Sesame Place Amusement Park Review in Philadelphia

This summer, we went on vacation to Philadelphia, primarily so our 4-year-old girl could go to Sesame Place amusement park. We knew that if we waited one more year, she might start losing interest in Elmo, Big Bird and their friends.

Our daughter had a blast meeting the costumed characters and watching them in shows and parades. However, we couldn't help but notice a few ways in which the Sesame Place experience could have been better.

Wheelchair accessibility is always a major factor when it comes to our enjoyment of an amusement park. Usually, my wife (who uses a chair) and I can go up the exit ramp and wait for an attendant to let us on the ride.

That was the case for most of the Sesame Place rides. However, there was no way we could go on the Sky Splash, a six-stories-tall inner tube ride that seats six people. There were no ramps to get us to the top. It was disappointing, because we had the ability to ride the Sky Splash. We just couldn't get to it.

Another factor that could have been improved is the restrooms. It usually helps us when we can use a family restroom. They are large enough that we could all fit in and I can assist my wife or our daughter. For a very "family" or "kid" oriented facility, Sesame Place had no family restrooms.

This was mind-boggling, considering how many families there were with young children changing in and out of swimsuits. I had to stand in the ladies room, waiting 15 minutes for one large stall to open up, only to discover that it was merely a changing room with no toilet inside! We then went to the "handicap stall", but it was way too small. Then we went to another stall which we thought was a handicap stall, but again found it was not a one with a toilet. That was so aggravating! The stalls were not labeled at all. They should have labeled which stalls were specifically for changing and which were for using the restroom, if they wanted different stalls.