Editor’s note: We have visited the Dutch Wonderland theme park in Pennsylvania several times, and you can see our review in this detailed post. Our visits have been great fun, but I also acknowledge it is much easier to visit a theme park when you are a smaller family with just one child. We wondered, how would a visit to the park be with a larger family, especially with kids of different age groups. We sent our contributor Heidi Solis and four kids — young children, a pre-teen, and a teen — to find out. See her review and tips below! — Patricia
By Heidi Solis for Fairfax Family Fun
I’ll admit that I had never heard about Dutch Wonderland before. But the descriptions about it as a fun place for families with young kids sounded nice, so when I had the chance to go review it, I enthusiastically said yes. I took four children (ages 6, 9, 12 and 14) to Dutch Wonderland in Lancaster, PA today, and it was absolutely worth the two-and-an-half-hour drive!
The park is geared toward younger children (the park recommends it for kids up to age 12); however, we all had a blast! Many rides are geared towards families- we all could ride!
And as another plus: there was no waiting in long lines with tired children- no lines! We spent the first four hours enjoying the rides: bumper cars, swings, boat rides, and roller coasters (my 6 year old was thrilled he could ride everything!). We then ate at the Eatery which had a wide selection of choices, including pizza, chicken tenders, sandwiches, fruit, and salad. After eating, we spent a few more enjoyable hours in Duke’s Lagoon, the water section.
My children thoroughly enjoyed the high-diving board show in the main area of the park and got soaked in the audience. If you need a break, there are many benches located throughout the park, many of them in the shade.
Although we ate at one of the park’s restaurants, you can also bring a picnic and eat in their nice picnic area right outside the gates and then re-enter the park. I highly recommend Dutch Wonderland for the amusement park experience where your youngest can enjoy numerous rides, parents can ride and feel like a kid, and short lines will help you make the most of you visit for a wonderful family day!
Photos by Heidi Solis
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