be a trip that we'll remember for a long time. If you're looking to book a family vacation in the warmer months of the year, why not take the family to Hershey Park for a fabulous vacation this summer? Fun in the sun is always on the agenda.
*DISCLOSURE* Thank you to Hershey Lodge for providing accommodations as well as tickets to Christmas Candylane. All thoughts are strictly my own.
Nice photos. I have been to hershey last year and it's really great :)
ReplyDelete