"Despite only being 2 years old, my toddler has been lucky enough to visit Disney World multiple times throughout her life. She gets to come along as a perk to my job covering theme parks (and the fact that she requires no paid ticket under 3.) My daughter loves getting the chance to ride attractions, meet her favorite characters, and simply hang out in a place that’s, well, pretty magical.
With that in mind, we were excited to bring her to a new theme park experience on a recent trip to the Northeast. As a kid who loves Elmo, Abby, and the other monsters on Sesame Street, my husband and I jumped at the chance to bring her to Sesame Place Philadelphia. Both of us had been during our youth (way back in the ’90s) and were excited for the chance to have our toddler get to experience it as well.
Located just outside of Philadelphia in Langhorne, Pennsylvania, Sesame Place features a wide variety of attractions for all ages, including water park attractions. Themed to Sesame Street, the park offers a spot to meet your favorite characters from the show through meet-and-greet experiences, parades, and even character dining. And with a location that makes it great for a day trip for many in the Northeast, the real question is whether it’s worth the trip. Well, after visiting, I have some thoughts.
What to Know About Sesame Place Philadelphia
Located about half an hour from Philadelphia, Sesame Place is a theme park that has been around since 1980. The park features attractions such as rides, shows, meet and greets, and a water park section, all themed to the characters of Sesame Street.
Sesame Place Ticket Pricing
A one-day ticket starts at $102.99 per person or $112.99 per person for a two-day ticket. Additionally, it’s important to note that Sesame Place often has sales for tickets. For example, when we purchased ours, they were 50 percent off that starting price—and that deal seems to be pretty frequent. Kids 23 months and younger do not need a ticket, which is a little different than Disney World, which allows kids under 3 to go without a ticket. You also have the option to purchase an Any Day Ticket, which can be used at any point within six months of purchase and starts at $102.99 per day.
By comparison, at Disney World, a one-day ticket to a park will cost you anywhere from $109 to $189, with few options for any type of discount. Comparatively, Sesame Place is far more affordable, though it’s important to keep in mind that that may not be the case if you’re traveling with a kid from 2 to 3, who would need a ticket at Sesame Place but not at Disney World.
Certified Autism Center
Sesame Place is also notable for being a Certified Autism Center. What this means is that the park staff has undergone training to assist guests with autism and special needs, and there are several inclusive experiences available:
Sensory Guides
The park provides sensory guides for each ride, indicating how it may impact the five senses.
Quiet Rooms
Sesame Place offers quiet rooms where guests can take a break from the sensory stimulation of the park.
Ride Accessibility Program
The park’s Ride Accessibility Program is a program that can help reduce wait times for guests with special needs who may not be able to safely wait in line. Visit the Welcome Center for more information
Sesame Place Philadelphia Review
Immediately upon entering, one thing was abundantly clear: This was not Disney World. And that was both a good thing and a bad thing. Comparatively, the setup was far more casual and less organized than at Disney World. When we arrived a little before opening, there were just a handful of people ready to rope drop the park. Security wasn’t set up, and the store that was supposed to open an hour before the park opened 20 minutes late.
But, even though the organization may not have been at the same level, the more casual atmosphere had a definite upside. Before we even got through the welcome gate, my daughter was already thrilled with what she was seeing. Outside security, we saw drawings of her favorite characters in the window of the gift shop and painted on the walls. Excited shouts of “Abby!” and “Elmo!” were all we needed to know we were in for a great day for her.
Because of her age, we chose to primarily stay away from the water park portion of the park, though there are certainly areas that are suitable for younger toddlers. But for us, we focused on the rides and character greetings stationed throughout the park.
While the park itself is not huge, I strongly recommend bringing a stroller wagon if you have a toddler-aged child. While most theme parks I’ve been to limit you to bringing a stroller, I was able to bring our Veer Wagon to the park, and it was a massive help in giving us space for storage but also giving my stroller-adverse child a place to sit without us needing to hold her the whole time. We ended up setting up a fan and snack tray for her, which helped tremendously in getting through a long day without any big breaks. Keep in mind that outside food is not allowed into Sesame Place, so we bought some snacks throughout the day for her to enjoy.
We spent a good amount of our time over in Elmo’s World and Cookie Monster’s Land, both areas with plenty of rides available for toddlers. For a summer weekday, crowds were relatively light, with most guests opting for the water park portion of Sesame Place. She ended up loving attractions like Captain Cookie’s High C’s Adventures and the Sunny Day Carousel towards the entrance of the park.
Perhaps her favorite “attraction,” though, was the 123 Playground, which was filled with kids around her age in the Sesame Street Neighborhood area of the park. Characters were also a major part, and we got the chance to meet Ernie, Bert, and Big Bird throughout the lands. But while there are plenty of places to meet characters, if you visit with a kid who is particularly into Elmo, Abby, and Cookie Monster, you may want to try out the character dining meal available at the park—Dine With Elmo and Friends.
Toddler Dining With Elmo and Friends
Knowing our daughter’s love of Elmo and Abby (especially Abby), we decided to book a table at Dine With Elmo and Friends. The location is open for breakfast, brunch, lunch, and dinner seatings, all of which cost a set price per diner that includes a buffet and the chance to meet with Elmo, Abby, Cookie Monster, and Grover.
Pricing for adults starts at $49.99 per person or $29.99 for kids aged 2 to 9. By comparison a character breakfast at Chef Mickey’s in Disney World is $54.99 for adults and $ for kids (under 3 eat free), so there’s actually not too huge of a price difference. Having experienced plenty of character dining meals at Disney, there are some key differences you’ll want to know if you’re visiting Dine With Elmo and Friends. First off, you are not going there for the food. While I’ve enjoyed the meals at quite a few Disney character restaurants, the food here is a bit more akin to a continental breakfast buffet at a budget hotel. What you’re really paying for is the character experience, and for us that delivered.
Each family is given a table and time to grab their food before the characters come out. Each of the characters came out on stage, sang, and danced before making the rounds to greet each of the tables. The smile and squeal of delight when my daughter met Abby and Elmo was well worth the price of admission, and each character gave plenty of time for a moment with the kids, a picture, and/or autograph.
After greeting the tables, the characters sing and dance again, performing and inviting the kids (and adults!) to interact and dance along. Whether that’s singing and dancing along to a song or performing Simon Says, the kids really loved it. To end the meal, each of the characters comes down and dances with the kids for a full dance party.
Overall, while the food was meh, the interaction and time spent with each of the characters was far more interactive than a lot of the similar experiences we’ve had at Disney World, which typically feel a bit more rushed.
Was Sesame Place Worth a Visit?
If you have a kid who’s a massive Sesame Street fan, then my answer is an immediate yes. Some of these characters are full celebrities for my kid, and she got a huge kick out of seeing them in person and getting to spend time living in the world of the show. Additionally, while not solely fun for kids of toddler age, I do feel like this is a park that’s super accessible for this younger age group. At Disney World, we’re limited to a smaller selection of rides (especially outside of Magic Kingdom), and the longer lines can make our options more limited when it comes to a toddler who can only stay still for so long. The shorter wait times and more expanded ride selection for young kids made this a great place for our 2-year-old, who was able to take everything in without getting as overwhelmed by the crowds and options of Disney.
Planning a Visit to Sesame Place Philadelphia
There are just a few things I would note when planning a visit, however. The first is to look out for ticket deals—these seem to happen often and can definitely help you save some major money when purchasing tickets. And plan for staying for the full day to get as much as you can done. While you can certainly find enough to do over the course of two days, I’d say it’s pretty simple to knock out most of the park over the course of one day.
While we didn’t have much of a problem with lines, if you are planning to go on a weekend or busier time of year, you can upgrade your ticket with Abby’s Unlimited Magic Queue. This works similarly to Lightning Lanes at Disney World, allowing you to bypass the standby line for most attractions with priority access.
I also recommend looking at the height requirements in advance, especially for the water rides. While the majority of the park is accessible to younger riders, you’ll want to know ahead of time exactly what your kid can and cannot ride to save up any unnecessary waiting or disappointment the day-of.
Overall, Sesame Place may not be a theme park that’s worth flying into for a full trip, but it’s well within driving distance for many families (about two hours from NYC). If you are looking for a place to do a day trip or weekend getaway with younger kids, you’ll find plenty to do at this spot!
Morgan Flaherty, Contributing Writer
Morgan is full-time writer, editor, and mom. Along with her work as a contributing writer for The Everymom on all things Disney World, beauty products, and the latest fashion trends, her writing has appeared in Well + Good, InStyle, Scary Mommy, Byrdie, and Baby Chick.