Water Fun at Sesame Place, Langhorne, PA

Written by Carol Cain on 19 September 2010

Since our visit to Busch Gardens in Williamsburg this past Summer, my little ones have not stopped talking about wanting to see Elmo and friends.

Though a trip to Williamsburg from NYC is not something we can do too regularly, we are fortunate to live only an hour and a half away from Langhorne, PA, home of one of my oldest favorite parks, Sesame Place.

We chose to head out on what was one of coolest day of the season. It may have been for this reason that the lines were really short which worked out well for us. From the moment we drove up to the gate the little ones were full of excitement and couldn’t get out of the car fast enough!

Admission alone to Sesame Place is not cheap at $53.00 per person (above the age of 23 months). However, you find more benefit in purchasing packages for 2-day tickets which also cost $53.00 and don’t have to be used on consecutive days but instead can be used any regular scheduled day during the season. The Seasonal Passes are an even better deal with the highest priced pass being the Super Grover Season Pass at $189.00 per person and includes unlimited admission to Sesame Place, unlimited admission to Busch Gardens (VA, FL), Aquatica, SeaWorld (FL, TX, CA), Adventure Island and Water Country USA parks through 12/31/11 and seasonal discounts to Discovery Cove. You also get free Preferred parking, preferred seating at shows, Ride Again privilege at select attractions, Meet & Greet visits with Sesame Street Friends, 30% discount on food and merchandise at Sesame Place (not valid on Character Dine Experiences, games or rentals), $10 off single-day admission for visiting friends and relatives and more! I met a family of 5 from New York City who took advantage of the Seasonal Pass and they stated that it was the best purchase they had made this Summer for their family. Check out their site for more info on Seasonal Passes and Admission.

Most rides require your children to be at least 42″ to 45″ tall. My little ones, albeit taller then most 3.5 and 5-year-olds, were able to get on every ride in the park. My only caution would be with the water slides. Though there are lifeguards both at the top and at the bottom of the slide, I wouldn’t let your child slide on their own if they don’t know how to swim or have a life vest. They kids go up one side and the twisting slides have them coming out on a completely different end sometimes where you can’t help bring them up when they land in the pool of water. Most slides do allow you to ride with your child and also offer life vests.

The one water ride where my kids had no problem because of the shallow pool, and which was fun to just watch was the The Count’s Splash Castle. We spent a great deal of time on in this play area, and lounged on the chairs nearby watching all the fun. I did witness a child get sick close to the side of the pool and was a bit disappointed when the parent didn’t inform a staff member that there was a need for clean up, but when I did they came right away and even disinfected the area. I would highly recommend that you have your children wear water shoes though in case for extra precaution, though lack of cleanliness was not an general problem I witnessed when I was there.

We took advantage of all the park had to offer, including the Character Dining. This is something that should definitely be a special treat as it is a bit pricey, especially for a larger family such as mine. We did the lunch which was $24.oo per adult and $16.00 per child (prices for dinner differ). The food was a buffet meal, and we had a reserved table. The characters like Ernie and Bert, Abby Cadabby, Cookie Monster, Big Bird and others came out to greet us, some even came table to table. It was definitely sweet, and the kids enjoyed it, but for almost $100 (which was the cost for my family) it was just not really something I would do again, especially since there are plenty of photo opportunities with the characters a various times and locations throughout the park. The park doesn’t allow large coolers, but they do allow you to bring in your own food and if you did need to pack a larger cooler, there is a nice shaded picnic area right outside where you and the family can sit and enjoy a lunch before heading back inside for more fun. I thought this was a wonderful option to offer visiting families such as mine who could easily spend a lot on food alone!

We were there till almost the very end, with most of our time spent at the water rides. I suspect that this is where most visitors spend their time, especially on hot days when lines can be longer. We watched the shows, which were a lot of fun, visited the gift shops and picked up some treats, and watched the parade which was also something the kids enjoyed and allowed for some fun photos.

Overall, I thought it was a fun day. The kids left tired and smiling, and we felt we got a lot of fun in. For our family, it’s a wiser to invest on a seasonal pass as eventually it will pay for itself quickly, but whatever your choice, a visit to Sesame Place is a fun experience for the entire family.

Sesame Place is located at 100 Langhorne Road. Also note, 2011 Season Passes are now on sale! For hours, directions, and more information please visit their website at http://www.sesameplace.com/sesame2/Default.aspx.

Disclosure: Complimentary and discounted admission was provided courtesy of Sesame Place. The views and opinions expressed here are strictly my own. For more information please refer to the disclosure page.