Fun for all!
Written: Sep 02 '00
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Product Rating:
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Pros: family fun, most rides suitable for all ages
Cons: wouldn't be fun in the rain
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| saphyre1225's Full Review: Idlewild Park |
We decided to include Idlewild Park in our list of places to visit during our vacation this year, as it seemed it would appeal to both our 2 year old and our 9 year old. Turns out, it did just that and I only wish we had more time to visit the park.
The park is divided into different themed areas. The first area we visited was Storybook Land. You start off by walking through a giant story book and follow the path to discover the homes and characters from your favorite childhood story books. My two year old was very impressed with walking through the houses, meeting Raggedy Ann, Goldilocks and Snow White, but my 9 year old quickly grew bored in this area. This area is old (its obvious, but doesn't take away from the fun for the kids) and unfortunately it had rained the previous evening so there were many puddles and the puppet show was cancelled due to the wet grounds.
The next area was Jumpin' Jungle. We ended up just walking around this area as while it looked like great fun for my 9 year old, there didn't appear to be much for the 2 year old and we wanted to find something for the whole family. It does look like a great area to have the kids run off some steam while parents can sit back and relax for awhile.
Our next stop was Hootin' Holler, which was set up like an old west town. We grabbed some fries at the snack area there, went on a ride which made a saloon appear to turn upside down (though my older daughter spent the ride with her eyes closed as she couldn't handle that "upside-down" feeling). We also road the train which took us over near Racoon Lagoon and back to Hootin' Holler.
After Hootin' Holler, you get to Olde Idlewild that has many familiar amusement park rides, including a carousel (can't pass up the chance to ride the carousel), a roller coaster (though they were doing a safety check/maintenance so we didn't get to ride it), and the Wild Mouse. Warning about the Wild Mouse is that it really whips around many corners and is not a very comfortable ride. My daughter, who has enjoyed the Wild Mouse at other parks, was very disappointed and said it was not fun at all.
We then walked over to Racoon Lagoon (a favorite place for my 2 year old where all the rides were just her size) and the girls went on a few rides there. Mr. Roger's Neighborhood was right next to Racoon Lagoon so we got in line to wait for our trolley ride. The line was rather long (probably waited about 20 to 30 minutes), but the wait was definitely worth it. The trolley took us into Mr. Roger's Neighborhood and we got to meet all of the favorite characters from the show and the children were encouraged to invite each of the friends to the King's sing-a-long. They really encouraged group participation, though I admit we had a very quiet group on our trolley.
Since it was a rather humid day, we decided to end the day with a stop at the water park at Idlewild. Unfortunately, my 2 year old developed a fear of pools during our vacation so most of the water rides were left unvisited so she could be included in our fun. We did find the little squirt's pool and my 9 year old had lots of fun splashing around in the pool and running in and out of the waterfalls, while my 2 year old spent her time investigating all of the various pipes coming out of the ground with water pouring out of them (it was ok since she could control just how wet she got). The water park area was very crowded, but since there are so many things to do in the area and we stayed in the little squirt's area, there was still plenty of space. The only thing I would advise is to get to the water park area earlier so you can be sure to stake out a few chairs (my poor husband ended up sitting on the grass watching our things and keeping an eye on our older daughter).
Overall, the park was a definite hit and lots of fun for both girls. The price ($16.95 for ages 3 and up) is pretty reasonable considering the cost of other amusement parks today and its pretty easy to find coupons for $4.00 off the admission price (write the park for information and they send you some coupons).
I definitely recommend wearing comfortable shoes as you will do a bit of walking. You also may want to have a stroller for younger children (or a wagon) as not only will it carry a tired toddler, it works well to carry any packages you may purchase from the gift store. Also make sure to bring a camera. While in some areas you may get busy and not pull out the camera, there are a few places that definitely make great photo opportunities and you don't want to miss those precious shots.
We really loved the layout of the park and how easy it was to get from one area to the next. It was also nice that it did not seem too crowded, although there was still a wait for some of the more popular rides. While the food prices aren't too bad considering how much amusement park food cost, it still might be a good idea to bring along a picnic lunch. They have several picnic tables and we were parked close enough that it would be a quick trip to the car to gather the lunch.
I would recommend this to families with children probably 12 and under. I think the park lacks the adventure seeking rides that teenagers would prefer, though I imagine the water park area would even please a teenager. I also recommend visiting when your child enjoys pools and such as there is much more of the water park that I would love to see and hopefully we will visit again to do just that. While you could probably see everything you wanted during a one day visit, you may wish to plan for two days so you can be sure to see and do everything available at the park.
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
saphyre1225
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Location: Maryland
Reviews written: 17
Trusted by: 8 members
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