SESAME PLACE - Philadelphia
Langhorne, PA
SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment
 PARK NEWS - (3/13/2025) Here is something that all good theme park fans may want to be aware of going forward. Sesame Place Philadelphia will be the first theme park in North America to launch this season with the “Hidden Disabilities Sunflower” program on March 29th.
Also known simply as “the Sunflower”, the voluntary program was designed as a way to help support guests who may suffer from non-visible disabilities and conditions. The voluntary program allows guests to wear a complimentary “Sunflower” themed wristband that they can receive at the Family Care center or Mr. Hooper’s Gift Shop, that will “discreetly signals to Sesame Place Ambassadors that a guest may need extra help, understanding, or time due to a disability or condition that may not be immediately apparent.”
Now I’m as guilty as anyone of standing in a long line that may not be moving very fast and wondering to myself, “What’s going on up there? Why are we moving so slow?” It is very likely that we are oblivious and unaware that there may be someone up ahead who needs just a little more time to get settled in to enjoy the attraction, just like the rest of us. This subtle visual queue is a great reminder to us all to be a little more patient and understanding of our fellow guests.
The program was first established in the UK in 2016 and has been gaining acceptance throughout the world in more than just attractions, as you may see it in use at airports, retail, banks, healthcare as well as various tourism and entertainment locations. Now that it has arrived at Sesame Place Philadelphia, I wouldn’t be surprised to see it roll out nationally at the other United Parks & Resorts parks over the next year or so.
(9/20/2024) In 2022 A video shot at Sesame Place went viral when it appears that a costume character in the park’s parade seemed to be “ignoring black children” and even waving their hand in a no-gesture as they passed by the outreached arms of the children. As you might expect, chaos erupted on social media following this, with hundreds of other families claiming that their children were also ignored when visiting the park with other costumed performers. The outrage eventually exploded into a $25 million lawsuit against the park over claims of “race discrimination”.
Sesame Place has stood by their claims that the perceived actions were just a misunderstanding, with the “no” gesture being directed at another parent asking the character to hold their child for a photo, which is forbidden. The park also promised that all of their staff would undergo “bias training” while the park reviewed their practices to determine any other changes that needed to be made.
This week, a federal court jury in Philadelphia voted unanimously against the lawsuit, determining that SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment was not liable for any wrongdoing. According to a statement released by Sesame Place, “The facts presented demonstrate that we treat our guests equally. We want every guest at our park to feel welcomed and safe when they visit us and to be able to see and feel aspects of themselves in the experiences we create”. “We’re proud of the role we play in creating lasting memories — especially for our youngest guests. We are constantly learning and improving and we’re committed to using our parks to help build a more inclusive experience for our guests.”
2025 - Dinner Theater - Rumor - (10/29/2023) The look of the entrance to Sesame Place Philadelphia started to change forever when Oscar’s Wacky Taxi roller coaster was built in front of the park for the 2018 season, followed by the Fall 2023 addition of a publically accessible year-round Sesame Place Store that opened last month. Now I’m hearing that more changes are in the works to build up the rest of the park’s entrance plaza with a major new attraction. From what I’m hearing the big plan for the next season is to create a Sesame Street themed “dinner theater” style show venue. Of course, since this is a venue for little kids, I’m thinking that this may be a Lunch and Dinner Theater project (Lunch offered on weekends) rather than just a Dinner only show. The nice thing about this concept however is having it built at the entrance to the park will allow Sesame Place to offer up this product year-round if they wish to do so, and they probably do.
Stay tuned and keep an eye in front of the park for any future signs of construction.
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