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THE DESTINATION COLLECTION

Hersheypark Attraction Boarding Pass and planning guide

How the Attraction Accessibility Program works at Hersheypark in Pennsylvania, according to the park's own 2024 rider guide, plus transfers, parking, toilets and the questions that guide leaves open.

At a glance

USA · Pennsylvania · Hershey

Queue arrangement
Attraction Accessibility Program: an Attraction Boarding Pass, arranged in person. On Fast Track rides the pass may work as a reverse boarding time system.
In short
For guests with a disability or other need that prevents long waits in standard queues. You ride a first Fast Track ride with little or no wait, and the attendant writes the current standard queue time on your pass; you board the next Fast Track ride at or after that time. Boarding is not guaranteed to be immediate.
Evidence
The guide names no documents; eligibility rests on a signed questionnaire and a conversation. Cost and online steps are unconfirmed. Details
Companions
The pass holder plus up to 3 riding companions; the holder must ride. Details
Last checked
· desk research, not a visit report. The only source read is dated March 2024.

Confirm the current process with the park before booking. Official rider guide (PDF) (opens a new tab) ↗

Research date:
One official document was read on this date: the park's Rider Safety & Accessibility Guide (PDF, 77 pages), whose file metadata shows it was created in March 2024. It is therefore dated, and rides, rules and passes may have changed since. The park's FAQ and accessibility application pages could not be read, so cost, evidence and application steps are unconfirmed. Desk research; not a visit report.

DESTINATION GUIDE · 1 OCTOBER 2026

What kind of trip is this?

Hersheypark is a hilly park of roller coasters, family rides, a water area called The Boardwalk, shows and ZooAmerica, in Hershey, Pennsylvania. Two things shape an accessible visit: how you wait for rides, and how you get onto them, because almost every ride needs a transfer out of a wheelchair. This page sets out what the park's rider guide says, and marks what it does not.

This is our reading of one official document, dated March 2024, not a visitor review or a suitability rating. We have not visited for this profile. The park's website pages on accessibility could not be read, so where the guide is silent we say so rather than guess.

The Attraction Accessibility Program and Boarding Pass

The guide describes an Attraction Accessibility Program for guests who have a disability or other qualifying accommodation need that prevents them from having extended waits in the standard queues. Guests who qualify receive an Attraction Boarding Pass listing the attractions they may be able to enjoy.

  • Where to enrol: at Accessibility Services outside the Front Gate, at the Family Health & Services Center in the Pioneer Frontier area (next to the Play Dome Arcade), or at any Guest Services location inside the park. The guide describes enrolling in person; we have not confirmed whether anything can be done before the day.
  • How: you complete and sign an Attraction Accessibility Questionnaire and have a conversation with an Accessibility Services agent or supervisor. The answers decide whether you receive a pass and which rides it lists.
  • Who the guide names: guests with mobility impairments (generally using a wheelchair, ECV, walker, cane or crutches) and others with qualifying accommodation needs. The guide does not set out how hidden or cognitive conditions are assessed.
  • What it is for: the guide says it provides access to rides, not a way to bypass other guests, and that it does not guarantee immediate access. Guests may have to wait several ride cycles.
  • At the ride: you show the pass to the attendant, who checks that the ride is listed on it and that you meet every ride requirement, height included. If the ride is not listed, or you do not meet the requirements, you will not be allowed to ride. Seat requests depend on availability.
  • Entrances: only the pass holder and up to three riding companions use the designated accessible entrance. Everyone else in your party uses the standard queue.

Uncertain: the park's FAQ and accessibility application pages did not open for us, so we cannot say whether there is an online application, what it asks, whether the pass costs anything, whether a ticket or app is needed, or how long a pass lasts. Treat all of those as unconfirmed.

Official information for the Attraction Accessibility Program, Rider Safety and Accessibility Guide (opens a new tab) ↗ · guide dated March 2024, read 1 October 2026

Fast Track rides and the reverse boarding time system

The guide names Fast Track rides but does not explain the Fast Track queue itself. It says that, depending on the questionnaire and conversation, the Boarding Pass lets you reach Fast Track rides either through the Fast Track entrance or through the exit using a reverse boarding time system. All other rides on the pass use the exit. Which of the two you are given is therefore decided at enrolment.

  1. After enrolling, you may ride any listed Fast Track ride of your choice first, with little or no wait, by entering at the exit. This starts the system.
  2. Before you board, the attendant writes a time on the pass that matches the current wait in the standard queue for that ride. The guide's own example: arrive at 12:00, the standard wait is one hour, the attendant writes 1:00 PM.
  3. You can board your next Fast Track ride at or after that written time, and meanwhile use the time for shows, shops, food, ZooAmerica and the other listed rides that do not form part of Fast Track.
  4. The written time stays good until the park closes. You do not have to return at that moment; any time after it works. Each Fast Track boarding gets a new written time.
  5. To re-ride the same Fast Track ride, you must wait until the time you were given when you boarded it.

Uncertain: the guide does not say which rides are Fast Track today, whether Fast Track has changed in how it is sold or run, or whether the system is unchanged since March 2024. It gives no maximum number of rides. It is the same idea as a return-time scheme such as the one described on our Walt Disney World page, but the details are Hersheypark's own.

Rides, transfers and body-fit rules

The guide has a page for each ride with health recommendations, a thrill rating and sensory icons (dark, flashing, strobe, fog, noise, smells, water). We have not reproduced those here; use the PDF for the rides you are considering.

  • Staying in your wheelchair: the guide says only Dry Gulch Railroad and Carrousel allow it. Every other attraction needs you to transfer to the ride seat.
  • Help with transfers: park staff may not lift or transfer you. Anyone needing to be lifted into or out of a ride must be with a Supervising Companion, as the guide defines it, or another member of the party able to help.
  • Height and size: height rules apply to Boarding Pass holders. The guide lists rides where guests of exceptional size may not fit the restraints, and test seats at the entrance of eight rides (Candymonium, Fahrenheit, Great Bear, Hershey Triple Tower, Laff Trakk, Skyrush, Storm Runner and Wildcat's Revenge), which it recommends trying before you queue.
  • Prosthetics, casts and braces: rules vary ride by ride. For example, the guide says prosthetics must be removed for Candymonium, Skyrush, Great Bear and The Claw; hard casts or braces are not allowed on Candymonium, Great Bear, Hershey Triple Tower, Skyrush and sooperdooperLooper; and Wildcat's Revenge needs two natural legs and one natural arm with a functional hand, with no prosthetics of any kind. Several rides ask for written limb-manufacturer documentation of tolerance to 5 G. Check the guide for the ride you want.
  • Magnetic fields: the guide lists nine rides (including Candymonium, Fahrenheit, Skyrush and Storm Runner) that use magnetic fields, as a caution for pacemakers, hearing aids and similar devices.
  • Oxygen: portable oxygen tanks are allowed only on Carrousel (chariots only), Dry Gulch Railroad, Kissing Tower, Monorail and Twin Turnpike.
  • Health: the guide tells guests with certain conditions, including heart problems, high blood pressure, neck or back problems, pregnancy, motion sickness or recent surgery, not to ride affected attractions. If anything would stop you using the restraints or following safety rules, it says do not ride.
  • Hearing: tell staff before boarding if you cannot hear loading instructions; show scripts and written safety directions are available on request. We found no other captioning, audio description or sign language information in the guide.
  • Shows: wheelchair users can enter the Aquatheatre by the upper or lower entrance and the Chevrolet Music Box Theatre by the main entrance. Accessible seating is limited; the guide suggests arriving 20 minutes before show time if you want help from a host.
  • The Boardwalk and ZooAmerica: an aquatic wheelchair can be used at certain Boardwalk attractions (ask a lifeguard). ZooAmerica has automatic doors and ramps, though some viewing angles are not accessible and alternatives exist.

Uncertain: the ride list, ride restrictions and rules above are from March 2024. New or renamed rides since then are not covered.

Wheelchairs, ECVs and terrain

  • Rental: manual wheelchairs and ECVs (electric convenience vehicles) can be rented in the park. Both have a 450 lb limit, are first come first served, limited in number, and the renter must be 18 or over. The park may refuse an ECV rental if you cannot complete on-site training. The guide gives no price.
  • Your own: the guide welcomes your own ECV or mobility device, but not golf carts or two-wheeled self-balancing vehicles such as Segways.
  • Terrain: the guide says the park is naturally hilly, and its interactive park map marks steep grades and stairs. We have not seen that map.

Toilets and quiet spaces

  • Toilets: the guide says every toilet marked on the park map is accessible. For space to make a lateral transfer, it names the toilets next to Trailblazer Catering, inside the Tidal Force changing rooms, in The Boardwalk, in Kissing Tower Hill and in ZooAmerica.
  • Changing: all toilets have basic changing tables. For an adult-sized changing table, the guide points to the Chocolatetown First Aid and toilet behind Main Gate Guest Services.
  • All-gender toilets: in Midway America, The Hollow, The Boardwalk, at Chick-fil-A and in the Chocolatetown entrance plaza.
  • Quiet spaces: the guide names Guest Services inside the Family Health & Services Center and Guest Services in the Kissing Tower Hill area as quiet places away from sensory stimulation.
  • First aid: registered nurses and EMTs at the Family Health & Services Center, with other stations at The Boardwalk (Memorial Day to Labor Day) and in Chocolatetown.
  • Food allergies: the guide says the website and app list ingredients and allergens for each outlet, staff keep ingredient lists, and EpiPens may be brought in.

Uncertain: the guide does not describe any of these as a Changing Places toilet, and does not mention a hoist, so we do not describe one. If you need a hoist, ask before you travel.

Arrival and accessible parking

The guide says there are 86 accessible spaces, first come first served: 52 in the front Season Pass Holder lot next to The Chocolatier restaurant and 34 beside Tram Stop 2. From the toll booths, follow the signs for accessible parking. Accessible trams run from the tram stops to the Chocolatetown plaza near the main entrance.

Uncertain: the guide does not say whether a UK Blue Badge or other foreign permit is accepted, or whether parking is charged. We have not covered transport without a car (public transport, airport or station transfers) because we did not read an official page on it. See our general journey planning page for what to ask.

Service animals

Dogs and miniature horses individually trained to perform tasks for a person with a disability are welcome at the park and ZooAmerica. Animals whose sole function is comfort or emotional support do not count and are not permitted. The animal must be on a leash or harness or under control and house-trained, may relieve itself on any green space (you clean up), and is not allowed in the water at any attraction. The guide lists the rides where service animals may ride (Monorail, Carrousel chariots, Kissing Tower, Dry Gulch Railroad, Ferris Wheel and Classic Cars); on others someone in your party must stay with the animal. Staff cannot take charge of it.

Uncertain: the guide mentions no documentation and nothing about animals travelling from abroad. Check import rules with the relevant government and your airline.

Documents and eligibility

The guide names no documents. It does not mention a UK Blue Badge, the EU Disability Card or a doctor's letter, and it describes eligibility as based on the questionnaire and the conversation. We have not confirmed whether the park asks for any proof; the page that might say (the FAQ) did not open. Other schemes are covered in our guide to UK documents abroad.

Travelling with companions

The pass holder and up to three riding companions, four people in all, can use the designated accessible entrances. The pass holder must ride for companions to ride. Other members of your party wait in the standard queue. A Supervising Companion who helps with lifting or transfers must meet all the ride's requirements. For a personal care attendant, the guide says to ask at Ticketing Services in the park or the Zoo Admissions desk at ZooAmerica; it gives no further detail, and we found nothing on carer ticket prices.

Planning advice: shaping a day

This section is our advice, not the park's.

  • Allow time at the start to enrol. The guide describes enrolling in person, so you may wish to do this as soon as you arrive, before choosing rides.
  • Before you queue, check each ride's page in the guide for transfer, height, prosthetic and sensory rules, and try test seats if you can.
  • If you are given the reverse boarding time system, use the written time as a rolling gap: spend it on shows, ZooAmerica, food or a break in a quiet space, then return to the next Fast Track ride.
  • Plan the hills. Park in the accessible lots near the trams, and use the interactive park map to avoid steep grades and stairs.
  • Agree in advance who will help with transfers, because staff cannot.

Nearby alternatives

We have not researched nearby attractions or hotels for Hersheypark from official sources, so we do not recommend any. The Beyond the parks page covers general ideas.

Questions still worth asking

We could not establish these from the document we read. Ask the park before you rely on any of them:

  • Is the 2024 guide still current for this season: rides, Fast Track list, parking numbers and pass rules?
  • Is there an online application or advance registration, and does a pass cost anything or need a ticket or app?
  • What evidence does the park ask for, and does it differ for visitors from the UK or EU?
  • Will I be given the Fast Track entrance or the reverse boarding time system, and why?
  • Does the park accept a UK Blue Badge, and is accessible parking charged?
  • Is there a toilet with a hoist and adult-sized changing bench, and where?
  • What are the season dates, hours and ticket arrangements for a disabled visitor and a carer?
  • Is there accessible transport from the nearest airport or station?

Official sources

Park policies and website pages can change. Where the park gives conflicting information, ask it to confirm which instruction applies to your visit.

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