SeaWorld Orlando's Future Plans

[OhHaiInternet95]

^I mean, I'm pretty sure BF is an enhanced factor with SWSD.

But, SWSA doesn't rely on British tourists, and they don't have the same brutal level of competition the other two do.

The BGs are doing ok, aren't they?

 

[GAcoaster]

The Busch parks do OK, but not like they used to. Since they cut entertainment budgets they've lost some of the demographics they used to have (non-ride people).

 

[WAJAS]

Sesame Place is pretty much the only park that wasn’t majorly affected.

 

[Legacy]

Another person who bought the movie's lies

Former employees were telling me stories about the... questionable treatment of animals at the park years prior to Blackfish’s release. While film was edited to invoke a heavily emotional response, to dismiss it outright as “lies” isn’t accurate.

Cetaceans are highly intelligent creatures intended for a ocean. Putting them in anything smaller than that is cruel.

 

[Jake Obannon]

#GoingOutOfBusiness

 

[WAJAS]

#GoingOutOfBusiness

Wow I never thought of it like that. Thanks for adding to the discussion.

 

[Mad Dog]

#GoingOutOfBusiness

Blue Light Special; Two Orcas for the price of one...

 

[OhHaiInternet95]

I assume if worst comes to worst the coasters will be relocated? Would love for Universal to buy Manta...

 

[fryoj]

I assume if worst comes to worst the coasters will be relocated? Would love for Universal to buy Manta...

I'd put the odds of that around 0. They might get sold off, but they'd likely end up in China.

 

[bob albert]

I assume if worst comes to worst the coasters will be relocated? Would love for Universal to buy Manta...

In one of the largest amusement park markets with in the world someone like cedar faire could build four more world class coasters on top of the existing stuff and be profitable. They could keep most of the animals and transition away from animal shows slowly and still be ok.

 

[MakoMania]

Cetaceans are highly intelligent creatures intended for a ocean. Putting them in anything smaller than that is cruel.

Well, with this statement you would be disagreeing with independent experts at the World Wildlife Fund, HSWRI, AZA and the American Humane Association to name a few.

 

[Legacy]

Well, with this statement you would be disagreeing with independent experts at the World Wildlife Fund, HSWRI, AZA and the American Humane Association to name a few.

Which part? The statement that cetaceans are intelligent, or the reference to personal morals regarding cruelty that scientific organizations, by their impartial nature, do not pass judgment on.

Dorsal collapse isn’t normal in the wild. Excessive raking isn’t observed in the wild. Neither is listing for extended periods of time.

Moral concepts such as cruelty are not the realm of natural scientists. To repeatedly throw intentionally objective sources into subjective beliefs implies a calloused desire to be “right” and nothing more.

Keeping intelligent, social animals in captivity just because they exist is cruel. I state it so succinctly because it’s a moral question that, to me, only has one humane answer.

 

[MakoMania]

Which part? The statement that cetaceans are intelligent, or the reference to personal morals regarding cruelty that scientific organizations, by their impartial nature, do not pass judgment on.

Dorsal collapse isn’t normal in the wild. Excessive raking isn’t observed in the wild. Neither is listing for extended periods of time.

Moral concepts such as cruelty are not the realm of natural scientists. To repeatedly throw intentionally objective sources into subjective beliefs implies a calloused desire to be “right” and nothing more.

Keeping intelligent, social animals in captivity just because they exist is cruel. I state it so succinctly because it’s a moral question that, to me, only has one humane answer.

Nobody's debating the fact that cetaceans are amazingly intelligent, in certain aspects I believe that they can rival the intelligence of humans, so we can at least agree on that.

I was just pointing out that SeaWorld has recieved the support of all the above organisations, which are all well respected authorities on animal care, welfare and veterinary science.

Of course dorsal collapse is more common in captivity (it can and does occur in the wild as well), but this is no indicator of health, physical or psycholgical. The dorsal fin is not made of bone, it is constructed of fibrous connective tissues that can bend to assume a new shape under the force of gravity if a cetacean spends more time towards the surface. This is why dorsal collapse happens in captivity and it's also why it is more commonly visible in the coastal New Zealand Orcas than in many other wild populations.

Excessive raking is a difficult topic to debate, as there is no set standard as to what a "normal" level of raking is. Raking depends upon factors including gender and social status within the pod, so there will always be animals that have lots of rakes and those who don't have so many. Orcas in the wild can commonly be seen with their bodies full of rakes whilst at other times they may have none at all, so raking is very difficult to scientifically quantify and is universally accepted to be a natural component of cetacean "society" if you will.

I would be more than happy to continue some sort of discussion similar to this elsewhere, but I don't think it contributes much to the "5 year plan" title of this topic

 

[SWBGFan]

Can we keep this on topic? Not for anything but if you are against SW why are you even posting here anyway. It just seems like you're baiting for an argument by posting something like that.

 

[AlexanderMBush]

Can we keep this on topic? Not for anything but if you are against SW why are you even posting here anyway. It just seems like you're baiting for an argument by posting something like that.

To be frank and real, SeaWorld was a place that as a kid; I loved heavily. And while I do wish to return, I can acknowledge that no company is perfect, and that no company should get scot-free from flack. That is not how things work, nor should it work out that way.

And that to me, SeaWorld has made choices and tactics that have now come to bite them in the rear, and while it pains me to see that, it shouldn't be simply ignored.

I do hope SeaWorld can get out of the mess they are in, and that they can find ways to move from this that doesn't end in foreclosures of the three parks, and the selling of Busch/Sesame Place. I just have a bit of pessimism in me in regards to the future of the company, and it is unfortunate to see that.

That said, with previous endeavors, I don't believe Sesame will make any dent in SeaWorld; as it faces a similar problem that Disney will face with Galaxy's Edge, the fact that those characters and stories are already in the parks. But, I think Disney will be able to handle that much better than SeaWorld, as considering previous endeavors on Sesame Street at the core SW/Busch parks, I sincerely doubt Sesame Street will be anything special.

 

[SeventyOne]

That said, with previous endeavors, I don't believe Sesame will make any dent in SeaWorld; as it faces a similar problem that Disney will face with Galaxy's Edge, the fact that those characters and stories are already in the parks. But, I think Disney will be able to handle that much better than SeaWorld, as considering previous endeavors on Sesame Street at the core SW/Busch parks, I sincerely doubt Sesame Street will be anything special.

You make a great point here--if a Cookie Monster meet-and-greet and Grover water ski show didn't drive attendance, not sure slapping Big Bird's visage on a yellow carnival ride will do much more. (You're not wrong about Galaxy's Edge, either, but that's another thread.)

 

[UniversalRBLX]

If I were to buy the park, this would be my long term plan:

> Remove exhibits, keep the manta touch ponds (since they are so popular and that Manta stays the same
> Keep all the coasters, keep Journey to Atlantis and Antartica (just add more screens or something)
> Replace all the old exhibit areas to flat rides (demo and replace)
> Lower price for a ticket to $60-70 range.
> Re brand the park as a thrill park, not an animal park
> Expand kids area to keep families while adding the 'thrill' audience

The coasters stay the same and add a family coaster like Verbolten
Flat rides such as a Drop Ride to replace the observation tower, 4-5 thrill flat rides, and a dozen family rides.

Only way a park outside of Universal/Disney can strive would be to make it a Cedar/Six Flags style park that's cheap.

 

[shiekra38]

If I were to buy the park, this would be my long term plan:

> Remove exhibits, keep the manta touch ponds (since they are so popular and that Manta stays the same
> Keep all the coasters, keep Journey to Atlantis and Antartica (just add more screens or something)
> Replace all the old exhibit areas to flat rides (demo and replace)
> Lower price for a ticket to $60-70 range.
> Re brand the park as a thrill park, not an animal park
> Expand kids area to keep families while adding the 'thrill' audience

The coasters stay the same and add a family coaster like Verbolten
Flat rides such as a Drop Ride to replace the observation tower, 4-5 thrill flat rides, and a dozen family rides.

Only way a park outside of Universal/Disney can strive would be to make it a Cedar/Six Flags style park that's cheap.

The aquarium aspect is not a bad thing...The shows are fast becoming an issue for them..Shamu stadium has room for a good sized coaster...JTA needs a makeover for sure.

 

[GAcoaster]

If I were to buy the park, this would be my long term plan:
> Lower price for a ticket to $60-70 range.
Only way a park outside of Universal/Disney can strive would be to make it a Cedar/Six Flags style park that's cheap.

They've already done that and are already on that route to being a regional theme park, more like the Busch parks and Dollywood than a Six Flags/Cedar Fair park though.

 

[anihilnation]

The aquarium aspect is not a bad thing...The shows are fast becoming an issue for them..Shamu stadium has room for a good sized coaster...JTA needs a makeover for sure.

Personally I wish they would make the dolphin area bigger and stop the pay to feed stuff, just have a large natural looking area where you can see the dolphins and that's it.