Sorry, SeaWorld: I was wrong. Attendance is up, free beer is a win, and Rudolph will be back in December

[Travisma 1,317]

Lengthy article, but it goes to show that even the "experts" can make a wrong call now and then... and I don't mean weathermen/women !

Here's the link to the entire article  https://www.orlandoweekly.com/orlando/sorry-seaworld-i-was-wrong-attendance-is-up-free-beer-is-a-win-and-rudolph-will-be-back-in-december/Content?oid=18012752&utm_source=widget&utm_medium=toc&utm_campaign=rightrail&utm_content=TabbedPopularity

 

Here are a few highlights

I like to think of myself as a seasoned observer of Orlando's theme park industry, but at the risk of being accused of peddling "fake news," I'm going to admit that I got something wrong. Earlier this year, in both this column and an interview with WMFE, I shared some critical (perhaps even cynical) comments about SeaWorld and its sister attractions, based on my personal experiences and published reports. Without addressing the orca-shaped elephant in the room, I'm conceding that my predictions of SeaWorld's performance were off-target, in light of some electrifying new evidence.

Back in the spring, I was betting that Walt Disney World (with its new Toy Story Land) and Universal Orlando (which debuted Fast & Furious) would have superb summer seasons. But now that the grand opening hoopla has faded, neither attraction appears to have made much long-term impact on the general public. I was able to obtain a prime pair of Slinky Dog Dash FastPasses on 24 hours notice during what should have been a peak attendance period at Disney's Hollywood Studios, and the wait for Supercharged rarely exceeds an hour, even though it often operates only a fraction of its party bus fleet.

SeaWorld Orlando, on the other hand, exceeded all my expectations this past summer – as well as the capacity of its parking lot on some days – thanks to its EDM-inspired Electric Ocean event.

Furthermore, last month's quarterly report revealed nearly 5 percent gains in SeaWorld Entertainment's revenue and attendance,

"Free beer" certainly lured me through a hurricane-like lightning storm for August's media preview of Busch Gardens Tampa's brand-new Bier Fest,which is currently going up against Epcot's International Food and Wine event in a Central Florida Fall Foodie Festival Face-off. Epic rain, the threat of electrocution and ultimately my aging liver kept me from fully exploring all the brews and bites Busch's event has to order

I was also in error when I told the WMFE audience that Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer and friends would not be returning to SeaWorld's holiday celebration.

extended SeaWorld's contract through the 2023 season. That's good news for one of Orlando's best holiday events, and great news for those who want SeaWorld's parks to rely more on fictional animals rather than captive ones

[BradyBzLyn...Mo 2,023]

You had me at "free beer"