Best Amusement Park for Kids 6 an Under

Updated on July 22, 2008
D.K. asks from Newtown Square, PA
20 answers

Hi! I was hoping for some advise on the best family oriented fun amusement parke for kids 6 and under? My kids have been asking for everything from Dutch Wonderland to Dorney to hershey and i was wondering what your experiences were for the best options for smaller kids? THANK YOU!!!

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So What Happened?

Thank you everyone for your great insight! I am taking your advise and heading for Dutch Wonderland! We booked two nights at the Willow Hotel and Lodge and are looking forward to it! THANKS AGAIN!!!!

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S.N.

answers from Philadelphia on

Hi D.,

I would say Dutch Wonderland would probably be the best choice, it's geared more toward smaller children. I've been going w/my sister since her kids were little (they are now 8 & 11). My kids are 2&4 and we're planning on making a trip this summer.

Good Luck and hope you enjoy what ever choice you make.

S.

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T.H.

answers from Philadelphia on

Story book land in New Jersey. It has rides for all story book themes. It was perfect for 6 and under. Lots of shade when it's a hot day. only about 20.00 for the whole day and that covers all rides all day. My daughter is 3 and hasn't stopped talking about it.

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G.V.

answers from Philadelphia on

You should try Sesame Place if it is still open. We went there when my son was young and he really enjoyed it. I would not recommend Dorney- it is geared for older kids. Hershey might be okay for them. If you are up for an adventure(an expensive one) Legoland in California is great for kids probably 5-12yrs. We just got back and my 10 year old loved it.
Good luck. Be sure to check online for discount coupons for the various parks.
G.

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T.M.

answers from Philadelphia on

Have you considered sesame place? I think dorney park, great adventure etc. are for older children. Dutch wonderland is also for younger in my opinion. Where ever you decide.. have fun :-)

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A.W.

answers from Philadelphia on

For that age group I would definitely say Dutch Wonderland because the entire park is kiddie rides as opposed to just a kiddie section like the other parks seem to have. The other parks have the water parks which is nice but if you're looking for mostly rides you should go to Dutch Wonderland. Also it's not as big as the other parks so it's not as exhausting trying to get to everything you want to do.

Have fun with whatever you choose!

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H.W.

answers from Philadelphia on

I can strongly recommend Dutch Wonderland. The rides are geared to the little ones...not too scary. There is a wonderful water area where they can play safely and not be in danger from the water. There are some nice shows that my 5 year old loved. The park has large, mature trees all over that prevent it from being too hot in the day and the admission price was a bit less than the other local amusement parks.

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R.B.

answers from Philadelphia on

I have only been to Dorney for my husband's company picnic so I could not tell you what the lines are normally like. Our 4 year old loved it when she was 3 and cannot wait to go back this year. She loved all the rides in camp snoopy. Bring bathing suits because there is a spray-ground in camp snoopy. It is nice for cooling the kids off.

Also, one of our neighbors highly recommends Storybook Land in NJ. It is solely for young children (no thrill rides for adults) and is the perfect size for a nice day out. Hope you have fun wherever you end up going!

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G.M.

answers from Philadelphia on

I would say Sesame Place. It's good for kids of all ages.

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M.G.

answers from Philadelphia on

Go to Sesame Place! It is specifically for children 7 and under. We just went with out 5 and 3 year olds a week ago and it was the best. They had so much fun. It is a lot of water rides, but we loved it and will definitely be going back again. The tickets are $47 But they are good for 2 days during the season! If your kids are over 42 inches, they can sign up to be in the parades too! (look on the park map for info - it is safe. They ride on seats with seat belts on the floats and the parent and child receive a arm band that is checked when the child is picked up). Being in the parade was my sons favorite part. The lines weren't bad at all and it was tons of fun!

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L.H.

answers from Philadelphia on

I would recommend Dutch Wonderland. It isn't so big that you or the children will feel overwhelmed. All of the rides are child focused so you don't have to worry about too many rides that they cannot go on. My son is 3.5 and could ride almost all rides either alone or accompanied by an adult. The food options in my opinion were somewhat better than a lot of amusement parks ... not all junk. There were some "healthier" options ... fruit, yogurt, milk ... etc. There is a water rides area. We did not go there, but if you are looking for that stuff too, Dutch Wonderland has it. We will definitely return. Our son keeps asking if we can go back which is always a good sign!
Good Luck and Have Fun!

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A.Y.

answers from Philadelphia on

Dutch Wonderland Rocks for the 6 and under crowd! It is so clean and the rides are great for the age!

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S.K.

answers from Philadelphia on

We have a 3 year old daughter and she loved both Sesame Place (lots of water rides/pools/sprinklers to stay cool) and Hershey Park (huge section of kids rides, but the water zone gets really crowded there).

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J.R.

answers from Philadelphia on

We are going to Knoebels Amusement Resort this weekend for the first time. We have heard AMAZING things about it. It's located in Elysburg, PA. The National Amusement Park Historical Association (NAPHA) puts out an annual survey ranking national parks in several categories. Knoebels and Walt Disney World tied for #1 Best Park For Families this year. Both parks have been in the top five since the question originated in 1999, with Knoebels named as the Favorite Park For Families eight out of the last nine years. You can check out NAPHA.org for more info, and read online visitor reviews if you google it. The nice thing about Knoebels is that it is in a wooded setting, so the kids don't roast while waiting for rides. You can pay for a wristband to ride everything, or use tickets to only ride what you want. All of my friends who have gone said the latter is the way to go, especially for young kids. They said it turns out to be so cheap that way, since you're not paying for them to ride everything. Their food also consistently gets good reviews. Check it out at Knoebels.com. Good luck!

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S.W.

answers from Philadelphia on

For the ages of your children I would recommend Sesame Place. It's not a long drive and they have everything from roller coasters down to the water park. There's something for everyone. I'm not sure about the pricing as i haven't been there in several years.

Good luck!

S. W.

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S.F.

answers from Philadelphia on

For young children, Dutch Wonderland is the greatest!! My daughters loved that park when they were little. It has a really nice atmosphere - green and shady, with rides that are appropriate for them, fun shows. and now water slides and other water areas that weren't there a few years back - and all the children are similar age. It's just a great family place. Recently, my sister has been taking her young children there, and my teenagers wanted to go along! They feel a lot of nostalgia for that place even though now they've graduated to giant rollercoasters. Also, if you're at Dutch Wonderland, you could spend the next day on the Strasburg Railroad. If you go in the Fall to the Strasburg Railroad, there is the Maize Maze in that area as well (a big corn maze). The other amusement park that is fun for families with young children is Knoebel's Grove, but it's farther. Other families we know have rented the cabins there so they could stay more than one day. Have fun!

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D.M.

answers from Philadelphia on

For children that age - go for Dutch Wonderland. The park is meant for the younger children and they won't get frustrated at all the things that they cannot do. Dorney and Hershey have "kid zones" so they are great places if you have mixed ages, but DW is the place for the younger crowd. We used to go with the summer day camp / preschoolers and always had a blast! (It's not as overwhelming as the bigger parks)

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K.N.

answers from Philadelphia on

Definitely Dutch Wonderland! We have had season passes for 3 yrs...we started going when my son was 2...they have a great mix of rides. There are still rides he will not go on. We also went to Storybook Land in NJ it was a lot smaller. It was $10 less to get in.

Have fun

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T.S.

answers from Philadelphia on

Dutch Wonderland, hands down! My kids hated when they got too big to go there! It caters to the small ones. The kids will have years of adventures at all the others!

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J.R.

answers from Philadelphia on

I agree with everyone, definitely Dutch Wonderland!!

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R.W.

answers from Philadelphia on

LOVE Dutch Wonderland! I have 2 boys - ages 4 and 2 - and we went w/ a friend with a 2 year old boy - they ALL had a blast!! We went on a weekday and there really were no crowds or too much waiting in line. I would definitely recommend!

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