Image from lkb6.com
Tokyo Sesame Place had an Ernie's Bed Bounce, similar to the one that was in Langhorne from 1980 to 2013.
The one in Tokyo had a roof.
Image from izu.to
Image from Twitter
Image from Twitter
Image from Twitter
Logo by Chris Mercaldo
Wednesday, May 15, 2019
Tuesday, May 14, 2019
Little Bird's Court and Little Bird's Hop
Image from YouTube
Little Bird's Court was a name for a play area in Sesame Place Langhorne. Within this play area was a play element called Little Bird's Hop. This was a bunch of "Hopalong Big Bird" toys that kids could hop across an approximately 15 foot AstroTurf surface.
Image from YouTube
The Hopalong Big Bird toys were stored in round holes cut in the wood at the front of the "race area."
Image from YouTube
Image from Mego Museum
Because these were a consumer product they didn't hold up well at the park and Little Bird's Hop was removed.
Monday, May 13, 2019
Unofficial Sesame Place Podcast: Episode 108
LINK (right click to save) 37:56
Guy Hutchinson discusses the 2019 changes at Sesame Place Langhorne and talks about the history of Tokyo Sesame Place.
LINK: Buy the book!
Tokyo: Big Bird's Pond
Here's a Tokyo Sesame Place attraction that did not exist at the Langhorne, PA or Irving, TX Sesame Place. The attraction used motorized bumper boats manufactured by Bumper Boats Inc. of Rhode Island, maker of the "World Famous" Kiddie Bumper Boats.
Image from kozaru98.fc2web.com
Image from park5.wakwak.com
Image from blogimg.goo.ne.jp
Tokyo: Elmo's Nets and Climbs; Slimey Slider
Image from YouTube
When the Langhorne park opened in 1980 the Nets and Climbs were a centerpiece of the park until they were demolished in 2013. Today a new (smaller) set of nets, Monster Clubhouse, are in it's place.
When Tokyo Sesame Place opened in 1990 they had a very similar set of nets as Elmo's Nets and Climbs.
The Tokyo version had swings at the very top of the nets as did Langhorne for many years!
Image from kozaru98.fc2web.com
Image from kozaru98.fc2web.com
Image from kozaru98.fc2web.com
There was a crows nest/observation area that was similar to the one in Langhorne.
Image from kozaru98.fc2web.com
Image from kozaru98.fc2web.com
Image from kozaru98.fc2web.com
There was a slide that would take you down from the second floor, it was called Slimey Slider:
Tokyo Sesame Place coin operated kiddie rides
Tokyo Sesame Place had several coin operated character rides.
The vehicles were made by Amutec & Fun2Learn.
These were the same vehicles that could be found in shopping malls around the world. At Tokyo Sesame Place they cost 100 yen.
Image from kozaru98.fc2web.com
Image from blogs.yahoo.co.jp
Image from pop2.air-nifty.com
Here are clearer photos of similar vehicles:
Oscar the Grouch Trash Can Car:
Image from Flickr
Ernie and Bert's Sing-A-Long Car:
Image from Reddit
Cookie Monster's Munch Truck:
Image from Picssr
Big Bird and Elmo's The Big Bird Express:
Image from Picsbud
Tokyo Sesame Place Today
Back in 2012 I did a post about the location of the Tokyo Sesame Place. I was off by about a mile and a half.
Let's correct things! This weekend I was reading up on Tokyo Sesame Place (I will be blogging a bit more about it soon) and I looked at my old post and really couldn't match it up with the images I have of the park.
Thankfully I found an English language blogger who had done a blog where he mentioned Sesame Place. I reached out to him and he provided the location:
Google Maps location
Big thanks to Andy for the info! Really great to know and bizarre to see that Tokyo Sesame Place is still standing 13 years after it closed.
Image from Google Earth
Let's correct things! This weekend I was reading up on Tokyo Sesame Place (I will be blogging a bit more about it soon) and I looked at my old post and really couldn't match it up with the images I have of the park.
Thankfully I found an English language blogger who had done a blog where he mentioned Sesame Place. I reached out to him and he provided the location:
Google Maps location
Big thanks to Andy for the info! Really great to know and bizarre to see that Tokyo Sesame Place is still standing 13 years after it closed.
Image from Google Earth
Image from http://blog-imgs-30.fc2.com
This is a look at the parking lot today. The green and brown building with the arched roof used to have a Sesame Place logo on it. You can see it on Andy's blog:
I'm not sure exactly what this building was used for. It does not appear on the park map. When arriving there would be a Sesame Place archway to the right side of the picture (now removed) You can see the archway on the map below.
This building was probably administrative use of some kind. Ticket booths were located after the archway.
Image from Twitter
Image from tabijin.cocolog-nifty.com
From there you would take a long escalator up the side of a large hill. I have marked the former location of the escalator in red:
Image from Google Earth
At the top of the escalator you would reach the Big Bird head. I have blogged about it before. I found a cool bit of trivia. The eyes lit up and there were small lights that went all around Big Bird's head.
Thanks to Steve Davis for this info! Steve worked at the Langhorne park and traveled to the Tokyo park for it's opening in 1990.
Image from tabijin.cocolog-nifty.com
Image from tabijin.cocolog-nifty.com
Image from kozaru98.fc2web.com
All the play elements, restaurants and shops were on this level.
There's a bunch to cover here and I will put it together for you as soon as I can!
I will be discussing this at GalaxyCon Richmond in a panel called The History of Sesame Street in Theme Parks from Tokyo to Williamsburg (Busch Gardens Williamsburg is nearby and has a Sesame Street section.)
Big thanks to the following for assistance in this article: andysensei.com, Steve Davis, Greg Hartley and Amanda (@circe154 on Twitter.)
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