SeaWorld Orlando, expectedly, has reported a significant loss of revenue as well as a decrease in attendance, dropping 96% since the same time last year as an effect of the shutdowns due to COVID-19, according to News 13.
What’s Happening:
- In an investors call earlier today, SeaWorld Orlando reported only $18 Million in revenue during the second quarter, down 96% from the $406 million that was reported at the same time last year.
- Attendance mirrored the loss, dropping 96%, reporting 300,000 visitors, compared to 6.5 million guests reported for the same time last year.
- The company also reported a net loss of $131 Million in the three month period that ended on June 30th.
- It was in March that the park closed due to concerns amid the COVID-19 pandemic, furloughing the majority of workers in April to cut costs, and reopened the park in June. Seaworld in San Antonio, Texas also opened at this time, and SeaWorld in San Diego still remains closed at press time. Of the parks that are part of the Seaworld Parks and Entertainment brand, nine have reopened, including Busch Gardens in Tampa Bay, Florida.
- Seaworld Parks and Entertainment has also decided not to open the Aquatica water park in San Diego, or Water Country USA in Williamsburg for the remainder of the year.
- On the flip side, SeaWorld Orlando had also reported a 15% attendance increase from the last week of June until the week ending August 2nd, with a 10% increase in in-park spending.
- The company also plans on holding popular Halloween and Christmas events, though modified, at several of their parks, though they didn’t specify which ones. Other major Halloween events in Central Florida have been cancelled, including Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party at Walt Disney World and Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Orlando. If SeaWorld plans on holding their annual family-friendly SeaWorld Spooktacular, or even the more frightening Howl-O-Scream at Busch Gardens Tampa, they would have the competitive advantage of being the only major player in the region holding a seasonal event.
- While on the investor’s call, SeaWorld interim CEO Marc Swanson emphasized that we would see attractions that were supposed to open this year, namely Ice Breaker at SeaWorld Orlando and Iron Gwazi at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay, debut some time next year.
What They’re Saying:
- SeaWorld interim CEO Marc Swanson: “We’re really excited about the lineup for 2021. As we noted, we’re moving most of the attractions, the ones that didn’t open this year, our plan is to move to 2021.”