Shamu the Grouch
SeaWorld ruffles Big Bird’s feathers; Six Flags contracts
It would seem out of character for Sesame Workshop, the organization behind Elmo, Big Bird, Grover, and other beloved Sesame Street favorites, to engage in a public pissing match, but here we are. This week, let’s take a look at the spat between the PBS mainstay and SeaWorld parent, United Parks and Resorts, and catch up on other behind-the-scenes parks news at Six Flags.
Sesame Workshop has filed suit against United Parks and Resorts, alleging that the company has not been paying royalties for the use of its characters and intellectual property. Further, it claims that the park chain closed Sesame Place San Diego last September, changing its operational schedule from year-round to seasonal, with little notice. The California location, which opened in 2022, is the second Sesame Place park; the original one is located just outside Philadelphia. In its bid to terminate its licensing agreement with United Parks, Sesame Workshop also says that the park company scuttled plans to open a third Sesame Place and closed its Sesame Street-themed land at SeaWorld San Antonio.
“While we did not want to end a partnership that has spanned 45 years, we have regrettably determined that the termination of our agreement is the only path forward,” Sesame Workshop said in a statement.
For its part, United Parks says, “We are aware of the lawsuit filed by Sesame Workshop and look forward to setting the record straight in court.”
In addition to the standalone Sesame Place locations and the SeaWorld parks, the Sesame Street brand is featured at the Busch Gardens parks in Tampa Bay, Florida and Williamsburg, Virginia, which also fall under United Parks’ umbrella. Beyond the U.S. chain, Bert, Ernie, and the gang can be found at Port Aventura in Spain and other parks. Interestingly, Universal Studios Japan recently announced that it would be closing its Sesame Street-themed land. Which prompts the question: Does the Sesame Workshop lawsuit have merit, or does Oscar the Grouch just like trash-talking theme parks?
Less flags, less fun
To the surprise of just about nobody, Six Flags Entertainment Corporation announced that it would sell seven of its parks. After the Cedar Fair merger with Six Flags in 2024, the combined companies created a portfolio of 42 properties throughout North America. That’s a lot of parks. The troubled company has since been posting attendance and revenue losses, so something probably had to give. What is surprising are some of the parks that were included in the sale. Underperforming, long-neglected places such as Michigan’s Adventure would seem to make sense. I wouldn’t have expected Six Flags St. Louis, which opened in 1971 (then called Six Flags Over Mid-America) as one of the three original Six Flags parks, or Valleyfair in Minnesota, which was the namesake “Fair” for the Cedar Fair chain, to be part of the deal, however. The other parks include Worlds of Fun in Missouri, Six Flags Great Escape in New York, Six Flags La Ronde in Montreal, and Schlitterbahn Waterpark Galveston.
I was also taken aback by the price tag. The investment trust, EPR Properties, picked up the seven properties for the fire-sale price of $331 million. On a per-capita basis, that’s a pretty sweet deal for all of those roller coasters. Shouldn’t the cash-strapped company have held out for more cash? Enchanted Parks will manage the acquired parks. For the remainder of the 2026 season, the sold parks will retain the Six Flags name and branding. Will the new owners be able to lavish the attention and capital on the smaller collection of parks to help make them successful? Here’s hoping that’s the case.
I am heartened by the announcement that Travis Kelce is Six Flags’ official “brand ambassador” for the 2026 season. A lifelong coaster and park fan, the football star acquired a stake in the company late last year. The brand could use some polishing and should be able to capitalize on the Kelce bump. (Then again, I am disheartened that Jana Partners, the activist investment firm which is affiliated with Kelce and which has a sizable stake in Six Flags, is pressuring the company to explore a sale and make leadership changes. That is not going to help the park chain’s image or calm its turbulent waters.)
“Decisions like this are never taken lightly,“ says John Reilly, the chain’s president and CEO, about unloading the seven properties. “This move allows Six Flags to concentrate on the parks that we believe offer the greatest opportunities for growth and long-term success,” Amen to that as well, I guess.
Sure it is a major organization engaged in the often-harsh world of business, but given its squeaky-clean, little kid-centric image, are you as rattled as I am by the nasty allegations leveled by Sesame Workshop? If it is successful in ending its agreement with United Parks, to what parks would you want to see Big Bird and his brood migrate? What do you think might become of the pared-down portfolio of Six Flags parks? How about the ones now being run by Enchanted Parks?
For Sesame Street, I am very curious on what United Parks will say in court. Probably that they are losing money with the brand, and it is not as popular as it used to be. My wife and I exposed my now adult children to Sesame Street, but they didn't take to it like we did when we were young.
My unique coaster count is north of 200. So, I am an "average"(?) amusement park fan. Maybe it is telling that I have never been to any of the 7 parks that were sold and had no current plans to visit any of them.