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Branded Attractions
www.parkworld-online.com
Sesame Street
The first Sesame Street-branded theme
park opened in 1980 as a result of
licensing agreement between Sesame
Workshop and the Busch
Entertainment Corporation (BEC),
which operates the 16-acre facility
near Langhorne in Pennsylvania.
Following the success of this first
park, Sesame Place, other Sesame
Street attractions have opened around
the world including Parque Plaza
Sesamo, Monterrey, Mexico; Vila
Sesamo at Hopi Hari, Sao Paulo,
Brazil; Sesame Street Movie Magic at
Universal Studios Japan; and a
Sesame Street kids area at Sea World
Sesame Place in Pennsylvania
on the Gold Coast in Australia.
In the States the deal with BEC has
been expanded so Sesame Street
characters and attractions will go into story is Thomas Land at Drayton Park in England, a The original Wiggles World opened in 2007 at
the other BEC parks including
park which had the confidence to rip out all the Dreamworld on the Gold Coast of Australia. The
SeaWorld Orlando, SeaWorld San
Antonio, SeaWorld San Diego and
attractions in its former Robinsons Land children’s same park also features Nick Central, dedicated to
Busch Gardens Williamsburg and
area and replace them with 10 new ones themed characters from the Nickelodeon children’s TV
Tampa Bay. around the Thomas & Friends franchise from HIT channel, which can also be found at a number of
“We see our themed entertainment
Entertainment. Cedar Fair/ex-Paramount park properties in the
offerings as one of our most powerful
outreach efforts where our audience
“We knew the new area would be extremely United States, Movie Park in Germany, a themed
gets to meet, play, and learn with their
popular and we were proved right,” remarked the Holiday Inn outlet in Orlando and at Nickelodeon
Sesame Street friends up close and in park’s Edward Pawley just a few months after it Universe, a dedicated indoor amusement park at
person,” says Peter van Roden, vice-
opened. But not even he could have predicted what the Mall of America in Minnesota (see panel, right).
president of themed entertainment for
Sesame Workshop.
a hit Thomas Land would be, contributing to the
“We try and pick relationships with
park’s most successful season ever, including an
the best park operators in key extended winter opening.
territories around the world, and enjoy
“In addition to an attendance increase of over
very close relationships with these
partners. By the time they open and
40%, Drayton Manor is also enjoying a substantially
are operating with the Sesame
increased in-park spend, including retail, catering
characters and attractions, they are
and ride photography sales,” notes Ruffley.
well versed in our mission and
approach. We trust our park partners
to know what new ride or attraction
Retail Therapy
will serve their park and our shared
Indeed, it should not be underestimated how
audience, and support them in
powerful a driver of secondary spend branded
fulfilling their needs. Approval is a
smooth and fast process.”
attractions can be. “It’s early days for us in this
This summer, Busch Gardens
market,” says Way, “but I’ve done smaller scale
Williamsburg will open Sesame Street projects and I know the potential licensed characters Character
Forest of Fun, a new kid’s area, while
can offer, and it’s enormous. I think once we’ve got appearances are
SeaWorld San Diego will debut a
our first attractions up and running we will be able to
a great way for
Sesame live show ahead of a bunch
come to the table with some very interesting
parks to “dip
of new Sesame Street attractions
arriving at the park in 2011. Two information about the impact on footfall and retail.”
their toe in the
parks will welcome Sesame Street into
The Thomas brand, which was first introduced
water” with
their property for the first time in
into the park market at Fujiku Higlands in Japan
branded content.
2010, Busch Gardens Tampa Bay Pictured here is
and Port Aventura in Salou, Spain.
back in 1998, has now also been rolled out to a
Bob the Builder
Sesame Workshop has also signed a number of Six Flags parks in the United States. As it
(courtesy Rainbow
deal with Universal Studios to
continues to embrace the family audience it once
Productions/HIT
introduce a number of attractions at
Universal Studios Dubailand
arguably neglected, the park chain has also Entertainment)
beginning in 2012.
introduced a number of Wiggles Worlds, based
www.sesameplace.com
around the high-energy Australian children’s
www.parqueplazasesamo.com franchise.
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