With school officially out, there’s nothing like an amusement park that says “SUMMER!” And while many parks offer a few things for the younger kids, many of them are geared to the older set.

That is except Sesame Place, a fun-packed park filled with both wet and dry activities, parades, and all your favorite Sesame Street friends live and in person. Located in Langhorne, PA and convenient to Baltimore, Washingon DC, and most of the tri-state area, Sesame Place offers a wide variety of day-trip activities as well as wonderful opportunities for season passes (many of the locals use it as their “pool” thanks to the reasonable cost). Clearly not your typical amusement park, this mecca in the Philly burbs offers something for everyone — which is not something you can say about every summer activity.

Five of our local bloggers with kids of varying ages had the opportunity to spend the day at Sesame Place, spending an entire Sunday enjoying all the of the parks amenities.

Our North Jersey blogger made the trek with her family of 6 and even her older kids had a fantastic time. In fact, since there were so many fun things for the older kids, they decided it was best to divide and conquer. “Oh, but there is still plenty of other things to see and a lot of fun ways of keeping cool - especially, for the big kids - so, my husband and I decided it would be better to split up and tag-teamed the rest of the park.”

The park itself is made up of a series of dry and wet rides, although most of the bloggers noted “IT’S A WATER PARK! PREPARE TO GET WET!” Favorite water rides included the following: Big Bird’s Rambling River, Slippey Slope and Sesame Streak.

The bloggers also enjoyed the over a dozen dry rides as well, particularly the little ones who bounced around in Big Bird’s Court (great for kids under 5) as well as the carousel.

One mom and her family enjoyed the shade of the live show. “The kids wanted to go see the live show as well, and since this would at least provide some shade, we thought it would be a good end of day option.” Although on such a hot day, she felt empathy for the characters wearing the hot costumes. “I get very testy when I’m too hot, so props to Zoe, Rosita, Grover, Cookie Monster, Abby Cadabby and Elmo for shaking hands and giving pats instead of kicking and shoving.”

Of course, it’s not an amusement park without food, and our bloggers had the opportunity to experience the special character lunch. Some bloggers noted that while maybe on the pricey side, this was a great mid-day diversion and a wonderful way to avoid the lines!

As far as the amenities were concerned, the bloggers noted a room for Nursing Mothers that was clearly marked. “Sure, it was a little like a cinder-block bathroom, sans twa-let. But in this case, it really, really IS the thought that counts and I was VERY impressed with these facilities. You know. That they HAD them.” One mom who didn’t use the nursing room did breastfeed in public at the park with no problems. “I openly breastfed my non-infant in the open, and no one blinked an eye. Of course, I was looking dangerous at that point, so your mileage may vary depending on how well you have honed your own “stink eye”.”

The bloggers did note that the park gets super crowded on the weekends, so definitely make sure to come on a weekday if possible. As one mom noted “I think the bottom line is to make sure you choose a day that isn’t connected to some big promotion to avoid the lines and plan to arrive extra early, just in case, so that you spend more time inside the park than out.”

Additionally one frugal mama pointed out the ticket pricing, but added that the 2-ticket deal was reasonable. “I think it is ridiculous that Sesame Place charges the same for an adult and a 2 year old since most of the activities are for the older crowd. However, my friends’ who went and enjoyed their day argued that buying the 2-day pass, which is the same amount, is a good option since that second day pass doesn’t have to be used consecutively. In other words, you could return later in the same summer. So, that’s a good tip for those of you whose children actually watch Sesame Street and know all of the characters.” Also, the summer passport is a great deal compared to any pool membership. That’s also something for local families to consider!

Clearly, our bloggers’ experiences ran the gamut, with one blogger admitting that these types of parks in general aren’t really for her or her family. However, her friend attended with her family on the day after and had a fabulous time. Lesson learned — know what you like and what you don’t — if this isn’t something you’d like in general, it might not be the park but rather your own personal preferences.

Liz, from This Full House, had this to say: “Not being a big fan of theme parks - having to pay ALL that money to listen to other people’s loud (and obnoxious) kids is NOT our idea of a good time - my husband and I both agreed (for once) and found Sesame Place to be a VERY family-friendly experience and enough to keep all 4 of our kids happy, too!”

And finally, as parents we often suffer through these activities for the sake of our kids, only able to see the sweat pouring down our own faces and not the smiles on our own kids. One mom offered an extremely lengthy and critical review (a really awesome account of every single thing about the park if you are so inclined), but ended on a beautiful note of nostalgia after seeing Bob at the Parade (and hearing her kids comment on how much they loved their time).

I don’t know. Maybe there were more of these Wonderful moments throughout the day that I just wasn’t open to. I don’t want to think too long and hard about it. I’m not trying to justify the exorbitant cost to get to and get into an amusement park, as if memories can only be made or summoned at great expense and with photographic documentation of The Good Time You Had and only with bright, shiny marketing, blah, blah, blah, consumerism, blah, blah, blah, pre-packaged Happy Childhood, yadda, yadda, yadda…

I’ve just written a generally cantankerous and critical review of a day filled with moments that mostly tested my patience and generally left me with a sour taste in my mouth. And I didn’t even drink the pool water.

But, true to all journeys of discovery that are fraught with tests and trials and large furry monsters…

True to the opening quote…The uncomfortable does pass, and the loveliness is revealed. And then the lovely passes too. That is the most important thing I was reminded of after this journey: The lovely passes too.

If you live in the tri-state area and have water-park happy, Sesame Street loving kids, then from what we can tell, when timed right, Sesame Place can be a fantastic place to take the family.

Check here for ticket prices! And note that if you are an active duty military member, you and up to three dependents are eligible for a free day-pass courtesy of Budweiser’s “Here’s to the Heroes” program.

[pictures via This Full House, Halushki, and The New Girl]