Autumn Review of Sesame Place: The Count's Hello Halloween Spooktacular

Wondering if Sesame Place is right for your child? Looking for a review, tips, suggestions, and advice about visiting Sesame Place in Langhorne, Pennsylvania this Fall? Well, you've come to the right place! Langhorne is not a far ride from New Jersey and is definitely worth seeing if you have little Sesame Street fans at home! Fall is one of the best times to be at Sesame Place!

*This post has been freshly updated for 2023! The Count's Halloween Spooktacular is taking place from Sept. 16th-Nov. 5th 

Disclosure: I have visited Sesame Place on my own and paid out of pocket, as well as visited as a guest of the park with complimentary tickets to help me facilitate my review. I pay for my own food and parking no matter what, so trust that I always bring you honest reviews! My review is specifically for Sesame Place during the Fall, for The Count's Halloween Spooktacular.

My blog posts are reader friendly, so scroll to find what you need in bold headlines. Be sure to Pin this post for future use, as I try to update yearly! 

Other things to note: we visited specifically in the Fall, for the Count's Halloween Spooktacular, and each year their offerings are a little different, so be sure to check their website for exact info. 

What and Where is Sesame Place?

Located in Langhorne, Pennsylvania (but sometimes advertised as Philadelphia), Sesame Place offers over 18 rides/attractions for kids in the Fall, as well as parades and daily shows. Holiday themed events and character dining are also available but most must be reserved in advance. Check their website for more information, park hours, and calendar of events. 

Getting There and Parking Fees

The drive took us about a little over an hour from Central Jersey (but my dad was driving, so maybe we would have gotten there faster if I had been behind the wheel.  Sorry, dad). I was very excited to be saving some bucks on admission, since Sesame Place's Facebook page had advertised a special added Friday opening (they are usually only open weekends in the fall). They had a special rate for this particular Friday opening, as well as special hours.  It was in honor of Elmo's birthday. So always keep your eyes peeled for discounts. Joining Sesame Place's email list might also help. However, what I made up for in ticket discount was quickly overshadowed by the parking fee, $30.00 (this was the cost as of the published date of this blog entry).  Blech!  All of the theme parks seem to do this and it just makes me cringe. Anyway, parking is in a lot across from the park.  Although it's not a far walk, there is still walking involved, so unpack the stroller if you have one, because you'll need it for the walk to the park. VIP and preferred parking are also available for added fees. There is a special lot to park in for those with disabilities, too.  Check out their FAQ page for exact cost of parking and where to find lots for guests with disabilities.

photo from Sesame Place Facebook page

What Else Will I See at Sesame Place?

Be prepared for cuteness overload.  So many great photo ops, you won't know where to start! Here's a blurb from their website about what to expect in 2023:

"Come in costume and celebrate silly, not-too-spooky fun at The Count’s Halloween Spooktacular at Sesame Place! The park will be transformed into a family-friendly Halloween haven and guests can enjoy trick-or-treating, Halloween-themed shows and parades, participating in our Scarecrow Scavenger Hunt, and unique photo opportunities with everyone’s favorite furry friends dressed up in costume!"

-Halloween themed shows: Who Said Boo?! and The Count's Hello Halloween Spectacular, The Not-Too-Spooky Howl-O-Ween Radio Show

-Furry Friends Halloween Dance Party

-Halloween Costume Contest

-Neighborhood Street Party Halloween Parade

-Halloween Dining (dine with Elmo and Friends, separate ticket reservation required)

-The Count's Cruisers, The Count's Fly-By

-Spookley's Pumpkin Patch

-Halloween Story Time

-Tropical Trick or Treat Trail

-Not Too Spooky Strolling Entertainment

The Rides

Water rides are closed but we certainly didn't mind this. I feel like it makes for lighter crowds and it's easier to walk from place to place. Rides are subject to close/change, so be sure to download the Sesame Place app so you can accurately see which rides are open and what the wait times will be.

As soon as we entered the park, my son made a beeline for the roller coaster.  He's just that kind of kid. Anyway, The Vapor Trail was a significantly fast roller coaster, so hang on to your hats, Big Bird! There's also Oscar's Wacky Taxi, a wooden roller coaster with a fun city taxi theme. Although this was a short ride, it was pretty fast and very bumpy, way faster than I expected as an adult, so proceed with caution! 

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There are also adorable and fun rides for kids of all ages. Most of them are pretty mellow (except those roller coasters!) and are suitable for young kids (check their website for height requirements and thrill levels).

Parades, Characters, Trick or Treating

There are tons of cute photo ops around the park. Everything is just so adorable! Kids can go from station to station to trick-or-treat, too. 

Adults who watched Sesame Street as kids will also appreciate the replica of Sesame Street itself. You can see the famous Sesame Street front steps, Big Bird's Nest, Mr. Hooper's Store, and even Oscar's garbage can. All of it brought a tear to my eye, let me tell you.

What Can I Eat There?

Sesame Place offers your usual theme park food - mac and cheese, pizza, burgers and bites, etc. Food is pricey, not gonna lie, but that's usually standard for most theme parks. Park rules allow you to bring in small (10"x10"x12"), soft coolers with small snacks, ready made sandwiches, fruit and baby food. Check out their FAQ page for more info. You can also reserve Halloween Character Dining, including breakfast, lunch or dinner with Elmo and friends! You can read more about that and purchase tickets to the character dining here.

The park is food allergy friendly and there is a lot of info on their website about how they can help guests with food allergies.

photo from sesameplace.com

How Much Will it Cost Me? Admission Info

Admission can be expensive, just like any of these parks, so search around for your best deals. Tickets range in price and can be purchased here. They also have twilight tickets (enter after 3pm) for a reduced price. They offer hotel packages and season passes, so shop around for your best rates. Children 23 months and younger are free, and they do offer senior citizen discounts. For specific military discounts click here. 

JERSEY MOMMA TIPS

There is such a small window of time for you to enjoy a park like this with your kids. They grow up so fast- before you know it, they'll be too old for Sesame Street characters (although, look at me- I still love 'em!). So take advantage of the time while you can. 

*Sesame Place offers sunny day tickets. If it rains for more than an hour while you're there, you can trade your ticket in for a "sunny day" ticket to use on another day.

*Plan on visiting often? Consider their season passes - they do come with a lot of perks!

*Sesame Place is the first theme park in the country to be designated as a Certified Autism Center. Read more about it here!

*Check out the park FAQ page for more information and tips about visiting

* Check out their concert and event schedule for shows and parades. We were able to see Spookley the Square Pumpkin when we visited, which was a fun special event (free with our ticket admission)

*Sesame Place has added a ton of new perks for frequent visitors, such as the Abby's Magic Queue (similar to Disney's Fast Pass system), Photo Pass packages, Photo Key, Quick Pay and more. Check out the link  'Upgrade Your Visit' to learn more.

*The souvenir shops here have some ADORABLE items for Sesame Street fans. Many items are exclusive to the park or hard to find (like Sesame Street Squishmallows and HTF Loungefly bags). Some items can be pricey but since many of them are unique to the park I tend to shell out the bucks!