The event includes a lunch served buffet-style and meet and greets with Zoe and some of her pals from Sesame Street.

One 6×8 photo including Zoe is included per family. Lunch is $23 for adults and $17 for children. Pass members receive a 10 percent discount. Admission to the park is required but not included.

To make your family’s reservation, visit SesameStreetSafariofFun.com and click on Dine With Elmo to book the Sept. 25 dine, or call 1-888-800-5447.

Celebrate Zoe’s birthday at Sesame Street Safari of Fun in Tampa is a post from Family travel blog Theme Park Mom

Busch Gardens Tampa Bay is offering some new character dining options with the Sesame Street characters starting on March 27.

The Tampa theme park is opening its new Sesame Street Safari of Fun children’s area on that day, and you can make your reservations now to have breakfast or lunch with Elmo and friends.

Busch Gardens previewed their character breakfast for the media last week. Here’s a photo tour:

The dining venue is open air, so you will need to be sure everyone is dressed accordingly. It is covered and shaded, though, and will be a great respite from the sun this summer.

Most of the Sesame Street Safari of Fun is still under construction, but here’s a look at a finished walkway that shows the bright colors and mural painting that will be used in the new children’s area.

The preschooler who visited with me wanted me to take a picture of the bathroom, so here you go! It is conveniently located near the dining venue and will be close to the splash-play area, as well. I do wonder if that lone diaper-changing shelf will be enough on busy days at Busch Gardens.

The breakfast buffet included fresh fruit, muffins, cinnamon rolls, scrambled eggs, biscuits, bacon, sausage, pancakes and cold cereals. It was kid-friendly – everyone should be able to find something they like here. The beverage choices included coffee, milk (white or chocolate) and various juices.

The Sesame Street characters arrived with great fanfare. Classic Sesame Street music (“Doin’ the Pigeon,” “What’s the Name of That Song?” “Rubber Ducky,” etc.) played as the characters mingled. Elmo and Big Bird posed with kids for a professional photo at the backdrop shown in the picture at the top of this post, while Cookie Monster, Zoe, Bert, Ernie and Rosita made the rounds in the dining room.

The characters sign autographs. Be sure to bring a thick marker and a notebook or autograph book if you want them to sign; it’s hard for the characters to hold a regular pen.

I was impressed with the performance of the characters. They did a great job of interacting with the kids and getting down on their level. There was plenty of time to get pictures with all of them.

Breakfast with Elmo and Friends and Lunch with Elmo and Friends can be reserved online now. Breakfasts cost $18 for adults and $15 for children ages 3 to 9. Lunch is $23 for adults and $17 for children. Children under 3 are free at both meals, but they still need a reservation.

Right now, Busch Gardens is taking reservations for a 9:30 a.m. breakfast seating on Friday, Saturday or Sunday and an 11:30 a.m. lunch seating daily. Those times and days will likely be tweaked with the crowd levels once the Sesame Street Safari of Fun opens later this month.

Don’t forget about the new offer for kids 5 and under – a free pass to Busch Gardens Tampa Bay that is good through the end of 2010! You must sign up for this offer online at SesameStreetSafariofFun.com.

New Sesame Street character dining options at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay is a post from Family travel blog Theme Park Mom

And it was big – for Florida parents of kids ages 5 and under: FREE admission.

To celebrate the opening of the Sesame Street Safari of Fun at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay this spring, the Tampa theme park is offering free admission for kids ages 5 and under for the rest of 2010!

Here’s how you can get in on the deal:

• Your child must be a Florida resident.
• The child must be 5 years old or younger when you register for the pass. If the child turns 6 during the year, he or she is still eligible for admission, as long as the registration was completed before his or her sixth birthday
• You must register online in advance; these free passes will not be issued at the park gate.
• Go to SesameStreetSafariofFun.com to register your child and print the e-Ticket.
• Bring the e-Ticket and a birth certificate or passport to Busch Gardens, and your preschooler gets in free through Dec. 31, 2010!

The Sesame Street Safari of Fun is a new children’s area that opens March 27. It will feature Sesame Street-themed rides, splash play areas and a brand-new junior roller coaster, Air Grover. Kids can see their favorite Sesame Street characters in a stage show at the Sunny Day Theater, get their picture made in a new character greeting area and dine with Elmo and his friends at character breakfasts and lunches.

I’ll have a sneak peek at the character dining options coming up tomorrow here on ThemeParkMom.com.

Busch Gardens Tampa Bay offering free admission for preschoolers is a post from Family travel blog Theme Park Mom

The Sesame Street Safari of Fun opens March 27 at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay. After touring the construction yesterday, I am even more excited to see the project completed.

Talking Sesame Street with Busch Gardens Tampa Bay exec and foreman Bif is a post from Family travel blog Theme Park Mom

Park officials say you’ll be able to see Big Bird, Elmo and the rest of the Sesame Street gang at Busch Gardens beginning March 27.

Sesame Street Safari of Fun is located where the theme park’s Land of the Dragons children’s area used to be. It will feature a children’s roller coaster (Air Grover), a flume ride, a swing ride, a new carousel and two water play areas.

Busch Gardens also plans to offer Sesame Street character dining and photo ops.

Busch Gardens Tampa Bay sets opening date for Sesame Street Safari of Fun is a post from Family travel blog Theme Park Mom

Starting next spring (2010), visitors to Busch Gardens Tampa Bay will have sunny days with Elmo, Big Bird and other Sesame Street characters in a new section of the park, Sesame Street Safari of Fun.

Busch Entertainment Corporation has announced the construction of the new Sesame Street area of the Tampa theme park. The new rides and attractions will be located in the old Land of the Dragons kiddie play area, and that area of the park will be doubled in size.

The new rides at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay will include:

• Air Grover – A junior roller coaster
• Zoe-Patra and the Hippos of the Nile – A flume ride
• Rosita’s Djembe Fly-Away – Swing ride
• Elmo’s Safari Go-round – Carousel
• Oscar’s Swamp Stomp – water play area
• Bert & Ernie’s Water Hole – splash play area

There will also be a new photo studio, Sesame Street character greetings and a Sesame Street-themed musical show. And the Sesame Street theming will continue in Tampa with a character dining experience at an outdoor-restaurant adjacent to the new Sesame Street area of the park.

In addition, Busch Gardens Tampa Bay’s 4-D theater will get a new show, “Sesame Street presents Lights, Camera, Imagination!” This new 4-D show will replace “Pirates” in the theater in the Timbuktu area of the park.

Busch Entertainment Corporation has a long-standing licensing agreement with Sesame Workshop, because of the characters used at the theme park chain’s Sesame Place park in Pennsylvania. This year, Busch Gardens Williamsburg added a new Sesame Street area, and there has long been speculation that Busch Gardens Tampa Bay would follow suit.

Will the new characters help draw Orlando visitors to Busch Gardens Tampa Bay? I think so. What do you think?

Busch Gardens Tampa Bay to build Sesame Street Safari of Fun is a post from Family travel blog Theme Park Mom