big bird could be eviced from Seaworld

[mitsukoshi samurai]

https://www.clickorlando.com/theme-...orld-agreement-over-brazen-contract-breaches/

 

[hardcorestitch]

https://www.clickorlando.com/theme-...orld-agreement-over-brazen-contract-breaches/

As if losing them at Universal in Japan wasn’t enough…

 

[Smugpugmug]

The way United Parks & Resorts operates their parks is genuinely embarrassing. Worse than Six Flags at this point. I would be mad too if I was Sesame Street.

 

[keishashadow]

big bird could be eviced from Seaworld​

more like he's getting ready to fly the coop

a shame as a cute kids' area in that park

 

[Scalemaster34]

big bird could be eviced from Seaworld​

more like he's getting ready to fly the coop

a shame as a cute kids' area in that park

The way parks are closing these days, he might not find another roosts... much like the problem they have with broadcasting. I think now it's PBS along with Netflix, but the format is changing to fit the streamers requirements. And they seem to be a political target of almost everyone - both sides of the political line in the sand. I'm not sure who would want that PR mess at this point.

 

[keishashadow]

And they seem to be a political target of almost everyone - both sides of the political line in the sand.

sadly, easy pickings to divert attention away from the serious issues we have.

 

[DodgerGirl]

When you look through the telescope Sesame Street characters have never ever done meet and greets outside of Sesame Street and the only times Sesame Street promoted it's characters to do meet and greets much like celebrity meet and greets is during visits to children's hospitals and at shopping malls and they also have the Sesame Street Live shows but most of the time other than at Sesame Place Sesame Street character meet and greets have become extinct. The main reason why I think Sea World is no longer gonna have Sesame Street characters in the parks is because they don't want to pay the character actors more money and also I think Sea World has plans for bringing their own characters back. And since people with toddlers can meet Sesame Street characters at Sesame Place I think Sesame Workshop decided to cut ties with Sea World because of how much money it was costing them to promote Sesame Street in the park. But somewhere down the line I think in the future Sesame Place will file for bankruptcy and another theme park chain will get the Sesame Street characters in the years ahead

 

[Nayan]

The main reason why I think Sea World is no longer gonna have Sesame Street characters in the parks is because they don't want to pay the character actors more money and also I think Sea World has plans for bringing their own characters back.

Tell me you didn't read the article without telling me. Please do some research before posting.

 

[Joanna71985]

When you look through the telescope Sesame Street characters have never ever done meet and greets outside of Sesame Street and the only times Sesame Street promoted it's characters to do meet and greets much like celebrity meet and greets is during visits to children's hospitals and at shopping malls and they also have the Sesame Street Live shows but most of the time other than at Sesame Place Sesame Street character meet and greets have become extinct. The main reason why I think Sea World is no longer gonna have Sesame Street characters in the parks is because they don't want to pay the character actors more money and also I think Sea World has plans for bringing their own characters back. And since people with toddlers can meet Sesame Street characters at Sesame Place I think Sesame Workshop decided to cut ties with Sea World because of how much money it was costing them to promote Sesame Street in the park. But somewhere down the line I think in the future Sesame Place will file for bankruptcy and another theme park chain will get the Sesame Street characters in the years ahead

The characters at SW have never left

 

[Scalemaster34]

The characters at SW have never left

Yeah that's the issue, they are still using them... but not paying the originally agreed on contract amount My guess is neither side wants the program to end, but I suspect SW has found they aren't as valuable as was expected and would like to readjust the contract. The talk of bringing back their own characters is likly just to get SS to move budge a little.

Reality is I watch SS back when I was a kid, but there were only four channels and the other three didn't have kids programming during the day. And while there were aspects I enjoyed, there were others I found boring. Neither my kids or grand kids watched it, as there was too much other programing out there.... much of it Disney. I know we had to explain Cookie Monster to one of them recently... didn't know who that was. Likely a court will have to "value" their use in some way... but it's clear their value is fading.

 

[mitsukoshi samurai]

ORLANDO, Fla. – This lawsuit is brought to you by the letter “S” — as in SeaWorld and Sesame Workshop.

The parent company of the “Sesame Street” franchise is suing SeaWorld Parks and Entertainment, accusing them of “repeated, intentional breaches” of its current contract agreement, and “rogue retaliatory actions.”

Sesame Workshop doesn’t just want money, though; it wants to end its nearly 50-year deal with SeaWorld altogether.

In the lawsuit filed in federal court, Sesame Workshop claims SeaWorld failed to pay millions of dollars in royalties in 2022 for the Sesame Place theme park in the Philadelphia area, which is run by SeaWorld.

Sesame Workshop says even though it was awarded the royalties during arbitration, and in a court ruling in 2024, SeaWorld has refused to pay.

[WATCH: Sesame Street opens at SeaWorld (from 2019)]



Sesame Street opens at SeaWorld

36



Play Video























Moreover, the lawsuit accuses SeaWorld of reneging on aspects of the 2017 agreement the two companies signed, including a promise to open a third Sesame Place theme park, and SeaWorld’s decision to shut down the Sesame Street Bay of Play at SeaWorld San Antonio.

In both cases, SeaWorld refused to pay fees owed to Sesame Workshop for those decisions as part of the agreement, the lawsuit says.

Then, in September 2025, the court issued writs of garnishment against SeaWorld to obtain the arbitration money SeaWorld had still not paid.

The lawsuit says SeaWorld, that same day, announced it was closing Sesame Place San Diego without letting Sesame Workshop know. SeaWorld decided to transition to a “seasonal schedule.”

Sesame Workshop claims all of these actions amount to retaliation by SeaWorld for the royalties dispute.

The lawsuit also claims that while SeaWorld did pay the royalties required by the courts in October 2025, from then on SeaWorld “unilaterally stopped paying royalties to Sesame Workshop and, until recently, even ignored Sesame Workshop’s requests for royalty reports needed to calculate new invoices.”

[WATCH: SeaWorld Orlando unveils first-of-its-kind indoor suspended dark ride]



SeaWorld Orlando unveils first-of-its-kind indoor suspended dark ride

7.8K

2

Play Video























The lawsuit also says Sesame Workshop has been locked out of the companies’ shared social media approval documents, and SeaWorld has also sent out marketing materials using the Sesame Workshop IP without approval.

Sesame Place says it wants the court to find SeaWorld in breach of contract, it wants the right to terminate its agreement, and it is seeking monetary damages.

“SeaWorld has wholly ignored its obligations under the Agreement, and has gone rogue with Sesame Workshop’s valuable IP. Its actions have not only wrongfully denied Sesame Workshop, a nonprofit children’s organization, royalties and termination fees, but also, more importantly, undermined Sesame Workshop’s brand,” the lawsuit reads. “Sesame Workshop did not want to terminate its Agreement with its exclusive U.S. theme park licensee of over forty-five years, but it has no choice.”

SeaWorld also has Sesame Street areas at SeaWorld Orlando and Busch Gardens Tampa Bay.

SeaWorld issued the following statement to News 6 Friday:

“We are aware of the lawsuit filed by Sesame Workshop and look forward to setting the record straight in court.

“In the meantime, we are preparing to welcome guests to the grand openings of our Sesame Place park in Langhorne, Pennsylvania this Saturday, March 14, and Sesame Place San Diego in Chula Vista, California, on Friday, March 27.

“Season passes are on sale now and offer the best value for guests with free parking and unlimited visits all year to experience the exciting shows, events and rides. We are looking forward to a great year at our Sesame Place parks.”