SeaWorld's Hoped-For Transformation Is Getting Help From Sesame Street
Skift Take
SeaWorld could use more brands that don't rely on animals — and Sesame Street is beloved by both kids and parents. It doesn't sound like a huge expansion yet with just one more theme park and one additional land, but this could be a good way to round out the company's offerings.
SeaWorld Entertainment wants less Shamu and more Elmo.
As it moves away from a focus on animal entertainment, the theme park operator announced Thursday morning that it will build at least one new Sesame Place park in the United States and add a themed land at SeaWorld Orlando.
"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," SeaWorld Entertainment president and CEO Joel Manby said in a statement. "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."
Already, the company owns and operates Sesame Place, a 55-acre park with rides, water slides, shows, and characters in Pennsylvania. It also has smaller Sesame Street areas within Busch Gardens parks in Tampa and Williamsburg, Va. as well as SeaWorld parks in San Antonio and San Diego. Those exist under a partnership with Sesame Workshop, the nonprofit behind Sesame Street, that dates back 37 years.
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