BUSCH GARDENS OPENS
SESAME STREET FOREST OF FUN

WILLIAMSBURG, Va. (April 3, 2009) -- Busch Gardens opened Sesame Street Forest of Fun today for the season starting with a special two-week preview. Elmo, Big Bird, Abby Cadabby and all their Sesame Street friends arrived at Busch Gardens' newest KIDsiderate attraction this morning to the delight of a crowd filled with toddlers and their parents.

The park's General Manager and Executive Vice President John Reilly unveiled the area to a crowd of park guests and media. "Sesame Street Forest of Fun is a perfect fit for our park," he said during the ribbon-cutting ceremony. "We hope parents enjoy this area as much as their children do, because everything in here was designed for them to do together."

Sesame Street Forest of Fun features a more than 65,000-square-foot KIDsiderate-zone filled with places to play, eat and grow as a family. It features four new rides offering kid-sized versions of popular attractions, including a junior roller coaster designed for parents and children to ride together. The kid-zone also features wet and dry playgrounds, a photography studio with Sesame Street characters and a musical performance.

• Elmo's Castle -- performance stage and wet playground
• Prince Elmo's Spire -- shot-n-drop ride for the whole family
• Grover's Alpine Express -- family-friendly roller coaster
• Bert and Ernie's Loch Adventure -- flume ride for parents and kids
• Oscar's Whirly Worms -- family-friendly rock-n-tug ride
• Oscar's Yucky Forest -- playground
• 1-2-3 Smile with Me! -- character and guest photography studio
• Abby Cadabby's Treasure Trove -- gift shop
• Sunny Days Celebrations -- musical performances by Sesame Street characters

The new Sesame Street attractions at Busch Gardens extend beyond the new area built in the England section of the park. When Busch Gardens opened last weekend, it unveiled a Sesame Street-themed indoor dining facility called "Dine with Elmo & Friends" where families can mingle with the cast of characters over breakfast or lunch. And a new 4-D movie debuted at the Globe Theatre called "Sesame Street presents Lights, Camera, Imagination!" The Sesame Street-themed area expands Busch Gardens' KIDsiderate 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®. Other Worlds of Discovery 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.

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