I can tell you how to get, how to get to Sesame Street…Land!
Orlando is one of our favorite places to go on a road trip with our baby and toddler because there is always something going on. Whether you go to see the Mouse, shop, or what have you, it’s an easy 2.5(ish) hour drive from Jacksonville that is relatively painless. (Unless you forget to read these tips on how to survive!)
Our littlest ginger is OBSESSED with Elmo, so for her birthday we wanted to do something Sesame themed. Low and behold, SeaWorld has opened up Sesame Street Land. We signed up for this trip faster than Cookie Monster inhales a chocolate chip cookie!
“When Closings Groove, the Car Seats Move!” -Caitlyn Hawkins
You literally step into Sesame Street. The characters are everywhere, the rides are geared toward your half pints, and we could have honestly spent the entire day in this portion of the park and been happy.
There’s a splash pad.
There’s a “park” where kiddos can run around while parents enjoy a snack from Cookie & Gonger’s food truck.
And if you time it right, you can catch a story with Big Bird at his nest.
We were lucky enough to visit during the Fall, so the festive Sesame Street Parade was Halloween themed. They also let children wear costumes and trick or treat during the weekends of October.
It also happened to be SeaWorld’s Craft Beer Festival, so delicious samples were a must during Shamu’s One Ocean Show. (As of the end of 2019, the “One Ocean” Orca shows were discontinued but there is now an educational orca show in its place.)
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This was the perfect place for a family roadtrip from Jax. Short drive- guaranteed fun. You could do Sesame Street Land + parts of SeaWorld in one day, or stay the night to make sure you can go back to do everything (as long as you have the right ticket).
*Florida residents* There is FREE ADMISSION for children 5 years old and under so long as you have registered your Preschool aged children for the SeaWorld Preschool card by February 3rd 2020.
The site to do so is here . I forgot to do this last year and kicked myself for it! The card is good for Aquatica as well, and there is an additional option for Busch Gardens and Adventure Island.
Top Take-Aways and Tips:
- Get there early. SeaWorld Members generally get in to Sesame Street Land an hour early, but I didn’t see them actually check anyone for passes. Get there close to open time and knock most of the rides out before the lines get long.
- Look up rider height requirements online ahead of time. I didn’t think twice that munchkin wouldn’t be able to ride all the rides, but it turned out she was too short for Grover, even with a companion.
- Make sure you watch the Sesame Street parade. It’s long enough to keep the kiddos entertained so you can take a rest. Just be cognizant of when it seems to be wrapping up so you can dip out and beat the rest of the crowd to the next attraction.
- Meet the characters. We got to hug Elmo (birthday win ) and Cookie Monster.
- Piggybacking on #4, Visit before your babes get too big. While folks of all ages will remember Sesame Street, the best time to visit is probably before they get too old to appreciate it.
- Don’t wear white. My husband actually reminded me that my white Lilly Pulitzer shorts may not be the best choice for a day where we may get wet… A lot of folks didn’t get that reminder. Be careful with your clothing choices.
- Bring a cooler with snacks. They allow you to do so as long as everything is prepackaged.
- When the heat gets to be too much or the littles just need a rest, check out one of the animal shows.
- Look into various ticket options ahead of time. While researching, I noticed that the 2 day tickets or 1 day in advance tickets purchased online were significantly less expensive than buying the regular one day. Supposedly, if you buy in person it also costs more, plus you have to wait in that line so save some headache and look into before.
- The actual SeaWorld website on my phone was more helpful/informative than the app for use in the park (map, times, etc.).
Kudos to SeaWorld
In addition to being an awesome place to visit, it was really neat to see how inclusive Sesame Street Land was. SeaWorld has actually been designated as a certified autism center by The International Board of Credentialing and Continuing Education Standards. They’re the first branch of Orlando theme parks to get that designation and they had sensory guides posted at the rides. Pretty cool.