Meet All 9 of Santa's Reindeer at Hersheypark Christmas Candylane 2024

Santa has come to the town built on chocolate - and he brought all nine of his reindeer along with him! 

Visitors to Hersheypark Christmas Candylane can see Santa and his live reindeer in the Mary N. Bright Airfield, a new themed location in Fahrenheit Catering for 2024. While enjoying Santa's favorite holiday stop at the merriest event of the year at Hersheypark, guests can get an up-close look at Rudolph and his friends in Hangar 96. The name of the space represents the first year that Santa's reindeer visited Hersheypark in 1996. Hersheypark is the only place in the Northeast where people can see all nine of Santa's reindeer.

Santa handpicked trusted team members from ZooAmerica North American Wildlife Park to take special care of his reindeer during their vacation in Hershey, Pa., before their big flight on Christmas Eve. The ZooAmerica reindeer specialists are on-site inside the amusement park during all hours of Hersheypark Christmas Candylane operations to feed the reindeer, clean the stables and answer guest questions. 

We chatted with some of the reindeer specialists to get all of the insider information on each reindeer, as they each have a magical personality of their own! Learn more about Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donder, Blitzen and, of course, Rudolph, below. 

Rudolph (#1)

• Friendliest and always by the reindeer specialists or the front fence
• Loves to be in the way and begs for treats
• Working with Dasher on conflict resolution

Dasher (#5)

• Known troublemaker
• Pushes around Rudolph to try to take charge of Santa’s sleigh team until Vixen and Prancer break them up 
• Buds with Vixen

Dancer (#3)

• Beautiful chocolate brown color
• BFFs with Cupid - they playfully antler spar together and groom each other's ears
• Uses Cupid as a pillow

Prancer (#37)

• Oldest and one of the higher ranking members - The herd has a hierarchy with several reindeer in charge at the top, some “mid-level” reindeer and others at the bottom that tend to stick to themselves and will not challenge the others
• Stands ground against younger, mischievous reindeer
• Vixen tests Prancer’s limits but usually gets shut down quickly

Vixen (#72)

• Middle-ranking reindeer with beautiful, claw-like antlers with leftover velvet
• Friends with Dasher and acts like a bodyguard
• Known to start reindeer games with Cupid, Dancer and Donder

Comet (#65)

• Firecracker with a sassy personality
• Known to shove entire head into a bucket for beet pulp
• High-ranking member of the herd that values R&R and is often seen lying down in the back of Hangar 96 watching the whole herd run by

Cupid (#4)

• Youngest reindeer who sometimes gets picked on by other members of the herd given youthful spirit
• Inseparable with Dancer
• Likes to playfully spar with Dancer

Donder (#87)

• Rambunctious and high-energy
• Initiates play with both reindeer and reindeer specialists
• Kept in line by higher-ranking Prancer and Comet

Blitzen (#2)

• Biggest reindeer with the largest set of antlers despite not being the oldest
• Gentle giant who likes personal space
• Expert level status on ripping open new hay bales

How to See the Reindeer at Hersheypark

As you can see, Santa’s reindeer are not just the engines that pull the sled. They are beautiful and fascinating animals that help create the season's magic. 

Hersheypark Christmas Candylane is open on Dec. 5-8 and then daily from Dec. 12 through Jan. 1, 2025 (closed Christmas Day). Santa is available for photos during all hours of operation through Dec. 24, but his reindeer will stay in Hershey through Jan. 1 for guests to see them after the holiday. 

This experience is one of the many only-in-Hershey offerings included with a ticket. Guests can also enjoy signature hot chocolate and festive eats while seeing the most lights in Pennsylvania, take a ride on select coasters and family attractions, snap a selfie with the Hershey Characters dressed in their holiday best, and so much more!