Williamsburg, VA -- Busch Gardens' park leaders announced today the name for the new Sesame Street-themed children's play area will be "Sesame Street Forest of Fun at Busch Gardens." The area, announced in August and currently under construction, is scheduled to open in spring 2009 at the Williamsburg theme park.
"We worked closely with the Sesame Workshop to finalize a name that celebrates Busch Gardens' natural beauty and lets children know this area is just for them and their Sesame Street friends," said John Reilly, general manager and executive vice president of Busch Gardens.
"We love sharing the fun and laughter of Sesame Street with children and are thrilled to partner with Busch Gardens to offer such a wonderful and immersive experience for the entire family," said Peter van Roden, vice president of themed entertainment at Sesame Workshop.
Four new rides offer kid-sized versions of popular attractions, including a junior roller coaster designed for parents and children to ride together. Sesame Street Forest of Fun at Busch Gardens will also feature wet and dry play areas, a photography studio where families can capture memorable moments of their children with Sesame Street's characters and several stage performances by some of Sesame Street's most beloved characters.
Families that want even more Sesame Street interaction can dine with Elmo and mingle with the cast of characters over breakfast or lunch at a Sesame Street-themed indoor dining facility. And they can watch all of their favorite Sesame Street characters in a state-of-the-art, 4-D movie called "Sesame Street presents Lights, Camera, Imagination!"
The names of each attraction within Sesame Street Forest of Fun at Busch Gardens are:
The Sesame Street-themed area expands Busch Gardens' kid-focused attractions. The park's current lineup of kid-friendly rides and attractions will remain, including the popular Land of the Dragons play area and junior rides throughout the park.
Busch Gardens is a Worlds of Discovery park. Other Worlds of Discovery parks include Water Country USA in Williamsburg; Busch Gardens in Tampa, Fl.; the SeaWorld parks in San Diego, San Antonio and Orlando, Fl.; Sesame Place near Philadelphia; Discovery Cove in Orlando; Adventure Island in Tampa; and Aquatica, SeaWorld's water park, in Orlando.
Sesame Workshop is the nonprofit educational organization that changed television forever with the legendary Sesame Street. As the single largest informal educator of young children, local Sesame Street programs produced in countries as diverse as South Africa, Bangladesh and India are making a difference in over 120 nations. Using proprietary research to create engaging and enriching content, Sesame Workshop produces programs such as Dragon Tales and Pinky Dinky Doo. In addition, multimedia needs-driven initiatives provide families tools for addressing such issues as children's health, military deployment and emergency preparedness. As a nonprofit, product proceeds and philanthropic donations support Sesame Workshop's educational research and creative content for children around the world. Learn more at www.sesameworkshop.org.