LIFE LIST: Sesame Place Halloween Spooktacular

September 31, 2012

She went running up to Oscar, then kept on going!

Rosita...whom she calls 'Doritos'

Thank you for this adorable picture!

Right after we snapped this pic, the music turned on and my daughter started DANCING, Elmo and Murray followed suite and they held they're own little dance party---oh my little darling girl!

She was SO excited to show Bert her very own Bert balloon. I wasn't going to buy it for her but then I thought 'oh why not-it's her birthday week!' I'm so glad I did because I will forever have this precious memory.

We went to Sesame Place in July actually we were able to go twice because of the deal they were offering at that time (buy a one day pass, get a second day free) then, when we found out we would be returning to the Philadelphia area I knew I couldn't pass up another opportunity to take my daughter again. Funny enough though, in my previous blog about Sesame Place I said that ' as much as I would like to I would probably never return again in my life because I couldn't imagine I would be in the area' and here I am just 6 weeks later!

A mean little girl walked by and shouted "They're not even real!"

We waited in line for a while here to see the haunted house and then she just bolted out of line, and I didn't feel like holding her captive long enough to make it to the entrance.

We were at the park for 8 hours! She was so tired but not ready to quit!

There are several reasons I wanted to go back to Sesame Place, there was so many things to do in Pennsylvania but this had to be on the list because not only was her 2nd Birthday coming up, but since visiting Sesame she has fallen in love with all the characters. I also think it's a good idea when visiting a place for a second or third time to visit in a different season so you can still have the experience previously enjoyed and at the same have a totally new experience. So it's two experiences in one as there are many new things available in different seasons. 

Just a lovely (and free- with your own camera) photo op area! 

There are many things I enjoyed about this trip that were not available when we were there in the summer. Namely, it smelled like cinnamon donuts and fall! It was a perfect day too, it was 60 degrees and overcast, (my idea of a nice day anyhow) no excessive heat, sunburns, sun lotion and large amounts of water that I had to be concerned with.

I was interested to see how this park, which was half water park, would take advantage of the seasonably unusable water slides and pools and I have to say I was very impressed. There were hay mazes, 'haunted' houses, and a large dance area (her favorite) where the music was kickin' and the costume clad characters hosted a dance party. The space was well utilized and thoroughly decorated in the fall/Halloween spirit.

This was a cool, light up floor for kids to play on.

So glad we got to the park early, later on this line was VERY long.

Pumpkins, corn stalks, kids in costumes, trick or treating...aahhh it was a perfect fall day activity. Yes, trick or treat stations were set up all over the park and the kids were given a bag to put all their treats in. And nice sized treats too! A juice box, a bag of chips and candy, we actually got so many snacks that we really didn't have to worry about buying a lot of food. Although my little one did sucker me into spending almost $6 on a pudding and fries. I totally would not have cared about the money had the little turkey actually eaten the food that minutes earlier she was desperate to have. She took 2 very small bites of each and was done, I couldn't eat it because I had just brushed my teeth ( I have to brush all the time with my braces) and it wasn't worth it to do it again!

Ok, maybe I did eat some of the fries.

Trick or Treat station!

We do not typically give her juice so she very much enjoyed this treat!

 Going a third time I felt like a pro! I made the grave mistake on our first trip of waiting to eat lunch until my daughter was hungry which of course was around 12h30 and the cafes were swamped! The lines were SO long, and it was so packed we had a hard time finding a place to sit. With a 25 pound child on the same hip as my full bag and carrying a tray full of food and drink in the other hand I had to walk around the cafeteria to find a seat and with no luck had to walk upstairs to find a place...all the while my starving child was vehemently upset with me and probably thinking 'what the heck MOM- I'll sit on the dang floor and eat!' This time I was smarter, we ate at 11h30 and there was hardly a person in there and no lines to wait in!

11h45 and not a soul in this seating area!

A somewhat hidden decorative space in the dining area.

Speaking of lines, there were still some things we did not get to try out because of Madamoiselle impatiente, like the hay ride, and the live shows. We did go on the rides again but she seemed less interested this time so we only went once around. We really wouldn't have had the time to ride them more than once anyhow since there was so much to see and do. The lines were a bit longer than they had been in the summer months, presumably due to the new fall hours (only open on weekends), not too long...just too long for my child.   The Parade was a disappointment because we did not have a place to sit. This was something she was strongly fond of before. Unlike many of the other parents, I did not set up a seat along the main street 30 minutes in advance and in the summer it was not a problem, we always found a spot just as it was beginning. This time around though it was so crowded that we did not get a spot at all and still I think irritated a lot of people as she pushed her way to the front.....what can I say-she LOVES to dance! Had my husband been with me he could have held a spot and waited. Her sitting and staying in one spot for 30 or more minutes is not our reality. Unfortunately, Joel was not able to join us because of his back going out earlier that week.

Mentally preparing herself for her first ride of the day.

And not too bad!

The greatest play area and probably her favorite area in the park.

She went down this slide about 30 times!

Awesome play ropes but too advanced for my 1 year old.

She LOVES this carousel!

TIPS

• Eat lunch before 12h.
• Arrive early to get a close parking spot to avoid having to shell out a small fortune to rent a locker.
• If you can go during the week (summer only) as it is less busy, you should. In the fall/winter season you don't have that option but I recommend taking advantage of the shorter lines and less crowded park in summer.
• They have a Starbucks.... Genius. I don't how often I am at the movies, or park and think 'I wish there was a Starbucks here...
• I hate to say it but if you want a good spot for your kiddo at the parade, you have to get there early.
• You can bring in coolers....I posted before that I thought their food was reasonably priced and good but this is a way to save money and it's convenient to have food on hand...a hungry child can quickly change the dynamic of the day.
• If you live in the area (or visit the East often enough) I strongly recommend buying a membership,  I actually wish I would have and I live in Michigan.
• Take advantage of the deals offered on the Sesame Place website including the meal plan!

The flowers at the park were just as lovely as they were in the summer....

Directing traffic

I'm so glad we went, I have such nice memories of our day together and precious pictures to last forever. This really is a wonderful place to take your kids.