This summer, we made it a high priority to make sure we took the kids to Sesame Place. We’ve been going to Sesame Place for a few years now, both in the summer during the “season”, as well as in December for their holiday “Breakfast with the Characters” event.  My 4 1/2 year old is a serious ride-lover and she does them all…. roller coasters, swings, slides, and more! She looks forward to our Sesame Place trips all year long.   An added excitement this year was that we would also have our 20-month old with us and we’d get to see how she would enjoy the park and rides.

This park is PERFECT for younger kids like mine that aren’t ready for the larger amusement parks yet.  They have height requirements on rides for kids to ride alone, however, for the smaller kids, as long as an adult rides with them, they are able to get on almost every ride in the park.  That makes it really nice for us to be able to get on the rides together and not have to wait on the sidelines with our younger daughter.

We were able to get discounted tickets to the park through our playgroup.  It was a great package for a one day pass that also included a lunch voucher for any of the eateries in the park.  If you have more than 15 people going, you should definitely look into booking one of their group rate packages.  The only downside (or so I thought!) of the group packages is that you need to schedule the package for a certain date.  We’d had our tickets booked for weeks now, and when our scheduled date rolled around, the weather forecast was looking okay.  We were concerned about some possibilities of thunderstorms late in the afternoon, but figured we’d get most of our day in before we’d have to worry about it.

We got to the park just shortly after opening (10am).  We were able to get on several “dry” rides before we headed to lunch.  As we sat in the cafe, we decided that it was time to change into our swimsuits and check out some of the fun water attractions and that’s when the rain (and thunder/lightning) moved in.  The rain was temporary, but the lightning lingered.  My daughter was determined to try out the new Count’s Splash Castle so we changed and hoped it would reopen quickly.  We were able to see one show, but the rides remained closed for more than an hour as the park waited for the weather to clear.

We decided that it was time to call it a day.  As we were making our way to the exit, others in my group let me know about Sesame Place’s Sunny Day Guarantee.  If the rides are closed for one consecutive hour or longer, they will give you a pass to come spend another day at the park.  What could have been a huge disappointment to my kids wound up being very exciting.  We got to spend several hours there that day, and now we have passes to go back agan this season!  What a great policy.

There are a few things you should know if you decide to make the trip.  First, locker rentals are $15.  So, you may want to pack lightly, or try to fit things into backpacks or strollers so that you can save the fee.  Because the water attractions are interspersed throughout the park, many people wore swimsuits with clothes or cover-ups over them.  You will need to have dry clothes with you, however, because you are not allowed on the other rides in a wet swim suit.

Second, consider a picnic lunch if you do not opt for the lunch voucher.  There are 2 large picnic areas located just outside the park gates where you can spread out and enjoy your packed meal.  The parking lot is near the park entrance and easy to exit for lunchtime (remember to get your hand stamped!), and return to the park.  Sesame Place does allow small coolers into the park, so you can at least pack some snacks, etc. for your little ones.  The food and novelties can really add cost to your day, so this is a small, easy way to save.

All in all, it was a great day…. and we can’t wait to head back on a sunny day and enjoy our free passes.