Just Back From Sesame Place...what a place!

[emma'smom]

Just back from Sesame Place and it was fun....but not Disney!

DD17months really had a blast seeing Elmo and they both (dd4 and dd17m) had fun splashing in the pools. We had great weather...but it was really expensive! The food was just ok and lunch cost over 38.00 for three of us (dd17 just shared bites of what we had).

They added a "land" to the park, but it consisted mostly of three slow-load rides that can be found at any carnival. The pools were pretty cloudy and the crowd control was a bit lacking. The employees, while friendly enough, didn't seem to have a lot of skill in moving folks on and off of attractions. Also, the park guests seem to be quite rowdy with a lot of parents smoking and cursing at their children, stopping in the middle of the walkways and literally blocking foot traffic, not taking turns/encouraging children to share/take turns on climbers and slides, etc.

What difference from Disney!

 

[mommiepoppins]

well I always wanted to go even when I was 5. I will try it some day

 

[alloyd1170]

Thats so funny! My dad and I were talking yesterday about taking a trip up there (he and my mom grew up in that area) to visit some relatives and to take the kids to SP. I was there around 1980. Im sure its changed a lot. After reading your post, Im now having second thoughts as to taking my kids there. Sounds like its not kept too clean and run very well. Thats a bit scary.

alison

 

[TallyHo]

We took our grands last year, and had a great time. It wasn't Disney, but we thought it was clean, and they had a great time.

 

[kaysmommie]

We took DD to Sesame place when she was 2. What a disaster! It seems most people at this park have no manners at all. Alot of line cutting, parents no watching there kids and some other things the OP posted. The characters were cute though.

 

[mrsltg]

I was there on Saturday and the OP is right, it's not Disney. However, the park was clean, the employees were friendly, and the food was theme park food (read - expensive). There were problems with line cutting and obnoxious kids (seemed to be a few groups and I just stopped letting them past me). Overall though, we had a lot of fun. I plan to go again next Summer.

 

[MickeyHereWeCome!]

We are going to Sesame Place nex t week. I remember going there as a kid, and really enjoy taking our kids. Of course, it's not Disney, so it's very hard to compare the two. I wish I could steer clear of those rides with my kids, because they are so slow moving that it takes a huge chunk out of the fun in the water. My older two are finally at the age where they like some of the gentler water slides, so we can split up and I just take the two little ones in the wading pools. Oh, and I would love to enjoy that lazy river, but our kids HATE all of those things squirting water right at you. So, for now we have to go one adult with one kid, so the adult can help steer away from them.

If anyone hasn't gone, I would highly recommend it. It will be good character practice for our two little ones, so they won't be afraid of any Disney friends.

 

[emma'smom]

Let me also add that this is the third time we have gone (but first since becoming Disney Snobs- kidding..sort of =). We did have fun and I wouldn't recommend not going, but just know you are in for a different kind of experience. Things weren't filthy...but they were as clean as I would have liked.....dirty bathrooms by the end of the day, plant droppings lying on mats in toddler area for little ones to pick up, and those murky waters (mostly in the toddler pools where one parent was blatantly allowing her child to pee in the pool). Kids/adults were swimming in the pools in their underwear and clothes (not bathing suits)- which shouldn't bother me...but my daughter wanted to know why so many people were showing everyone their underwear. Again, we had fun...but it was a different kind of experience.

If you go, do see the Elmo's World show and the Big Bird Beach Party. Also, we have always been the types to eat our food in the parks (not to take food with us), but if we go again, I think we'll take a picnic. We parked in priority parking (14.00 vs. 10.00 for regular parking) which meant it was easy to go back to the car to pick up changes of clothes, etc. There were picnic tables outside of the parks and we might just enjoy a picnic more. For some reason, the food factor really annoyed me. A typical CS meal at Disney usually runs my family about 25.00-30.00 and that includes dessert. So the price wasn't that much more, but I just felt like it wasn't as fresh and that the options were more limited..I think I'm just spoiled by the dining plan at Disney.

But go...have fun...we did (and I bet you'll start planning your next Disney trip as you walk out of the SP gate =)

 

[Samandmom]

Too funny! We were just at Sesame Place on Thursday and Friday. I underdstand that food prices are going to be more at amusement parks and the such BUT the food should at least taste somewhat decent!!! We got to SP late on Thursday and the lady at the gate said if we waited 5 minutes that we could get half price admission. But that does not get you the second day. So we paid about $180.00 for a family of 4 for two days. We did some water attractions first so we left all of our money and credit cards in the locker. We got hungry and DH had some money in his bathing suit. So we went to get some food and realized that we only had 20 bucks on us and did not feel like going back to the locker. So we got two meals and split them. We did not think we had enough for drink for me and DH (did get one for the kids) and the total came to 15.00 dollars so we added a soda for us and then the total came to 16.oo and change. Actually the burger tasted ok. But the kids chicken strip was pretty icky! (the kids think all chicken taste the same )
Then the next day we started off with some dry attractions. (The lines were not to bad) I thought the peek a bug was a very cute ride and the kids loved it. We had lunch later and it came out to about #33.00 dollars. I did not order a meal I just got a side salad (2.99) and figured I would pick off everyone elses plate since they had plenty. Actually I thought the kids cups for 1.99 with a drink was our best deal. Since they keep the cup. My DH's burger was ice cold. I told him to return it and he just wanted to eat. The chicken strips that I shared with my DD were icky again. DS had a hot dog. He said it was good. Me and DH were sitting there eating and saying for the price they charge the food should at least taste good like Disney but their prices are not that high!
We went back to our hotel that night and had dinner at Cracker Barrell and paid 33.00 WITH tip!!! and the food was yummy!
I agree about the parents NOT watching their kids. A few times kids just pushed my DD out of the way literally!! She is 3 and very girlie girlie and takes her time climbing and the such but no excuse for kids to cut her especially if she is literally climbing on the part where the slide is next! One big blue climby thing where you climb and slide right down. (I hope you know what I mean ) Some kid slid onto her and he said I'm sorry it was an accident. I was very shocked since she was pushed and slid on a few times and no one said a thing. I smiled and said to him no problem.

Overall I think it's a really cute park. We have been a few times before. We all had a great time.
Sorry for the long post.

 

[mommy2savannah]

Last year we took our dd who was 20 months at the time. She had an amazing time! We will be going again this year and I am really looking foward to it. I found it to be very kid friendly and clean. There were some rowdy kids in the pools but I just watched my dd like a hawk (as I always do) and was by her side the entire time. I would recommend this place to anyone who has small kids that enjoy Sesame Street. We brought sandwhiches and ate in the car for lunch. For dinner we went to the Old country buffet nearby.

 

[kj2mom]

I have taken my children the last 3 years. We try to go before peak season though. We have always had a great time. We didn't try out the new rides this year though. We don't do a ton of the dry rides since my children love the fountains/pools soo much. I watch my two with eagle eyes and I found that most parents while we were there were doing the same (it is usually before Memorial Day).

 

[emh1129]

We took DD to Sesame place when she was 2. What a disaster! It seems most people at this park have no manners at all. Alot of line cutting, parents no watching there kids and some other things the OP posted. The characters were cute though.

Exactly. That was our impression. We went to the parade early to get a nice spot and at the very last minute, this girl (maybe 15?) pushed in front of us with her little brother. I said "Excuse me? Please move down a little bit so my son can see.." and she just ignored me and didn't move. I was so upset! My 2 year old could barely see and I had to hold him up so he could see the characters.
Everything would be so much better if people actually took the time and energy to look after their children I saw a lot of parents just look the other way when their children cut the line or whatever as my son was waiting for his turn (as difficult as that is for a 2 year old!).

We might go back someday, but it will be towards the end of the season when it's much quieter. In the meantime, we're excited about our first trip to Disney!

 

[eh24fan]

I've read all of these posts and none of them surprise me. My ex-husband's first ex-wife and family live less than 10 minutes from Sesame Place. I have spent a lot of time in the area in the past 6 years or so with my stepdaughters. Langhorne is a suburb of Philly, making SP a VERY short trip for many people in the area. In my experience in Langhorne and nearby Yardley, people aren't always very nice. LOL Did anyone notice the signs on the traffic lights that say "Wait for Green"? LOL The girls' mom took them to SP a few years ago for the first time, even though they literally live 10 minutes away...she said she probably wouldn't bother going back even though they had a lot of fun. She said the other guests were so unpleasant, much like you have all described. It makes me sad because I LOVED SP when I was little!

 

[meloneyb21]

We plan to go on July 22 for a birthday party and SP really IS just a hop, skip, and a jump from the city making it easy for quite a lot of rowdy people to get there (not saying all city people are rowdy, not at all). It's just starting to become just your old run of the mill amusement park. It's not easy for a lot of people to go to Six Flags or Cedar Point or definitely Disney. So where do you go? The closest place possible, SP. I haven't been in a while, but I've heard that it's not what it used to be. And it's no where near the size of WDW so the more people you have in a limited amount of space, the more problems you'll have.

 

[mjmcca]

I have the AP for Seaworld that includes the other Anheuser Busch parks so I go to SP a lot. My kids have been 3 times this year already and that was all in June. They are away for most of the summer now. The food is really bad there so I always pack a cooler for lunch and then stop at an area resturant for dinner before we go home. Just so you get an idea of the prices a 20 oz bottle of soda or water is $3 there thats $1 more than Disney and the water is smaller!!

 

[3DisneyBuggs]

I won't take the kids to SP. I've heard too many stories of pools being dirty and kids coming home sick.Who wants to put their toddler in a cloudy pool where other kids are openly peeing? That stuff really turns me off from a park.

I plan on going to Storybookland in NJ this summer. We did Land Of Make Believe a few years ago. It was a cute small place and had a water park area.I would go there before SP but that is just MHO.

 

[2002Disneybride]

I won't take the kids to SP. I've heard too many stories of pools being dirty and kids coming home sick.Who wants to put their toddler in a cloudy pool where other kids are openly peeing? That stuff really turns me off from a park.

I plan on going to Storybookland in NJ this summer. We did Land Of Make Believe a few years ago. It was a cute small place and had a water park area.I would go there before SP but that is just MHO.

I agree with you 3DisneyBuggs! I went as a child to SP, but from what I have read and hear, I don't need to take DS (2) there--we are doing Storybookland also--probably next week-it is not far from me! A nice little day trip!

 

[mjmcca]

I won't take the kids to SP. I've heard too many stories of pools being dirty and kids coming home sick.Who wants to put their toddler in a cloudy pool where other kids are openly peeing? That stuff really turns me off from a park.

I plan on going to Storybookland in NJ this summer. We did Land Of Make Believe a few years ago. It was a cute small place and had a water park area.I would go there before SP but that is just MHO.

I ALWYS ALWAYS ALWAYS take advantage of the showers at SP! My kids come home clean and usually asleep.