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Pennsylvania Babies
Sesame Place Review
So DH and I took Adam to Sesame Place yesterday and it was SO much fun! Here's our review for anyone interested in planning a trip this summer, or even next summer!
The trip - about two hours, all on the turnpike. Not too close, but possible for a day trip.
The costs - yes, it's expensive. We purchased Elmo's 2-day ticket through AAA.com and it was $46.95 per adult. Children under 2 are free, but once they hit 2 they pay full price too. However, a single day ticket is just as expensive, so getting two days, that don't have to be consecutive days, makes much more sense. We'll probably go back next month. General parking is $15, also very expensive, but we got a $10 Lowe's gift card when we paid, so that's not too bad. Locker rentals are also $15, but we decided we didn't need one. Food is also insane. We bought a regular meal (burger and fries), kids meal (chicken tenders and fries) and a side salad for $22. We all shared the food. The kids meal came with a souvenier refillable cup, so DH and I shared that and kept refilling that and Adam drank water from his own sippy. We stopped back in several times during the day to refill that small souvenier cup. I saw lots of people filling bigger cups and nobody said anything. One way to save on food is to pack a picnic lunch. They don't let you bring food into the park (although we smuggled in goldfish, applesauce and fruit for Adam's snack) but they have picnic areas in the parking area which is a very easy walk from the park. So you could leave, eat in a picnic pavilion and come back in very easily.
And now, the fun. Sesame is great with giving kids access to the characters. They have one building designated to having characters there for photo ops. Adam went to see Elmo TWICE. He was just head over heels in love. It's gotta be tough to have your life dreams fulfilled before the age of 18 months, but just seeing how excited and happy he was to see Elmo made us forget those costs listed above. He was saying Elmo all day! They are cool with letting you take your own photos, but they also take some and you can buy them (with the image superimposed onto a Sesame Street scene) outside. The first one is insanely expensive, but additional ones are reasonable. We also saw the Count, Bert and Ernie walking through the park but they were whisked away by handlers before we could get photos with them. You can also see every character in the parade, and the characters run up and high-five all the kids. A tip that I had was to watch the parade from the end. We did that and it worked out because we had entertainment in front of us for a very long time.
Rides - Adam rode the merry-go-round and the balloon chase and did great on both of them. I held him on his horse but he was able to sit alone (with us in the same basket of course) for the balloons. He probably could have done other rides, but he was starting to get very hot so we headed for the water. The water attractions were fantastic. The best, by far, is the Count's Splash Castle. It's a wading pool with a giant castle in it. The castle is great for older kids, with stairs, water slides, fountains, water guns and a giant bucket on top that dumps a zillion gallions of water on the kids (and parents) in front. So it's nice for a family where the little ones can play on the sides and behind the castle and the older runs can run wild in the castle. We also did the baby wave pool and some other water areas at the end of the day but we couldn't stay long with a storm rapidly approaching.
Next year will be even more enjoyable for him, when he can do one of the character meals, where the characters really interact with the kids, and when he has more stamina for the excitement. But all in all, each of us had a great time and we can't wait to go back next month!
Here are photos from the day!
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Re: Sesame Place Review
DD 1/29/07 -
Thanks for the review! We may try and visit next summer. I loved that remark about it being the highlight of an 18-month old's life. When I took Eloise to see Sesame Street Live this past winter, I felt the same way. Seeing Elmo up close and personal is just mindblowing for a toddler, I think.
We're headed to Dutch Wonderland next week, so I'll have to let you all know how it goes.
Thanks for the review! We have that on our list of day trips for the summer seeing Avery also has a love affair with Elmo. How is the surrounding area?? Someone told us it is a bad area, so you have to be careful with leaving things in your car, etc. Is that true? I was only their for my kindergarten field trip years ago, so I don't remember all that much! We took the girls to Knoebels on Monday and Avery had a FANTASTIC time! I highly recommend it for a cheap day if you are looking for other things to do this summer. I think we bought 15 bucks in tickets and that was pretty much our only expense for the day. We took a picnic lunch and our own drinks in a small cooler stored under Addison's stroller.
Please share your reviews of other places you visit this summer! I am always looking for new and exciting things to do with the fam.
I didn't get the feeling that it was a bad area at all. It's in an odd location, sort of in a commercial/professional area, but I felt perfectly secure with the car. Inside the park we often had to leave the stroller, like for getting in the water areas, and I felt funny doing that because we had a camera, camcorder and wallet, but I took the chance a few times.
Maybe on a weekend it's different, but I felt very secure the whole time.
It sounds like you had a great time! DH used to go there all the time when he was young, so I have a feeling we may be making our first trip there next summer. My ILs don't live too far from there.
I second Knoebels for being a good park. Free admission and parking, you can bring in your own food and theirs isn't expensive if you don't, lots of shade, and what seems like a HUGE kiddie area. DH and I went there on our own a few times just to spend an afternoon. I think we spent no more than $40 between the 2 of us - and that is both rides and food!
TTC since Jan 07. Dx with PCOS Jan 08