Sesame Street Forest of Fun

Sesame Street Forest of Fun is the toddler and preschooler heart of Busch Gardens Williamsburg — a dedicated area within the park where little ones meet their Sesame Street heroes, ride gentle attractions, and splash through water features in a setting that's genuinely designed for the 2-7 crowd.

For families with young children, this section is often the primary reason to visit Busch Gardens rather than a bonus stop. The character meet-and-greets — Elmo, Abby Cadabby, Cookie Monster, Big Bird, Grover — deliver the kind of early childhood magic that parents can't manufacture at home. When a 3-year-old who knows these characters only from TV screens comes face-to-face with a full-scale Elmo character in a themed forest setting, that's a different kind of day.

The rides are appropriately gentle — Elmo's Cloud Chaser, Grover's Alpine Express, and similar attractions that give toddlers their first real theme park ride experience.

The water features in the area are a natural toddler magnet — in Williamsburg's humid summer, kids gravitate toward splash elements. Pack a change of clothes and accept that toddlers will get wet, because the alternative is an unhappy toddler.

The budget reality is significant: Sesame Street Forest of Fun is inside Busch Gardens, and Busch Gardens is not cheap. Adult tickets run $90-110 per day at the gate, children $80-100. A family of 4 with two adults and two young children is looking at $300+ before parking and food.

Buy tickets online (30% discount is common), consider an annual Fun Card if you'll visit twice, and note that children under 3 are free — meaningful savings if you have an infant along.

For the target age (2-7), this is one of the best theme park experiences on the East Coast. The combination of beloved characters, right-sized rides, and a dedicated area designed for young kids makes Sesame Street Forest of Fun the answer to "what can we do with a toddler in Williamsburg?"