Advice for trip out East

Hello everyone, I usually just lurk here but thought I'd post to see if anyone had any tips for a trip I'm taking this May. I'm in Chicago and driving out to Philadelphia for my brothers wedding.

I’d leave Chicago Saturday May 22. I went to Cedar Point last year so I decided to go to Geague Lake. I was hoping to use my Six Flags pass, but oh well. Sunday would be at GL. I would then drive to Kennywood to spend Monday at the park.

Monday night is driving to Hershey. Tuesday I meet up with some other family driving to do the non park attractions in town. The park is open Wednesday the 26th.The next few days will be spent in Philadelphia for the wedding.

The second half would start Sunday the 30th. I’m going to drive to Six Flags Great Adventure. I have a few questions here: Anyone have any advice for good places to stay close to the park? I’m a bit anxious about being there on Memorial Day weekend. How good is their fastpass, and what is that VIP tour they mention on their site?

The days are a bit open after that, but the plan is to hit Dorney Park on the Tueday, drive to Cincinnati Wednesday and do Kings Island the Thursday and Friday. I was thinking of splurging on the Kings Island resort. Anyone have any opinions on that place?

After that its Kentucky Kingdom most likely on that Saturday. Then its off to Holiday World and Indiana Beach. Any advice for places to stay on that route? And also, what is the best way to get from HW to IB? Is it best to backtrack to the interstate or is it easy to navigate the state route straight up north?

All these parks would be new and I am really looking forward to them. Any advice would be great. Once again I really enjoy reading this board.

Dan (Sorry I cut and past it and it had the breaks in when I first posted) *** Edited 3/25/2004 8:07:46 PM UTC by ChiDan1972***

Woah, Dan...think you can click on the "edit" button and break that post into paragraphs? I really wanted to help you but it's not easy to read.

Last year, I hit SFGAm and then went to SFKK and HW from there. The interstate looked like the best bet and that is what I did. I did not visit IB on the trip. Your best bet would be to use map quest and check out both ways, but I think that the interstate is going to be faster. Let me know if you do Kennywood on Monday, maybe I could meet you there.

I highly recommend going about a half an hour southeast of Great Adventure (are there any nice hotels a short distance from here anyways??) and staying near the Jersey Shore area by Casino and Funtown Pier. Spending a couple hours at night at the piers was a lot of fun and I got 5 new coasters in last year. They're a little expensive for tickets, but I loved the atmosphere. There are plenty of things to eat in the area as well.

The Kings Island Resort isn't owned by Paramount and I've heard mixed things about it. I'm pretty sure they have a shuttle bus that goes to and from the park, so that's a plus.

Some people might suggest Knoebels instead or in addition to Dorney if you can add that to your schedule. It really depends if you prefer steel (Dorney) or wood (Knoebels), but a lot of enthusiasts call Knoebels one of their favorite parks as well.

I think you're going to have a great trip.

+Danny

You should be OK at SFGAdv on a Sunday, if you get there early. Personally, I don't like their Q-bot system, which saves you a place in line. It is expensive, and only works so-so. If it is busy, you are better off going with their VIP pass. This pass gives you unlimited rides for a few hours, with no wait. It is expensive, but good if you want to get everything in on a busy day. Just go to guest relations and ask about it.

I, too, would highly recomend Knoebels over Dorney. Dorney is basically a mini CP, but Knoebels is totally different. Its wooden coasters are great, but so is the rest of the park. You would be missing out if you do not spend at least a few hours (though, I recomend a full day for first time visitors).

Hope this helps, have a great trip.