Sesame Place v. Hershey Park

[Anonymous]

I'm looking to go on a fun mini-vacation this summer with a 4 and 2 year old. For anyone who has ever been there, do you think Sesame Place or Hershey park would be a better fit? Also, any tips on either park would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

[Anonymous]

Dutch wonderland!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Dutch wonderland!

+1

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Dutch wonderland!

+1

Perfect for those ages and much nicer than Sesame Place IMO.

[Anonymous]

OP here--do the sesame characters add anything to sesame place?

[Anonymous]

OP, we've been to both Dutch Wonderland and Sesame Place, and I think the latter is so much better with 4 and 2 year olds. Dutch Wonderland is fine but kind of run down and anachronistic. My kids *loved* Sesame Place at those ages (and a little older)--the rides are great, they can see the characters, shows, etc. I'd recommend staying at the hotel right by the entrance (a Summerhill Suites, I think). Highly, highly recommend. We have some great memories from our visits there!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here--do the sesame characters add anything to sesame place?

They actually do. My kids are big now, so I don't remember all the details, but they do a cute parade through the park (like a lite version of a Disney parade) and it was definitely fun when my kids were that age. Hershey is much nicer, but it's more for older kids and adults ... they have roller coasters and wilder rides. Dutch Wonderland is also very cute, but for 2 and 4, I think they will like Sesame Place. The crowd is a little grimy and the food isn't fantastic, just to warn you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here--do the sesame characters add anything to sesame place?

They actually do. My kids are big now, so I don't remember all the details, but they do a cute parade through the park (like a lite version of a Disney parade) and it was definitely fun when my kids were that age. Hershey is much nicer, but it's more for older kids and adults ... they have roller coasters and wilder rides. Dutch Wonderland is also very cute, but for 2 and 4, I think they will like Sesame Place. The crowd is a little grimy and the food isn't fantastic, just to warn you.

+1 If they like Sesame Street, they will love it. Your pass is for 2 days (at least it was when my kids were young), so go in the afternoon, see the parade, stay in a nearby hotel and spend some of the next day there.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here--do the sesame characters add anything to sesame place?

Yes. I have a photo of the fridge of my son with Grover at SP. He was 3 when we took him. The next summer, we took him to DW.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here--do the sesame characters add anything to sesame place?

Yes. I have a photo of the fridge of my son with Grover at SP. He was 3 when we took him. The next summer, we took him to DW.

I meant to add that HP is better for older kids and they will go over and over again. I think I took my son to HP for the first time when he was 6 and he's been back 3-4 times since then. But SP and DW are really just for little kids so take your kids when they are young.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here--do the sesame characters add anything to sesame place?

They actually do. My kids are big now, so I don't remember all the details, but they do a cute parade through the park (like a lite version of a Disney parade) and it was definitely fun when my kids were that age. Hershey is much nicer, but it's more for older kids and adults ... they have roller coasters and wilder rides. Dutch Wonderland is also very cute, but for 2 and 4, I think they will like Sesame Place. The crowd is a little grimy and the food isn't fantastic, just to warn you.

How so? Did you feel unsafe?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP, we've been to both Dutch Wonderland and Sesame Place, and I think the latter is so much better with 4 and 2 year olds. Dutch Wonderland is fine but kind of run down and anachronistic. My kids *loved* Sesame Place at those ages (and a little older)--the rides are great, they can see the characters, shows, etc. I'd recommend staying at the hotel right by the entrance (a Summerhill Suites, I think). Highly, highly recommend. We have some great memories from our visits there!

We never went to Sesame Place, but my kids, who are now teens, still talk about our family trips to Dutch Wonderland and even want to go back (and these are kids that enjoy big roller coasters and have gone to Hershey Park, King's Dominion, Busch Gardens, and Cedar Point). It may be a little run down (I didn't think so, but I haven't been in several years), but it's really set up nicely for little kids.

I'll throw out the caveat that my kids never particularly liked it when people dressed up as characters (like at Disney - they liked the princesses but not the other characters), so that wouldn't have been a draw at Sesame Place.

[Anonymous]

Sesame Place is pretty gross and at risk of sounding like a snob, the crowd seems rougher than at HP. There are also lots of water attractions which seem very peed-in.

HP is really nice, and as a non-amusement park lover I really like it. But it’s for older kids.

[Anonymous]

+1 Sesame place was a “rougher crowd”/ dirty/ awful food. But kid loved the parade. We took ours at age 3 and there wasn’t much she could actually do in terms of rides.

[Anonymous]

I would agree with sesame place or Dutch wonderland at that age. Wait on Hershey until they are closer to 7/8. Sesame Place is cute if they are into the show but definitely more of a water park than amusement park. Dutch wonderland has both and seems less crowded to me. Also sesame place seems to have more group/camp/school groups, even for upper elementary kids whereas Dutch wonderland seems more geared to young families.