Sesame Place/PA/Ocean??

[Cameo]

Hi -
Unfortunately we will not be going to WDW this year. Instead we are taking a trip to Hershey/Sesame Place (never been there) and are considering a day trip to the ocean. We've made reservations at the Hershey Lodge, but haven't picked a hotel in/around Langhorne yet. A few questions for anyone who may know:
- What is the best, family-friendly hotel near Sesame Place?
- What is a relaxed, family-friendly beach on the NJ coast, easily accessed from PA?
- Any other thoughts/opinions about a trip to eastern PA would be appreciated.
Thanks!

 

[cynsaun]

My husband's family took us to the most beautiful beach area in NJ called Seaside Heights. It had a little boardwalk with a few things to do.

It looks like it is about 1hr. 23 minutes away from Langhorne, PA.

Good luck!! Have a blast!

 

[iNTeNSeBLue98]

I can't offer advice on the hotel in Langhorne, but can offer suggestions on NJ beaches. See additional links below to other NJ/Jersey Shore websites, but here are my picks:

Ocean City, NJ = Family Friendly
There is a nice boardwalk and an amusement park. Important note - OC is dry, meaning no alcohol is sold in town. (5 minute drive to Somers Point if you desire a beverage containing alcohol)
http://www.oceancity-nj.com/
http://www.oceancitynewjersey.com/
http://www.iloveoc.com/
http://www.ocean-city.nj.us/#

Seaside Heights There are two amusement piers, plenty of rides for all ages. The town is quaint and evokes a feeling of nostalgia, a beach-side community of days gone by. It's not as commercial as OC or Wildwood.
http://www.seasideheights.net/
http://www.seasideheightstourism.com/new-jersey-beaches.htm
http://www.casinopier-waterworks.com/
http://www.funtownpier.com/

Stone Harbor is nice, but they don't have a boardwalk. There is shopping within walking distance of the beach. SH is a great place if you don't like the noise and distraction of a boardwalk and amusements and just want to play in the sand and surf.


Take notice that there is a fee to access the beach at all NJ beaches except Wildwood. (correct me if there are other free beaches)

Most any NJ beach will be about 1-1.5 hours drive from Langhorne/Philadelphia. It takes us about 2.5-3 hours and we're about an hour west of Philly.

http://www.state.nj.us/travel/milebeaches.shtml
http://www.nj.com/shore/
http://www.jerseyseashore.com/
http://www.virtualnjshore.com/

 

[Dopey Sharon]

Originally posted by iNTeNSeBLue98

Take notice that there is a fee to access the beach at all NJ beaches except Wildwood. (correct me if there are other free beaches)

I'm pretty sure Atlantic City is still free, but I wouldn't recommend going there, to anyone!

 

[phillybeth]

One thing to think about- during the summer season, most if not all the hotels/motels at the Jersey shore do not have single night rentals available at all.

If it is for a day trip, IMO the best is Ocean City. Very family friendly, nice boardwalk with a few piers (amusment parks), good food and lots of shopping. The beach is not big (erosion from winter storms) but it is clean and there are public restrooms available, a rarity at the Jersey shore. I think a daily beach tag is around $5/person. If there is not someone selling them at the beach access, there will be someone walking the beach checking for tags and selling to those who need them. Ocean City is about 2 hours from Philly, more on weekend mornings/afternoons.
Wildwood is free, but their beaches are HUGE- all the sand from the beaches up north get dumped there. They actually have SHUTTLES to take people from the boardwalk to the ocean. It is a good 1/4 to 1/2 mile- a long way to walk carrying stuff, and even longer with kids that are hungry or have to go potty. The crowd on the Boardwalk is also a little less family oriented, a younger crowd. Wildwood is about 2.5 hours from Philly, same warning as above with reagrds to weekend traffic.

Sesame Place- I live too close to rent a hotel room but there is a Red Roof Inn and a MacIntosh Inn practically right next door. I would stick with the national chains, avoid any local motels (they cater to the local 'daytime' renters if you know what I mean). Also avoid the Knights Inn on Route 1 for the same reason.

 

[dvcfamily41801]

I live about 3 miles from Sesame Place. There is a Sheraton directly across the street and they have a shuttle to Sesame Place. There is also a Red Roof Inn, Macintosh Inn and a pretty new Courtyard just down the road. Personally, I would stick with the Sheraton.

Enjoy!

 

[Cameo]

Thanks so much for the great info and advice! I knew I could count on DISers to have the answers I needed (even if it's not all about Disney )

 

[CRB#33]

There is also a Sheraton right across the street and it has a pool.

Are you staying at the hotel in Hershey with the spa? We really like Hershey. It does get crowded, so go early in the day to get the most for your money.

As far as beaches go, the cleanest and most family oriented would be Ocean City. It is another half hour or so further than Seaside.

Seaside Heights is not anywhere near as, well I'll just say, nice.

Please be prepared for Sesame Place. It is small and usually unbelievably crowded. It's terrible during the week and horrendous during the weekends.

When my children were younger, I would be the first in line at opening and leave right after lunch. I would purchase a bounce back ticket to come back in and do the same thing the next morning. The only problem is you would miss the parade. Which is a zoo unto itself.

PM me if you want some more detail.

 

[BarryHom]

I was pondering going to Sesame Place in August, but I'm not sure yet. Who is available on a Monday in August?

 

[Cameo]

We are actually flying into Harrisburg on July 30 and will be at Hershey Park on July 31. Then off to Sesame. We'll be there on Aug. 2 and 3 (Mon and Tues) and then maybe a day at the beach on Wed. We fly out of Philly on Aug. 5. I wondered about Sesame Place and how crowded it would be. We sort of planned to do one day on rides and the second day on the water park part. We are so spoiled at WDW. The last time we went was last Sept. and we practically walked onto everything.

 

[Kallison]

We like Stone Harbor for the beach -- you can easily get to a boardwalk if that is what you like.

I would skip Sesame Place - it's basically an amusement park in the parking lot of a mall.

 

[Cameo]

Looking over some other threads, not many people seem to say good things about Sesame Place. Of course, my kids think we are going to Sesame Street and are excited about that. But, we are also staying in Hershey a couple nights and going to Hershey Park. I'm thinking we may extend our stay for one more night and back off a day at SP.

 

[DISshopkeeper]

Cameo, HP has a great preview plan! You can read about ithere . HP empties out nicely in the evening and you can ride all the major rides FREE the night before! And your parking is covered the next day too!