Here is every little tidbit that was told relating to the future of the Orlando park at the TownHall.
1. In the first ten days of June, expect a new "thing" in the relaxation area next to Wild Arctic. I am just expecting a new street performance group or band, such as Sing It at Universal.
2. New Pass Member benefits were discussed such as..
- A Pass Member only outdoor area at Aquatica in response to the surprising popularity of the Pass Member Lounge at SeaWorld. By the way, the new park president apparently championed that lounge when nobody else thought it would amount to anything special.
- The side entrance turnstiles at SeaWorld, which have never been in use I believe, may be opened on especially busy days as a Pass Member only entrance.
3. The new park president is also championing the return of the SeaWorld mimes. They would not be the park "mascot" like they were in the early 2000s, and may not necessarily be a part of the sea lion shows. I would expect them to become a roaming street act. I was told that they may be included as a part of Sea Lions Tonite when that show returns in 2017. Speaking of which...
4. Sea Lions Tonite is highly likely to be returning in Summer 2017, but this would not be the attraction that is a part of the 5-year plan. The current show's cast animals are still learning the current show and are considered new, so they are waiting for them to completely learn this show before they add another.
5. The Orca shows are expected to stop at the end of 2018, but the range for is between late 2017 and early 2019.
6. The Christmas Festivities this year will include a new "realm,"whatever that means. They also seem very in to using their new rights to the Rudolph IP to the fullest extent they can, so maybe selling them to Universal is not as certain as was previously thought. They "want to own Christmas."
7. Manby said that we can expect lot of animal habitat improvements and new attractions (not necessarily separately) in the near future. I assume he is referring to the same Dolphin Cove project
@hatetofly mentioned previously.
I really hope these TownHall events become a yearly or bi-yearly event. It was honestly very interesting to meet the people behind these major decisions at the company. Also, some Mako Pass Member preview and benefit information was released, but I will put that in the appropriate thread.