Dutch Wonderland Family Amusement Park

Amidst the farmland, shopping, and shoofly pies of Pennsylvania Dutch Country is a “kingdom for kids” called Dutch Wonderland.   Dutch Wonderland is a place where families can play and create memories together.  The year 2013 marks the 50th anniversary of the amusement park, and they invited my family to celebrate with them.

Dutch Wonderland has rides and attractions for the whole family, and it’s all very little kid-friendly.  Open from Memorial Day through Labor Day is Duke’s Lagoon, a multi-level waterplay platform that’s a fun way to cool down on a hot, summer day.  Live entertainment is plentiful here and includes music, storytimes, parades, dive shows, and more.  There are more than 30 rides at Dutch Wonderland, and several of them are for just for kids, like the Choo Choo Charlie kid-powered trains and Panda Party.

You’ll find plenty to do for bigger kids (like me!) too.  Take a drive on the Sunoco Turnpike, turn your world upside down in the Wonder House, and get wet on the Double Splash Flume.  Like roller coasters?  Both you and the kids will be thrilled by the Joust Family Coaster and the Kingdom Coaster.  My favorite ride was probably the Wonderland Special Train.  It’s a little more tame than something I would typically name as a favorite, but it was the first thing we did when we got there, and I thought it was an excellent way to begin the festivities.  It’s an adorable little railroad that takes you throughout the whole park, and I found it very helpful in planning out our day.  Neither of my kids would commit to having just one favorite ride here, but I can tell you that I had a very difficult time removing them from the Wiggle Racers!

There was so much to do here, we didn’t even get to it all.  We never made it to the monorail, the gonodola cruise, or the river boat ride, nor did we have time to watch a single show.  And apparently, a free round of mini-golf is included with your admission.  I missed that one entirely.  Maybe if I hadn’t stopped to snack…

I really did want to see a show, but the Potato Patch was calling my name.  I just couldn’t let the bacon cheese fries go unsampled.  You know what?  It was totally worth it.  YUM.

Then, when the park is closing, and you think you’ve had all the food and fun you could possibly squeeze into one day…surprise!  It’s time for a fabulous photo opp with Princess Brooke, the Knight of Safety, and Duke the Dragon!

We all had a terrific time on our first visit to Dutch Wonderland.  We’ll definitely be returning; we’ll just need to arrive earlier and maybe go on a day when they’re open later so we can fit in more excitement.  The only disappointing part of this experience was that they had designated smoking areas littered throughout the park.  I don’t see any reason why a park for kids (or any park) needs to allow smoking, and having to run my family past the toxic fumes put a damper on our fun a few times.  Still, we’ll be back, and I’ll definitely be getting those cheesy bacon fries again!

Dutch Wonderland’s Lancaster, PA location is convenient to a lot of other great family attractions, as well as lodging and dining.  Did I mention that they have free parking?  And kids 2 and under are free!

Dutch Wonderland Family Amusement Park
2249 Lincoln Highway East
Lancaster, PA 17602

Dutch Wonderland provided complimentary tickets for review purposes.  I was in no way obligated to provide a positive review.  All opinions are my own.