This weekend my family and I had the opportunity to visit Hershey, PA to experience the holiday season in Hersheypark and around town. In this three-part blog post, I’ll walk you through our visit to Hersheypark’s Christmas Candylane, the Santa Breakfast at The Chocolatier, and our stay at the Hershey Lodge. I will share practical tips and insights for families with little ones and offer a glimpse into the memorable moments we had during this holiday getaway in Hershey, Pennsylvania.
Hersheypark Christmas Candylane
Christmas Candylane takes place in Hersheypark and offers families of every age range an opportunity to enjoy the park. Here’s an overview of what you can expect when visiting Candylane, especially if you have toddlers and/or young children:
Candylane Preview:
Once you get your tickets, you are invited to head to Hersheypark the night before for a preview. The preview opens up 1.5 hours before closing, but if you’re staying at The Lodge, Hotel, or Campgrounds, you can head to your preview 2.5 hours before closing. We took advantage of this opportunity because we knew it would be hard fitting everything into one day with four little ones. In addition to rides, you can expect to see all 9 of Santa’s reindeer at Santa’s Stables, light shows, speciality snacks and drinks, dance parties, and Mr. and Mrs. Claus. I highly recommend fitting in this preview if your schedule allows it.
Rides for “Kisses” and “Miniatures”
The front of Hersheypark is the main ride area for any child 42″ and smaller. It kicks off with the Carousel upon entering the park, and continues on as you make your way towards Simply Chocolate and the Monorail. You will find other appropriate rides when you heard towards the Kissing Tower. If you are worried about there not being enough rides, note that there are 33 rides available for Kisses (35-42″) and 21 for Miniatures (0-36″).
Insider Tip: If you can, opt for a wagon over a stroller for easy in-and-out access. The front of the park is loaded with rides for “kisses” and “miniatures” and having this option would make moving from ride to ride so much easier.
Lines were really short during visit, especially in the evening. We never waited more than 10 minutes for a ride. Hersheypark has an app that will give you wait times, a detailed map, and your distance from each place.
Insider Tip: Check out the Hersheypark map (available on their app) for nursing room locations. If you are a breastfeeding mom, Hershey has you covered with private spaces scattered throughout the park.
Warm Meet and Greets
As the evening got colder, we headed to the heated Music Box Theater for a character meet and greet. The line was very short and you will have a photo opportunity.
If you don’t want to visit with the characters, you can still stop in. Seats are available for people to take a break from the cold and relax.
Simply (Hot) Chocolate
If you are looking for a special drink or snack while in Hersheypark, head to Simply Chocolate between the Fender Bender and Skyview. They serve up a variety of hot chocolates and king size milkshakes. Of course everything tastes amazing, but we were also able to share a lot of the items because of the size which was a plus.
Sweet Lights Finale
We ended our Candylane day with Sweet Lights, a 2-mile drive through light show featuring 600 displays. We decided to change our kids into their pajamas, take them through the lights, and stay on the road to head home. It was the perfect way to wrap up our weekend. Kids receive 3D glasses for an enhanced Sweet Lights experience and the attendants will let you know what radio station to turn to so that you have music synced to the displays.
Check out the Instagram Reel below for an overview of our Candylane and Sweet Lights:
Santa Breakfast at The Chocolatier
The highlight of our weekend was Breakfast with Santa at The Chocolatier. The Chocolatier is located outside of the Hersheypark gates and parking is available in the Season Pass Holder Lot for no charge when Candylane is not open. Reservations for this seasonal event can be made on The Chocolatier website.
Breakfast Buffet
The breakfast buffet offers everything a family could want from a breakfast. Assorted pastries and fruits, egg and breakfast meat variety, cereal and oatmeal, and of course, all the sweet toppings for your pancakes and French toast.
Santa
When it’s time for your family to visit with Santa, a friendly elf will guide you to the visiting area, which is a semi-blocked off section of the restaurant that gives families a less rushed and crowded experience. A photographer is also available for photos, which can be purchased in the photo area downstairs.
Reserve Your Spot Now!
Running every weekend until December 24, Breakfast with Santa at The Chocolatier is a great addition to your Hershey itinerary.
Check out the Instagram Reel below for an overview of our Santa Breakfast:
Overnight at Hershey Lodge
While visiting Hershey we stayed overnight at the Hershey Lodge. It was beautifully decorated for the holiday season and they had so many activities for the kids during our stay. Here’s a glimpse into the joys of our stay:
Sweet Check-In
Check-in at the Lodge is at 4 p.m. but we arrived early to get our name in and check out the amenities. I was surprised when they were able to check us in early at 11:30 a.m. given it was such a busy weekend. In fact, there were a decent amount of people checking in around that time and everyone was able to get to their rooms. This was so convenient and allowed us to get the kids settled, changed, a bathroom break, and unpack before we headed out to start our weekend. Once we were all checked-in, we received a full-size chocolate bar for each member of the family.
Insider Tip #1: If you have little ones, pack a lunch and activity for them to do with one parent while the other one checks in. The kids loved hanging out by the fireplace. I packed a small bento box for each of them and had a new Imagine Ink in their bags. The Cocoa Beanery is also right off the lobby and has food and drink options.
Insider Tip #2: Plan for extra activities. At check-in, guests received complimentary tickets to The Hershey Story and The Hershey Gardens the weekend we were there. It was a really great add-on!
Family-Focused Amenities
There is also a kids’ check-in, complete with a list of weekend activities and a Santa mailbox, that is available starting at 4 p.m. right inside the lobby doors. Weekend activities included character appearances, scavenger hunts, duck races at the pool, family bingo, and winter crafts. Every weekend is different so be sure to check out their activity page here.
Water Works and Arcade
The Lodge has a really amazing indoor pool, Water Works, that has a designated area for every type of swimmer. There are water slides, a tipping bucket, a splash pad with small slides, and basketball nets. The Cocoa Cabana is located inside the pool area and has small plate options, as well as specialty drinks.
Right off the the pool area is an arcade. You can get your game pass at the kiosk inside the arcade and play to earn credits towards prizes. We were able to visit the arcade on our last day between breakfast and heading to Candylane.
Dining
We only had time to have dinner at the Lodge the first night before heading to our Hersheypark preview and chose to hit up The Bear’s Den, their sports themed restaurant with special attention to hockey. Reservations are not required but we were able to get seated and served quickly. The food was great and the service was fast. It was perfect for our family before catching the shuttle.
Check out the Instagram Reel below for an overview of our stay at the Hershey Lodge:
If you’re looking to add on a holiday event this season, be sure to check out what Hershey has to offer. If you have any questions, feel free to reach out or comment below!
xx, Jill