SeaWorld Entertainment and the Sesame Workshop have announced joint plans to develop a second Sesame Place theme park in the US and a new Sesame Street land at SeaWorld Orlando.

To be opened in a yet-to-be determined location, the Sesame Place attraction has been announced 37 years after the launch of the first Sesame Place, which opened its doors in Langhorne, Pennsylvania, in 1980.

A new license agreement between Sesame Workshop and SeaWorld will see the new attraction open its doors “no later than mid-2021”, with SeaWorld granted the option to build further Sesame Place theme parks throughout the US, where the operator is an exclusive partner.

"We know that the magic of theme parks gives families a unique and powerful way to experience and delight in the Sesame Street characters," said Jeffrey D. Dunn, CEO of Sesame Workshop. "Building more Sesame Place theme parks will enable us to connect with even more families and provide funding that supports our nonprofit mission."

The new park will feature a variety of family rides, water slides, live character shows, a daily parade, and seasonal events, with Sesame Place also extending Sesame Workshop's commitment to social impact work with its ‘Sesame Place Cares’ annual series of events to take place both in and outside of the park

"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," said Joel Manby, President and CEO of SeaWorld Entertainment. "We will grow the presence of Sesame Place theme parks in the US, helping our company to diversify its brand portfolio and expand into new areas."

The new agreement also makes it possible for SeaWorld’s San Antonio and San Diego theme parks, as well as its Busch Gardens theme parks to continue to use the Sesame Street IP in its existing attractions. A new Sesame Street land will also be built at SeaWorld Orlando by Q3 2022. The agreement extends SeaWorld and Sesame Workshop’s collaborative relationship through to December 2031.