Hersheypark: It’s 11 Best Kept Secrets + Win Tickets

Summertime is the perfect time to take the kids to an amusement park. Hersheypark in Pennsylvania makes for an ideal destination and, as seasoned veterans of The Sweetest Place on Earth, we have the ultimate cheat sheet on having a successful, entertaining and sweet vacation! If your family is going to read one article to get you prepared for a Hersheypark Happy visit, this should be your primary source.

In addition to helping your family enjoy all the fun, thrills and food with minimal hassles, we can help you possibly get through the gates for FREE. Scroll to the bottom for a chance to win an epic family four-pack of tickets to visit this summer or later in the year.

Secret #1: “Sweet Start” — VIP status means more rides

A fantastic bonus offered exclusively to guests at the official resorts of Hersheypark and some levels of season-pass holders is the “Sweet Start” option.

Sweet Start allows you to feel like a VIP. At no extra charge, you may enter Hersheypark one hour before the general public and access numerous popular rides in the front half of the park. These include Candymonium, Comet, Skyrush, Sooperdooperlooper and Reese’s Cupfusion. This amazing perk enabled our family to go several times on rollercoasters that usually have long lines and wait times. In fact, we can usually knock off seven or eight rides during Sweet Start.

Additionally, if you come the day before your ticketed visit to the amusement park, the “Preview Plan” allows you to enter Hersheypark three hours BEFORE closing that night. That’s three hours of bonus fun time to enjoy the rides and attractions.

Secret #2: Stay overnight at an official park resort

Hersheypark is our family’s happy place. Rather than cram in over 70 attractions — including 15 top-notch rollercoasters — in one day, we recommend staying two days to experience it all. We stayed overnight at The Hotel Hershey — located directly across from the amusement and water parks.

The Hotel Hershey, one of three official lodging sites, was as magical of an experience as the park. The accommodations were amazing and provided panoramic views of the rides and attractions.

Why is The Hotel Hershey so special?

For us, it was:

• The breathtaking, outdoor pool complex. (There’s an indoor pool on the property, too.) Here, you can sip frozen cocktails under a shady umbrella while watching your kids race through water slides in the pool.
• Roasting s’mores at a family-friendly fire pit EVERY evening was amazing as well.
• My children love the loads of engaging activities throughout the day like making ice-cream sundaes, playing “glow golf” after dark and bingo where the prizes are full-size Hershey candy bars!

When you stay at an official Hersheypark Resort, you receive VIP perks like Sweet Start (secret #1), Preview Plan and free shuttle service to an exclusive drop-off location – just steps away from the front gate of Hersheypark.

Secret #3: Candymonium — timing is everything

One of Hersheypark’s most popular rides is Candymonium. Located in Hershey’s Chocolatetown, right near the front gates, Candymonium the park’s tallest, fastest, longest and sweetest rollercoaster. It’s our second favorite thrill ride at Hersheypark. However, Candymonium often has average wait times of an hour or more.

Candymonium is included in Sweet Start, so make it your FIRST stop when the gates open. We’ve also found wait times for Candymonium usually dip to under 20 minutes in the late afternoon/evening before dark. Why? This is when most guests are deep inside the park. That could be another window of opportunity to ride this not-to-be-missed coaster.

Secret #4: “Rope Drop” — Hustle to your top attraction

Sweet Start is only for the rides in the front half of the park. It doesn’t include ZooAmerica or The Boardwalk waterpark. However, you’ve already been through security, had tickets scanned, and can be perfectly positioned inside the park near the Chevrolet Music Box theater where security guards have another set of gates and ropes set up as a barrier until Hersheypark officially opens. If you position yourselves at the “rope drop” area, it sets your family up to be among the first ones on any of the rides or waterpark attractions in the back half once Hersheypark fully opens. That’s invaluable on busy summer days.

We recommend you have a plan in advance. The entire family should select one popular attraction that can you hustle to (be safe because some guests literally race) when it’s rope drop time. We’ve tried this strategy on all of our visits and usually walk right onto popular attractions like LaffTrakk, Breaker’sEdge Water Coaster or Jolly Rancher’s Remix.

Secret #5: New entertainment – “The Sweet Escapes”

Want another way to brighten your day at Hersheypark? One new, extremely entertaining attraction this summer is the delightful “Sweet Escapes” a cappella group. This colorful and talented bunch is stationed by The Boardwalk waterpark and sings its hearts out four times a day. We timed our lunch each day so we could dine outdoors in the shade and sing along to their catchy tunes.

Secret #6: New rollercoaster — Wildcat’s Revenge

Buckle up! Hershpark’s newest attraction is Wildcat’s Revenge which opened in early June. You definitely need to ride this Rocky Mountain Construction (RMC) hybrid coaster. It’s an amazing addition to the iconic rollercoasters at the park. Wildcat’s Revenge is sleek, smooth and so epic that we rode it six times on opening day! Get ready for 2 1/2 minutes of ride time during which you’ll be thrust at 62 mph and rolled for four inversions including the world’s largest underflip!

More importantly, we love how Hersheypark designed this intense coaster with families in mind. Even our 8-year-old daughter was tall enough to enjoy the thrill.

Secret #7: Download the Hersheypark app

Most people enter Hersheypark and start with the rides nearest to the entrance. Then, they either work their way back or follow a rigid agenda that tries to squeeze everything into one day. Forget those approaches.

Thriving in Hersheypark starts with the free and fairly reliable Hersheypark mobile app. It enabled our family to strategize and maximize our fun time.

First, keep a loose agenda. Start by creating it based on park geography using the app’s online park map. Then drill into its useful tools, such as ride descriptions and minimum heights, then apply the app’s “ride wait time” feature — it’s a game changer.

We always kept a close eye on the app for wait times under 25 minutes for our favorite attractions like Sooperdooperlooper, Breakers Edge Water Coaster and Candymonium.

Secret #8: Food and treats exceed expectations

Most people don’t get excited about eating at a theme park. Hersheypark, though, elevates the culinary experience. There are quality, name-brand options across the park. These include many of our favorites, such as Nathan’s Famous, Subway, Chick Fil-A and Moe’s Southwest Grill. East Coast Mini Donuts are also outstanding.

Additionally, we always carve out time for a family meal at The Chocolatier. It’s our favorite restaurant on the property. This not-to-be-missed destination features a diverse menu including crowd-pleasers like nachos, club sandwiches, chicken and waffles, and sweet potato fries. Our best memories, however, are of their drool-worthy dessert menu.

We also love the house-made, custom-created ice creams at Milton’s Ice Cream Parlor located just down the stairs from The Chocolatier. Try the toasted marshmallow! Another tasty option is to grab a batch of homemade cookies or fudge at neighboring The Sweeterie!

Secret #9: Water, water, everywhere

Staying hydrated at Hersheypark is important. You’re allowed to bring in your own sealed water bottles or empty bottles that can be refilled at numerous bottle-filling Coca-Cola Freestyle locations throughout the park. The water at the filling stations is ice cold!

Secret #10: Take the path less traveled

The best way to beat the crowds over to The Hollow Area, especially Skyrush and SooperDooperLooper, is to take “Skyrush Way” which is a little-known secret. This shady path navigates around the winding turns of the Skyrush Rollercoaster and literally drops you off at the entry gate to the ride. During “Sweet Start,” this should be your go-to path. It lets you avoid the massive crowds headed through Founder’s Way.

Secret #11: Hit The Boardwalk waterpark when it opens

Remember, your Hersheypark admission ticket INCLUDES The Boardwalk waterpark as well as ZooAmerica. The lines for waterpark attractions are much more manageable when The Boardwalk first opens for the day. This season, The Boardwalk opens at the same time as the rest of Hersheypark. Lines are also much lighter on weekday visits, so skip weekends if you can.

There’s something for everyone at The Boardwalk, but we recommend making a dash for Breakers Edge Water Coaster. It’s an incredible ride, arguably the best at The Boardwalk. Naturally, it normally has the longest wait time. We usually hit it twice in a row before the crowds descend on it. The nearby Whitecap Racer is a spectacular, timed mat-racing slide, and the entire family can get whisked through looping tunnels to determine who is the champion.

What are you waiting for? Make Hersheypark your next family getaway.

Ticket giveaway for visiting Hersheypark

Want to win a family four-pack of tickets to Hersheypark? Enter below for a chance to win four general admission tickets this summer or later in the year for the park’s Halloween event, Dark Nights, or Christmas Candylane? Winning tickets will be sent via email.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Important details:

• We’re giving away one family four-pack of one-day ticket general admission to Hersheypark. (Each winner will receive four one-day passes.)
• The contest runs from June 23 through July 7, 2023.
• Entrants must be 18 years or older and residents of the United States.
• One winner will be chosen randomly using Rafflecopter after the entry period ends July 7, 2023.
• The winner must follow Rafflecopter instructions for getting entries
• The winner must supply an email address to receive four electronic tickets to Hersheypark 2023. Tickets are for one daily admission to Hersheypark. The tickets expire on Jan. 1, 2024.
• Hersheypark charges a separate fee for parking, which is NOT included with these tickets. The winner will need to pay for parking if needed.
• City Dads Group is not responsible for lost or stolen tickets.
• The winner must respond to the prize notification within 48 hours otherwise a new winner will be chosen.

Disclosure: Lance Somerfeld is a member of Hersheypark’s Sweetest Families Program. The program includes complimentary park passes and hotel accommodations for our family provided by the kind folks at Hershey’s Entertainment & Resorts. His thoughts and opinions are genuine and have not been influenced by the brand. All photos were provided by his family.