The real question parents ask before a Hersheypark trip isn’t “how many rides are there” — it’s “will my 3-year-old actually have anything to do here.” Hersheypark leans harder into big coasters than most East Coast parks, but it does carve out a genuine, if modest, set of toddler- and preschooler-friendly rides once you understand its height system.
This guide works through Hersheypark’s own candy-branded height chart — Hershey’s Miniatures (0–36 in / 0–91 cm), Hershey’s Kisses (36–42 in / 91–107 cm), and Reese’s (42–48 in / 107–122 cm) — naming the specific rides that open at each level, including the exact ride that becomes your child’s first real roller coaster. It also covers the park’s Supervising Companion rule and its Kiddie Swap program, both of which matter more here than at parks with a single height cutoff for everything.
Stats at a Glance
- Kids’ Area: No single branded toddler land — Founder’s Way, the free-to-enter area by the front gate, has the largest cluster of no-height-minimum rides
- First Roller Coaster At: 36 in (91 cm) — Cocoa Cruiser
- Companion Rule: A ‘Supervising Companion’ must meet the ride’s own requirements and physically assist the rider; required on most coasters through the Kisses (36-42 in) and Reese’s (42-48 in) bands
- Rider Swap: Yes — the Kiddie Swap program
Rides With No Height Minimum
The Hershey’s Miniatures band — 0 to 36 inches (0–91 cm) — is where Hersheypark’s real toddler options live, mostly clustered in the free-to-enter Founder’s Way area near the front gate. The classic Carrousel, a 1945 carousel with 66 horses and two chariots, is open to any child who can hold their head up, though guests under 42 inches need a Supervising Companion. Convoy puts kids behind the wheel of a slow-moving miniature truck caravan, and Balloon Flite (a circling hot air balloon), Helicopters, Pony Parade, Space Age, and Traffic Jam are all low-speed circular or up-and-down rides that the park specifically lists as reserved for children plus one taller supervising rider. Mini-Himalaya adds a gentle wave-like motion to the same format.
For something calmer, the vintage Dry Gulch Railroad steam train and the elevated Monorail loop past ZooAmerica with no height minimum at all, and Sandcastle Cove offers zero-depth splash play with small slides for kids who aren’t ready for a ride seat yet.
What Opens Up at 36 and 42 Inches
Hersheypark’s chart skips straight from 36 inches (91 cm) to 42 inches (107 cm) — there’s no separate 40-inch band here, so the jump from toddler rides to the park’s first coasters happens all at once at 36 inches. That’s where Cocoa Cruiser, a steel family coaster with a roughly 12-foot drop and mild turns, becomes Hersheypark’s first real roller coaster. The larger Trailblazer, a steel coaster with one hill, two tight spirals, a 52-foot drop, and a top speed of 45 mph, opens at the same 36-inch mark. Both require a Supervising Companion for any rider under 48 inches (122 cm). The interactive dark ride Reese’s Cupfusion, where riders battle through gaming zones in spinning cars, and the classic log flume Coal Cracker also unlock at 36 inches.
At 42 inches (107 cm), the Reese’s band adds three more coasters: the wooden Comet, sooperdooperLooper (Hersheypark’s original steel looping coaster), and the indoor spinning coaster Laff Trakk — though Laff Trakk carries its own extra rules, with a minimum age of 5 and a maximum height of 6-foot-4. All three still require a Supervising Companion until a rider reaches 48 inches. The 42-inch mark also opens the multi-arm flat ride Mix’d Flavored By Jolly Rancher, and lets a 42-inch-plus child ride the bumper cars on Fender Bender as a passenger, as long as an adult from the 48-inch-and-up bands drives.
Practical Tips for a Day With Small Kids
Because Hersheypark measures by its own candy chart rather than a plain ruler, it’s worth stopping at any Guest Services location to get an official height check before waiting in line — it avoids a disappointing turn-away at the ride entrance. There’s no single branded toddler land the way some parks have; the family flat rides are split mainly between Founder’s Way at the front of the park and a smaller cluster on Kissing Tower Hill (home to Convoy and the Kissing Tower itself), so a stroller-pushing parent will be crossing the park rather than parking in one zone all day.
When the group splits by height, the Kiddie Swap program lets one adult ride while the other waits with a child who’s too short, then the two trade places without re-queuing — just tell the ride attendant you want to use it. Pennsylvania summers run hot and Hersheypark’s hilly layout means real walking between areas, so budget time for shade breaks, and remember that a Supervising Companion on any ride must meet that ride’s own height and health requirements, not just be an accompanying adult.
Explore more: Theme Parks guide.
Build a working coaster on the kitchen table and learn why the first drop has to be the tallest. A good gift for young coaster fans.
Over 3,700 pieces, a real vertical loop and a working chain lift. Display it on a shelf in the coaster room.
Rub-on sunscreen that fits in a pocket — reapply in the queue without greasy hands on the lap bar.
Best Rides for Little Kids at Hersheypark FAQs
What can a toddler ride at Hersheypark?
With no height minimum, a toddler can ride the classic Carrousel, Convoy, Balloon Flite, Helicopters, Pony Parade, Space Age, Traffic Jam, Mini-Himalaya, Dry Gulch Railroad, and the Monorail, plus splash around at Sandcastle Cove. Riders under 36 inches (91 cm) need a Supervising Companion on most of these.
How tall does my child have to be for their first roller coaster at Hersheypark?
36 inches (91 cm) is the threshold — that’s the minimum for Cocoa Cruiser, a steel family coaster with a mild drop and turns, and for the slightly bigger Trailblazer. Riders under 48 inches (122 cm) still need a Supervising Companion on both.
Does Hersheypark have a rider swap policy?
Yes, it’s called Kiddie Swap. One parent rides while the other waits with a child who’s too short or doesn’t want to ride, then the parents trade places at the end of the ride without waiting in line again — ask the ride attendant to set it up.
Get More from Best Rides for Little Kids at Hersheypark
Log the coasters, stadiums, and venues you’ve experienced, rate Best Rides for Little Kids at Hersheypark, and see what your friends thought. Get the ThrillZing app.
Photo: Jim, the Photographer / CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.