Summer Bucket List: Sesame Place Trip

At the beginning of the summer, I created a Summer Bucket board on Pinterest. I am happy to say that during our vacation we experienced two items on my list, Sesame Place and pier fries at the beach. Thanks to the 2012 Anheuser-Busch Here’s to the Heroes Salute program our family of four received tickets to the park for free.

Since we are just a 3 1/2 hour drive away from Sesame Place,  we scheduled our trip there during our travels back home from visiting family last week. This was the first time we brought the boys to a large amusement park, other than Xander’s first trip to Walt Disney World when he was just 3 months old. We had no real expectations at the park, other than to relax and enjoy the time together. After being in the car and sleeping on air mattresses all weekend, the boys seemed content to get out and run.

When we first entered the parking lot, I was shocked to learn that the park allows outside beverages and coolers. (Score one for Sesame place already!). We parked in the premium parking, which was only a few dollars more and walked a short distance to the front gates. Since we went to the park in the later afternoon on a Monday it wasn’t crowded.  The most we waited in any line was one cycle through, so less than five minutes.

Almost immediatly after entering the park, we were greeted by two blue furry characters. Xander was scared, while little brother was estatic. He squealed with excitment, practically lurching out of dad’s arms while waving and shouting “hi”. My heart melted at that moment.  That moment alone was worth the drive to the park. He was soooo excited!

The main walkway to the rides is a replica of the Sesame Street. How cute is this? As a long time fan of Sesame Street, I was excited to sit on the steps with my boy. Xander was still a bit shell shocked since a life sized Ernie was just a few feet away from us at this point. There was no way he was getting out of the stroller. After photo ops and character greetings, we headed to the rides. Unlike other amusement parks,  the rides at Sesame Place are made for young children. As long as your child is able to sit in a seat, they can ride most of the attractions. There are just a few rides that have a height requirement, such as the roller roaster (duh!) and a few of the water slides. We were not sure if Xander would want to try any rides out but we offered. He strongly stated “no” each time we asked, so we didn’t push it. Adrian and I alternated taking the fearless little one on the rides.  I am a huge fan of rides, especially fast and crazy roller coasters. No crazy sort of rides at Sesame Place, but who needs those when you can watch this little guy “oohh” during the Big Bird Balloon Adventure? Even though Xander wasn’t excited for the rides, we found plenty of fun for him. He especially loved jumping on Ernie’s bounce bed. Once he was done jumping (his turn was over…boy could have jumped all day long!), we explored the Monster Maze, which is fantastic for kids who just want to punch at stuff. The black belt in me just wanted to go to town kicking the bags. Xander was entertained for all of a minute or two. After experiencing a few rides, we headed over to the water park area that is located right in the park. On our way to the locker rooms Adrian popped into a gift store to check things out. While we were waiting, Xander started shouting “Naked butt!”. This is a phrase we often use around our house when he runs around with or without a diaper, so I was sort of confused. Then he starts pointing to an older woman who was wearing a skimpy bikini.  She very well looked naked. What can I say, kids call it like they see it! String binki’s really aren’t intended for amusement parks, especially ones that cater to younger children, am I right?!I don’t have any photos of the water park for obvious water reasons, but we all had a blast between the lazy river, inner tube water slide, toddler pool and spray place. Once the boys turned into shivering purple prunes, we all changed clothes and headed to the gift shop. If there is one thing the Stavish family does best, it’s spend money in any sort of gift shop. I was actually amazed that we only walked out with a small and medium sized Super Grover. Before we left it was time for family photos! Although we didn’t get to check out any of the live shows or the parade while we were at Sesame Place, we had a fantastic time as the boys experienced their first taste of an amusement park. We will definitely return to this park in the near future!

Have you visited any amusement parks this summer? Which ones?

Sharing the love for Wordless Wednesday and linking up with some amazing bloggers, some I hope to meet at BlogHer12!

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Tagged as: amusement parks, family vacation, first rides, Here's to Heros Salute program, sesame place