On Monday we were invited out to SeaWorld San Diego to Emperor Media Day! We had a great time at the event, the ride is super fun and is a great fit for the park. Unfortunately we couldn't shake the feeling that the ride area isn't quite done yet. But we'll get to that, let's start off with the good stuff. 

We arrived to the park a couple of hours prior to our chosen ride time so we were able to hang around and watch media day in action, get some pictures and off-ride video of the attraction. So by the time we got to actually ride we knew what we were getting ourselves into. 

For those who don't know, I just was able to pick up a new GoPro Hero 9, we had fully anticipated using the parks set-up in addition to our own, but after watching the footage on my phone we were actually quite happy with what we had, so all the footage is ours! 

Ride Review: 

I've never hidden my love for B&M Dive Coasters. I'm not one who needs the longest, tallest, fastest, most inversions coaster. In fact, I'm more of a speed coaster person. But there's just something about the B&M Dive Coasters I have always loved. And I'm thrilled to have one in my backyard, well, my backyard 3 hours down the 5. 

The ride packs a punch, don't let it's small size fool you. It's non-stop from the drop to the brakes and I absolutely LOVE the Barrel Roll element. It's very whippy. The park definitely has a winner on their hands. 

Unfortunately with all that good, we have to kind of touch on something else. The ride isn't done. The station and queue are quite minimalist - indeed, there is almost a need for more shade for the guests & the operators. The sun on this day was already pretty harsh - and a hotter summer day could create problems for the park in terms of sunburned guests and heat stroke - yes, it can get VERY hot in Sandy Eggo.

Given they had 2 extra years it seems very odd that this is how they're opening their new coaster. 

We honestly hate being even the tiniest bit negative given that we absolutely LOVED the coaster. But the set up of the coaster and queue/station isn't even close to what we've come to expect from SeaWorld. It really does feel like all work just stopped in March 2020 and never resumed even a little bit even though the park has been reopened for almost a year. 

But overall we feel these things can be fixed, and we fully anticipate that they will be at some point. We just hope it's sooner rather than later for both guests and the SeaWorld ride ops. 

In the meantime, make sure you get out to SeaWorld San Diego to take on Emperor, you definitely will not be disappointed in the coaster itself, and we can't wait to get out to the park to ride some more. 

"This is an exciting milestone for our company, as this is the second Sesame Place in the United States and the first new theme park we've opened since 2013. We are thrilled to debut this new park and add a premiere tourist destination to California that is so appealing to families,” said Marc Swanson, SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment CEO. “Having spent part of my career with this company at the original Sesame Place in Pennsylvania and being part of its success, I’m looking forward to continuing the legacy on the West Coast and providing a fun place to visit where life-long memories are created as fans experience what they love about the iconic show in a new way.”
 
“Since 1980, Sesame Place has been a key part of the Sesame Workshop extended family and mission of helping kids grow smarter, stronger, and kinder,” said Steve Youngwood, Sesame Workshop CEO. “We are thrilled to partner with SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment to introduce the West Coast’s only standalone theme park based entirely on the award-winning educational program, Sesame Street. Sesame Place San Diego will offer kids and families an immersive opportunity to play and learn with their favorite furry friends, and continue enriching their experiences with Sesame Street.”

​Interactive Play All Day
Upon entering the new theme park, guests will immediately be immersed into the Sesame Street Neighborhood, a colorful and charming replica of the well-known street complete with the iconic 123 Stoop. The Sesame Street Neighborhood provides a variety of physical and digital experiences where guests can connect to all of the fun, laughter, and learning of the world-famous street through interactive activities. Interactive offerings include Elmo's Window where Elmo’s bedroom window comes to life with special moments that allow guests to play, dance, and sing with Elmo and friends, Bike Shop Tricycle Challenge, a motion-sensing digital game where kids use their body to control a virtual tricycle as they collect numbers before time runs out, and the Sesame Street Apartment Intercom, where guests can press the apartment number buttons to hear fun responses from Grover, Rosita, Abby Cadabby, and more. In the center of the neighborhood lies the Sunny Day Carousel, a cute, colorful, classic ride that’s perfect for all ages. The go-around features Sesame Street characters, music, and horses along with Big Bird happily greeting fans and riding around and around at the bearing of the carousel.
 
Whirling Rides & Splashy Water Slides
Surrounding the neighborhood and throughout the park are a variety of exciting Sesame Street-themed rides and attractions, perfect for families with kids of all ages. Each ride was designed with a Sesame Street character in mind such as Cookie Climb, where guests pull themselves to the top of Cookie Monster-themed towers, Elmo’s Rockin’ Rockets, that flies up, down, and all around on an imaginary trip through outer space, Super Grover’s Box Car Derby, a family-friendly roller coaster full of fun hills, big turns, and mini-dives, plus many more rides to choose from.

In addition, upcoming park visitors can plan now to pack their swimsuits to splish and splash all day long in heated pools and on water slides, including Bert’s Topsy Turvy Tunnels, Snuffy’s Spaghetti Slides, and Oscar’s Rotten Rafts, plus Big Bird’s Beach, a family-friendly, 500,000-gallon wave pool surrounded by a sandy beach, and Big Bird’s Rambling River, a relaxing, fun-filled innertube adventure with bubbling, swirling waters and splashy waterfalls. The little ones will be counting down the days until fun in the sun at The Count’s Splash Castle, a multi-level, interactive, water play attraction with a 500-gallon water bucket drop.

Certified Autism Center
Sesame Place has partnered with The International Board of Credentialing and Continuing Education Standards (IBCCES), a global leader in online training and certification programs, to be designated as a Certified Autism Center (CAC). Sesame Place Team Members will receive specialized training to ensure they have the requisite knowledge, skills, temperament, and expertise to cater to all children, including those with autism and special needs. Training focuses include sensory awareness, motor skills, autism overview, program development, social skills, communication, environment, and emotional awareness.

Best Way to Play at the Best Value
Buy a Sesame Place San Diego Season Pass now and take advantage of the best value and be among the guests who attend exclusive grand opening events. A 2022 Season Pass will be the ticket to special events filled with Sesame Street character meet-and-greets, photo opportunities, and limited collector and souvenir items only available to Season Pass holders. Season Passes are available right now at a special pre-opening price of only $129. Members will receive unlimited visits from March 26, 2022, through January 2, 2023, with no blockout dates, plus free parking, free guest tickets, and in-park discounts on food and beverage, merchandise & experiences. 2022 Season Pass holders receive access to all seasonal events, including The Count’s Halloween Spooktacular and A Very Furry Christmas.
For fans who want unlimited visits to both Sesame Place San Diego AND SeaWorld San Diego, they can add a SeaWorld Annual Pass to their Sesame Place 2022 Season Pass starting as low as $84. For more information and to purchase 2022 Season Passes visit sesameplace.com/san-diego/season-pass

For more information visit SesamePlace.com/SanDiego and follow Sesame Place San Diego on Facebook and @SesamePlaceCa on Instagram.
*Benefits vary by Pass tier.

About SeaWorld® Parks & Entertainment
SeaWorld® Parks & Entertainment, Inc. (NYSE: SEAS) is a leading theme park and entertainment company providing experiences that matter, and inspiring guests to protect animals and the wild wonders of our world. The Company is one of the world's foremost zoological organizations and a global leader in animal welfare, training, husbandry, and veterinary care. The Company collectively cares for what it believes is one of the largest zoological collections in the world and has helped lead advances in the care of animals. The Company also rescues and rehabilitates marine and terrestrial animals that are ill, injured, orphaned, or abandoned, with the goal of returning them to the wild. The SeaWorld® rescue team has helped more than 39,100 animals in need over the Company's history. SeaWorld® Parks & Entertainment, Inc. owns or licenses a portfolio of recognized brands including SeaWorld®, Busch Gardens®, Aquatica®, Sesame Place® and Sea Rescue®. Over its more than 60-year history, the Company has built a diversified portfolio of 12 destination and regional theme parks that are grouped in key markets across the United States, many of which showcase its one-of-a-kind zoological collection. The Company's theme parks feature a diverse array of rides, shows and other attractions with broad demographic appeal which deliver memorable experiences and a strong value proposition for its guests.
About Sesame Workshop 
Sesame Workshop is the nonprofit educational organization behind Sesame Street, the pioneering television show that has been reaching and teaching children since 1969. Today, Sesame Workshop is an innovative force for change, with a mission to help kids everywhere grow smarter, stronger, and kinder. We’re present in more than 150 countries, serving vulnerable children through a wide range of media, formal education, and philanthropically funded social impact programs, each grounded in rigorous research and tailored to the needs and cultures of the communities we serve. For more information, please visit www.sesameworkshop.org.

Welcome everybody to our first SeaWorld San Diego update of 2022. This promises to be a great year at the park with the opening of Emperor in less than 2 months! In this update we've got a lot of pics and video of Emperor which is opening on March 12th, and Tidal Twister that looks very close to reopening although we have no firm date on that yet. In anticipation of that busy year, Journey to Atlantis, Shipwreck Rapids and the Turtle exhibit are all closed for refurbishment. 

Our video also features Flamingos chasing Manta, because it's funny. 

For all of the Emperor opening information be sure to click here. 

Written by Gregg Condon