Consider HersheyPark as a litmus test...

[WaltsMartini]

I am a lifelong Disney fan, have been numerous times, but have never taken my kids, now aged almost 3 years and 3 months, respectively. We recently took our toddler to Hersheypark, and it was a great litmus test to determine what he might be like at Disney. If you live anywhere near the park I would highly recommend it as a much cheaper option to give your kid a run through before dropping thousands on a Disney vacation.

Sure, Disney and Hersheypark are VERY different, but here are some things we discovered from our visit that I think will be universal to any amusement/theme park:

Tolerance for waiting in line: approximately 15 minutes for our kid is the max - after that things became painful. Similar to that is -

Stamina: how long can your kid last in a park? Hershey doesn't open until 10 am, or 9 am for season pass holders and guests at Hershey Entertainment owned hotels with a package. However, we quickly learned that our kid got tuckered out - by 1 pm he was dragging, and by 1:30 he was zombie toddler walking. Sticking to nap time and staying at a resort close to the Magic Kingdom will be key for us.

Characters - terrifying or delightful? For us, surprisingly delightful! He LOVED the different characters, which surprised me because I thought he would find them terrifying. When we go to Disney, character experiences will definitely be worth the money/time for us.

What types of rides the kiddo enjoys: Hershey is known for coasters, but they have lots of midway rides for little ones, a Reeses Challenge that is a poor man's version of Buzz Lightyear, and a faux "chocolate factory tour" in adjacent Chocolate World that somewhat mimics a classic dark ride experience. The Classic Cars ride is a direct rip-off of Autopia, as is the spinning tea cup midway ride. There is also a water park and several shows, and several "kiddie coasters." Obviously none have the amazing theming of Disney, with perhaps the exception of the Chocolate World ride.

Not surprisingly, our kid loved the midway rides and Chocolate World ride; surprisingly, he wasn't that into the Reeses Challenge. He just didn't get that you were supposed to shoot the targets. At Disney, we would stick with the classics - Peter Pan, iasw, and would make sure to get a FastPass for Seven Dwarfs Mine Train as he LOVED the kiddie coasters and couldn't get enough. And we would skip the teacups - poor kid couldn't walk straight for several minutes afterwards.

Speaking of not getting enough...

How well your kid deals with disappointment. Rides close, lines are too long, or a ride is awesome and you want to go again and again. You need flexibility to not be disappointed, and toddlers aren't known for their flexibility. We learned to set the right type of expectations - not to promise any specific ride or experience until we were actually there in line - and then we would talk through what was about to happen so it wasn't too jarring.

And finally -

To stroller or not to stroller. For us - Stroller. Hard core stroller. We carried our son a LOT - had we been there longer than 3 1/2 hours we would have been hurting - my husband complained of back pain the next day. It also would have been great to have somewhere to put all our stuff instead of one of us lugging the backpack around all day.

I think any larger amusement park - Dorney Park, Cedar Point, Kings Dominion, etc... could give you the same info about your kid - and I think the $150 - $200 you might drop for one day at one of those parks is well worth it to help better plan your several thousand dollar vacation to Disney. Just my two cents

 

[Magical2017]

We do enjoy Hershey Park--Chocolate World!

We found Dutch Wonderland and Sesame Place to be good "firsts" for our kids at that age, also, as they had so many rides and attractions geared to toddlers.

 

[halfpintpeggy]

We do enjoy Hershey Park--Chocolate World!

We found Dutch Wonderland and Sesame Place to be good "firsts" for our kids at that age, also, as they had so many rides and attractions geared to toddlers.

Dutch Wonderland - LOVE!!! Perfect park for the under 10 crowd!

 

[halfpintpeggy]

we quickly learned that our kid got tuckered out - by 1 pm he was dragging

Sooo wish more parents would be as observant as you are being here. Have ya seen all of the miserable toddlers & young children at WDW whose parents force them to stay in the parks? It's really disturbing...

 

[Betty Rohrer]

Dutch Wonderland - LOVE!!! Perfect park for the under 10 crowd!

only problem with mixed ages at Dutch Wonderland and rides is Dutch allows kids to be the older rider at a younger age. my grandsons grew up taking younger brother on rides at Dutch but only one was old enough at Disney

 

[mjkacmom]

Those cars at Hershey Park opened in 1975, 8 years before a Autopia opened at Disneyland.

 

[MomOTwins]

Tolerance for waiting in line: approximately 15 minutes for our kid is the max - after that things became painful.

Disney is actually easier than other amusement parks in this regard because the fastpass line is almost never more than 5-10 minutes. Fastpass refresh method is key! We never wait longer than 15 minutes for a ride except during the Christmas/Halloween party, when fastpass is not available.

Stamina: how long can your kid last in a park? Hershey doesn't open until 10 am, or 9 am for season pass holders and guests at Hershey Entertainment owned hotels with a package. However, we quickly learned that our kid got tuckered out - by 1 pm he was dragging, and by 1:30 he was zombie toddler walking. Sticking to nap time and staying at a resort close to the Magic Kingdom will be key for us.

To stroller or not to stroller. For us - Stroller. Hard core stroller. We carried our son a LOT - had we been there longer than 3 1/2 hours we would have been hurting - my husband complained of back pain the next day. It also would have been great to have somewhere to put all our stuff instead of one of us lugging the backpack around all day.

Stamina and stroller are actually super closely related. If a toddler is on their feet they are going to be super tired and cranky. Plus, a stroller with a good amount of recline is key so the kiddo can nap in it and you don't have to leave the park.

 

[Minniemouse07]

I'm going to have to disagree that local parks aren't a great litmus test for WDW.

We live in PA and have been to Hershey, Dutch Wonderland, Dorney, and Sesame Place multiple times since our kids were very little (now teenagers) and the dynamics are totally different.

WDW has more interactive line options as well as free FP+ that really gives parents the opportunities to wait less and when you do wait, not realize you are really waiting. Also, with a little planning, WDW can be greatly minimized...which isn't possible at the local parks.

Local parks are also usually one day deals that stretch for long hours. WDW gives us the luxury of spreading visits over multiple days, allowing for a slower pace and naps back at resorts instead of on the go (not that my kids would do resort naps, but it is a nice options for others! ).

Out of the four parks listed above, the only one I looked forward to visiting w/ my kids as toddlers (and slightly older) was Dutch Wonderland. It is a low key park w/ few lines and easier for little ones to navigate w/o being overwhelmed. The line waits and crowds at the other three are really high and somewhat frustrating. We did them and the kids had fun, but all were definitely less pleasant experiences than DW or WDW.

 

[DizneyLizzy]

We live within two hours of both Hershey and Dutch wonderland. We love DW with our kids and have been visiting since they were babies. Hershey is another animal. We took our oldest at 2 and we won’t be back for a few more years (he’s 4 now). This is going to sound odd coming from a family that does annual Disney trips with our toddlers, but Hershey Park is HUGE. The walk from the parking lot to the entrance alone is longer than the walk from the pop century bus stop at Epcot to the Epcot entrance. The park is enormous and the kiddie rides are kind of spread out in various pockets throughout the park.

Hershey overall is a great amusement park, and I have been visiting since I was a little kid, but I won’t be bringing my own kids back until they are probably 5 and 8. Dutch Wonderland and Sesame Place have been great for my toddlers. Dutch wonderland even has a nursing mothers room akin to the baby care centers at Disney so last summer I nursed my 5 month old in a dark, quiet, cool room while my older son ran around the park with dad.

I will say that all three of these parks really make you appreciate Disney all the more. Things Disney does/has that these places don’t:

-plentiful, clean bathrooms
-better food
-the possibility of bringing your own food (sesame place changed their rules on this last year)
-air conditioned, indoor rides (visiting dutch wonderland on a 95 degree day is much harder than a 95 degree day at the MK)
-early park hours - what is with these parks that are geared towards little ones not opening until 10 AM?! That extra hour from 9-10 makes such a difference

So I guess what I’m saying in terms of the OPs litmus test, is that if your kid can handle any of those local parks with some amount of success, they’ll probably do even better at WDW

 

[Amy11401]

We live within two hours of both Hershey and Dutch wonderland. We love DW with our kids and have been visiting since they were babies. Hershey is another animal. We took our oldest at 2 and we won’t be back for a few more years (he’s 4 now). This is going to sound odd coming from a family that does annual Disney trips with our toddlers, but Hershey Park is HUGE. The walk from the parking lot to the entrance alone is longer than the walk from the pop century bus stop at Epcot to the Epcot entrance. The park is enormous and the kiddie rides are kind of spread out in various pockets throughout the park.

Hershey overall is a great amusement park, and I have been visiting since I was a little kid, but I won’t be bringing my own kids back until they are probably 5 and 8. Dutch Wonderland and Sesame Place have been great for my toddlers. Dutch wonderland even has a nursing mothers room akin to the baby care centers at Disney so last summer I nursed my 5 month old in a dark, quiet, cool room while my older son ran around the park with dad.

I will say that all three of these parks really make you appreciate Disney all the more. Things Disney does/has that these places don’t:

-plentiful, clean bathrooms
-better food
-the possibility of bringing your own food (sesame place changed their rules on this last year)
-air conditioned, indoor rides (visiting dutch wonderland on a 95 degree day is much harder than a 95 degree day at the MK)
-early park hours - what is with these parks that are geared towards little ones not opening until 10 AM?! That extra hour from 9-10 makes such a difference

So I guess what I’m saying in terms of the OPs litmus test, is that if your kid can handle any of those local parks with some amount of success, they’ll probably do even better at WDW

We had season tickets to Dutch Wonderland last year. My son loved it....he will be 5 at the end of September. The one thing I fear is often when we went to Dutch Wonderland he could practically walk on to rides and not really have to wait. So I worry that my son will have some trouble having to wait awhile for rides and also the fact that we won't just be able to randomly go on any ride we come across.

 

[mjkacmom]

We live within two hours of both Hershey and Dutch wonderland. We love DW with our kids and have been visiting since they were babies. Hershey is another animal. We took our oldest at 2 and we won’t be back for a few more years (he’s 4 now). This is going to sound odd coming from a family that does annual Disney trips with our toddlers, but Hershey Park is HUGE. The walk from the parking lot to the entrance alone is longer than the walk from the pop century bus stop at Epcot to the Epcot entrance. The park is enormous and the kiddie rides are kind of spread out in various pockets throughout the park.

Hershey overall is a great amusement park, and I have been visiting since I was a little kid, but I won’t be bringing my own kids back until they are probably 5 and 8. Dutch Wonderland and Sesame Place have been great for my toddlers. Dutch wonderland even has a nursing mothers room akin to the baby care centers at Disney so last summer I nursed my 5 month old in a dark, quiet, cool room while my older son ran around the park with dad.

I will say that all three of these parks really make you appreciate Disney all the more. Things Disney does/has that these places don’t:

-plentiful, clean bathrooms
-better food
-the possibility of bringing your own food (sesame place changed their rules on this last year)
-air conditioned, indoor rides (visiting dutch wonderland on a 95 degree day is much harder than a 95 degree day at the MK)
-early park hours - what is with these parks that are geared towards little ones not opening until 10 AM?! That extra hour from 9-10 makes such a difference

So I guess what I’m saying in terms of the OPs litmus test, is that if your kid can handle any of those local parks with some amount of success, they’ll probably do even better at WDW

The nice thing about Hershey is that they group kiddie rides with thrill rides, which is great when you have age gaps between you children. My oldest is almost 7 years older than the youngest (I have 5 all together), and at Hershey, no one had to wait around while siblings rode something.

 

[DizneyLizzy]

We had season tickets to Dutch Wonderland last year. My son loved it....he will be 5 at the end of September. The one thing I fear is often when we went to Dutch Wonderland he could practically walk on to rides and not really have to wait. So I worry that my son will have some trouble having to wait awhile for rides and also the fact that we won't just be able to randomly go on any ride we come across.

My son is 4 1/2 (will be 5 in March) and he thinks that at Disney world, we only go on rides that we have a fast pass for.

 

[Betty Rohrer]

We live within two hours of both Hershey and Dutch wonderland. We love DW with our kids and have been visiting since they were babies. Hershey is another animal. We took our oldest at 2 and we won’t be back for a few more years (he’s 4 now). This is going to sound odd coming from a family that does annual Disney trips with our toddlers, but Hershey Park is HUGE. The walk from the parking lot to the entrance alone is longer than the walk from the pop century bus stop at Epcot to the Epcot entrance. The park is enormous and the kiddie rides are kind of spread out in various pockets throughout the park.

Hershey overall is a great amusement park, and I have been visiting since I was a little kid, but I won’t be bringing my own kids back until they are probably 5 and 8. Dutch Wonderland and Sesame Place have been great for my toddlers. Dutch wonderland even has a nursing mothers room akin to the baby care centers at Disney so last summer I nursed my 5 month old in a dark, quiet, cool room while my older son ran around the park with dad.

I will say that all three of these parks really make you appreciate Disney all the more. Things Disney does/has that these places don’t:

-plentiful, clean bathrooms
-better food
-the possibility of bringing your own food (sesame place changed their rules on this last year)
-air conditioned, indoor rides (visiting dutch wonderland on a 95 degree day is much harder than a 95 degree day at the MK)
-early park hours - what is with these parks that are geared towards little ones not opening until 10 AM?! That extra hour from 9-10 makes such a difference

So I guess what I’m saying in terms of the OPs litmus test, is that if your kid can handle any of those local parks with some amount of success, they’ll probably do even better at WDW

so true about 95 days and being hotter at Dutch even true when you work there

 

[halfpintpeggy]

only problem with mixed ages at Dutch Wonderland and rides is Dutch allows kids to be the older rider at a younger age. my grandsons grew up taking younger brother on rides at Dutch but only one was old enough at Disney

I don't see that as a problem at Dutch Wonderland, I see it as an issue at Disney!

 

[Betty Rohrer]

I don't see that as a problem at Dutch Wonderland, I see it as an issue at Disney!

that is what we ran into as 2 grandsons could be older rider at Dutch but not at Disney. problem at Dutch was being able to

 

[halfpintpeggy]

that is what we ran into as 2 grandsons could be older rider at Dutch but not at Disney. problem at Dutch was being able to

Haha! But that's one of the GREAT aspects of Dutch Wonderland!!!

 

[Betty Rohrer]

Haha! But that's one of the GREAT aspects of Dutch Wonderland!!!

if you read a lot of my posts you now know the small park I work at. granted t is food and bev not rides but I still there

 

[tarak]

Hershey is a good test of stamina just because of all the hills there! Disney is so flat by comparison.

 

[tinkerbell615]

OP... I have to say, that I am really excited I found this post. My family will NOT be going to WDW this summer, but are working on preparing a 4 day summer trip to PA. I have been doing some research, and was looking at Hershey Park as an option, but also Dutch Wonderland and Sesame Place. With all that I am reading, I think Dutch Wonderland would be awesome. Oue grandchildren are 5 and 23 months, so I think that would work best! We have never been to PA, so are newbies, and really trying to find things for the grandkids as well as the adults to keep them busy for a little while. Although, the grandkids are the priority.
I don't want to hijack your thread, but if anyone on here who lives in the area has any suggestions on places to stay, things to do while visiting, I would greatly appreciate it!! Thank you.

 

[Amy11401]

@tinkerbell615 I think Dutch Wonderland would be great for your family. I live about an hour from there and we go to the Lancaster area frequently and there are tons of things for you to do. If there is a message option on her you can send me a message and I can give you suggestions of things to do!