Can you tell me how to get to Sesame Street?
Simply head to San Diego.
Sesame Place San Diego opened its doors to visitors this week. The 17-acre theme park features 18 Sesame Street-themed rides, water attractions, a kid-friendly rollercoaster, and a 500,000-gallon wave pool among other attractions.
It will also feature an interactive Sesame Street Neighborhood, complete with the 123 Stoop, daily live character shows, parades, photo opportunities, and interaction with the furry stars of the show.
“Walking down Sesame Street, the show comes to life here,” Marc Swanson, CEO of SeaWorld Parks and Entertainment, told the San Diego Union-Tribune. “You see that right when you walk in, you see the laundry mat, the 123 stoop, Mr. Hooper’s Store — it’s like you’re in the middle of the show.”
This is the second park of its kind, joining the original outside Philadelphia in Langhorne, Pennsylvania, which opened in 1980. SeaWorld Parks and Entertainment operates the parks.
“This is an exciting milestone for our company, as this is the second Sesame Place in the United States and the first new theme park we’ve opened since 2013,” Swanson said in a release. “We are thrilled to debut this new park and add a premiere tourist destination to California that is so appealing to families.”
Welcome To Sesame Street
Guests entering the new San Diego park will immediately enter the land of the famous children’s show. The Sesame Street Neighborhood is a colorful replica of the TV set. It features a number of physical and digital experiences for guests to connect to the show and characters.
“I grew up watching Sesame Street and when I came in here I felt … all these memories come back because it really kind of mirrors what you would see on the Sesame Street show,” park president Jim Lake told the Union-Tribune.
Among the features is Elmo’s Window, where Elmo’s bedroom window comes to life with moments that allow visitors to dance, play, and sing with Elmo and his friends.
“Having spent part of my career with this company at the original Sesame Place in Pennsylvania and being part of its success, I’m looking forward to continuing the legacy on the West Coast and providing a fun place to visit where life-long memories are created as fans experience what they love about the iconic show in a new way,” Swanson said.
Other features include the Bike Shop Tricycle Challenge, where kids and adults use their bodies to control a virtual tricycle, and the apartment intercom, where guests can press number buttons to hear responses from Grover, Rosita, Abby Cadabby, and others.
In the middle of the neighborhood is the Sunny Day Carousel, a classic ride for guests of all ages with Sesame Street characters and horses to ride, and Big Bird greeting and riding with guests.
“We are thrilled to partner with SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment to introduce the West Coast’s only standalone theme park based entirely on the award-winning educational program, Sesame Street,” said Steve Youngwood, CEO of Sesame Workshop. “Sesame Place San Diego will offer kids and families an immersive opportunity to play and learn with their favorite furry friends, and continue enriching their experiences with Sesame Street.”
Other rides include Cookie Monster-themed towers to climb, Elmo’s Rockin’ Rockets that fly guests on an imaginary trip through outer space, and Super Grover’s Box Car Derby, a family-friendly rollercoaster.
Additional Features
In addition to the amusement park, there is a water park section that includes items such as Bert’s Topsy-Turvy Tunnels, Snuffy’s Spaghetti Slides, Oscar’s Rotten Rafts, and Big Bird’s Rambling River.
The park will also have special events during the year, including the Count’s Halloween Spooktacular and A Very Furry Christmas.
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