Dutch Wonderland
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| Location | east of Lancaster, Pennsylvania |
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| Website | http://www.dutchwonderland.com/ |
| Owner | Hershey Entertainment and Resorts Company |
| Opened | 1963 |
| Area | 48 |
| Rides | 32 total
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| Slogan | "A Kingdom for Kids" |
Dutch Wonderland is a 48-acre amusement park just east of Lancaster, Pennsylvania appealing primarily to families with small children.
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The park is a "Kingdom for Kids" behind a real stone castle facade, ruled by a 6-foot-tall purple and yellow dragon mascot named Duke. That stone facade was built by Earl Clark, a potato farmer, before he opened the park in 1963.
The Clark family sold Dutch Wonderland in 2001 to Hershey Entertainment and Resorts Company, which also operates Hersheypark in nearby Hershey, Pennsylvania. They also operate WONDERLAND Mini-Golf, and OLD MILL STREAM Campground at the same location. The current General Manager of Dutch Wonderland is Rick Stammel.
Today, the park has 32 rides, plus a tropical-themed interactive water play area called Duke's Lagoon. The park also has an extended season, open for "Happy Hauntings" and "Dutch Winter Wonderland" events for Halloween and Christmas.
[edit] Admissions
Regular one day admissions prices are based on age:
- Regular (ages 7-59) $29.95
- Junior (ages 3-6) $24.95
- Senior (ages 60-69) $22.95
- Senior Plus (ages 70+) $15.95
- Children (ages 2 and under) Free
The Wonderpass includes one round of WONDERLAND Mini-Golf as well:
- Regular (ages 7-59) $31.95
- Junior (ages 3-6) $26.95
- Senior (ages 60-69) $25.95
Special deals, including multi-day passes, and package deals with other attractions such as Hersheypark or Strasburg Railroad are available. [1]
[edit] Hours
Summer days:
Most days: 10-8:30
Late Spring and Early Fall days:
Weekdays: 10-6 Most Weekends: 10-7
Early Spring and Late Fall days:
Most Weekends: 10-6
[edit] Attractions
Beyond the walls of a real castle lies A KINGDOM FOR KIDS!® ages 12 and under. DUTCH WONDERLAND features over 30 kid-friendly rides, water-play, entertainment, interactive shows, games, and fantastic food for the young and young at heart. Presiding over it all are walk-around, huggable best friends DUKE THE DRAGONSM and The Princess of DUTCH WONDERLAND®, and The DUTCH WONDERLAND Knight. Visit the new Kid's Cookie Kitchen or sing along to The Danger Rangers Safety Show! Visit DutchWonderland.com to learn more!
[edit] Current roller coasters
Dutch Wonderland has two operating rollercoasters.
| Ride | Opened | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Sky Princess | 1992 | A wooden rollercoaster, the first coaster ever built by Custom Coasters International. Uses a single Philadelphia Toboggan Company train with buzz bars. The park's monorail runs through the structure of the ride. |
| Joust | 1998 | A steel "Big Dipper" style rollercoaster, manufactured by Chance Rides. Sits where the Flying Carousel once stood, in front of the Sky Princess. |
[edit] Other Rides
- Astroliner - an older space simulator that was added to the park in 1978, built by Wisdom Manufacturing
- Bumper Cars - a classic Lusse bumper car ride
- Capital BlueCross Monorail - visible from outside the park
- Dragon's Lair - a one-of-a-kind boat ride, visible from outside the park
- Dutch Wonder House - a rare "haunted swing" ride
- Double Splash Flume - a log flume with characters and a mist tunnel
- Flying Turtles - in a new location for 2006, self-propelled scooters race around a track that includes a maze and a cave. This ride replaced the indoor miniature circus display.
- Lady Gay Riverboat - a short cruise around a man-made island
- Sky Ride - the last station-to-station sky rides in the state[citation needed]
- VR Voyager - a newer-style motion simulator
- Wonder Whip - a kiddie whip ride moved from Hersheypark
[edit] Shows
- The Danger Rangers - a new show based on the syndicated PBS animated series of the same name. The Danger Rangers perform in 5 shows a day and also participate in the daily parade, the Majestic Fanfare.
- Bubba Bear and the Badlands Band - a Sally-produced theater show
- The Adventures of the Frog Prince - a high-dive show
