Let Me In!

Usually, when going to an amusement park, the first things people usually think about are, "Rides! Fun! Junk food!" But after one gets their head out of the clouds, they realize that all this excitement comes with a price. Going on vacation is always a costly experience, and Hersheypark, Knoebels and Dorney are no exceptions. Interestingly, each park does admission quite differently--but which will give you the most bang for your buck?

Note: To keep this complicated topic as simple as possible, I will only be discussing regular admission tickets, since these are the basic tickets that most people will buy. For more information on anything other than regular admission, check out each park's web sites.

Hersheypark: $52.95
The price for a one-day ticket at Hersheypark is $52.95, and let's be honest, that is a hefty price for just one day at an amusement park. However, Hershey has several ways of making this price seem much more manageable. First of all, Hersheypark also offers two and three day tickets--the two-day ticket costs $70.50 while the three-day costs $99 even. Take a close look at these prices--the two day ticket is only $18 more than a one-day ticket, which means that you're really just paying $35.25 a day. That is MUCH lower than Hershey's normal one-day ticket price! Get the three-day ticket and you're paying only $33 a day. "But I don't want to spend three days in a row in Hershey!" you're exclaiming at this point. Never fear--these two and three-day tickets are FLEX tickets, meaning that you do not need to use them on consecutive days. Let's say you want to go to Hershey once in May and once in August. Most people will buy two one-day tickets right before they go to the park both times. But if they buy a two-day ticket in May, then can save their second day for August and save a bundle of money!
There are three other ways to save money at Hersheypark. First, Hershey offers a Consecutive Day ticket price of $31.95. So you only bought a one-day ticket but your kids are clambering for more? Save your ticket stub, go to a hotel and get some rest. The next morning, return to the ticket booth with your stub and pay this discounted price. You're still paying more than you would have if you bought a two-day ticket to start with, but it's better than paying over $50 for a one-day ticket two days in a row!
Second, if you just want half a day of Hershey fun, try sunset admission, which is only $26.95. When sunset admission begins depends on when the park closes, but the later the park is open, the earlier sunset admission becomes available. A great option if you don't plan on spending the whole day in Hersheypark.
Third, one of the best ways to save money--Hersheypark's Preview Plan. Whether you bought your tickets online or at the gate, or have a one, two or three-day ticket, you can go to the park the day before you plan on using it and get in FOR FREE for several hours before closing. Once again, the times you are allowed in vary depending on what time the park closes, and it's rarely more than three hours before closing, but this is still an amazing deal. Take advantage of this if you can!

Knoebels: Free Admission

I know what you're thinking--"FREE???? Hands down, I'm going to Knoebels!!!!" And yes, it is very true that Knoebels has no admission price, which automatically makes it a cheaper option than other parks. However, Knoebels does cost money, and sometimes, when you think you're saving money, you can actually be spending more. Knoebels operates on a "pay as you ride" plan, meaning that each ride costs a certain amount of money. You can buy ride tickets in $5, $10 or $20 books that cost $.50 to $.75 cents less than that, depending on the day. The rides themselves cost between $.75 and $3, so with a big family these tickets can get used up quickly. Knoebels' solution--the "pay one price" option, which costs $30.50 for basic rides and $38 if you want to ride the wooden coasters, as well. These pay-one-price plans are usually only available during the week. Knoebels also offers pay-one-price sundown plans that let you in to the park later in the day for less money. These are similar to Hershey's, costing $17.50 without coasters and $22.50 with. Finally, every once in awhile Knoebels has $9 bargain nights.

Dorney Park: $43.99

Dorney's biggest perk that is you get "two parks for the price of one": with one admission price, you can get into Dorney Park, which has all the coasters and dry rides, and Wildwater Kingdom, the large water park. This price is $43.99, which is average when it comes to theme park tickets. When the water park isn't open at the beginning and end of the season, Dorney gets even cheaper--tickets are just $27.99. However, don't think you can go to Dorney in the middle of July intending on only visiting Wildwater Kingdom for this lower ticket price. You still pay $43.99 most of the year, whether you visit both parks or just one of them. Dorney, like both Hershey and Knoebels, offers Starlight Admission, letting you into both parks later in the day for $22.99. Dorney also offers two-day flex tickets that work exactly the same as Hershey's, meaning that you do not need to use them back-to-back. These tickets cost $63, and if you crunch the numbers, that means you'll be paying $31.50 a day. This is definitely cheaper than the normal price, but be careful--regular tickets are already discounted from the $43.99 if you buy them online, so Dorney's two-day ticket isn't quite the great bargain that Hershey's is.

The Verdict

1. Hersheypark

2. Knoebels

3. Dorney

This was a very, very tough call. At first glance, it seems that with no set admission price, Knoebels must be the best deal. However, I think that Knoebels can only be cheap with a very small family of two or three people. Larger families usually do one of three things: buy piles upon piles of ride tickets (which can really add up), get the "pay one price" plan (which isn't really cheaper than other amusement parks) or use tickets, but have to limit their day to certain rides. Hersheypark has the most expensive tickets, and I have heard complaints about how expensive it is to get into the park, but I feel as if the park tries very hard to make admission accessible for everyone. Comparing the three parks, Hershey has more options and better deals on multiple-day tickets than Dorney and Knoebels. And other other reason Hersheypark is number one? You really get what you pay for! Hersheypark has more rides and entertainment than the other two parks, and--guess what, Dorney?--Hershey offers a water park in their admission price, as well. I put Knoebels in second because if you're smart, it can be a very good deal, and Dorney is third because honestly, their admission plans are nothing special. But I honestly believe, after a lot of hemming and hawing over the "safe" answer (Knoebels) or the "real" answer (Hershey), that I had to go with my gut. Yes, Hershey's one-day basic ticket price is the most expensive, but the vast money-saving options the park offers and the fact that Hershey has so much more to do than the other two parks makes it my choice for where you'll get the most bang for your buck.

Until next time!