Kids under three get in free to celebrate the opening of “Count’s Splash Castle”
Kids have a whole new way of getting soaked at Sesame Place San Diego now that the theme park has opened “Count’s Splash Castle,” a multi-story water feature featuring more than 100 play elements to get even the tiniest tots kids splashing, playing, and totally drenched all day long.
Read on to get all the details on this and everything else you need to know about the SoCal park.
No more do the tinier tots have to worry about that pesky 42″ height minimum (which is the rule on most of Sesame Place’s other water rides)—Count’s Castle is open to all! Standing atop a splash pool just 8 inches deep, the structure features four small water slides and three giant tipping buckets that dump over 1,300 gallons of water onto whoever dares stand below (Hint: That’s basically every kid.)
There are also a ton of interactive features like water soakers, flow pipes, hose jets, spray jets, water shooters, water curtains, tipping troughs, spinning, and sliding buckets. So yeah: Your kids will get soaked.
The attraction is twice the size of the splash pad that used to sit in its footprint—and it’s located right in the center of the sprawling Big Bird’s Lazy River. All that means parents: You may want to stake out a spot and plan on staying a while; this is the place to be at S.P.
And it’s not the only way to splash. The new water playground is the 11th water feature at the 1-year-old amusement park, with other popular wet rides including the Cookie Monster Mixer, which plunges riders into a giant funnel; the Honker Dinger Dash racing slide; and Big Bird’s Beach, one of the largest wave pools in SoCal.
Good to know: Some water attractions require life jackets for smaller kids (which are provided free of charge).
Want to stay (or be blown) dry? Sesame Place isn’t solely a water park. There are seven “dry” rides, including a slew of spinny rides to dizzy your littles and a “family-friendly” roller coaster for young daredevils—so make sure you bring a change of clothes for your little guppies to change into when they’re done splashing around.
And, of course, your kids will have plenty of opportunities to hug, take pictures with, gawk at, and dance alongside their favorite Sesame Street characters! Take a stroll down the recreated Sesame Street Neighborhood (complete with the iconic 123 Stoop!); enjoy daily live character shows; line up for the award-winning parade; and, of course, save some space on your social feeds for all those Sesame Street photo ops.
Good to know: Sesame Place is a “Certified Autism Center,” which means all of its staff are trained and required to “have the skills, temperament, and expertise to cater to all children, including those with special needs.” There are designated Quiet Rooms for when kids need to get away; as well as Sensory Guides posted in front of every attraction that includes a rating scale of 1-5 on how a child with sensory processing issues may be affected by each sense.
Free Under 3!
In honor of the new water feature, Sesame Place recently announced that all kids under 3 will now receive free admission to Sesame Place San Diego (it used to be only kids under 2)!
Related: Sesame Place San Diego is Open and We Have the Inside Scoop
COST:
Admission includes wet and dry rides, shows, parades, and open lounge chairs. Single-day tickets start at $62.99 online, parking is not included. Season Passes start at $132 online and do include parking. Kids under 3 are free.
PARKING:
General parking is $35 per car, while up-close parking ranges from $35-$50 per car and varies by day.
HOURS:
Hours vary but are generally from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. on weekdays and 10 a.m.-6 p.m. on weekends with extended hours during the summer. They’re generally only open for weekends, holidays, and school breaks; with a closure between January-March.
Sesame Place San Diego
2052 Entertainment Cir. in Chula Vista
Online: Sesameplace.com/san-diego
