What happens when Harry Potter, Audrey Hepburn, a rainbow unicorn, a butterfly, and Sonic the Hedgehog go to a party together? We were so excited when Dutch Wonderland invited us back this fall to attend their Happy Hauntings event so we could find out!
I told you about our trip over the summer to this fabulous kid-friendly amusement park located less than an hour from our house in Lancaster, PA. This time we got to experience their Happy Hauntings Halloween event. If you’d like to get in on the Halloween fun, just head over to the Dutch Wonderland website through my link and you will get a 12% discount on your ticket price!
We’ve been to Dutch Wonderland countless times, but this was our family’s first time attending a holiday event. We were so impressed with the fun Halloween decor and the special events for kids, like the Trick or Treat Trail. I recommend getting there as soon as the park opens and making a bee line to Trick or Treat, because it did get much more crowded as the day went on.
The Trick or Treat Trail is located in the dinosaur section at the back of the park. I loved how the staff and the dinosaurs coordinated their costumes! Bags were provided for collecting candy and each adult was also given a ticket to pick out one treat for themselves.
Costumes are not necessary, but they are fun. The day we were there it seemed that most kids were wearing costumes and most adults were not. That was also the case for our family. We brought a backpack to hold the wings/headpieces/etc as kids tired of wearing them.
The Happy Hauntings event is only held for a limited time each fall. Many of the regular rides in the park are open, but the water rides and water park are not. Our kids were vey excited because this was our first visit when they were all tall enough to ride Merlin’s Mayhem.
As much as we enjoyed the Happy Hauntings event, my favorite thing about our visit was the Accessibility Passes Dutch Wonderland offers for families who have special needs.
If someone in your party has special needs that make waiting in long lines difficult (including sensory concerns), you can pick up an Accessibility Pass from Guest Services, located in the castle at the front of the park near the ticket area.
The pass is color coordinated according to the height of the person who needs it. The colors match the signs posted by each ride. I love how the passes include a chart listing each ride, the height requirements, and the level of intensity. It makes planning your day around sensory needs that much easier. To use your pass, go to the exit of each ride (or the separate handicap entrance when applicable). You will bypass the line. Each pass holder can take 3 other riders from their party with them.
I truly cannot explain how much accommodations like this mean to parents who are raising children with special needs. Based on the epic sensory meltdown we experienced just while waiting in the line at guest services to receive our pass, I can honestly say we would not be able to do amusement parks without them. They make these kinds of experiences possible for our kids.
Thank you to Dutch Wonderland for sponsoring this post and allowing us to experience Happy Hauntings! Don’t forget to grab your discounted tickets!
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