Photo TR: Hersheypark Christmas Candylane 11/29/08

It's 2 a.m., and I just got back from Hersheypark, where I joined a friend and her daughter for a fun-filled (if tiring) day at Christmas Candylane. But enough text; go see the pictures!

Mr. Twizzlers.

Mr. Reese's Cup.

Mr. Hershey Bar.

Outside the main gate the Hershey's characters got their frames in lights, starting with Mr. Hershey's Kiss.

Random illuminated ride sign. Just because I can.

The rest of the park also was nicely lit after dark.

It also provided a nice view of the Christmas tree atop Kissing Tower.

The train gave us a grand circle tour of the Winter Village of lights.

The Twilight Express at maximum throttle.

Our chariot awaits.

This is why the Twilight Express is important.

However, we did get to ride the Twilight Express. Not to be confused with that other Express. You know, the Polar one.

No Frontier Flyers for me on this trip, unfortunately.

"I swear if you don't put down the freakin' camera and stop taking pictures, I'm going to bop you with this thing...."

This is why the bronze elk is important. Or, rather, "important."

However, I can offer photographic proof of this bronze elk. And face it: I could have told you it was made of chocolate, and you wouldn't have known the difference.

I can even show you Santa's mailbox, complete with his house number (which you'll notice, not by coincidence, is 25 to correspond with that particular date in December).

 

But I can't show you Santa. Because no personal cameras were allowed in the same room with Santa. And since we opted not to purchase the $18 photo package, we have no actual photographic proof that Santa was ever at Hersheypark. So I'm going to go ahead and propagate the rumor that he wasn't. That should send admissions tumbling.

...I can show you Santa's elves toiling away at his workshop (I like to think this one is Lebbie)...

...I can show you Mr. Reese's Cup standing beside Santa's Christmas tree...

...I can show you Mr. Hershey Bar standing in front of Santa's house (which, if you look closely, you'll see is actually made of Twizzlers)...

I wish I could show you Santa at Hershey park. I really do. I can show you the building where he lives when he's at Hershey...

...because we had people to see!

We stopped to watch the train garden for a few moments, but we couldn't stay long...

Hi, Natalie!

It's called "Christmas" Candylane, but all faiths are welcome. Even the Joeyites.

Meanwhile, Santa and his elves trained for their upcoming ECW appearance.

Speaking of reindeer, Santa's were at the park training for Christmas Eve.

...and even the reindeer!

...the Traffic Jam...

...the Helicopters...

As was the Space Ace...

Nonetheless, this carousel was Lauryn-approved.

Nothing says "quality carousel" like a horse with a dead fox strapped to its back!

See? I wasn't just making that up!

You honestly didn't think you were going to read one of my trip reports without seeing a picture of an antique carousel, did you? This one was originally built for Liberty Heights Park (later Carlin's Park) in Baltimore.

Since no coasters are operated during Christmas Candylane, Santa was finally able to fulfill his lifelong dream of using the Comet as a landing strip.

The lights on the "Kissmas Tree" flashed in sync to popular (and loud) Christmas songs once an hour.

FYI, poinsettias and chocolate are both poisonous to dogs.

...but He clearly doesn't sell as many sweatshirts as Santa.

Jesus may be the "reason for the season"...

"Funny, I don't seem as tall as the Reese's Cup...."

Lauryn measured put to the Reese's Cup height. She got measured on the way out, as well, just to make sure she hadn't grown a foot or two while in the park.

We were fortunate that the temperature hovered around 50 until the sun went down... then it dropped dramatically!

Apparently they were celebrating Christmas or something.

From there it was on to the main attraction, Hersheypark.

The show itself is a typical 3-D animated film with the usual wind, water, bubble and light effects. Characters from the movie are mounted on the walls in the post-show area. I personally liked Mr. Jolly Rancher in his '80s garb... though the show wasn't introduced until the early 2000s.

Photos in the pre-show area depict great moments in Hershey history. Like when Mr. Hershey Bar explored Egypt and didn't melt.

Our special guest, Lauryn, models the Really Big 3-D glasses.

Because I've done PTRs of the Chocolate Factory Tour before, we'll skip that this time and go straight to the Hershey's Really Big 3-D Show.

We didn't do the trolley tour, but if anyone is interested, these are the holiday rates.

...and in!

Chocolate World was decorated outside...

Decorations welcomed us at the Hersheypark tram stop. (Don't worry; the captions get slightly better from here.)

And finally, we discovered this during a stop for gas on the way home. But you'll have to come up with your own joke; I'm going to bed.

"...because you didn't buy nearly enough chocolate this time!"

The Big Bad Wolf really blows!

This little guy was scattered in various locations throughout the display. We took to calling him the "O-Face Christmas Tree."

If nothing else on this trip, I learned that Christmas light displays are very difficult to photograph from a moving vehicle with a cheap digital camera. Thus, the rest of this TR will consist of the photos that actually came out... though there were dozens more really cool displays (and some mediocre ones, too) that I wasn't able to capture adequately in pixels.

Santa and Rudolph found another coaster to ride, as well.

Storm Runner was well represented in the display.

This is what the lights looked like through the glasses.

They gave out free kaleidoscopic glasses with each paid admission (which, at $20 a pop, they darn well should have). They also tried to sell us kettle corn and Pepsi products as we drove to the admission booth, which I didn't appreciate.

 

On a side note, am I the only one here who thinks I look kind of like that guy from Biff's '50s gang in "Back to the Future" in these glasses?

After a not-so-quick dinner at Wendy's (whose entire staff seemed to be trying to figure out when exactly they built an amusement park next door), it was on to Hershey's Sweet Lights, a 600-piece outdoor Christmas light display.

Back inside Chocolate World for some end-of-the-day shopping, we also saw Mr. Milk Duds.

And Mr. York Peppermint Pattie.

Wow! What a great TR! I really miss living on the east coast and being able to go to this event.

 

Thanks for letting me relive it through you!

 

--Robb

Very nice TR. Last time I went there was in December of 04. Very nice place to visit in December.

Thanks for sharing. I love Hershey.

I liked the lights that had Santa sitting in the front of Storm Runner.

Two cool little tidbits of info I found in your Tr:

 

1. In the Fahrenheit Station picture, you can see the front of a train in the picture (bottom corner of the operator's booth).

 

2.In the elf time clock display, they list six names. The last three names, Marty, Kitty, and Lebbie. Marty is the guy who usually takes photos of ride construction (for Fahrenheit and SeaQuel) for coasterdom. Kitty is Milton Hershey's wife and Lebbie was a guy who helped Hershey with the park when it first opened.

 

I will probably get out there on Thursday with a school club. (Fingers crossed).

Thanks for the PTR. This year will be the 11th year in a row that I'll be going to HersheyPark for their Christmas CandyLane event. While not a whole lot has changed the last few years, it has changed since my first CCL experience with expanded areas of rides (to include the Kissing Tower area and Comet Hollow) and now a POP admission. I remember when the Scrambler, Pirat and Bumper Cars were the 3 most exciting rides open. Now at least there is the Claw and Frontier Flyers. One thing I do miss is when they had the massive model train display in the domed arcade. Anyone else remember the first year for the Kissmas tree? It was down in Comet Hollow. They also did a horse and buggy ride through Midway America for a couple years. By the way, is it me or did the Comet get a new Santa, sled and reindeers this year? I'm still holding out hope for the first time they ever run a coaster. It HAS to happen...eventually!!

^ I'd also like to see some coasters open, even Comet, Sooperdooperlooper and Trail Blazer would be enough for me.

 

I went last year and in 1999 and 1996 and plan to go this year as well (probably over winter break) and it is a nice diversion during the offseason but it really is like torture seeing all those coasters and during winter break, the offseason is only 40% over and really makes you wish something was running!

 

All they need is a disclaimer saying that the coasters might not run if it is too cold out. I remember Derek posted a Photo TR last year I think from Easter Sunday where temperatures were in the 30's and Comet and SDL were running, if they are able to run in the 30's with high winds, I don't see why they can run in the 40's and 50's

^ I'm guessing it has less to do with if the coasters can or cannot run in that weather but probably more to do with the limited amount of maintenance time they have with some of the potentially bad winters that area can get.

 

If they had the coasters open that would limit the maintenance time even further and you could be cannibalizing a ride that has to open late for the full season in order to run during CCL.

 

That being said, I don't see why they couldn't try to schedule at least ONE coaster to open, even something like the mouse during the event.

 

But I do totally understand why they are down.

 

--Robb

I'd even be happy with 1 coaster at this point since it would be at least something to ride

 

I didn't think of the Wild Mouse but that is a good suggestion for a coaster to be running, the reason being that Midway America is usually closed for Springtime In the Park so if they did run the Wild Mouse, they would have until May to get it ready for opening day unlike the coasters in the front of the park that they need to be ready for Springtime In the Park in April.

I really wanted to know what attractions were available and thanks to you I now know. I was more interested in the blonde actually than the rates. Thank you though.

Great trip report. Since the 2 am comment, am I to assume you did a day trip to Hershey? Seems kinda far from Salisbury, how long did it take to get there?

Great report! Had so wanted to get to this a couple weeks ago and there was just no time. Thank you for getting this!

 

And yes, you do look like the guy in Biff's 50's gang. All you need to do is push up and down on the earpeice to wiggle them up and down like Frenchie in Grease.

Nice TR, I really should go to this event some time!

^^^Yep, we did a daytrip. It was about four and a half hours each way for me since I had to meet my friend in Delaware; it would have been a little less had I gone straight up through Maryland. All told, we spent about nine hours at the park/Chocolate World/Sweet Lights. It was a long day, but where I grew up we had to drive at least an hour to get to the grocery store, movies, etc., so long stretches on the road don't bother me as much as they seem to bother others (plus I wasn't driving, so I got to take a nap on the way home). I had thought about suggesting in advance that we spend the night and try the Christmas activities at Dutch Wonderland the next day, but we both had other things going on.

 

^^lol, I forgot about Frenchie!

Awesome TR! This seems like an event that my family would love! Does it run through the New Year? I didn't see it on the Calender.

 

Guy "Is it just me or does half of Hershey Parks mascots look like Mr. Hankey in a wrapper?" Koepp

Awesome TR! This seems like an event that my family would love! Does it run through the New Year? I didn't see it on the Calender.

 

Guy "Is it just me or does half of Hershey Parks mascots look like Mr. Hankey in a wrapper?" Koepp

 

The last day is New Year's Eve, after that the park is closed in January through March. Then the park will reopen in April for Springtime in the Park for 3 days then stay closed until the Summer season starts (May).

I was in the Dutch Wonderland area on Sunday evening to shop and see the Christmas show at the American Music Theater. It never opened. It was

raining all day. The parking lot was totally empty. I looked up the hours, 4pm to 9pm. The Christmas lights were on in the park anyway and looked neat.