defhermit

So... When I started this thread I was totally ready to start making reservations and buying plane tickets. I was just waiting for my bonus to come through! It since has, but also a global pandemic has basically shut down the entire entertainment industry. Whether or not any amusement parks will even be open this summer is a real question. So I guess this trip plan is on hold until further notice. Maybe I should actually pay off my student loans? Hope everyone is staying sane!

Thanks for all the feedback, people! I'm taking everything into consideration and have replanned. Won't bother going into ALL the specifics, but I'm thinking of cutting out Chicago which was basically a whim in favor of starting in Detroit/Sandusky,OH area for Cedar Point to be the beginning. With this extra time I could either stick to the previous plan, but instead go to both DC AND either King's Dominion OR Busch Gardens... OR I could instead keep it local and do a string of smaller parks in PA between Cedar Point and Hershey. These being Kennywood, Idlewild and Lakemont Park. This would also allow me to hit Knoebels for most of a day and then hit Hershey for late-night hours before attending a full day the next day. I leaning toward the second option. It'll be a little cheaper and with shorter drives between stops it makes it more feasible to maybe arrive at and attend parks in the same day. This option also makes it seem more feasible to actually camp at some of these locales instead of getting a hotel. I'm still planning all this, but expect to make a decision and start making reservations by the end of the week. Full disclosure: it is bonus time at work and they come in this Friday. So I'm trying to make this call by Friday so I can pull the trigger and set it in stone.

Wow, the second reply is another vote for Knoebels! I guess I should watch some more videos. I'm from PA and never went there, although we went to Hershey and Great Adventure all the time. It's really worth it, huh? Keep in mind I am a (youthful) 43 year old dude travelling solo. Thanks for the reply!

Thanks for the reply! Dorney and Sesame Place are more for nostalgia. I might actually just drive by Sesame Place to take a look at it from the parking lot because I have a lot of fond memories of that place from childhood. I'm definitely open to going to King's Dominion instead of Six Flags America in the DC area. I sort of just noticed there was another Six Flags somewhat between the other parks I was planning on going to. I want to go to the best parks so if King's Dominion is generally regarded as superior to Six Flags America I'd go there no question. Now the question is whether or not I should even go down to the DC area. I'm not sure what you mean with the Hershey deal? I should get into Hershey plenty early, especially if I change my DC plans. Are you saying that with a 2-day pass I get like extra morning hours the second day? I really hadn't planned on spending more than one day at any parks. I'm rolling solo and my experience so far with amusement parks as an adult is that I can get quite a lot of rides in in a day because I treat it like a challenge. I recently went to Disney World and spent 1 day in each of the 4 Disney parks and rode everything I wanted to with no problem. Is there really 2 days worth of activities for me in Hershey? I'm willing to pay for all FastPass-type options at each park. Honestly, I've seen a couple videos about Knoebels and I guess its cool but I never went there as a kid so I hold no nostalgia for it. I went to Hershey and Great Adventure every year as a kid but haven't been for at least 15 years so they were a no-brainer for the trip, especially because I want to end up in NJ. Cedar Point has been on my list of places I want to go forever so that was added on, then Six Flags Great America because Chicago is sufficiently far enough away to start there and have an 'epic' road trip. Then I sort of just needed something between Cedar Point and Hershey and just landed on Six Flags America in DC. It's always cool to visit DC. I could definitely be convinced to instead just head from Cedar Point to central PA and spend 3 nights in the same hotel maybe hitting up Knoebels...

Hey there all! I'm new to the forums, but it seemed like this was an appropriate place for a 'help me plan my trip' post! Please scold me if it is not. I live in Seattle now but my Philadelphia family is making their yearly pilgrimage to Ocean City, NJ again in July. I've avoided joining them for years but they've guilted me into it this time. They are there from July 11th to the 18th. In order to satisfy my need for my vacations to be something more than basking on a beach all day I've decided to incorporate a long road trip into the thing. After some dreaming, I've come up with a pretty sweet plan that is probably overdoing it but I don't care. My plan is to fly to Chicago, stay in a hotel and then go to Six Flags Great America. (7/3, 7/4) Then, rent a car and drive to Sandusky Ohio and stay in a hotel. Next day go to Cedar Point. (7/5, 7/6) Then, drive to Washington DC and stay in a hotel. Next day go to Six Flags America. (7/7, 7/8) Then, drive to Hershey PA and stay in a hotel. Next day go to Hersheypark. (7/9, 7/10) Then, drive to Philadelphia and stay with friends. Next day go to Six Flags Great Adventure. (7/11, 7/12) Then, drop the rental car off in Philadelphia and take the train to Ocean City and spend a couple of days with my family. There are plenty of small amusement park rides on the boardwalk there to finish off the journey! I recognize I have 2 days of long driving there in the beginning, but I'm ready for it. I've driven across country before several times although it has been a long time since I have done it. Every park day is another hotel stay wherever I stayed the night before, with the possible exception of Hershey and Great Adventure since I have Philadelphia locations I can stay in. Some questions: 1. I'll be going to 3 different Six Flags, so I presume it would be cheaper for me to buy some sort of annual pass. I'm going to research this a lot before I pull the trigger, but it seems like there would be an expert here to point me in the right direction! 2. I'll be booking at least 3 2-night stays at hotels in heavily-trafficked metropolitan areas (Chicago, Sandusky and DC) along with possibly 2 other 1 night stays. I'm more than willing to drive another 20 minutes during each leg of this trip to reach a chain establishment. Are there any package deals with hotel chains that I should look into? I'm not fancy but I'm not trying to stay at THE cheapest option. 3. Any thoughts on my itinerary? Too much? Something I should tack on? I'm considering Dorney Park or Sesame Place (nostalgia). Thanks for any and all feedback!