Williams Grove, Idlewild, Lakemont, or ... ?

On a road trip next week, I'll be driving from Hershey to Kennywood, but I'll be left with about 3-4 hours to hit a park or two in midwest PA, because Kennywood opens at 5. Which park(s) around there are do-able within the time limit, and are the most enjoyable?

Thanks a bunch,

Theo

Lakemont is nice,but closed Monday and Tuesday. Go to Idlewild.

WG is also closed on Monday. But I think you could easily do that park in two hours or less and still have time to spend at another. Of the three you mentioned, it's probably the most convenient to/from the PA Turnpike-- maybe within 5-7 miles and 10-12 minutes. I think it's worth the "experience" just to say you were there.

Idlewild is closed the 29th-September 2nd.

Does the PA parks have something against Mondays? ;-)

Check the hours on the websites.....that's the easiest thing to do. I am too lazy to right now.

Idlewild is definitely a park you can loose yourself in. I spent at LEAST 4 hours before I knew what happened.

However Lakemont/Del Grosso's is a good combo. Easy credit-ho'ing if that is what you are aiming for.

Is it possible to take an extra day or 3 and or so (when they are ALL open) and hit them all?

You easily have a 3 1/2 to 4 hour drive between Hershey to West Mifflin. And you are doing both Hersheypark and Kennywood in the SAME day?

I am not saying it's impossible, just you really need at least 2 days at Hershey and Kennywood if not three to comfortably *take in* all the parks above.

I would do Hershey a full day, WG/Lakemont/Del Gross's the second day, Idlewild and Kennywood the third.

But, if you are pressed for time I would say do Hershey, then Idlewild, then hit Kennywood later that night.

-Tina

*** Edited 8/22/2005 9:10:34 AM UTC by coasterqueenTRN***

^I agree with the PA/monday thing. CLP is closed on Mondays as well. Problem is, most everything else in the Conneaut/Meadville area is also closed on Mondays. I asked a Sheetz attendant why everything is closed and he said: 'shhhhhhhh, the area sleeps on mondays. Don't wake it...'
okay... :)

Monday is probably the day when they cut the walkways, er, grass at all of these non-concrete parks.

I guess it's a holdover from the old days at the old parks. Sundays were big picnic days, and Mondays would have almost no crowd at all. The parks probably figured it wasn't worth opening for so few people.

It probably makes sense for these little parks to consolidate their crowds into 5 days instead of being open 7 and paying people to sit there and do nothing.

Post Labor Day parks are usually open only weekends.

*** Edited 8/22/2005 4:30:02 PM UTC by Mamoosh***

I would also question the time schedule since I just got back from Hershey and Kennywood. Hershey took a day plus the night before preview for us to totally enjoy the park. Kennywood was an all day excursion also. I had to reride so many coasters at each park it wasn't feasible to try to take less time then we did.

In terms of the Hershey/Kennywood drive, I'm spending a full day at Hershey, then the next morning I'm driving over to West Mifflin. However, because Kennywood opens at 5 pm, I have around 3 hours to spare on another park in midwest PA.

The day will be Tuesday, august 30.

On Tuesday, Aug 30 Lakemont is closed. Del Grosso's is closed. Idlewild is closed. Williams Grove is closed.

I think you're outta luck.

Well IMO this is the result of the thinking (or lack thereof) of the Pennsylvania school districts.

The opening date for school which used to be the Wednesday after Labor Day has gotten pushed up a week or more in some places. This is because of (take your pick):

1) Paranoia about snow days and needing to schedule extra days for classes to make up for days the schoools could possibly be closed in January.

2) The need to create a "spring break" which usually actually occurs in early March when the weather still really sucks. This enables teachers, students, staff, and their families to vacation in warmer climates and spend their money in other states, while the season for Pennsylvania parks and attractions is made shorter. It also allows for other various random days for schools to be off during the year.

3) The overwhelming need to start high school football games (the real state pasttime) before Labor Day weekend. This allows the ever extended playoffs to be played before basketball season starts, thus not screwing up the sports schedules.

Whatever the reason, the result is that summer in Pennsylvania ends the weekend BEFORE Labor Day.

It's not just PA. Holiday World went to weekend-only operation mid-August, too.

The manager at Miracle Strip said flat-out that the shortened summers from school districts had cost them 2-3 weeks of profitable operations every season. For seasonals, that's a LOT of money...and another reason to support your smaller local parks! ;)