User:Hmich176/Hersheypark Kiddie Rides 1926-1980

This is a list of Hersheypark's kiddie rides from 1926-1980. These are organized into tables by year.

Early years
1926-1935

1926
2 rides; these are the first two kiddie rides installed, in the history of the park.

1934
(3 rides)

1935
(4 rides)

 1936-1948 Between 1936 and 1948, the park had the same 4 kiddie rides. Kiddie rides saw a lower priority as bigger rides were installed between 36 and 41. The Second World War forced the park to maintain rides it had; new rides purchases were not permitted. Once the war ended, the park constructed a new coaster, Comet, as well as a Cuddle Up.

(4 rides)



Kiddieland years
1949-1959

1949 - 51
(6 rides)

1952 - 54
(7 rides) All rides were part of Kiddieland. However, some rides were outside of traditional Music Box'' area. As such, they've been separated into their respective areas.''

1955 - 57
(8 rides) All rides were part of Kiddieland.'' However, the main Kiddieland area is considered the southeast area of the park next to Hersheypark Arena. This year, the first kiddie ride was built in the north end of Kiddieland, next to the Arena, a good distance away from the nearest kiddie ride. A kiddie playground is adjacent to the south, approximately where the Music Box Theatre stands today. As such, they've been separated into their respective areas. This continues until 1972 when Kiddieland is eliminated in the renovations of the park.''

1958
(9 rides)

1959
(10 rides)



1960-1971

1960
(10 rides)

1961
''9 rides: 3 kiddie rides were retired after the 1960 season - the 1926 Kiddie Ferris Wheel, Airplane Swing and Motor Boats. Two new kiddie rides were installed - Jets (presently called Bizzy Bees) and Tubs-o-Fun (presently called Dizzy Drums).''

1962 - 1963
10 rides: Outboard Motor Boats was added.

1964
12 rides: Helicopters and Whipperoo were added.

1965 - 1967
13 rides: Space Age was added.

1968 - 1969
''13 rides: Kiddie Turnpike was removed. Kiddie Variety Ride (per press release) was added; this otherwise known as Motorcycles. Today, this is called Traffic Jam. In 1969, the park did not add any kiddie rides. The park advertised it had 14 kiddie rides instead of 13, which was in error - Carrousel was double counted.''

1970
''14 rides: Little Red Caboose was added to the park. This was an actual train car, which the park charged 10 cents for entry. It's more of an attraction, but since the park considered it a ride, it is included here.''

1971
''13 rides: The park discontinued charging a fee to use the Little Red Caboose. As a result, it was no longer considered a ride.''



Hersheypark years
1972-1973

1972
''9 rides: 4 kiddie rides were removed after 1971 season. These are: Miniature Train, Lucas Motor Boat Ride, 1959 Kiddie Ferris Wheel, and Horse & Buggy.''

1973
9 rides



1974-1980

Errors and corrections from official press kits
Before I continue with the list, I need to spend some time explaining the ride counts for the upcoming seasons in this subsection. There are a number of errors in the press kits from 1975-1979. This probably resulted from some less-than-great copy editing and misplacing ride names for others. Here is what I determined are the correct number of kiddie rides in the park, ranging from 1974-1980 (to have the year before and after included as continuity).
 * 1974 - 9 (unchanged from prior season)
 * 1975 - 10 (add Mini Comet - probably was added late in 1974 season)
 * 1976 - 10 (remove Automobiles, Sailboats; add Mini-Bug, Tank Ride)
 * 1977 - 10 (unchanged from prior season)
 * 1978 - 11 (add Mini-Skooters)
 * 1979 - 12 (remove Mini-Comet; add Pony Carts and Antique Kiddie Carrousel)
 * 1980 - 12 (unchanged from prior season)

1975: Kiddie Bug error begins, Mini-Comet left off list
This season features the introduction of the Kiddie Bug ride. This is believed to be Ladybug. However, Ladybug is not installed until 1976. Furthermore, this list omits Mini-Comet, which was definitely in the park in 1975, and likely installed early in the 1974 season. It's possible Ladybug was intended to be installed in 1975, but was not, and that Mini-Comet was left off in error, because they already listed 10 kiddie rides. It's also possible they simply didn't consider Mini-Comet a kiddie ride since it was a coaster (albeit a kiddie coaster). That is unlikely; they're more likely to consider it a kiddie ride than not (much like the Little Red Caboose was considered a "ride" in the 1970 season.

1976: Kiddie/Mini-Bug duplication, Tank Ride left off list
This season features the addition of the Mini Bug ride. This name logically fits Ladybug since it is a kiddie version of The Bug (as much as kiddie Bug does). However, they list both Mini Bug and Kiddie Bug as kiddie rides; the park also lists Mini-Comet as a kiddie ride. This fits their established count of 10 kiddie rides. Also, Tank Ride (Earthmovers) is not listed as a kiddie ride, while it's widely known to have been added in the 1976 season. It's likely this is an oversight and that the Kiddie Bug was listed in place of the Tank Ride.

1977: Kiddie/Mini-Bug duplication continues, Tank Ride is listed
Once again, both Mini Bug and Kiddie Bug are listed as kiddie rides. Tank Ride is listed. From the press releases, the park seems to have bungled their counts of the number of kiddie rides in the park. It's likely the correct number of kiddie rides is actually 10, which would make Kiddie Bug a duplicate listing of Mini Bug.

1978: Kiddie/Mini-Bug duplication continues, Mini-Skooters added
As in the previous several years, both Kiddie Bug and Mini Bug are listed. Mini-Skooters is added to the park, increasing the count by one.

1979: Kiddie/Mini-Bug duplication continues, count goes from 12 to 14, despite Mini-Comet removal
In the park ride listing in the press kit for 1979, they very specifically state there are 14 kiddie rides in the park. This simply can't be possible, because Mini Comet is removed after 1978. There are two indications of this. First, park maps from 1979 do not have Mini Comet on it. Second, the park definitively had 12 kiddie rides in 1980. The park did not add any kiddie rides in 1980, only Pirat and Cyclops.

Given the removal of Mini-Comet, the count in the press kit should have been 13. However, as mentioned, the park had 12 kiddie rides in 1980. This is because Mini-Bug and Kiddie Bug are duplicates of each other. Eliminating one brings the count down to 12, which is what the list should be. The list below reflects the corrections made, so this list can be as accurate as possible.

1980: Duplication stops, count is 12 according to press kit
In the 1980 press kit, it states that there are 12 kiddie rides in the park. In the ride listing, only Kiddie Bug is shown. Mini-Bug is taken off the list, ending the duplication which began in the 1976 press kit.

1974
9 rides

1975
10 rides: The park officially adds Mini Comet, though it may have been added to the park during the 1974 season.

1976
''10 rides: The park retired Automobiles and Sailboats, replacing them with Mini-Bug (Ladybug) and Tank Ride (Earthmovers). The kiddie rides in Music Box were also shuffled around. Jets (Bizzy Bees) ended up in the location it's still in today, as is Ladybug.''

1977
10 rides

1978
11 rides: The Mini-Skooters are added to the park, in the old Skooter building in Comet Hollow.

1979
''12 rides: The park removed 1 kiddie ride - Mini-Comet. In exchange, the park added 2 new kiddies this year - a kiddie carousel and a pony cart ride. The count only increases by one as a result.''

1980
12 rides

