This post about Hersheypark Christmas Candylane was made possible by Hersheypark who provided us with admission to Hersheypark at no charge. We’re sharing details, pictures, and videos from our visit to Hersheypark Christmas Candylane, a great family vacation or getaway for your family. Details have been updated for the 2020 season.

In 2017, my family and I kicked off our Christmas a little sooner than we typically do. It’s been a year of changes for us and there’s nothing to lift your mood like holiday lights and decorations! We hadn’t ever visited Hersheypark at Christmas time and we decided to visit opening weekend of Christmas Candylane. The timing was perfect, as our schools were closed for teacher convention so we had all day Friday to travel. The ride was under 3 hours from our Monmouth County home which was reasonable even for my children who aren’t fans of the car.

At this time of year, nighttime is the right time for Hersheypark. While the 4 million lights at Hersheypark Christmas Candylane and 600 lights at Hershey Sweet Lights are like nothing we’ve ever seen before we also really enjoyed getting to know Hershey at Christmas. After the experiences we had at Hersheypark Christmas Candylane it’s clear to see why celebrating Christmas in Hershey has become a tradition for so many families. While we are disappointed we couldn’t be there for the Christmas season for this year, we have updated our information to reflect the Hersheypark Christmas Candyland activities for 2020.

11 Ways to Experience Hersheypark Christmas Candylane in 2020

• Snap a photo! Recharge your batteries; clear out your photo memory. You are going to want to take family pictures with the candy characters, Santa, the lights, photo props and probably much much more. You may even get your family’s Christmas card photo!

• Go for a WILD or a mild ride. Wildcat, Candymonium, Cocoa Cruiser and Laff Trakk are open during Hersheypark Christmas Candylane (weather pending). We love Laff Trakk and we all did it twice!
  • Tip – if you enter at park opening go right to Laff Trakk and you won’t have a line. Most of Hersheypark’s family and kiddie rides were in operation when we went. We certainly found enough open rides to fill a day at Hersheypark.

The entrance to Laff Trakk decorated for the season

• Walk the park, especially the Hollow to take in the more than 5 million holiday lights there are in Hersheypark Christmas Candylane. Again, have that camera ready.

• Share a s’more with someone you love. You’ve never seen s’mores like the ones you’ll see at Hersheypark Christmas Candylane. A $5 bill can get you a large s’more on a graham cracker or a chocolate chip cookie. Inside you can choose from a regular Hershey bar or a Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup.

• Decorate a Christmas Cookie. Also for an added fee, head to the Cookie Workshop by Kissing Tower Hill. You’ll get a yummy Christmas tree shaped sugar cookie and more sprinkles and icing than you’ll need but is it really ever enough? Be sure you save room to eat it too!

• Listen to a story from the elves. Right in the same building as the Cookie Workshop the elves visit to read a story! No fee, but check the schedule or the Hersheypark app for times.

• Visit with Santa’s 9 reindeer. What a treat it was to see Santa’s reindeer resting before their big day. We were there at feeding time and enjoyed watching them interact with each other and their handler.

• Go ice skating. The ice skating rink at Hersheypark Christmas Candylane is perfect for younger skaters. Skate rental is $3 per person per day. It’s not your typical rink size but is large enough to spend some time skating with your kids. And who would think you could say you ice skated at an amusement park?

• See the Show! In 2017 the Music Box Theatre offered The Enchanted Journey. We were so impressed by the talent in this show! The costuming, the dancing, singing, it’s all top quality. We loved the story too – the nutcracker allergic to nuts? The “sour” candy girl? You definitely want to take a break from the rides and lights to see this show. The 2019 offering is “The Littlest Tree.”

• Check out the view! The Kissing Tower is a must do at Hersheypark. Make sure you check it out to see the view of the surrounding area in the fall – it’s pretty different than what you see in the full bloom of summer!

• Stay late enough to see the lights really glimmer and view the nightly Noel light and music shows. Light shows begin every 30 minutes after 5 PM and cycle through 4 different shows. Our 2016 Hersheypark Noel Video shows a portion of one showing.

Bonus for 2020 –  TREEville At The Boardwalk
The Boardwalk section of Hersheypark will host a festive trail of 12+ trees that reflect the history and feeling of Hersheypark. Even better, it’s interactive! There will be a photo scavenger hunt that earns you a complimentary treat when complete.

Are you ready to experience a Hersheypark Christmas?

What you should know before you visit Hersheypark Christmas Candylane. 

• Hersheypark Christmas Candylane is the name Hersheypark takes on for its holiday season activities.

• Hersheypark Christmas Candylane is open on select dates through January 3, 2021. Regular admission is $39.95 when purchased online and includes admission to ZooAmerica. For operational hours and dates visit www.Hersheypark.com.

• Hersheypark Chocolate World is open late and year round. When we visited it was open an hour past Hersheypark. Admission is free as is the ride to learn how chocolate is made. The food court inside is a great option for dining anytime of the day. Timed entry passes are required for 2020.

• If your kids love hot chocolate purchase the $13 refillable cup and drink free all day, and pay just $1 for refills on future visits to Christmas Candylane.

• Hersheypark is very accommodating to those with food allergies and you can learn more about that here.

• Check Hersheypark’s schedule for the most up to date information regarding the times of shows and special activities.

• It can get very cold. Make sure you and your family are dressed warmly and that everyone has a hat and gloves.

• A visit to Hershey at Christmas is not complete without a visit to Hershey Sweet Lights.

• Click over to visit the official Hersheypark website.

• Click over to learn about sweet places to stay near Hersheypark.

We loved the experiences we had at Hersheypark. What Hersheypark Experience would you like to have?

View more of our 2017 Hersheypark photos in our Facebook Gallery.

View more of our 2016 Hersheypark photos in our Facebook Gallery.

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Click over to see the rest of our Family Travel to Hersheypark series.

To arrange a feature on your location contact Jennifer Auer, Jersey Family Fun publisher.