Idlewild Park in Ligonier, PA - Fun for the Whole Family
Written: Mar 23 '07
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Great for families and small children especially, although teens are still interested
Cons: I wish it were closer to us so we could go more often
The Bottom Line: The wonderful price, the short lines, the great food, great shows, and fun for the entire family!
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| stacyb's Full Review: Idlewild Park |
Each year for the past 10 years we have been taking our kids to Idlewild Park for a day of fun. I can remember as a kid going there to Storybook Forest (almost 40 years ago) and having as much fun then as I do now.
Before I start telling you all of the attractions at Idlewild Park I want to compare it to some of the other nearby amusement parks. We've been to Kennywood Park in Pittsburgh and Hershey Park in Hershey, PA but nothing quite compares to Idlewild. Kennywood and Hershey are major amusement parks, whereas Idlewild is more for kids 12 and younger. The rides there are great for the little ones and they have such a variety! Kennywood and Hershey are geared more toward the older kids I think and there isn't as much as a variety of kiddie rides as at Idlewild. There are so many other attractions at Idlewild that keeps the entire family entertained.
A typical day at Idlewild:
We gather at a friend's house around 8:00 AM and meet with two other families...coolers packed, sunscreen, blankets, strollers (I don't think any of us have needed them much in the past few years though), and about $200 for a family of four is all you need. It takes almost 2 hours to get to Idlewild from our hometown. We don't have direct access from here to there via interstate so it's all back country roads for us.
10:00 AM-We arrive at Idlewild Park and head toward the parking lot nearest Jumpin Jungle. Admission is $25.95. This hasn't changed but maybe 2 or 3 dollars since we first starting going there in 1997. The price is excellent compared to most amusement parks. And wait till you see what you get for $25.95!
10:30 AM-After unpacking our coolers and blankets we find us a picnic table and set up shop! This is such a family oriented place that you don't need to worry about leaving your stuff alone. We put our coolers and blankets down at one area on a picnic table and don't pick them up till we leave the park after 9 PM! Never have we had trouble with anything missing. It's one of the nice things about Idlewild. You feel like you're at your hometown park. WE sit down to eat our sandwiches, clean up our mess, and off we go to Jumpin Jungle.
Jumpin' Jungle: Jumpin' Jungle is the place to starts. It opens at 11:00 a.m. and we are always there when they begin allowing the kids to play. It's a place that all ages can enjoy but I think it's mostly geared toward the little ones. Our pre-teens still like it, too! There are no rides in Jumpin' Jungle but a lot of "climbing" and physical activities. To name a few: a huge ball bit, a climbing net that leads to a swinging bridge and a "treehouse" type of structure, and lifeboat racing in a shallow pool. After about 30 minutes of trying everything at least once we head out to Hootin' Holler.
Hootin' Holler: This section of the park is just as the name says: a lot of hoe-down stompin' fun! It's laid out in a mining town atmosphere. One of our favorite stops is
Confusion Hill - A fifteen minute walking tour through an old shack-looking building with illusions and a hilariously told tall tale. Most of the workers here are college students and they really have been trained at their jobs well. They are just as good as any actor that would play the part. Then there's Dizzy Lizzys. If you are prone to getting sick at your stomach easily, you really don't want to go in here. You sit down on a long bench in this old looking room while someone tells you the story of ol' Dizzy Lizzy, while it appears that the room is turning upside down all around you. Some of us in our group always takes the tour again each year. Others can't hack it! Paul Bunyan's Loggin' Toboggan - Floating on swift moving water, the log boats meander amid the mighty trees and rustic surroundings then travel the 125-foot ascent to the top of a 30-foot tower. We have been to this park so many times that it's so nostalgic just telling you about it. Ok, time to get on to another part of the park: All aboard the Loyalhanna Limited Railroad - The LLRR takes passengers on a peaceful ride from the Hootin' Holler' Station to Raccoon Lagoon and back. The tracks follow the beautiful Loyalhanna Creek before winding through the cool and shady woods. Even though the other parts of the park are quicker to access by foot, the kids want to take the train. I guess it's just a ritual that we follow year after year. God help us if we break the tradition!
Raccoon Lagoon is for the toddlers and children up to age 6 or 7. There are more than a dozen rides here for the little ones. They're mostly the typical rides you would see for the little one's at a county fair: the motorcyles, the boats, the flyig airplanes, and my kids' personal favorite was Flivvers, where the kids think they are really driving these old time cars on an electric track. We haven't been here for quite a few years. One thing I didn't mention yet...There are practically no lines at the park EVER! The ride attendants are also college kids who are always so friendly and willing to help the kids.
Soak Zone: Ok, this is what the kids really long for. By mid afternoon we're hot and ready to cool off and just let loose. They have expanded this water park over the years we've been going and it's really quite nice...they could spend the entire day here if they wanted and not get bored. There are four large slides, a huge swimming pool with a slide, a kiddie pool, and something new that they just added a few years ago is Captain Kidd's Adventure Galley featuring six waterslides and dozens of interactive spray features! There's a nice dressing area for both men and women and if you forgot your swimsuit...well, there's an assortment of swim suits for everyone that you can purchase for a pretty reasonable price.
By the time we leave the Soak Zone, everyone is famished and we head back to Hootin' Holler for some good eatins of BBQ chicken, corn on the cob, hand cut french fries, and a whole lot more to choose from. Of course there are other places to eat in the park but this is our favorite and we eat here almost everytime. A few times we've eaten at the Pasta House or grabbed a burger or dog from one of the eateries around the park.
Old Idlewild: This is where we end up each evening and try to ride the rides as fast as we can so we can get them all in before the park closes. This is a section of the park for the older kids or kids who want some thrills. There is a height requirement for most rides here. There's two roller coasters, some fast moving, stomach curling rides, a ferris wheel, an antique Merry-Go-Round that even the moms want to ride before we leave, bumper cars, and more. And again, everyone wants to ride at least once on everything before leaving. And did I mention there are rarely any lines to these rides?
The Merry Go Round is the centerpiece of the Olde Idlewild theme area. One of the last carousels built by the Philadelphia Toboggan Company in the 1920s, it has been in its present home at Idlewild since 1931.
Each different section of the park has it's own specialty restaurants or eateries, a gift shop that is unique to that area of the park, and you can't go home without some of those!
There is also a section near Olde Idlewild for games...balloon darts, duck pond, shooting gallery, and more.
I know I've left out a lot of other attractions in the park but my fingers are aching from typing and I'm not sure how many of you actually made it through this whole epinion without taking a pee break. Some of the things I haven't expanded on are Mister Rogers' Neighborhood of Make Believe, the Entertainment Stage, and special events that change from week to week. Please go to "www.idlewild.com" to see more information! You'll be impressed!
Park hours are from 10 a.m. till whenever they decide to close...depends on the attendance that day. No earlier than 9 p.m. and no later than 11 p.m. They announce it through the park and the ride attendants also will let you know.
Thanks for reading and if you live any where within a 3 hour drive of Ligonier, PA (not too far from Pittsburgh) and you haven't been here yet...you won't be disappointed!
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
stacyb
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Location: West Virginia
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