Travel Review: Sesame Place

This post is unpaid/unsponsored/unsolicited by any of the places named.

It's hurricane-ing right now, so I suggest you definitely NOT go this weekend, but Sesame Place can be a pretty fun adventure for a family with YOUNG children.  As such, you are getting some vintage photos from the last time my family went.  We've been a few times now, and I have to say that being there this summer versus being there in the Fall for the Count's Halloween Spooktacular, GO IN THE FALL.  The park is basically open, you can get on rides with little to no line, and it's much easier on your children.  The water rides are, obviously, closed, but there are still lots of fun things for the kids to do, and they run hay rides and turn the water area into a fun halloween-maze that is very preschooler friendly (read: not too spooky).

 Awww, thanks Sesame Place for putting all those great photo-op areas around! This is part of the maze they put up in the water area.  It's really less a maze than a "walk around and see halloween decorations" but the kids loved it.

 Elmo's World LIVE!  This summer you needed to be in line for this show 35 minutes before it started to get a seat.  Our show was at 3:15 and we got in line at 2:35 and we sat, but separately.  It was insane.  In the fall, 15 minutes ahead of time has always been just fine. Older children can be Elmo's helpers, they're picked at random before the show.

 This is dinner with Elmo.  The characters come around to your table, the food is buffet.  Pictures with Elmo are taken by a professional photographer (we've done this 3 times and our professional ones are never good enough to warrant the $25) but you can take them yourself, too.  If you're going in the summer, I would say a meal with the characters is your best shot at getting pictures.  They are only allowed to be outside in costume for 15 minutes at a time and the lines to see them can be longer.  It's hot in those suits, so they will turn you away if the time ends and you're still in line.  In the fall it's pretty easy to get shots outside, but your children will love the "dine with me" experience, which you can do as a breakfast, lunch, or dinner.

 Thanks for pointing out that my hubby needs some propecia!! That made my day!! (It's cute because they have inverse hair lines!)

 Hello baby! Nom, nom, nom! Younger kids aren't always sure about the characters, but the meals seem long enough that they warm up to them by the end.  Even my little guy was ready to approach with caution by the end of our dinner.

 This is Oscar chilling out by the entrance.  In the fall there are very short lines, if any.  It's pretty awesome.

In addition to fun carnival rides like the teacups, a roller coaster, "flying fish", etc., there is also a playground and a soft play area.  Back behind the largest water slide (the one with a rubber duckie) there is a pump-car track.
You can see all the rides on their interactive park map.

As I mentioned before (read the post HERE by clicking "cancel" when the pop-up asks you if you want to go to the new site) the parents at Sesame Place leave much to be desired, but the park is fun for your little ones and they can basically ride everything. No lap children, but other than that, they're good with a grown-up riding along.

If you're military, this is a Sea World Park, so you may be able to qualify for free tickets.  I don't know how that works, but I'm sure you do! If you're not military, the Elmo's 2-day ticket gets you one day free.  We stayed at the Bucks County Sheraton and I can't say enough how friendly and helpful they were, especially in comparison to the hotel we stayed at in New York.

Sesame Place
Best for ages: I would say 2-6 would have fun here with 3-5 being the perfect age group.  My almost-8-year-old complained a bit about how babyish it was, and was mortified of the thought of having his picture with Elmo, but he's a great big brother, so he did it when his sister (3) asked him to. The rides are all tamer versions of their grown-up counterparts.  If you need to torment your pre-teens, this would do the trick. :)

Price: Children and adults are both $56.  If you put the kids in the car early enough (the park opens at 10) and left for bedtime, it would be possible to do this as a day trip, but you'll be tired when you get home.  We made the trip in 4 hours with a stop and some traffic. We chose to do 2 days and stay in a hotel.

Pros: SUPER CUTE PICTURES!! If you have an elmo-aholic, they'll love this place.  The rides are child-friendly and it can be frustrating for shorter children at regular theme parks.  The shows are generally adorable.

Cons: Other parents, bad food, overpriced everything.

Relatively nearby: Crayola Factory, Amish Country, Dutch Wonderland, Hershey Park

Note: This year they are having a Christmas event, and they also host children's performers- see their schedule for details.

Reflections on a Theme Park Weekend (Or, "Things I'd Rather You Not Teach My Kids")

When you're out with your children and there are adults behaving badly, how do you react? What do you tell your kids in response?

This week we were able to take a family trip for two days to Sesame Place in Langhorne, PA.  It's a fairly short trip and we had a fun time.  I'll do an actual review shortly.

However, there is something about Sesame Place that seems to bring out the worst in people.  Maybe it's the large population of sleep-deprived parents of infants and toddlers, maybe it's the age-group and the constant "Lalalala" on the PA system, but each time we visit Sesame Place, I'm overwhelmed by the way parents act.  Here are a few things that we've encountered that I'd rather other parents didn't teach my kids:

1) Curse words as a means of communication.  

Dear Lady in the Bathroom changing her child into a swimsuit- screaming profanity at your toddler and telling them to "Get the F--- into your G--D--- swimsuit before I go berserk" in a tone that makes my child cry in the next stall is probably not effective for anyone.  Also, I'd submit you may have already gone.

2) Racial slurs.

Dear lady standing next to us at the VERY crowded parade (which happens each day down the main "street")- It's crowded.  When the 4ish year old Asian child next to you steps back and grabs your leg to prevent from falling over, it's not necessary to tell her mother to  "keep your (ethnic slur deleted) brat off me".  We're all hot and tired and packed in like sardines.  You creating an uncomfortable situation we can't escape from because we're roped in until the parade ends is not helping.  

3) Questionable Discipline methods

Dear Sir- While standing in line for the roller coaster, you picking up your child by their arm and wailing on them is different than spanking in a controlled manner, which isn't my preferred method, either, but as I understand it, is legal.

4) That the Fairy Tale Ends Quickly

Dear Unhappily Married Couple- I understand how hard traveling with kids is, but you two having a screaming match with each other in front of your children (who are crying and asking you to stop yelling) and the rest of us, all of whom are waiting in line for the roller coaster is not cool, no matter how frustrating the trip is.  

Guest Post: Gainesville Little Tots

Thanks to the fabulous Jessica for writing about Little Tots in Gainesville! Jessica is not only an awesome momma to three, she’s also a Tastefully Simple rep.  Can we pause for a moment for the beer bread? Yum!  Check Jessica out HERE, and thanks, again, Jessica for the write-up!

My children and I headed to the Little Tots program today at Atlas Walk in Gainesville.  To my surprise, I had arrived thirty minutes early.  So, we headed over to the Target in the same shopping center for some drinks.  We were still early but it was a blessing.  We were able to get a spot in the shade under the tent that was set up in front of the stage.  The rest of the area was full-on sun and it was very warm.  Lots of children filed in and sat in the area in front of the stage eating little snacks their parents had brought for them while they waited for the show to start (note, next time, bring snacks).  

The show began.  We watched a reptile show.  Forgive me, I didn’t pay attention to all the proper names but there were a few lizards, turtles, snakes and a dragon-like creature, which “isn’t really a kimono dragon, but looks like one” and I can’t remember the real name.  The presenter was very interactive and very entertaining for the kids.

My 8 year old daughter was very interested in the show, although she wasn’t as excited about the content- snakes and lizards aren’t normally her thing.  My 5 year old son was very impressed of course and seemed to really enjoy it.  My 2 ½ year old daughter was actually very attentive for the first 20 minutes.  It seemed like most of the children handled the first 20 minutes very well.  The show lasted 30 minutes.

After the show we got to visit with the Little Tots character.  This is a 6 foot character  with a red Little Tots baseball had and green sunglasses.  My 8 year old didn’t seem to care too much about him, but was happy to bring her brother and sister over to say hello.  They gave him a high five and then we had a visit with the Chick-Fil-A cow.  We collected a postcard picture for each child from the table of giveaways as a souvenir and went on our way.

I would recommend bringing a blanket or something to sit on as some of the other moms did.  Also, get there early so you can get one of the few spots under the shade.  And, if your children are younger or have a short attention span, be prepared to enjoy the first 20 minutes and maybe bow out as some of the moms also did.  It seemed like everyone enjoyed the show, we sure did.  


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Thanks to Jessica for her great review of the Virginia Gateway Little Tots program! These events happen each summer in Gainesville, Virginia right here in Prince William County and are a great kid friendly FREE program!  We hope that you'll check them out and let us know how you enjoyed it in the comments! 

PotomacLocal Cross Post: Flame Thrower Demos and Helo Rides

Cross Posted with PotomacLocal.com

Prince William County, Va. – The American Wartime Museum slated to be built in Dale City will host an open house this weekend.

Museum officials have invited residentsto Nokesville in western Prince William County to see demonstrations of tanks and flame throwers, and to learn more about a planned museum that aims to recreate the wartime experience for the public.

The open house starts at 10 a.m. Saturday and remarks from museum officials are expected by 11 a.m.

Reenactors will be on hand, and participants will also be able to purchase helicopter rides, according to museum spokeswoman Kathy Bentz.

The museum site behind K-Mart on Dale Boulevard and Interstate 95 was approved last fall by the Prince William County Board of Supervisors.

The organization behind the museum is raising money to build it, but the planned construction does not come without controversy.

Some who spoke out at a public meeting about the museum last year said it will be built too close to their homes, and that many of the planned tank and aircraft demonstrations are not conducive to the overall residential makeup of the surrounding neighborhoods.

The museum is scheduled to open Veteran’s Day 2014.

Guest Post: Regal Cinemas Manassas $1 Movies

Thanks and welcome to Caitie from Tweedledeedle for writing up this review for us! Caitie is a recent transplant from one end of the county to the other, and a mom of two adorable little ones.

$1 Movies at Regal Cinemas Manassas

Having two children who were born in Woodbridge, I was a ginormous fan of AMC's Summer Movie Camp. What's not to love? You go the week before, you buy your tickets, you show up day of, no line, you buy popcorn, you sit down, you watch, you laugh, you leave. Excellent.

However, given that AMC decided to cancel their summer program for the 2011 season (sad!) and coupled with the fact that my family and I moved out to Bristow in the spring, I'm now in the market for a new dollar-kids-movie-on-the-weekday venue.

Enter Regal Cinemas Manassas. Remember all that stuff I said earlier about what's to love about AMC? Yep, after reading this you'll be missing it as much as I do - even if you'd never been to an AMC before in your life.

The past Tuesday morning dawned bright and sunny. The perfect day for the pool, except we were all a little tired of the pool. Great day, thought Mom, for a movie. Let's go see "Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs".

I drove up to the theater at 9:31 and was greeted by the sight of a line of parents, children, and (what I assume to be) various daycare and church groups snaking from the front doors halfway down the building. This did not bode well for my littlest, who at two is not fond of standing still in lines. As it got closer to 10:00, the line moved along and we bought our tickets right around 10:07 (yep, almost 10 minutes after the movie started, and we got there almost half an hour early). After having bought a kid's pack (small drink, small popcorn and bag of fruit snacks, $5.75) and taken a fast restroom break, we made our way into the theater, only to find...no available seats. Not one. Not even that lone, one-third-of-the-way-across-the-fourth-row-from-the-top no-mans-land seat.

Trekked out of the pitch black theater juggling a two year old, four year old and a tray of food, to find a manager. The one I found was having his ear chewed by another mother annoyed that it had taken so long to get through the line that she and her kids had missed the beginning of the movie (can't blame her for that, I was less than ecstatic myself). After she had her say, it was my turn. I suggested to the manager that they allow pre-show ticketing (his response: corporate does not allow this, nor are they allowed to open the doors any earlier than 30 minutes prior to showtime) and then asked what to do about the no-seat-in-our-movie situation. He informed me that theater 9 was showing the same movie and I should go there - please note: there was *no* signage to this effect anywhere.

Cue trekking to the other theater, which was pleasantly not crowded - perhaps because they were showing a movie with a younger target market (VeggieTales: The Pirates Who Don't Do Anything). Luckily I hadn't mentioned that we were supposed to be seeing "Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs"!

The trip after that was fine. The movie quality was great, the patrons were great, my kids were well-behaved and enthralled by the antics of the VeggieTales crew, and my stress level went down considerably.

So.

Pros: Inexpensive for tickets (can't beat $1 a seat). Movie quality excellent.

Cons: You may not get to see the movie you originally planned on seeing. You may have to stand in line a good long while for tickets (or if -as I do - you have a small, impatient child, partner up and get one partner to stand in line while the other amuses the kids elsewhere until showtime). You may need (or choose) to forgo concession in favor of a seat. (And that's another thing - it's not like you can leave your kids in the theater - if they're small - to go get food, and if you get up to grab some popcorn you'll lose your seat! But I digress.) Pee fast.

Overall review: OK. I love movies, and even though it was a lot of hassle and stress, my kids loved it.

Boys and Girls Club Fall Programs

703-670-3311
kmahoney@bgcgw.org

BOYS & GIRLS CLUBS OF GREATER WASHINGTON – HYLTON BRANCH
Fall Youth Programming

Dale City- The Hylton Branch of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Washington is currently enrolling for their fall programming.

This fall the Hylton Boys & Girls Club branch will be offering some exciting youth programming. Programs will include athletic leagues, before & after school child care, and teen programming. All members have access to our great general membership programming which offers five core program areas: Education & Career Development, Sports, Fitness & Recreation, Health & Life Skills, Character & Leadership Development, and the Arts.

Athletic Programs Offered:
Co-Ed Basketball League
Girls Volleyball League
Tackle Football League

Our licensed before & after school child care program serves the following schools:
Enterprise Elementary
King Elementary
Penn Elementary
Mcauliffe Elementary
Rosa Parks Elementary
Beville Middle
Benton Middle
Sauder Middle
Porter Traditional School

A membership to the Prince William County Boys & Girls Clubs is $30 a year and no child is turned away due to the family’s inability to pay.  Membership allows youth to enroll in and participate in programming at all three branches in Prince William County & Manassas. Currently, the general membership program is open at our Dale City and Manassas Branches Tuesday-Friday 3-9pm, and Saturdays 10am-4pm.
The Hylton Branch is located at 5070 Dale Boulevard, Dale City. For more information please call 703-670-3311 or visit the website www.hyltonclub.org

Back-to-School Blog Roundup

Back to School is such a mixed-emotion time! Usually moms are REALLY ready for their kids to go, but kids are REALLY wishing for a few more weeks.  Kindergarten parents are anxious and getting ready to cry when the bus leaves ;) and I'd imagine parents of High School Seniors feel the same way.

In any event, to help smooth the transition, I wanted to offer up a blog roundup of some of my favorite ideas for back-to-school.

1. Check out Hawai'i's Bento Boxes
I would never EVER do this every day.  I'm not that much of a morning person.  But, for the first day of school, or the day of a big test, or a birthday? I'd totally spend the time. I especially like this website because the directions are easy to follow and she's got Phineas and Ferb character directions.  That's hot. :)

                                            
                                         

Photo Credit: Susan Yuen, Hawai'i's Bento Boxes

2.  Another lunch idea that I love comes from the queen herself- Ms. Martha Stewart.  Martha recommends making a magnetic lunch choice chart for your picky eater so that they'll be more likely to eat what you pack because they picked it.  It could work!  
                                                     

Photo Credit: Martha Stewart Omnimedia Inc, www.marthastewart.com

3. I love this list of tips for Kindergarten Parents! If it's your first time, here's some ways to stay involved in your child's education. 

4. We've always taken first day of school pictures because I love watching the kids grow.  Sheri Seuss, one of our PWC Moms giveaway sponsors, takes it to a new level- she does first and last day pictures of her kids, with easy printed out signs "First Day of ___ Grade" (even her puppy gets in on it!) or "Last Day of ___ Grade".  I love seeing the difference a year makes!!

5.  The Happy Home Fairy has a great list of ideas for First Day of School Traditions to help make the day extra-special for your child.  I love the idea of having a "First Day Fairy" or a "Magic School Bus" visit to leave some special school supplies or treats for your child! How fun is that?



Any traditions or cute ideas you want to share? Click on the "conversations bubble" next to the title and share with us!