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Hershey's Chocolate World

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jaebirdypie
jaebirdypie
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Hershey's Chocolate World... How Sweet It Is!

  • January 14, 2009
  • Rated 4 of 5 by Troobabiee7 from Brooklyn, New York
Hershey's Chocolate World... How Sweet It Is!

Hershey Park is one of the most famous and popular theme parks in America. It's known for it's roller coasters, chocolate characters and family-friendly attractions, but what most people don't know is that there's a whole separate side of Hershey Park called Hershey's Chocolate World. It's located next to the theme park and houses a series of rides, shows, attractions and stores, most of which are free of charge. It's not big enough for an all-day excursion, but it's not to be missed if you have an extra hour or two to spare before or after your day at Hershey Park.

Coming from Lancaster, it took us about an hour to get to Hershey, Pennsylvania on the third day of our trip. All of the "going to bed late and getting up early" we 'd been doing was starting to catch up with us and my mom and Mike fell asleep in the car while I dozed off a few times while listening to my MP3 player. When we got into Hershey we had some trouble finding the actual theme park even though we had been there three times before. There were signs all over the area saying to drive carefully since school was back in session, so we were really hoping the crowds would be low.

After a few wrong turns and some mindless driving, we finally found Hershey's Chocolate World, the Hershey Park welcome center. We parked and went inside, and the crowd situation wasn't looking too good. There were tons of people in there! We went right over to the Hershey Chocolate Ride. We have video of us standing in line on our past three trips and the line was always huge, but today we walked right on! I guess the crowds were just lingering. We all fit in one car so it was great to all get to go on the tour together. The ride is a lot of fun... we hopped into one of the continuously loading cars that slowly moved along a track through a replica of the Hershey Chocolate factory. They showed us exactly how the chocolate was made, with large tubs of milk chocolate all over the place. It smelled delicious! There were also animated Hershey bars and the famous Hershey song played a few times during the end of the ride - "Hershey chocolate, Hershey chocolate, it's a Hershey chocolate world. Wherever you go, no matter how far, you'll always see a Hershey bar. Hershey chocolate, real milk chocolate. Hershey, the great American chocolate bar!" I love that song, it brings back so many great memories!

After the Hershey Chocolate Tour we went to get tickets for the "Hershey's Really Big 3D Show." The next show was only five-minutes away so we really lucked out. This is the only thing you have to pay for in Hershey's Chocolate World, but it was only $5 a person so it wasn't too bad. We were one of the last few groups let into the pre-show area and it was a really fun show! In the first pre-show room a very animated lady told us about the fun that awaited us in the "Magical Chocolate World." There were tons of kids there and they were all so excited! After hearing a few stories about Milton S. Hershey and Hershey Park, we were ushered into another big pre-show room with a large screen in the front. Here we all stood and watched a film about the life of Milton S. Hershey, the inspiration behind Hershey Park, and the history of Hershey, Pennsylvania before we moved into the main theater.

We all got our seats and 3D glasses and the show soon began. There was a girl in the front of the room who was supposed to be a scientist and she kept trying to explain the scientific makeup and aspects of chocolate. Whenever she would begin speaking, though, a cute talking Hershey kiss on the screen would take over and wreak havoc on the place! There were a lot of performing Hershey bars singing songs about chocolate to the tune of popular show tunes along with many cool special effects. These effects included puffs of air that were supposed to be flying Hershey kisses hitting our legs, bubbles, confetti and sprays of water. Alison had enough of the special effects halfway through the show, though, and took off her 3D glasses. I'd recommend the show for kid's ages 5-and-up since the special effects may be a little too much for younger children.

When the show was over we explored more of Hershey's Chocolate World. We really just did a lot of shopping. First we went to the main chocolate area where they had a really good deal - five large bags of mini-bar chocolates (regular, peanut butter cups, and other kinds of Hershey chocolates) for $7, so we bought a bunch of bags as souvenirs. We also got a few huge solid Hershey kisses and I got two regular Hershey bars. There are lots of great deals to be found here, even more so than next door at Hershey Park. If you're a fan of chocolate, this is the place to be!

We then went to the other main souvenir area where they sold chocolate, t-shirts, stuffed animals, mugs, magnets, and more. Alison had a field day! Of course she wanted the huge Hershey bar stuffed animals they had, but Aunt Stacy got her a small Hershey kiss stuffed animal instead. I wound up buying a key chain and a big blue mug with a Hershey kiss on the front. Hershey's Chocolate World is a great little diversion from the more popular theme park next door, with lots of fun attractions and great deals on souvenirs. A trip to Hershey Park isn't complete without going on the factory tour ride and signing along to the famous Hershey song!

From journal Lancaster, Pennsylvania: The Return to a Childhood Favorite

Hershey's Chocolate World

  • September 19, 2003
  • Rated 5 of 5 by jaebirdypie from New York, New York
Hershey's Chocolate World

Hershey's Chocolate World is the official visitors' center of the Hershey Corporation. It's the perfect place to begin any trip to this town that chocolate built. Once inside, hop on the free simulated factory tour ride and take a coco bean's journey through the fine art of chocolate making. Next, visitors can watch their favorite candy creations come to life singing and dancing on the big screen. "Hershey's Really Big 3D Show" is a fun-filled, deliciously educational half hour with a few surprises thrown in along the way.

By now, even the sensory-deprived should be wanting some chocolate. The gift shop is the perfect place to load up on all your Hershey's favorites--including the stuff that may be hard to find at home. Oh, Mr. Goodbar! I've found you at long last! For a special treat with an extra long shelf life, pick up some nifty candy-themed souvenirs like ornaments, tee shirts and cute plush character dolls.

Of course, no visitors' center would be complete without a great place to eat. The food court offers quick, convenient family friendly dining. Got more time on your hands? Hershey's Chocolate Town Cafe is a full-service restaurant that has something for everyone.

From journal Beautiful Amish Country

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