'Everything's A-OK'—Plan Your Next Favorite Family Trip to Sesame Street With These Sesame Place Tips and Tricks
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I cannot tell you how to get to Sesame Street, but I can tell you of another magical place filled with fun adventures and old friends called Sesame Place. This summer I was able to bring my three-year-old to the theme park and decided to meet up with some of my online mom friends who I connected with over the pandemic. We all gathered our kiddos and husbands and headed to Bucks County, Pennsylvania.
My parents had brought me to Sesame Place when I was a young child. I don’t remember any of it now but I knew I had to bring my daughter there. There was definitely a wave of nostalgia that hit hard when we walked up to the park. I do semi-remember really enjoying the park and treasuring a plush Big Bird for years, which now belongs to my daughter.
Courtesy Devon Sherer
We are a big Sesame Street family (I swear the show taught my daughter to count) so when I told her we were going, there was a lot of excitement and screams.
Along with rides and a water park, they have a parade, character meet and greets, and show. Have questions about planning a trip? I wonder if I can help you? What if I write down some questions and answer them for you? Let’s try!
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Courtesy Devon Sherer
Sesame Street's Sesame Place Tips: Everything You Need To Know
Where is Sesame Place?
Sesame Place is located just outside of Philadelphia, in Langhorne, Pennsylvania. There is another location in San Diego, California as well.
What is the best age to go?
I might be biased but three years old seemed like the perfect age for Sesame Place. This seemed to be the youngest I would bring as most rides allowed for kids three and up or were by height.
We did have a person in the group who brought a very well-behaved baby (under a year) and it didn’t hinder them but they did have to switch off who would go on rides with their three-year-old. Also, Sesame Place does have some activities that are for smaller children like water park splash pads and playgrounds.
As I mentioned above, I went around five or six years old and I don’t really remember it. So if your child remembering the trip is important, you might want to wait. (Though I think it’s just as important for parents to make memories with kids while they are young.)
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When is the best time to visit?
Sesame Place's site suggests the best way to visit is “when attendance is lightest. Best bets: Weekdays during the summer and any regular operating day during the months of April, May and September.”
How much are Sesame Place tickets?
Tickets are One Day: $99.99 plus tax, Two Day: $109.99 plus tax—though they do usually have a few sales on ticket prices during the year.
What if my kids don’t like rides?
The water park offers several options. There’s a big splash pool made for rowdier kids who don’t mind the Count counting down to when a giant bucket of water will pour down on them. There’s a smaller splash pool with much tamer water features. Plus, a proper kiddie pool and a lazy river—I mean, Big Bird's Rambling River.
There are also some typical playground options like slides and a rope jungle gym. Plus shows, meet-and-greets with your favorite characters, and a parade.
We got to see the first showing of "Welcome to the Party!" which was a blast. It was a super cute show with dancing, singing, bubbles, and a few more surprises. Make sure to get a seat in the middle for the most interaction, though there’s not a bad seat in the house—especially since it provides a nice little break for anyone tired of standing.
Courtesy Devon Sherer
Is the park stroller-friendly?
Yes! But also a little bit no. Yes, you can bring your stroller and get around pretty easily. There’s just no official stroller parking for any of the rides and restaurants, many of which have seating upstairs. Some indoor dining didn’t allow strollers inside. I felt comfortable leaving our stroller next to others that were tucked away randomly or had one parent watching it. People seemed to leave other strollers alone as long as they weren’t blocking anything. Many people left bags in them that seemed to contain clothes or snacks. I wouldn’t leave any important or tempting belongings as there are no attendants or anyone really watching them. Also, don’t be like me and leave the stroller in front of the path of the misting fan. Hey, it needed a good wash!
If you do need to put your belongings somewhere, Sesame Place does have lockers you can rent. If I understood the pricing correctly, it’s around $30 for the day per locker. Doesn’t matter if you get it at the beginning of the day or at 3pm which is when my crew was debating hitting up Big Bird's Rambling River. So I suggest if you think you will need a locker to get one early so you can get as much bang for your buck. They have a few different size lockers but none of the lockers were stroller sized though.
Do I need to pay for parking?
Yup. There really isn’t unpaid parking near the park. Even the local business nearby (which would still be a hike) have tow signs for anyone trying to park in their lot there while visiting.
Is premium parking worth it?
Premium parking could be worth it on a really busy day. The regular parking is across the street from the park while premium is on the same side and right outside the gate.
It also would be worth it if you decide to skip the stroller and plan on having some tired monsters at the end of the day. Or, if you were going to picnic in your car instead of eating in the park.
Do I need Abby's Unlimited Magic Queue?
We had this and it was really great to skip lines, especially with an excited toddler. I would check the weather as it was kinda a rainy day so the park was not as busy and we probably could have gone without it. But on busy days, I would say it’s worth it to not have to wait in line.
You do have to wait for the rides to unload and such, which does take a bit since many of the riders are small. So any additional way to cut the time down is worth it.
Prices vary from $29.99 in the off-season to $99.99 at peak.
How’s the food?
One of the very few issues I had with Sesame Place was the food. If you're looking for a nostalgic trip to middle school cafeteria food, you’re in luck as I noticed some food looked like it came from very similar vendors from my days of carrying a lunch tray. I know theme parks aren’t really places for gourmet dining but bigger parks like Disney and Universal are making attempts to have more intriguing options. Sesame Place was not there yet.
For lunch, my group split up a bit but mostly ordered from the pizza restaurant. It was quite confusing since there were registers and lines set up but no cashiers. There was a sign with a QR code for ordering ahead of time (a tip I greatly suggest) which ended up being the only way to order food. Big Bird’s Burger and Bites and the snack stands had people at the registers.
Unfortunately, the BBQ place and the famous Monster Foodie Truck that sold snacks and funnel cake (a delicious but questionable item as Gonger and Cookie focus on healthy snacks in the show) were closed during my trip.
Both food options took a while as we went around 1 p.m.—peak lunchtime. The pizza place took the longest as it seemed to be a very popular option. I, again, encourage placing your order ahead of time if you choose to eat at the park, especially in a group.
It probably took an hour to get our food and wait for everyone to eat. The pizza, which was like individual flatbreads, was not a big hit with the toddlers (or parents). The burger was one of the food items that reminded me of cafeteria food the most. My meal of a $10 snack pack of cheese, pretzels, salami and grapes from the gift shop was a hit, though.
For it being a toddler-friendly place, I would like to see more snack options. There weren't many and the few around were typical theme park fare like Dippin Dots (which I had and were delicious as usual). Especially since Sesame Street as a brand is so focused on healthy eating, it would be nice to have the vendors at the park follow that theme.
Can I bring food?
Unfortunately, outside food is prohibited other than a refillable water bottle. They do have exceptions for guests with special dietary needs but you have to let the park know in advance that you are bringing food.
Courtesy Devon Sherer
Is Dine with Elmo & Friends worth it?
Despite not loving the food, I would enthusiastically say yes. We went for breakfast, which I think would be the best time to go since you get into the park a little early (only for the breakfast—you cannot go on any rides, but you get to skip the entry line).
They had a buffet of all kinds of breakfast food from french toast dipping sticks to eggs to fruit to cupcakes that looked like Cookie Monster eating a cookie. A dream for little kids. The price is $44.99 per person/child isn’t too bad considering most meals in the park will cost you $20.
You also get special one on one time with four characters Elmo, Grover, Cookie Monster and Abby. The staff does a really good job at making sure that every table gets some time with the furry crew. After eating and the meet-and-greets, there’s a dance party! Any kids who joined the dance floor got to dance with the characters and even got some extra high-fives and hugs. It was a great way to start our visit and get my daughter ready for the day. (Just don’t eat too much as many of the rides go in circles.)
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What does the park provide for those with sensory challenges?
Sesame Park does a great job of providing for guests who might have some sensory challenges but still want to enjoy the park.
From their site: “Sesame Place Philadelphia has partnered with The International Board of Credentialing and Continuing Education Standards (IBCCES), a global leader in online training and certification programs, to become the first theme park in the world to be designated as a Certified Autism Center (CAC).”
They have noise-canceling headphones, a quiet room that provides some sensory relief, low sensory areas within the park, and certified staff trained to have “sensory awareness, motor skills, autism overview, program development, social skills, communication, environment and emotional awareness.” Just check in with guest services if you think you’ll be needing any of the services.
Are there hidden surprises in the park?
A little past the entrance to Big Bird's Rambling River is a buzzer on a fake door. There are numbers and character faces on it. Pressing the correct numbers will trigger a message from some of your favorites like Grover and Abby. This kept one of the toddlers in our group busy for a while. Let us know if you find more!