The Turkey Hill Experience

This weekend marks the Grand Opening of the Turkey Hill Experience located in Columbia, PA. I was fortunate enough to pass by there this past Saturday and saw they were having a soft opening and allowing visitors to explore their new attraction. The site for the Experience is the former Ashely & Bailey Silk Mill, which has been a vacant building for over 25 years now. Turkey Hill wanted to build this attraction to be able to share how their delicious ice teas and ice cream was made with the general public. Being the amazing company it is, they didn't want to destroy farm land to build a new site and with renovating this building they are beautifying a neighborhood. Plans have been in the works 3 years now  for a destination not only to promote their wonderful product but to also stimulate the town of Columbia. Playing a big role in Turkey Hill Dairy history, Columbia was the first stop for the original "milk man" from this dairy back in 1931. To add to the list Turkey Hill Dairy Plant is not too far from the site. In fact when you cross the Susquehanna River you can see the wind power windmills in the distance, that is their factory that is using new ways to power their facilities. It is easy to see why they would pick this location which is easy to find from Route 30.

The attraction is made of two levels. The first level starts with a information area where you can buy your tickets for the interactive experience on the second level. I found that on this day not too many people were aware of what to say and they didn't even have a brochure to hand out. I would expect the information booth to know...well information. They did tell us ticket price though and it blew my socks off. For a adult ticket the price is $14, a child ages 5-13 is $11, and a Senior ages 62 and older is $13. Children under 5 are free. I figured for a family of four you are spending $50. I must say I liked the experience but I am unsure if it is worth that price. After talking to the employees here someone did mention that the price is being discussed so I am hoping they decide to bring down that cost a bit. Thankfully for the soft opening the cost was $9.50 for everyone and kids under 6 were free. My mom sat this one out because of the cost and lack of seating within the whole experience.

Also on the first level is the creamery and gift shop. The creamery was packed with all sorts of flavored ice creams and ice teas from Turkey Hill of course. There was also lots of food items for your choosing. Be cautioned though, it gets expensive here. I am adding a photo of the kids menu to give you all a example of the prices. The gift shop had lots of Turkey Hill souvenirs and prices were about the same as a amusement park gift shop. Not too steep but steep enough that we didn't buy anything there.

After exploring the first level we ascended to the second level where the free exhibits were located. The company described their free area as if it was something to see. If you don't plan on buying a ticket to the experience then it's not much to do here. They have a awesome video screen with different options on what to view, all about the company and the area of Turkey Hill. Bridget, although a very tall 6 year old, was not tall enough to see the whole screen the way it was angled. She lost interest very fast in all the reading required too.
                   



As you approach The Experience you are hit with lots to take in. Of course the first thing you see is a row of cows waiting to be milked but that is the last thing on the tour. Bridget wanted to do that first but we followed the correct way of viewing the exhibits. The first stop was the Ice Tea Room. Here there wasn't a lot to do but it was very neat. We love the Turkey Hill Ice Tea so it was interesting to see the different kinds of tea leaves they use and smell each one. You can also take a Tea Personality Test on their touch screen computers. After going through a list of questions Bridget was told her tea personality was Sweet Tea and mine was Green Tea, each time it explained what that meant as well. There is a chance to walk into a giant ice tea bottle as well. There is nothing inside but graphics about tea and was a let down to my daughter that expected something very cool from it. In the far corner is The Chill Zone. Here you laid down on a circle bench and watched a video about tea from a projector that was directed towards a giant white cloud. Bridget thought it was awesome to lay down and watch a movie above you one a cloud but the information was boring and it lost her attention almost immediately. The sound wasn't so great either and I can't help but to wonder what it will be like with lots of people talking and kids screaming in the background when it gets busy.

        

              

After the tea room is the main attraction, Ice Cream! First you walk into a giant carton of ice cream to watch a video about the process you are about to enter. This video was cute but with everything going on outside our ice cream container we only spent a little time watching before heading into the attraction.

Before donning the Turkey Hill Ice Cream hat you had to find out about what makes up milk. There are two huge microscopes where you look in and find clues to what is good and what is not good for milk. You will need to read all the information on the graphics before answering the questions since it is really difficult, even for me. Then it was another game about what is in milk, I don't know a lot about this game since it was broken already. Not a good sign. After these two games you get your hat and move on to the smelling area.

The scents area is where you can take a card and "stamp" a scent onto it. It teaches you how some scents are great together but some are not at all. If your ice cream doesn't have good scent then the flavor won't be as great either. Bridget had a good time smelling the different scents she stamped but warning parents try to throw these cards away there. The mixture of all the scents in a hot car later that day can make you sick. I let Bridget keep one card as a souvenir and threw away the rest when she wasn't looking.

Next it was off to the "Create Your Own Ice Cream" computers. There are four touch screen computers available that ask for your ideas to create a ice cream. Please parents stress to your children that they will not be MAKING the ice cream, just designing it on the computer. I thought Bridget had this idea but I found out at the end she was expecting to taste the finished product. After punching in the number from you entry ticket the computers asked what ice cream base, flavors, and candies or nuts you want to use to make your own ice cream. This was a fun process and Bridget and I made our own flavors in which we also named here. At the end of the process they tell you to put in your information and what you made will be available online at their website for you to see when you get home using the number from your entry ticket. There was also a option to post your new ice cream on Facebook or Twitter, which I thought was awesome.This kept Bridget's attention the whole time. She also thought it was awesome that after you make you ice cream it goes on a list of titles in their archive so others can see your creation.  The down side was that two of the computers faced a giant window and the sun made it difficult to see anything. Try to get onto the computers facing the exhibit to see clearly.

Next was a ball pit. Yes ladies and gentlemen they decided to use a ball pit to explain the homogenizing that goes on to make your ice cream smooth and creamy. Of course Bridget did not understand the logic at all and just had a blast with the balls. I think it was neat but not really a great way to get the point across. The pit is actually quite small and you must take off your shoes to get in. I don't see how this is going to work with a crowd of kids all itching to get in there. It is a step away from the ice cream making computers too so if your kid isn't into the whole creating thing your sunk.

After you dive into the ball pit and pull your children out you walk through a tunnel like entry into a small room with a disco cow on the wall. Again with my 6 year old, I wasn't able to read a lot about what the exhibit was about but it sure was fun. In the middle is a wheel that you spin. When it starts spinning a disco ball makes glittery effects on the walls and music plays about milk and ice cream making. Then there are two slides, kid sized only parents, in which the kids can slide down. The slides are identical but my child wanted to hang here for a while and slide down both of them a number of times. It ate up a lot of time and she really didn't get the educational purpose out of this experience.

When you pull your kids away from the slides the next stop is a area with two games ,which are completely too hard for children, and security camera screen of the factory. Ice Cream is made 24/7 at Turkey Hill. If they aren't making ice cream they are cleaning down everything, which happens once a day and takes about 2 hours. There are three shifts of employees to constantly make ice cream and here you get to see what it's like for the employees who work at Turkey Hill. This is interactive touch screens too so you can zoom in to see the ice cream filling each container. Bridget actually stopped here and I believe she got something out of seeing the plant in action.

Probably the most exciting part for Bridget was next, the flavor station. This was a big bin like attraction with a LCD screen on the inside bottom. They had many canisters of "flavor". These were labeled but empty, or so you think. When you "dumped" the cans into the bin the LCD screen lit up with the color of the flavor. So if you dumped in mint, you saw mint leaves leave the can and the whole bottom of the bin turned green. They had 6 different kinds to try and Bridget tried them all. She walked back and forth lugging these giant containers that were light for kids to use. We stayed in this area for a long time.
                  

Then it was off to design our package for the ice cream we invented earlier. Again you entered you ticket number and all your information popped up on the screen with your ice cream. You get to pick out the font for you ice cream name, the picture of your ice cream, background color, and stamps to place onto the carton. This was another big favorite with us. Bridget had fun picking the colors and stamps and thought it was great to see the finished product on the screen. There was another hard game to play that Bridget couldn't see at all in this area. She was too short and the screen looked too dark for her to make anything out. We skipped it and moved on to the freezer.

They were very througho in making this exhibit point out the many steps to ice cream making. There is a button to push and a door flies up to show you a walk in freezer that you go in. It is very chilly and it's one of the exhibits that you won't stay in too long.

After you created your ice cream and designed your packaging it is now time to promote the product with a commercial. There are two set ups with green screens, cameras, and sound booms. You use the touch screen computers to put in your ticket number and pick out the commercial you would like to do. There is a television screen on the other side of the camera to see how you look while making your commercial. They count you down and you can either read the cue card screen or make up your own words for the commercial. Bridget's biggest problem was not knowing when to finish and she kept getting cut off. Forutantly you can delete the commercial if you didn't like it and do it over again. Another problem was the boom was too far away and you needed to speak very loudly for it to pick up your voice. The farther away you were from it the worse it was too so Bridget wasn't coming in too clearly. I can't help but imagine what it would be like to do this commercial with lots of crowds in the exhibit. The sound won't be able to work at all.  She had a blast doing this though. Anyone that knows Bridget can tell you her dream is to perform so the was right up her alley. Once again you can post these commercials along with all activites on your Facebook or Twitter page.

Now it's time to bring out the cameras. This is something I loved about the experience. There is a lot of picture oppunities here for the family. There are face cut outs of Eagles, Steelers, and Philly players since Turkey Hill makes ice cream with all the PA athletic teams in mind. Bridget was too short for most of them since they were so high up. She had to stand on tipy toes and stretch her neck which I thought was a crazy since she is very tall for a 6 year old. Also there is a giant container of ice cream that you can crawl into and pose. This was very cool and Bridget loved that she not only made ice cream, she was in ice cream.

Another highlight was the tasting table. Here you got to taste a sample of Turkey Hill teas. I asked the employee if they would ever do ice cream as a taste table product but he told me that they tired that already and the ice cream melted too fast in their little cooler. The good thing is that you can sample any ice cream in the creamery before purchasing your cone. The tea was great too. I tried the Cherry Pomogrante Black Tea for the first time and loved it. Don't get hooked on these teas though. Turkey Hill retires the flavors after being on shelves for months if not years to make new flavors. They discontinued the last tea I loved, Mojoto.

After the ice cream experience is completed you walk back into the main area where you can sit on their storefront porch rocking chairs or post where your from on their road signs. Bridget's favorite thing was the old fashioned milk truck. I am not old enough to remember the days of milk deliveries but remember my mother and grandmother telling me about the milk man. Kids can climb into the truck and "drive" to their next delivery. The horn honks and the pedals make noises as well, a favorite of Bridget's. A little farther down the aisle are phones you can pick up and listen to stories from real milk men that worked for Turkey Hill Dairy. I was sure Bridget would pass on this but when she started listening to the tales of the milk man she thought it was awesome.
                    

Finally you are able to milk your cow. There are four cows lined up with milk benches for you to sit on. They are suppose to teach you how to milk a cow but Bridget was too fast for the employee and took control of her cow in no time. There is also lots of information on the walls to look at but with the cows there who wants to read?  This was a nice way to end the tour.

All in all we had a great time. If you asked me how they make ice cream I wouldn't be able to tell you though. The employees, who went on a tour of the actual dairy as part of their training, was very infomative and helpful. There is a lot of information that is all piled on the walls surrounding the interactive parts but it's diffulcult to get it all in. We were there for two hours! Fortuantly we were all alone in each part of the exhibit and it was easy to take our times. Now you couldn't pay me to go on a crowded day. Although the building from the outside looks to be three floors it's only two and the exhibit is all on one level not giving it much room. It would have done better on more then one level to spread the information out a bit and give room for crowds during the tourist season. Just be aware of this when you visit. Also don't pass the building. There is talk of a sign gracing the top of the water tower next to the building to see the attraction from Route 30. So far there is no sign. It's the first exit when you get over the bridge coming into Lancaster County. The building looks nothing like the image that they designed when introducing the idea of the attracion yet to be. In fact the building looks rather plan and there is lots of construction stuff in the parking lot still. If there are no cars there you wouldn't know that's it's open. Maybe this will change as things start coming together more but I'm surprised they opened when there was workmen with ladders still working on some of the exhibits. Outside the building they are opeing a Turkey Hill gas station and Minit Store.This wasn't opened yet for us to explore but it seems to be a regular gas station and conveince store which is helpful in this area of Route 30.

I am curious to see what comes next for this unique sight. I am sure they will get the 250,000 visitors a year they are expecting the first year. The second year? Unless they have reduce rates I don't see people returning for a second visit. I would love to take Bridget back in the future when she can read a bit better and get the whole educational experience out of the attraction. Until then we will eat our Turkey Hill Ice Cream and drink our Turkey Hill Ice Tea and remember our visit to The Turkey Hill Experience.


The hours for The Turkey Hill Experience for the summer are from 9:30am to 8:00pm. They are located at 301 Linden Street in Columbia, PA. For more information you can call 1-888-9TOUR-TH or visit them online at turkeyhillexperience.com

My response from Dutch Wonderland

Hello everyone! Here's a update from my Dutch Wonderland visit. We have not been back to the park. My daughter isn't interested in their new changes. I have sent out a email to Dutch Wonderland's managment and this is a email I got back explaning the changes. Although I do understand they are under new mangament I would think they would test out their theories before applying them. I am most upset over the parking fee that will be added in the future. One of the park's best selling points was the free parking. It's sad to see the family come out of the "family amusument park". A kingdom for kids no more. I am hoping to visit soon again when we get a chance and will give them a second shot. I will post my review then. Until then keep having Dutch Wonderful days.

Email from Dutch Wonderland Managment:

Hi Theresa,

I want to first of all thank you again for taking the time to communicate your concerns to me.  As you stated, we are going through a period of change due to our new ownership.  With that said, it is our intent to make all the change as positive as possible. 

In your email to me you expressed your disappointment about the First Family event we had done in the past.  I’m sorry for the misunderstanding but the “First Family” from last year was the result of a Facebook contest we held the month before the Park opened. The winner was drawn randomly from entries on our Facebook page – not as a result of being the first in line.  We would never encourage our guests to race on to our property and physically compete with one another to be “the first one in line”.

Your observations on the changes we’ve made to our Entertainment department are being discussed with our production company, RWS. Again, the intent of the changes here was not meant to diminish the experience we offer regarding our shows, guest entertainers, characters and special events.  In fact, our intention was just the opposite.  We added a show called Dress Up and Dance and we have scheduled appearances by the Princess, Duke and Knight to make it easier to find them. 

For business reasons we needed to reevaluate our special events like Christian Family Fest that and other events that we traditionally hosted.  Over the years we have added and deleted events.  Unfortunately this event has had diminishing support and a high cost and so we decided to eliminate it.  We will always consider it as a possibility at some time in the future. 

I am truly sorry that you didn’t like the brick pavers that were installed at the front of the park.  I’m not sure where you heard that this was going to be done throughout the rest of the park but this is not really accurate.  We will be adding decorative pavers in areas where it makes sense and enhances the aesthetics of the park but, as always, it will be done with safety and guest satisfaction in mind. 

Unfortunately, as with special events, we also have to reevaluate all aspects of our park and business each year.  Many of the old life sized characters and props that have been in Dutch Wonderland for years have gotten to the point where they could not be repaired economically and so the decision has been made to remove them.  You probably don’t know but most of them were created from chicken wire and paper Mache.  Although they were covered in fiberglass and many coats of paint, they did not have a strong base and just deteriorated over the years. 

I want to apologize for any trash or spider webs that you witnessed that should have been taken care of.  Obviously a park as large as ours takes incredible work to keep pristine.  We shared your feedback with our Environmental Services staff and they are dedicated to make sure they improve in this area. 

I also want to apologize for our employees who were not uniformed properly or engaging with our guests as is expected.  Although we have our employees try on their uniforms each season, it’s hard to tell how they will work out until we are fully operational.  We constantly monitor adherence to dress code and will continue to keep a close eye on this.  We will also continue to reinforce our service standards and commitment to being Guest Focused.

I want to thank you for pointing out issues with the ride operator at the Space Shuttle.  The message was immediately passed on to our Rides Operations Manager and the situation was addressed with the employee.  We have also addressed the hot water issue in the rest room located by the Potato Patch by adjusting the water temperature.  Safety is always our number one priority!!

One of the changes you mentioned was regarding food & beverage.  As with entertainment, we reevaluate our menus, pricing, ingredients and suppliers every year.  We are revamping our entire food service and had to make some business decisions that caused the changes you have mentioned.  Again, it’s for the betterment of our park and guest experience.  Nathan’s hot dogs and Breyer’s Ice Cream were both considered because they are high quality products just like Berk’s and Turkey Hill.  Give them a try, I think you will like them. 

It is true that we will be offering Preferred Parking this year.  Again, it is a business decision based on guest feedback and economics.  This change will also allow us to provide more handicapped parking spaces.  The majority of our parking is still free and we still allow drop-off and pick-up of guests who need this option. 

As much as I appreciate and value all of the feedback you have given to me, I especially want to thank you for the positive feedback you have also provided.  We do try hard to make every visit memorable but unfortunately sometimes fail to live up to even our own high standards and expectations.  I’m glad that there were some favorable experiences during your first visit this season.  Thank you  for your feedback on our two new rides.  We hope that they are a big hit with all of our guests! 

Theresa, again, thank you for your comments and for the time it took to write them down and send them to me.  I want to assure you that everyone here at Dutch Wonderland is completely committed to making this the best park in the world for everyone who visits here. I look forward to seeing you at Dutch Wonderland this summer and please don’t ever hesitate to contact me or another member of the team here if you have any concerns or other comments you would like to pass on to us.

Sincerely,

The last weekend in May, boy how time flies! Memorial Day weekend is here now and it's the unofficial start of summer. Pools are opening, schools are wrapping up the year, and lots of fun stuff is going on. This weekend my gang is headed to the PA Renaissance Faire grounds to the Great PA Flavorfest. This event runs both Saturday and Sunday from 11am to 6pm. It's a free event with free parking, can't ask for a better deal. This isn't a traditional wine and food fair, oh no. This is a food and wine fair that exhibits the best Pennsylvania has to offer. Everything there has ties to the great state we live in and the smells say PA knows how to do it up with their food and wine. While there check out my two favorite wineries, The Winery at Wilcox (Try the peach sparkling wine.) and Franklin Hills Vineyard (there is no favorite here, it's all excellent). Now you may be thinking that sounds great for you but what about the kiddies. No worries, they have a great kid area with all sorts of activities that run all day. Most activities are free, like the hex sign plates and the noodle art, but there is one activity that cost $5, the produce print tee shirt. Not a bad deal. There is also bands around the whole area living it up. If you are there on Sunday check out my favorite performer, Steven Courtney and the Suitcase Musicians. He is known far and wide here in PA as a great kid entertainer but I must say his grown up shows are awesome! Over all it's a fun time to be had. Be prepared though, it's a lot of walking. Get out the tennis shoes! Also if you plan on doing the wine tasting don't bring your own glass, the wineries will provide a sample cup at each stand or you may purchase a Flavorfest Glass when you arrive. They do have food to buy as well but it may not be your kids favorites. No hot dogs and chicken nuggets here so bring a lunch for the kids. I did not see any information on their policy of outside food on their website but you can always hike back out to the parking lot for a car picnic if needed. Do bring bottle water and a wet face clothe to keep the kids and yourself cool. There is hardly any shade here and it gets hot. And as always have lots of fun!

What was that? Flavorfest doesn't sound great to you? That's okay there is plenty of other events this weekend. Check it out!

Dutch Wonderland will be opening their water park this weekend, Duke's Lagoon. This is a perfect sized water park for the younger kids but it still has cool stuff for the older kids as well. Check out their website for rules about swimwear and don't forget the sunscreen.

Oregon Dairy is having their 7th Annual Fireman's Festival and Country Cruise this Saturday from 8am to 1pm. There is no cost to check out the car show but there is a $2 fee for a fire truck ride around the area. We did this last year and had a blast on the truck. That is pretty much all there is to do as far as the special event goes but the Oregon Dairy Farm Market (nothing fancy, it’s a family owned grocery market) has a ice cream shop there and a great playground for the kids. Check it out!

Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus presents Fully Charged at the Giant Center in Hershey this weekend. It runs until May 30th and ticket prices start at $80 for Circus Celebrity to $16 for the nose bleed section. The circus is always a great time to be had (I'm a little biased since I used to travel with the greatest show on earth) but it does get costly. Even after you buy the tickets you will have to bring the credit cards for some souvenirs. Get to the show early for the preshow. This is where you get to walk the three rings and visit with the performers. A little side tip: Get a program first to have performers sign them and don't forget a sharpie. Most performers will have a pen but some don't. Ask anyone that is with the show for a picture and autograph. They may not look important but they are since everyone helps out with the pre show. I was told they do the animal open house at Hershey now as well. This is where you can go outside the arena and check out the circus animals up close and personal. Don't let PETA tell you anything bad either, these animals are well taken care of by all circus employees. If they weren't well treated why would they do all those tricks? May All Your Days Be Circus Days and have fun.

Cherry Crest Farms in Ronks, PA is officially opening this weekend and will even be open this Memorial Day from 12-5pm. They are celebrating Farm Fun Days this weekend. They have 50 farm fun activities to enjoy but once again take a water bottle to keep cool because there is no shade. From now until June 25th admission is only $9 per person ages 3 and up. Although the maze doesn't open until July there is still plenty to do.

If your in the Harrisburg area ArtsFest is at Riverfront Park on North Front Street. Included with the art festival that is very popular is KidFest 2011 hosted by the Popcorn Hat Players. I am still unsure of everything going on this weekend so it's best to look up details before going.

This past Saturday we went to the Kitchen Kettle Village for their Rhubarb Festival which is held every year on the third Friday and Saturday in May. Kitchen Kettle Village has 42 shops, restaurants and lodging. What are they known for? Their yummy jams, relishes and salsas. On select days you can even see the employees (mostly Amish) can the jars of mouth watering products right in the Jam & Relish Kitchen. What, jams and relish isn't your thing? No worries they have all sorts of unique shops to suit anyone's interest. They also have a small petting farm and playground right across from the main hub. Be prepared parents, there are pony rides for a fee so bring your wallet. There is also a kid's workshop where you can either make a wooden toy train or a Amish faceless doll to take home. I have never done this myself but it does look like fun and it's a great souvenir for you child to take home. Don't feel like making your own toys? Check out Yummie's Toy Box back in the village. Lots of unique toys for the young and young at heart. Of course you can't go anywhere in the Amish Country without finding a buggy ride for the tourist. Kitchen Kettle is no exception. AAA Buggy Rides boast they are the only buggy ride that goes through a real covered bridge on a back country road. It's worth the trip too if you like beautiful landscapes and peaceful silence. But before you go on the buggy head over the fudge shop. Their fudge is out of this world and if you get there at the right time you can actually see how the fudge is made. The employees are so fun and informative here. They make the trip exciting. Plus they do carry some interesting flavors of fudge, in honor of this weekend they had a rhubarb chocolate fudge.

Now that I told you all about Kitchen Kettle Village let's talk about the Rhubarb Festival! This festival is jam packed with lots of yummy samples of rhubarb inspired dishes. My favorite this year was the strawberry rhubarb salsa that mixed Kitchen Kettle's fabulous zesty salsa and strawberry rhubarb jam. Of course it was a close race with the rhubarb peach pineapple julep. Between the rhubarb jam, pineapple jam, mint leaves and the bubbly Sprite you got yourself one great party drink. Everything is made right before your eyes so you can see how easy it is to make in your own home.

After sampling all the dishes and shopping around the village you must find a seat for the Rhubarb Stroll. This mini parade is the highlight of our trip. The local marching drummers start the parade followed by the Pink Ladies. These wonderful ladies are employees of Kitchen Kettle that get all dolled up in rhubarb pink and green and hand out similar color beads to all the guest in the village.

The band even gets some country wheels to keep a good beat for what's to follow. Yummie is the official mascot of Kitchen Kettle Village. He is a giant gingerbread man who is very sweet! This year, due to Bridget's rhubarb inspired outfit, she was welcomed into the parade. She marched around the whole village waving at all the guest with Yummie and his mascot friends. The people in charge of the parade are so nice. In fact all the employees here are super sweet.

After the parade we all gathered back at the starting point to take a group shot. Who all was there? The King and Queen of Rhubarb graced our presence as well as Filbert (Issac's Restaurant), Silo (Lancaster Barnstormers) and some blue dude whom I really don't know who it was but he had some moves. Of course we can't forget the stars of the show (Besides Bridget) Yummie and The Rhubarb! It was a lot of fun being involved with the parade this year and I would like to thank the staff of the Kitchen Kettle for making this year so special.

You think you might want to visit Kitchen Kettle Village? Here are some things you need to know. Kitchen Kettle Village is in the town of Intercourse, about 10 miles away from Lancaster city. Take Route 340 until you see the sign on the left hand side. They are open year round Monday through Saturday from 9am to 6pm. It is FREE admission and plenty of FREE parking. On days of the festivals you might have to park far away so be prepared. It is handicap accessible and bus trips are welcomed so be prepared for large groups of people. I say out of a scale of 1 to 10 I would rate the parks cleanliness at a 10. There are restaurants but there is areas around to set up for a picnic as well. No fast foods here on this country road. There is more then one tourist site in this small area and all in walking distance of the village. As far as upcoming special events: the next festival is the third Friday and Saturday in June which is the Berry Jam Festival followed by Yummie's Birthday Party on the first Saturday in August. This is a must with the kids, lots of mascots and birthday cake. There is also a 7 Sweets & Sours Tailgate Festival in September and Holly Days from Thanksgiving until Christmas. You can register in advance for a character breakfast with Yummie for some events. Check out their website at

                                               

www.kitchenkettle.com for more info. As a side note I would like to say there are a lot of Amish families in the area trying to sell their products. Please be respectful of their religious beliefs and DO NOT TAKE THEIR PHOTOGRAPH. Please DO BUY AMISH MADE. I give Kitchen Kettle Village two thumbs up! A great place to visit with the whole family.    

2011 Rhubarb Festival

Saturday is Kitchen Kettle Village Rhubarb Festival!!! If you havn't been to Kettle Kitchen before it's a must for any tourist in the area. Simple shops carry anything from clothes pin dolls to smoked meats and cheeses. They also have special events that happen throughout the year. Tomorrow is the Rhubarb Festival. If you don't know what Rhubarb is then take a look at the picture. It's a interesting veggie that you must get accustomed to in order to like it. It's extremely bitter but taste great with a little sugar. Used in recipes it turns into a wonderful staple for fruit sauces. Festivites run all day tomorrow but you don't want to miss the Rhubarb Stroll at 2pm. This is a parade of the Rhubarb King and Queen and the Rhbuarb ladies. Yummy, Kitchen Kettle's mascot, will be there with some other mascot friends to help celebrate this unusal food. The kids would love it. Don't forget to stop by the Yummy's Toy Box and visit with our friend Rosie who has amazing toys and gifts for everyone, yes even the kid at heart. There is also a petting zoo and playground. We will be there with bells on to join in the fun. Look next week for pictures from our trip. Kitchen Kettle Village is located on Route 340 in Intercourse, PA.

Dutch Wonderland-The kingdom for kids?

My name is Theresa Young and I have been a Dutch Wonderland Mom since 2008. My family has been season pass holders at Dutch Wonderland since 2008. Dutch Wonderland and the people that work there have a special place in our hearts. When we started going to the park it was after the death of my grandmother. My daughter who was then 3 years old was having a hard time and Dutch Wonderland helped her remember she was a kid and deserved to have fun despite the sad time we were going through. We became fast friends with the staff and my daughter Bridget became a Dutch Wonderland expert. The last year was not as impressive as prior years so we were excited to hear that a new company was taking over. Hershey sold Dutch Wonderland to a bigger corporation, Paradise Entertainment. You might recognize the name, they are the owners of Kennywood and Idlewild Parks. Although sad to hear the news of many of the entertainment staff being fired so underhanded we were curious about how RWS would do with the whole entertainment staffing. So we were first in line for the season opening day.

Last year we saw the “royal treatment” the First Family got that day. My daughter was determined to be First Family this year so we were there at 8am. It was so sad to see her face when nothing was done for us. She asked why the family last year was given a special day for being there first but we didn’t even get a smile. She is only 6 but very insightful. It was true. If we knew there was no special thing for First Family this year we would have gone with our original plans to meet a friend first then come to the park.

We were also disappointed that the characters were outside in the parking lot again this year. The park says it’s because they want the flow of visitors to get in the park without the distractions of characters. It took us until 2pm to see Duke the Dragon walking around. Before the gates open we usually hear a countdown for the park to open but this year we heard a faint sound but had no idea what it was until someone started counting down in the crowd. Disappointing start!

This year there is a new stone walkway as soon as you enter the park that covers the ground in front of the Dutch Wonderland Express train ride. I hear that there are plans to make this walkway throughout the park. Boy, I hope not. This is a bad idea! The strollers didn’t seem to do too good on the payment and I know for a fact it isn’t handicap accessible. My mother walks with a rolling walker which kept getting stuck. Also both my mother and daughter tripped on loose bricks. I was told later on that it wasn’t even finished. They needed to fill between the bricks but ran out of time since they didn’t start this project until the week before opening day. If kids are running on the path they will trip and fall on the uneven bricks. The pathway wasn’t done well and it isn’t a great idea. It might look nice but who cares. We are there for the rides and entertainment.

Once in the park our first ride was the train. My daughter actually had a tear in her eye when she realized that the Ticket Man statue wasn’t there. We read the letterboxing clues online which tells you to give the ticket man a high five so we thought he was still okay. These little spots in the park is what my daughter looks forward to the most: the old man by the mill, the chicken by the chicks, the men on top of the antique cars(which is not there anymore), and of course the saddest of all the elf puppets by the monorail entrance that are no longer there this year. It’s a shame to see them leave.

While waiting for the train to start my daughter noticed a baby bottle on the train tracks that was there since last year. GROSS! Very nasty. Why wasn’t the park cleaned before opening? There was old bird poo on the benches everywhere and the birthday cake house had large cobwebs and dirt all over it and in it. It didn’t surprise me when we sat on a bench for around 20 minutes (the only one without bird poo) and watched as cleaning staff and even managers walked over and around a old rumpled up map on the ground. In fact there was a older cleaning employee who had to hold his pants up the whole time so they wouldn’t fall down. All the uniforms were tight and unkept. I thought it was strange since it was the first day of operations. The low wasted pants on most of the girls were a little too low and didn’t leave much to the imagination when they bent over. Also I know of other guest that leaned on railings to get a picture and got grease all over them. Such a shock since the park is always so neat and well maintained.

The next ride we were on was the Space Shuttle. Here the employee started the ride while both the enter and exit gate was open. So dangerous and against regulations. She couldn’t take her foot off the pedal to stop the ride and close the gates so they stayed open. When we informed her of the mistake she said “oh well“. The next ride you would think she would fix the mistake, she didn’t. I know there is a new staff but safety is number one in my book and should always be stressed to the employees.

After going on a few more rides I took notice a sign by the Turtle Whirl for Boyd’s Bear Factory. The place went out of business in January! I would hate to get all excited about going to a new place we saw on a sign at Dutch Wonderland then getting there only to find it is no longer in operation. You would think they would be on top of this.

The rides were tons of fun as usual but the Joust Coaster was broken for a while and once they got that one fixed the Kingdom Coaster went down. While walking around we noticed that not one ride operator was smiling. Come to think of it no one in the games, food or gift stands were smiling too. The staff was not kid friendly and they were not happy. It brought the whole mood of the park down. We waited for the monorail ,that just took off before we got there, in complete silence. The girl was leaning her head on the wall looking in the sky. A simple “How’s your day going?” or “Are you having fun today?” would have been nice.

Now Princess Brooke, Dutch Wonderland’s mascot, was super sweet but it seemed as if her wig was eating her. She is a tiny girl to begin with but that wig is so ridiculous. Her brown hair was poking out of the wig all day. Why was she wearing a wig anyway? It never used to matter what the princess’ hair looked like but I know other “princess’” that have dyed their hair for the part. The wig needs to go. If my daughter can spot it a mile away then it isn’t a good look.

I mentioned earlier that Duke the Dragon wasn’t spotted until 2pm. What I thought was a important thing to mention was the attitude of the character. Duke is usually really goofy and fun loving. No matter who plays him there is always the sense of love from the dragon for each and every child. While waiting for a show to start we spotted Duke walking away from a crowd he had just taken pictures with when a small child came to give him a hug. The child was in the path of Duke’s walking but he didn’t stop for the child. Instead he push the kid on his forehead away and kept walking. The second and only other time seeing him was when he was walking into the staff room and there was a child following him calling out “DUKE“. He didn’t stop even when the child started to cry. The mother tried to get someone out there for her daughter since they had to leave but no one would help. It never was like that with the old entertainment staff. Someone would have come out for the child. Disappointing.

The special guest for the opening this year was horrible. He was rude and insulting. He wasn’t even good on the stilts. It was disappointing since last year was Manny from Electric Company and all the other years were not huge celebrities but still bigger acts then that guy. While talking of special guest, my daughter is upset she is there is NO Christian weekend this year. She looks forward to seeing Bob and Larry from Veggie Tales and of course the Doughnut Man. It’s so sad such a wholesome day out is gone. I am with my daughter on this one. Plus this past Mother’s Day my daughter was excited to take me to Dutch Wonderland. Last year they had the Lancaster School of Cosmetology come out to do free chair massages and mini manicures for all moms. They also had Hershey Gardens there to help the kids plant a marigold for mom and the Dutch Wonderland employees helped the kids make a foam craft picture frame. We also got my child’s ID cards done by Baltimore Life. This year I called to see if there will be the same treatment for us moms and they had nothing planned. We can’t afford much so my daughter was so happy that she could take me there to at least do these activities for me but we decided not to even go.

We were missing the Bunny Fudge House this year too. Mr. Don, the man in charge of the bunny house and nuts and candy cart inside the gates, was very friendly and always there for a guest. It’s a shame he’s not there anymore. On top of it they are taking away other local business. The hot dogs are Nathan’s now and the ice cream is now Breyers, which is a PA based brand but Turkey Hill is right down the road in Columbia and has been a long time sponsor of Dutch Wonderland. It seems that any local business that was represented there is gone. We have so many wonderful local businesses here in PA that could be featured in the park. Plus by helping local businesses they could also be helping the environment. The less the trucks have to travel to the park the less pollution it will be. They could actually be a greener park and that attracts a lot of people now a days.

Once more I know any amusement park makes all your money off gift shop and food items but the prices were crazy for the food that was served. We usually go to the Treehouse which is now the potato place. Three chicken tenders that is smaller then the palm of my hand and a few fries for ten dollars? I don’t mind paying a lot for food, you expect it at a amusement park, but I want some food for that price. Plus we missed the chicken fries/sticks that were there last year. It seems that Dutch Wonderland has forgot this is a kid place and they need finger food.

Now we hear that Dutch Wonderland will be charging for preferred parking in the future. My mother is unable to walk well and we get to the park early in the morning to get a spot close to the castle door. We don’t have a handicap parking pass due to not having health insurance so we are unable to use the handicap parking. If we need to start paying for a parking spot this will hinder our visits. It is so sad that this park went from a family affordable amusement park to a money hungry attraction.

Now saying all this there are some great points to the park this year. RWS has outdone themselves with the performers this year. Beyond the castle walls was great. They both are not only great singers and dancer they are also friendly and kid oriented. They spoke to my child and engaged her in conversation. They waved as they passed by while traveling from show to show. This is the little things that make a difference and I can’t tell you how much we enjoyed them. The only thing that might be needed was additional staff to hold back the kids from coming on stage while they are dancing. I thought a kid was going to get knocked out by a jazz kick during one of the numbers. To also add there is a new show this year but it doesn’t start until Memorial Day weekend. The name of the show is Dress Up And Dance and it will be performed at the amphitheater.
Also the dive show did not fail once again. It seems like they get better from year to year. It’s never the same show even when it is the same show. They add one or two things different and it helps mix things up. The RWS announcer with the show was not as friendly as former entertainment staff but he had a great voice for announcing. He reminded me of a bouncer at a night club standing there with his arms folded scowling at the crowd.

We also do like the new rides. The frog was a hit with my daughter. You sit in the frog which takes you up in the air and “hops” while moving in a circle. It also makes cool ribbit sounds which my kid loved to do as well. Don’t worry parents, this ride is adult friendly too so you can get into the action. The kite flyer was neat but I think it is for older kids. My daughter, who is 6 years old, might need to get used to it. It wasn’t very mom friendly as well. You have to lay on your belly until the girl closes a gate-like contraption over you. Then the ride flies up into the air. I’m just saying being a big chested woman myself it was a very uncomfortable ride. Let’s not even mention that the employee took her sweet old time closing the harness so you are laying on your belly with your butt in the air the whole time while on lookers are surly snickering at you. If you do go on this ride let your child know before hand that they need to wait for you to help get off the seat. I saw multiple children fall off the seat which is pretty high off the ground.

Although a disappointing first time visit we do have season passes and will be back this year. My daughter was bored and wanted to leave a hour and a half before the park closed. We went to a free playground where she stayed for three hours and didn’t want to leave. That should say something. I could have saved a ton of money. We contacted the park on all the so called improvements. They did offer our money back or season passes to Hershey Park. It seemed that they just didn’t want me to complain to others about the park and wanted to pawn me off on Hershey. Either which way I would never be able to take away Dutch Wonderland from my child. She is outgrowing the kiddie rides this year it seems, so this might be our last year anyway. We will always have a special place in our hearts for Dutch Wonderland no matter what others do to it but I would not recommend the park to anyone that has been there before. If you are a new visitor that has never been to the park you would not notice the difference as much and might enjoy yourselves. It is a smaller park that is geared for smaller children. It helped us out with summer activities when we were new to the area and wanted some much needed fun. The rides are fun and the water park that opens Memorial Day weekend is not overly large so you can keep your eyes on your little tikes easier. There are picnic areas outside the park so you can beat the high priced food problem with a simple picnic. Not to mention that Dutch Wonderland is just one attraction in Lancaster County. There is Strasburg Railroad, The National Christmas Museum, Sight & Sound Theater, and many Amish attractions and buggy rides. This is a great place to visit!

No matter if you decide to go to the park or not, don’t forget…have a Dutch Wonderful Day!