Sesame Street seems like a magical place. Luckily for us reaching to it will become easier. As the Amusement park company SeaWorld Entertainment have teamed up with Sesame Workshop to create a theme park based on the popular children’s show. As the SeaWorld Entertainment company confirmed on Thursday. But that’s not all since a second park based on Sesame Street will be opened, in another undisclosed location in the U.S. The first park in collaboration with SeaWorld will be Orlando theme park by mid-2021-fall of 2022.
Also, this isn’t the first amusement park based on the successful show. Since the Sesame Workshop company, the nonprofit that runs everything related to the show already has a Sesame Place theme park in Langhorne, Pa. That has been opened since 1980 and has operated seasonally for the last 37 years, setting an opening day attendance record this year. Counting with roller coasters, water rides, shows, parades, games, and interactions with Sesame Street characters. Also, there is Sesame Street Bay of Play kiddie areas in its San Diego and San Antonio theme parks and a Safari of Fun at Busch Gardens Tampa.
The new park
Building-themed lands based on well-known franchises has become a trend. Due to Universal Orlando’s has Harry Potter lands. While Walt Disney World opens an Avatar land. Counting as well with a Toy Story and Star Wars-themed lands. The new park is set to be placed at Orlando’s SeaWorld. Restoring Shamu’s Happy Harbor play area, which has children’s rides and a net climb. Even though SeaWorld hasn’t designed the project yet, it will surely count with several attractions and rides and Elmo, Big Bird, Cookie Monster, and Oscar the Grouch.
The association and launch of new amusement parks are part of a very clever move for both parties. For SeaWorld, they’re trying to improve its image due to the controversy regarding the shows that featured orcas. The company’s new arrangement that lasts through 2031. Giving SeaWorld the option to build more Sesame Place theme parks after the second location opens.
“We share Sesame’s goal of educating and entertaining generations of children, and the extension of our partnership furthers SeaWorld’s mission to provide guests with experiences that matter. We are thrilled to be able to grow the presence of Sesame Place theme parks in the U.S. and help our company diversify its brand portfolio and expand into new areas“. said SeaWorld CEO Joel Manby in a statement. He continued “Sesame Street as it exists today only exists on television. We’d like to build the actual Sesame Street that kids can be on and walk down. We will have hopefully a Sesame parade, rides, show where they can see and meet the Sesame characters”.
More than a simple Street
For Sesame Workshop it will also help them ease financial difficulties that included declining DVD sales. But it’s also part of their plan and motto. Since they see theme parks playing a role in its “reach to teach” mission. As Sesame Workshop CEO Jeff Dunn said. “You have to reach to teach. And what that means is in order to provide great educational experiences, you really have to connect deeply with your audience. And we know theme parks are a great way to connect and engage not only with preschoolers but the entire family with these characters they love.”
Dunn also said that this mission goes beyond U.S. borders, as they take their mission very seriously. As he points out the Sesame Street’s work in Afghanistan on empowering young girls, its partnership with the IRC to educate refugee children. Also, their collaboration with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to promote health and hygiene in India. These are some of the examples of programs that had happened thanks to ventures like Sesame Place. “The income that comes out [of Sesame Place] fuels our non-profit mission and educational activities all over the world. And many of these activities wouldn’t be possible without contributions like this“.
Despite the good cause, it’s also a way to expand Sesame Street’s presence. As Dennis Speigel, president of consulting firm International Theme Park Services thinks. He believes that a Sesame Street theme park makes total sense in Orlando. Especially for SeaWorld, since they need to step up the game in order to compete with resorts such as Universal and Disney. A second traditional thematic park could do the trick.
Still, Manby thinks that other parts of the country could have worked better. “There’s other markets where really quality preschool entertainment doesn’t exist. We could maybe make an easier go of it in some other markets … It would also be a much larger investment in Orlando probably than doing it elsewhere, but it’s one of those things we’re modeling out and looking at“. But the possibility to build more parks will prove is he is right or not.
Source: kiiivtv.com