I need help with a weekend at Dutch Wonderland

We booked Eden Resort for August- 2 nights. We can't swing any more than that, DH is already taking off a week in July for our "big" vacation. Right now we are thinking:
leave our house by 7 AM on Friday, check in to the hotel by 11, grab lunch, enjoy the pool and water features at the hotel. Go out to dinner somewhere in Lancaster.
Saturday- up early, breakfast at the hotel, get to Dutch for 10 AM opening, spend the day doing all of the dry rides. Get back to hotel by 4, more pool time, and maybe just room service dinner and relaxing in the room.
Sunday- up, breakfast in room, check out and head back to Dutch at 10 AM to do the water park. Back on the road to NY by 2.

Is that too much? Is the water park worth it? DH was thinking skipping the water park & doing Cherry Crest Farm instead on Sunday. Thoughts? TIA

Re: I need help with a weekend at Dutch Wonderland

That sounds like a good plan. We have never done the water rides at Dutch. We usually spend day 1 (at Eden also) pool side, day 2 at Dutch from opening to about 2ish and then pool again and head home on day 3. The park is pretty small and you can do all the rides in 1 day.

Re: I need help with a weekend at Dutch Wonderland

We always do 2 nights. We keep almost exactly the same schedule you listed except on day 2 we do dry rides in the morning, lunch, then water area. Then leave around 4 to go back to hotel pool area. Imo DW is not that big so you have plenty of time to do all dry rides in morning if you get there at opening. And the water area is kind of small too so an afternoon is enough there.


We just like to have breakfast and get on the road on our last day. To me getting all wet tgen having to dry off and change in the public bathrooma for a long ride home would be too annoying.

Re: I need help with a weekend at Dutch Wonderland

I wasn't thrilled with the water park at Dutch. My kids liked it of course, they had sprayers, sprinklers, climby things and slides. Nothing too big or thrilling imo, the kids basically just ran around in circles. Plus it was incredibly hot (early August this past year) and me and DH burned as there was literally no shaded areas. We seriously boiled. I was pregnant too so maybe that made it even worse for me. My kids were fine leaving after like 45 minutes.

We haven't done Cherry Crest, but I would opt for that instead.

I need help with a weekend at Dutch Wonderland

See how you feel after the first day at Dutch. There's not a lot to do that you might not want to do two days there.

Eden is great and the pool area is so much fun.

For dinner we liked iron hill brewery.

The first day I would want to walk kitchen kettle village and do a horse and buggy ride.

I need help with a weekend at Dutch Wonderland

We did something similar last summer.

Day 1: check in, play by pool, go to preview, dinner
Day 2: dry rides/wet rides - my DS LOVED the water section so much. We only left because it thundered.
Day 3: played by the pool, had lunch, went home.

This year, we are staying 3 nights cause we felt so rushed. We might try to do the Strasburg Train.

ETA: we went Wednesday-Friday. This year we are going Monday-Thursday.

Message edited 4/9/2017 6:49:38 AM.

Re: I need help with a weekend at Dutch Wonderland

Would you consider going right to DW on Friday? It will be much less crowded than Sat and Sun in the summer.

Re: I need help with a weekend at Dutch Wonderland

I would do it a little differently.

I would leave before rush hour - not at 7.

Enjoy Eden's pool during the day, maybe a leisurely lunch or early dinner. Do the free preview Friday night.

I would plan the bulk of the day at Dutch Saturday. It's not that big that you can't do wet and dry in one day plus you'll have had the night before. That way you also only need to buy a one day ticket.

Then Sunday enjoy the resort a little more or do Cherry Crest or whatever and head home. Keep in mind some things in Lancaster are closed on Sunday.

I need help with a weekend at Dutch Wonderland

Thank you, everyone! The Friday night preview sounds like a good idea, we are going to do that. We are also going to do Dutch on Saturday, but not go back on Sunday. We will eat breakfast at the hotel, and depending on how we feel, and the moods of the kids, we will either do Cherry Crest or just head straight home by 11. Thanks again!

I need help with a weekend at Dutch Wonderland

If you do the preview you will be able to do most of the rides that evening. I love going at night because theres hardly any lines and it's not as hot!!

Re: I need help with a weekend at Dutch Wonderland

I'd agree with your plan change. We did the night preview, and then we were done with the park the next day after 3 hrs. There were no lines for rides either day and we got through everything pretty fast. We did not do the water park. We're not really water park people.

Re: I need help with a weekend at Dutch Wonderland

we did 2 nights last august.
first day was by the pool, then at night we went to a local brewery for dinner.

one full day in DW - including the water park - was more than enough. go to go on everything. for the water park, we just changes clothes, put stuff in a locker and stayed there for a few hours too.
the park isn't HUGE so totally manageable for a 1 day thing.

I would rather go to the pool in the hotel that sunday then shower before leaving then run to DW the last day.

on the way home we went to turkey hill ice cream factory - did the tour and made our own ice cream. it was fun and a great way to end the trip.

Re: I need help with a weekend at Dutch Wonderland

We stayed for two nights in August almost 2 years ago. The first day we got there like 10 am, left our bags at Eden and then went to DW and spent the day there, went back to hotel to check in then went to Lancaster brewing company for dinner. Second day we went to Strasburg RR, turkey hill factory, spent the afternoon at the pool, and then went to iron hill brewery for dinner. Left the next morning.

I think one day at DW was enough for us.