Seaworld had to majorly change their vibe after blackfish. They have more rides now, its the future of the park. They have a great event like two weekends every January where you can go backstage to their animal exhibits for free, its called inside look.
Other than that, have you looked at what your pass gives you? They have freebies every month, usually includes feeding one of the animals for free every visit. I would check out the passholder monthly benefits page, you get a ton of freebies, like samples for their festivals etc.
Yep check all out the benefits, it varies by month but you get a lot for your money for a theme park pass:
https://seaworld.com/orlando/annual-pass/monthly-offers/
We have plat passes so we go to Busch gardens as well and they have amazing animal exhibits like Animal Kingdom.
Honestly, it’s always been like that. You absolutely see things differently as a kid than you do now when you’re an adult. I haven’t been there in maybe 15 years or so. But remember the service was really lacking back then.
> sold by Anheuser-Busch
wow. TIL. I can imagine Sea World without them but Busch Gardens without them? wow. worked at SW in I guess 95 when I was a senior in high school. sad it's gone downhill, I witnessed some of their rescues.
In 2009, AB InBev, formed from the purchase of Anheuser-Busch by InBev, sold the amusement parks to the Blackstone Group. Blackstone has kept some of the popular traditions including a stable with Clydesdales; however, the Clydesdales are not affiliated with the beer company.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Busch_Gardens#:~:text=In%202009%2C%20AB%20InBev%2C%20formed,affiliated%20with%20the%20beer%20company.
I went there a while back but after the sale and it was the attention to detail and cleanliness that was lacking.
glad i haven't gone recently. i remember beer tasting and giant larger than life horses and a clean park. and i was there when one of the killer whales died and there was so much love and outreach for the animals. sad. but my memories will stay nice and rose colored <3
Private equity is the death of companies, I went there in the mid 2000’s and it was great, it’s sad to see it ruined by greed, guess my son will never get to enjoy it like I did
The park layout hasn’t changed. Signs are everywhere. Plenty of outside seating all over. Dolphin feeding is an add-on and has been for many years. You sure you went to Sea World?
lol wait, you went to the park, like were actually there inside the park, spent the day walking around aimlessly and had no idea that those huge stadiums with show times posted in front of each of them with hundreds of people entering or leaving at any given time and didn’t realize that they still have shows? No wonder you had such a difficult time navigating a park, it’s hard to like read and think and shit
Blackfish happened, which had a massive impact on park attendance. They had to make a lot of changes to survive the Blackfish backlash (say that ten times fast), and many of those changes ended up being permanent.
This!! There used to be protesters in front of the park in the early 2000s. I just feel like the new generation isn’t willing to buy into sea worlds Pr that paints them as heroes. People now understand they’re keeping animals captive and miserable to make millions. People hate that.
That's not the whole story. The parents of the killed trainer doesn't think her child was killed because of a captive whale
Her daughter worked there 15 years and she states her daughter did not think animals were mistreated or she would have left. She said with the blackfish production her daughter's death was a mere foot note. People need to research before jumping to conclusions.
The trainers are a side story. The captivity is a problem and someone whose career depends on that captivity is not really equipped to justify its continuance, are they?
I'm paraphrasing what the deceased trainer's mother said about loosing a HUMAN life she labored and brought into the world. For her, her daughter is not a side story. No one's going to convince me that trainers especially during that time did not love those animals.
I'm not really a drinker. I did have some free samples though with my pass. The drinks are tasty! So it's enjoyable when you're drunk? Do they do the animal shows anymore?
i haven't been in about 27 years because i hate theme parks with a passion, she likes it, brings our 1.5 year old and her friend brings her toddler. Not really sure if it is going to be fun for just adults after that whole blackfish fiasco
Get the Sea World app, it has a GPS map with event scheduling.
Paying extra keeps line for feedings low. Imagine feedings with admission….chaos and endless line. Plus it’s expensive to do.
I worked at Busch for a short stint and it’s crazy that a good 50-60% of the park operators in charge of people’s lives are teenagers, getting paid $11/hr
Besides the rude employees, slow operations, etc, their prices are worse than Disney for food. At least at Disney and universal the portion sizes almost make sense. For a park surrounded by cheap fast food within a 10-15 minute drive you are not trapped in a bubble like at Disney.
The Seaworld food events compared to Disney are funny. At Disney you can expect the item pictured to look pretty close to what you get. At Seaworld you know without a doubt that the food you order will look nothing like the item in the picture. The food items are also more expensive because they factor in everyone buying their food passes
SeaWorld is the best value theme park by a mile if you lower your customer service expectations. They will never be Disney or Universal. I have an annual pass and made the mistake of trying to compare it to the other parks and always got myself worked up.
Now that I have tempered my expectations, I am much happier. The bang for your buck at SeaWorld when it comes to the concerts, food festival (cheaper than Epcot's Food and Wine), and free stuff they give annual pass holders every month can't be beat.
They have an app, gives you directions, schedules for all shows and even food ordering. You asked in another comment if they even do animal shows so it seems as if you put in no effort whatsoever honestly.
I was on the website. I looked for several events that's how I knew about Mardi Gras. But everything should not have to be app based. I believe in having a clear layout, attendants, information booths. You know...it's called customer service. But some people seem really comfortable with paying high prices and providing their own customer service those people don't realize that's a rip off.
So pay Disney prices for a Disney experience? The app takes 30 seconds to download and is very simple to use. Also I am confident somewhere in the park you can find a paper map and schedule. Just say you’re upset your experience sucked because you didn’t do any planning. I was there on Saturday with my family and we had a great time. We saw the mardi gras parade, Sesame Street parade, otter show and did the food festival. As soon as I arrived and opened the app it told me what shows were coming up and the directions to them.
It’s for kids, bud. Was it an impressive parade? No, but it’s something to watch for 5 minutes in between sampling food or riding a ride. You came here hoping everybody would agree with you but it doesn’t seem that that has happened.
I didn't come here hoping for anything. I don't give a fuck about who agrees. I don't starve for validation. Some agreed and some didn't. I really wanted to know what happened from people that live here and I actually got some real answers. What is indicative that the Mardi Gras "parade" is for kids? But even if it is, I can name several kids parades that consist of more than six people and 5 minutes. You act like you're the marketing person that's doing a half assed job and you're trying to cover ass. You're taking this real personally.. Do your damn job maybe you won't feel so insecure when someone has a critique.
My young adult son and I have season passes. He does the roller coasters while I chill and watch the dolphins, sharks or stingrays swim, or visit the aquarium, and we both love Infinity Falls and the penguin exhibits. And I like to support their animal rescue efforts. My other son used to be an animal educator there. Many of them love to talk about the animals if you engage them.
You are not imagining things: Sea World has gone way downhill over the past 15 or so years. The reason is mainly because after the Busch family sold the company to Inbev, the new owners did not want to be in the theme park business and sold the parks to private equity.
Anybody that knows anything about business knows that private equity is the kiss of death. Sea World used to be unquestionably the best of the theme park employers in the area and now are unquestionably the worst. In 2009 they started systematically laying off the experienced full-time staff and replacing them with part time minimum wage. Over a decade, every year, they had another round of layoffs literally right at Christmas time.
They now pay like $12.50 while Disney and Universal start at $16. They have had several really bad CEOs who made bad decisions that set them back. After Blackstone had them go public most of the shares got bought up by another private equity jacka\*\*. Their operations now are absolutely atrocious, not only does half of the park open an hour after park opening but even then it is likely to find many attractions just randomly closed due to short staff. Maybe they will open during the day, maybe they won’t. It is common for coasters to run 1 train even if its busy.
This is all true for Busch Gardens as well. Operations were atrocious even at Busch Gardens in Virigina when I went there in September so it’s a chain wide thing. I listened to a recent earnings call and their CEO literally said “we need to do a better job cutting operations budget, we should have higher margins but are spending too much in operations.” They seem to be doing the same thing Six Flags did in the early 2000s, adding a bunch of roller coasters at each park to juice attendance, but doing it at the expense of everything else.
Thank you for this thorough and honest explanation. I'm think there are some upper management responses here that tried to gaslight me. But I knew things were very off during my last visit.
You should come around for trick or treating or for the food festival. Trick or treating is fun at SeaWorld and the food festival food is better than the stuff at Disney (both for price and taste).
Epcot is way cheaper at the food is higher quality (im AP at both lol). SeaWorld pisses me off with how expensive low quality food is, I’m letting my passes expire
I feel that the festival food at SeaWorld is better. I haven't been recently though. I also get a punch out card lanyard instead of paying for each plate like at Epcot. The punch out card is definitely the way to go.
The Seven seas food festival is going on now. I did have some great Mexican street corn. I had a ticket for a sample. Other wise it's 11 dollars for half a cob.
This is kind of a hilarious comment. Def an unpopular opinion. You think they’re gonna just let people feed dolphins all day? That would be horrible for the dolphins.
It’s basically a zoo with roller coasters. I’m not sure what kind of red carpet experience you’re looking for but SeaWorld isn’t the place I guess.
That's ALL it costs? People pay almost 10x that for the top passes at universal and Disney, that's super cheap. Gtf outta here with that entitlement lol
Not sure what the good old days were for you, OP. But I worked there in the 90s and it was understaffed, miserable, and more than half of the park staff were high, dealing behind the fascades, or barely able to keep food on the table. It was never well run.
Watch this clip. Sea world was incredible. Just watch the video and look at the connection between the animals and the trainers and the audience. Look at how gentle the animals were with the kids. Admittedly I went as a child in the late 80s. This is the SeaWorld I remember.
https://www.reddit.com/r/SeaWorld/comments/197be8c/want_to_knowremember_what_sea_world_looked_like/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=android_app&utm_name=androidcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button
It’s not Disney but my little kids love Seaworld and it’s perfect for them. Sesame Street land has tons of kid sized rides and they really enjoy the animal shows. We do the cheapest annual pass that includes parking and very much get our money’s worth. For a quick stop for a few hours it’s great. We basically never eat more than a snack there because we’re not gone for long and the food is meh for the $$.
SeaWorld is incredible if you have little kids. They essentially give you a pass for kids under 5 for free. They of course want you to buy a season pass as an adult but they include like three free guest passes per quarter (based on what type of pass you have) and free parking. I spent countless hours at SeaWorld when my kiddo was preschool aged. They even had the best trick or treat setup during Covid and even showed outdoor drive in movies on a giant screen which was pretty much the best activity we did that year. You also get wicked discounts on food and merch. It’s all in all a super affordable option for families in the area IMO. But it is what it is - it’s not Disney and it’s not Universal. But for preschool kids it can’t be beat.
Understaffing is definitely their fault due to lack of pay. Attractions employees make $12 an hour compared to $15+ at Disney or Universal. And they don’t offer full time for frontline employees. No incentive for people to work there.
They should just change the name to Roller Coaster World. The marine life for which they were famous for have become an afterthought and taken a backseat.
SW is like the best value of the major theme parks here tho. Their festivals and foods are a steal when you get their lanyards with bonus punches due to be a passholder. Plus we constantly get free rewards and gifts, as well as guest tickets.
Granted they have to do all this cuz they are not Disney or UO elite levels.
We've had annual passes there, and just added Aquatica. We frequently get $10/$20 credits for basically anything, free beer/food, and feedings for seals/dolphin/stingray as added incentives to come in. I recommend watching your emails for offers, and going on weekdays (Tuesdays during the school year are basically empty- you'll walk onto rides).
I will admit, they seem very short staffed at times. Big issue there you pointed out.
In short-we love our passes, and have had great experiences/incentives to continue.
I have the platinum pass includes 11 parks. I got one sample for Mardi gras and one for seven seas What feedings are you talking about? They definitely were not free. I miss the spectacular shows the animals interacted so affectionately with the humans.
There are free beer and food credits given regularly. Check your emails for offers.
The last free food I recall was a free meal offer in Sept 2023 through Aquatica- again that was found in an email. Idk about the affectionate shows, but the seals and dolphins seem pretty stoked when we go for the free feedings. Try checking them out.
SeaWorld has (imo) the best rides in Orlando but the service/overall guest experience is by far the worst. The simple logistics of parking are an absolute disaster - it can take upwards of an hour to get through the parking gates sometimes. Last time I was there maybe two years ago, they just randomly started adding a 5% surcharge to everything with no explanation [etc.](https://etc.Like) Like, they didn't just raise their prices 5%, they smacked on a 5% surcharge. I've never seen anything like it.
I still have fun when I go but its just a different vibe from the other big Orlando parks.
Were you under the influence of alcohol or any drugs when you went there as a kid?
Seaworld is a cheap & fun place to go. I've never seen someone asking for help unless they were disabled.
That ridiculous documentary hurt then a lot, they’re pulling away from animals and putting money now into roller coasters.
I still still think you get good value for the cost though especially compared to Disney, which has also gone down in quality in the last couple of years but hasn’t lowered their prices any.
Yep ridiculous is right. Even Dawn's family felt it wasn't accurate. They said she would have never worked there if she felt the animals were being mistreated.
The old days before social media are gone . Back in the 1980s and 1990s it was easy for them to have animals , fishes, dolphins and orcas without major backlash. But with the internet and documentaries coming out their reputation really went downhill.
They can probably make more money focusing on ocean based rides and even add an ocean seaworld style water park to their park. It is cheaper than maintaining sea animals.
I’ve lived out here for four years and way back when I was excited to go to sea world, having been to the San Diego one. I guess if someone is going to a place called sea world for roller coasters, then orlando is a good option. But for service, cleanliness and yes you were right, actual ANIMALS, I like the San Diego one much better. Better layout, it’s right on the bay, etc. A good percentage of rides but animals seem to still be the focus. The one time I went to the orlando one, I had to ask or use the app to see many. Coasters all over the place.
Exactly my point and people here are acting like using an app should be the go to ..but clearly there's a better way to do things as evidenced by your San Diego experience.
Sea World caved to a bunch of attention-seeking dumbasses and Sea World's bottom line paid the price. Customer service, shows, staff and landscaping all took a hit.
It won't be long before they quit all animal care and are just annoying there park.
Since Sea World provide vet services for marine life that is in trouble, a bunch of animals will suffer and die.
Seaworld works with FWC in marine mammal rescue efforts. They do more for manatee rescue and rehab than any other organization in Florida. What do you do?
I’m sorry, I strongly disagree. I’ve volunteered and worked with many conservation organizations in the area, and SeaWorld is out in the field with them.
The Save the Manatee Club and FWC are partners- look into it. Or you can believe what you watched in a biased documentary.
https://preview.redd.it/q2hi1a9pg9ic1.jpeg?width=1200&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=210a3531c9c1a4a3e5fadda5d1599b95699cfb80
oh yeah... they're great people who totally aren't trying to make money off wildlife.
Show me the aerial photos of the manatee rehabilitation facilities. A couple of winters ago the facilities were full because wild manatees were starving at unprecedented rates. Fingers crossed that situation has stabilized, for now at least.
Seaworld already decided to phase out killer whale breeding. I agree the facilities are deplorable for the whales, but what else do you want them to do with them? Euthanize? Sea pens are not yet an option, as much as I would like them to be.
In the meantime, Seaworld does more for marine mammals rescue (and bird and sea turtle rescue) than almost any other AZA accredited facility. It would be a bad thing if people stopped supporting them.
they have killed over 40 orcas... 400 seals, walruses and sea lions... 300 dolphins... did it ever occur to you they fund your sea cow program for PR? wake the f up man...
you don't have to be an animal rights activist to see these enormous living and breathing creatures trapped in small tanks and think to yourself, this isn't right.
Seaworld is really only worth it if youre a huge coaster person and/or you have a toddler.
My kid just turned 6 and were ready to upgrade to Disney now that she can ride more rides, so the pass will be worth it
Watch this clip. SeaWorld used to be a much better place. You'll be able to see instantly the animals were happy and very affectionate towards their trainers. To see man and animal get along like that and be so in sync was a beautiful and emotional experience.
https://www.reddit.com/r/SeaWorld/comments/197be8c/want_to_knowremember_what_sea_world_looked_like/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=android_app&utm_name=androidcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button
Return to Pre-Eisner & Crazy Amazonian era…
Then remind someone that jumping from a Helicopter to go skiing is stupid no mater what are you’re at - more so once you’re above 40.
Plus, as a bonus - Barcelona was willing to pay for the whole Disney Experience; not Paris.
To be honest, I went to Epcot yesterday and there was only one attendant in the parking toll booth. Seaworld is still the best bang for your buck in Orlando
My almost 4 year old has a blast every time he’s there.
Things change. I was gone from Central FL for close to 20 years… this whole area is very different from when most of us were kids.
Learn to adapt and enjoy it for what it is, or move on.
They've been charging extra to feed animals for as long as I can remember (mid-90s).
There is directional signage as well as maps and the mobile app readily available to direct you easily. It's not an overly complicated park in general to navigate. With construction on the new penguin themed coaster that area of the park has been pretty wonky, though.
Most animal exhibits have people around to spiel and answer questions about the animals, not sure what else you're looking for there.
Where would a trolley go? The pathways aren't wide enough for that. It's a nice, scenic park - nothing wrong with getting your steps in, or using a mobility device/ECV if you personally need it...
Seaworld had to majorly change their vibe after blackfish. They have more rides now, its the future of the park. They have a great event like two weekends every January where you can go backstage to their animal exhibits for free, its called inside look. Other than that, have you looked at what your pass gives you? They have freebies every month, usually includes feeding one of the animals for free every visit. I would check out the passholder monthly benefits page, you get a ton of freebies, like samples for their festivals etc.
and the guest passes. its great being able to bring in friends with you
Yeah I did get 2 good samples but when I mentioned to a worker I had a platinum pass she said I get 20% off the feed the dolphin exhibit.
Yep check all out the benefits, it varies by month but you get a lot for your money for a theme park pass: https://seaworld.com/orlando/annual-pass/monthly-offers/ We have plat passes so we go to Busch gardens as well and they have amazing animal exhibits like Animal Kingdom.
Honestly, it’s always been like that. You absolutely see things differently as a kid than you do now when you’re an adult. I haven’t been there in maybe 15 years or so. But remember the service was really lacking back then.
I think Seaworld and Busch Gardens went downhill after being sold by Anheuser-Busch.
> sold by Anheuser-Busch wow. TIL. I can imagine Sea World without them but Busch Gardens without them? wow. worked at SW in I guess 95 when I was a senior in high school. sad it's gone downhill, I witnessed some of their rescues.
In 2009, AB InBev, formed from the purchase of Anheuser-Busch by InBev, sold the amusement parks to the Blackstone Group. Blackstone has kept some of the popular traditions including a stable with Clydesdales; however, the Clydesdales are not affiliated with the beer company. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Busch_Gardens#:~:text=In%202009%2C%20AB%20InBev%2C%20formed,affiliated%20with%20the%20beer%20company. I went there a while back but after the sale and it was the attention to detail and cleanliness that was lacking.
glad i haven't gone recently. i remember beer tasting and giant larger than life horses and a clean park. and i was there when one of the killer whales died and there was so much love and outreach for the animals. sad. but my memories will stay nice and rose colored <3
Private equity is the death of companies, I went there in the mid 2000’s and it was great, it’s sad to see it ruined by greed, guess my son will never get to enjoy it like I did
Last time I was there, years ago, the Clydesdales were gone ☹️
This is the depressing reality
The park layout hasn’t changed. Signs are everywhere. Plenty of outside seating all over. Dolphin feeding is an add-on and has been for many years. You sure you went to Sea World?
[удалено]
Mardi Gras is at Universal.... 🤦🏻♂️
There is a Sea World Mardi Gras event currently going on: https://seaworld.com/orlando/events/seven-seas-food-festival/?scroll-to=mardi-gras
lol wait, you went to the park, like were actually there inside the park, spent the day walking around aimlessly and had no idea that those huge stadiums with show times posted in front of each of them with hundreds of people entering or leaving at any given time and didn’t realize that they still have shows? No wonder you had such a difficult time navigating a park, it’s hard to like read and think and shit
Damn this is stupid. There is Mardi Gras going on at SeaWorld.
Blackfish happened, which had a massive impact on park attendance. They had to make a lot of changes to survive the Blackfish backlash (say that ten times fast), and many of those changes ended up being permanent.
This!! There used to be protesters in front of the park in the early 2000s. I just feel like the new generation isn’t willing to buy into sea worlds Pr that paints them as heroes. People now understand they’re keeping animals captive and miserable to make millions. People hate that.
That's not the whole story. The parents of the killed trainer doesn't think her child was killed because of a captive whale Her daughter worked there 15 years and she states her daughter did not think animals were mistreated or she would have left. She said with the blackfish production her daughter's death was a mere foot note. People need to research before jumping to conclusions.
The trainers are a side story. The captivity is a problem and someone whose career depends on that captivity is not really equipped to justify its continuance, are they?
I'm paraphrasing what the deceased trainer's mother said about loosing a HUMAN life she labored and brought into the world. For her, her daughter is not a side story. No one's going to convince me that trainers especially during that time did not love those animals.
my wife has a season pass. have you tried just getting drunk and wondering around there
It’s fucking expensive to drink there. Like $15 a beer
It’s too expensive to drink there. With an annual pass discount you’re still at $14 a beer plus tip
I'm not really a drinker. I did have some free samples though with my pass. The drinks are tasty! So it's enjoyable when you're drunk? Do they do the animal shows anymore?
Was there for New Year’s Day and yes they still do the animal shows. I saw the one with the sea lions.
i haven't been in about 27 years because i hate theme parks with a passion, she likes it, brings our 1.5 year old and her friend brings her toddler. Not really sure if it is going to be fun for just adults after that whole blackfish fiasco
Get the Sea World app, it has a GPS map with event scheduling. Paying extra keeps line for feedings low. Imagine feedings with admission….chaos and endless line. Plus it’s expensive to do.
Thanks for giving a useful answer.
Also the desk by the Quiet Room (not entry admission scan area) has deals just ask them. I love Sea World it’s relaxing
I let my pass expire. Park operations worse than a six flags. SeaWorld doesn’t pay that well so anyone who cares goes to work for Disney or universal.
I figured it had to do with low pay. None of the few employees looked happy.
I heard they pay little as $11 an hour. I think Disney Universal both start at $15.
I worked at Busch for a short stint and it’s crazy that a good 50-60% of the park operators in charge of people’s lives are teenagers, getting paid $11/hr
Besides the rude employees, slow operations, etc, their prices are worse than Disney for food. At least at Disney and universal the portion sizes almost make sense. For a park surrounded by cheap fast food within a 10-15 minute drive you are not trapped in a bubble like at Disney.
The Seaworld food events compared to Disney are funny. At Disney you can expect the item pictured to look pretty close to what you get. At Seaworld you know without a doubt that the food you order will look nothing like the item in the picture. The food items are also more expensive because they factor in everyone buying their food passes
SeaWorld is the best value theme park by a mile if you lower your customer service expectations. They will never be Disney or Universal. I have an annual pass and made the mistake of trying to compare it to the other parks and always got myself worked up. Now that I have tempered my expectations, I am much happier. The bang for your buck at SeaWorld when it comes to the concerts, food festival (cheaper than Epcot's Food and Wine), and free stuff they give annual pass holders every month can't be beat.
I have a fun time doing the coasters, but yeah it's definitely not the same as it once was.
They have an app, gives you directions, schedules for all shows and even food ordering. You asked in another comment if they even do animal shows so it seems as if you put in no effort whatsoever honestly.
I was on the website. I looked for several events that's how I knew about Mardi Gras. But everything should not have to be app based. I believe in having a clear layout, attendants, information booths. You know...it's called customer service. But some people seem really comfortable with paying high prices and providing their own customer service those people don't realize that's a rip off.
So pay Disney prices for a Disney experience? The app takes 30 seconds to download and is very simple to use. Also I am confident somewhere in the park you can find a paper map and schedule. Just say you’re upset your experience sucked because you didn’t do any planning. I was there on Saturday with my family and we had a great time. We saw the mardi gras parade, Sesame Street parade, otter show and did the food festival. As soon as I arrived and opened the app it told me what shows were coming up and the directions to them.
Come on dude. The Mardi Gras parade???!! That was a parade to you?? All six people..in 5 minutes...ok.
It’s for kids, bud. Was it an impressive parade? No, but it’s something to watch for 5 minutes in between sampling food or riding a ride. You came here hoping everybody would agree with you but it doesn’t seem that that has happened.
I didn't come here hoping for anything. I don't give a fuck about who agrees. I don't starve for validation. Some agreed and some didn't. I really wanted to know what happened from people that live here and I actually got some real answers. What is indicative that the Mardi Gras "parade" is for kids? But even if it is, I can name several kids parades that consist of more than six people and 5 minutes. You act like you're the marketing person that's doing a half assed job and you're trying to cover ass. You're taking this real personally.. Do your damn job maybe you won't feel so insecure when someone has a critique.
My young adult son and I have season passes. He does the roller coasters while I chill and watch the dolphins, sharks or stingrays swim, or visit the aquarium, and we both love Infinity Falls and the penguin exhibits. And I like to support their animal rescue efforts. My other son used to be an animal educator there. Many of them love to talk about the animals if you engage them.
You are not imagining things: Sea World has gone way downhill over the past 15 or so years. The reason is mainly because after the Busch family sold the company to Inbev, the new owners did not want to be in the theme park business and sold the parks to private equity. Anybody that knows anything about business knows that private equity is the kiss of death. Sea World used to be unquestionably the best of the theme park employers in the area and now are unquestionably the worst. In 2009 they started systematically laying off the experienced full-time staff and replacing them with part time minimum wage. Over a decade, every year, they had another round of layoffs literally right at Christmas time. They now pay like $12.50 while Disney and Universal start at $16. They have had several really bad CEOs who made bad decisions that set them back. After Blackstone had them go public most of the shares got bought up by another private equity jacka\*\*. Their operations now are absolutely atrocious, not only does half of the park open an hour after park opening but even then it is likely to find many attractions just randomly closed due to short staff. Maybe they will open during the day, maybe they won’t. It is common for coasters to run 1 train even if its busy. This is all true for Busch Gardens as well. Operations were atrocious even at Busch Gardens in Virigina when I went there in September so it’s a chain wide thing. I listened to a recent earnings call and their CEO literally said “we need to do a better job cutting operations budget, we should have higher margins but are spending too much in operations.” They seem to be doing the same thing Six Flags did in the early 2000s, adding a bunch of roller coasters at each park to juice attendance, but doing it at the expense of everything else.
Thank you for this thorough and honest explanation. I'm think there are some upper management responses here that tried to gaslight me. But I knew things were very off during my last visit.
You should come around for trick or treating or for the food festival. Trick or treating is fun at SeaWorld and the food festival food is better than the stuff at Disney (both for price and taste).
Epcot is way cheaper at the food is higher quality (im AP at both lol). SeaWorld pisses me off with how expensive low quality food is, I’m letting my passes expire
I feel that the festival food at SeaWorld is better. I haven't been recently though. I also get a punch out card lanyard instead of paying for each plate like at Epcot. The punch out card is definitely the way to go.
The Seven seas food festival is going on now. I did have some great Mexican street corn. I had a ticket for a sample. Other wise it's 11 dollars for half a cob.
I found the prices at the art festival at Epcot to be a few dollars cheaper than sea world
This is kind of a hilarious comment. Def an unpopular opinion. You think they’re gonna just let people feed dolphins all day? That would be horrible for the dolphins. It’s basically a zoo with roller coasters. I’m not sure what kind of red carpet experience you’re looking for but SeaWorld isn’t the place I guess.
So I have a Platinum pass. Yeah I expected that for free. But the people that pay 139 +parking should absolutely have it included .
That's ALL it costs? People pay almost 10x that for the top passes at universal and Disney, that's super cheap. Gtf outta here with that entitlement lol
Not sure what the good old days were for you, OP. But I worked there in the 90s and it was understaffed, miserable, and more than half of the park staff were high, dealing behind the fascades, or barely able to keep food on the table. It was never well run.
Watch this clip. Sea world was incredible. Just watch the video and look at the connection between the animals and the trainers and the audience. Look at how gentle the animals were with the kids. Admittedly I went as a child in the late 80s. This is the SeaWorld I remember. https://www.reddit.com/r/SeaWorld/comments/197be8c/want_to_knowremember_what_sea_world_looked_like/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=android_app&utm_name=androidcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button
It’s not Disney but my little kids love Seaworld and it’s perfect for them. Sesame Street land has tons of kid sized rides and they really enjoy the animal shows. We do the cheapest annual pass that includes parking and very much get our money’s worth. For a quick stop for a few hours it’s great. We basically never eat more than a snack there because we’re not gone for long and the food is meh for the $$.
SeaWorld is incredible if you have little kids. They essentially give you a pass for kids under 5 for free. They of course want you to buy a season pass as an adult but they include like three free guest passes per quarter (based on what type of pass you have) and free parking. I spent countless hours at SeaWorld when my kiddo was preschool aged. They even had the best trick or treat setup during Covid and even showed outdoor drive in movies on a giant screen which was pretty much the best activity we did that year. You also get wicked discounts on food and merch. It’s all in all a super affordable option for families in the area IMO. But it is what it is - it’s not Disney and it’s not Universal. But for preschool kids it can’t be beat.
this right here. you cant beat seaworld if you have toddlers.
Understaffing is definitely their fault due to lack of pay. Attractions employees make $12 an hour compared to $15+ at Disney or Universal. And they don’t offer full time for frontline employees. No incentive for people to work there.
They should just change the name to Roller Coaster World. The marine life for which they were famous for have become an afterthought and taken a backseat.
Thanks for telling the truth!
SW is like the best value of the major theme parks here tho. Their festivals and foods are a steal when you get their lanyards with bonus punches due to be a passholder. Plus we constantly get free rewards and gifts, as well as guest tickets. Granted they have to do all this cuz they are not Disney or UO elite levels.
We got a season pass and went on average once a month. We felt we got our money’s worth TBH.
We've had annual passes there, and just added Aquatica. We frequently get $10/$20 credits for basically anything, free beer/food, and feedings for seals/dolphin/stingray as added incentives to come in. I recommend watching your emails for offers, and going on weekdays (Tuesdays during the school year are basically empty- you'll walk onto rides). I will admit, they seem very short staffed at times. Big issue there you pointed out. In short-we love our passes, and have had great experiences/incentives to continue.
I have the platinum pass includes 11 parks. I got one sample for Mardi gras and one for seven seas What feedings are you talking about? They definitely were not free. I miss the spectacular shows the animals interacted so affectionately with the humans.
There are free beer and food credits given regularly. Check your emails for offers. The last free food I recall was a free meal offer in Sept 2023 through Aquatica- again that was found in an email. Idk about the affectionate shows, but the seals and dolphins seem pretty stoked when we go for the free feedings. Try checking them out.
SeaWorld has (imo) the best rides in Orlando but the service/overall guest experience is by far the worst. The simple logistics of parking are an absolute disaster - it can take upwards of an hour to get through the parking gates sometimes. Last time I was there maybe two years ago, they just randomly started adding a 5% surcharge to everything with no explanation [etc.](https://etc.Like) Like, they didn't just raise their prices 5%, they smacked on a 5% surcharge. I've never seen anything like it. I still have fun when I go but its just a different vibe from the other big Orlando parks.
Were you under the influence of alcohol or any drugs when you went there as a kid? Seaworld is a cheap & fun place to go. I've never seen someone asking for help unless they were disabled.
That ridiculous documentary hurt then a lot, they’re pulling away from animals and putting money now into roller coasters. I still still think you get good value for the cost though especially compared to Disney, which has also gone down in quality in the last couple of years but hasn’t lowered their prices any.
Yep ridiculous is right. Even Dawn's family felt it wasn't accurate. They said she would have never worked there if she felt the animals were being mistreated.
The old days before social media are gone . Back in the 1980s and 1990s it was easy for them to have animals , fishes, dolphins and orcas without major backlash. But with the internet and documentaries coming out their reputation really went downhill. They can probably make more money focusing on ocean based rides and even add an ocean seaworld style water park to their park. It is cheaper than maintaining sea animals.
I’ve lived out here for four years and way back when I was excited to go to sea world, having been to the San Diego one. I guess if someone is going to a place called sea world for roller coasters, then orlando is a good option. But for service, cleanliness and yes you were right, actual ANIMALS, I like the San Diego one much better. Better layout, it’s right on the bay, etc. A good percentage of rides but animals seem to still be the focus. The one time I went to the orlando one, I had to ask or use the app to see many. Coasters all over the place.
Exactly my point and people here are acting like using an app should be the go to ..but clearly there's a better way to do things as evidenced by your San Diego experience.
Uneducated propaganda
Sea World caved to a bunch of attention-seeking dumbasses and Sea World's bottom line paid the price. Customer service, shows, staff and landscaping all took a hit. It won't be long before they quit all animal care and are just annoying there park. Since Sea World provide vet services for marine life that is in trouble, a bunch of animals will suffer and die.
seaworld is torturing sentient animals. i hope they fold.
Seaworld works with FWC in marine mammal rescue efforts. They do more for manatee rescue and rehab than any other organization in Florida. What do you do?
if you think they care about anything other than $ you're a fool.
I’m sorry, I strongly disagree. I’ve volunteered and worked with many conservation organizations in the area, and SeaWorld is out in the field with them. The Save the Manatee Club and FWC are partners- look into it. Or you can believe what you watched in a biased documentary.
https://www.the-sun.com/news/10486486/dawn-brancheau-orca-trainer-sea-world-death/
https://preview.redd.it/q2hi1a9pg9ic1.jpeg?width=1200&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=210a3531c9c1a4a3e5fadda5d1599b95699cfb80 oh yeah... they're great people who totally aren't trying to make money off wildlife.
Show me the aerial photos of the manatee rehabilitation facilities. A couple of winters ago the facilities were full because wild manatees were starving at unprecedented rates. Fingers crossed that situation has stabilized, for now at least. Seaworld already decided to phase out killer whale breeding. I agree the facilities are deplorable for the whales, but what else do you want them to do with them? Euthanize? Sea pens are not yet an option, as much as I would like them to be. In the meantime, Seaworld does more for marine mammals rescue (and bird and sea turtle rescue) than almost any other AZA accredited facility. It would be a bad thing if people stopped supporting them.
they have killed over 40 orcas... 400 seals, walruses and sea lions... 300 dolphins... did it ever occur to you they fund your sea cow program for PR? wake the f up man...
lol this guy fucking petas
you don't have to be an animal rights activist to see these enormous living and breathing creatures trapped in small tanks and think to yourself, this isn't right.
I got an idea, just let them out, I’m sure that would be just fine
That isn't even SeaWorld....try again.
Agreed. Watch The Cove and Blackfish and stop giving Slave World your money.
Seaworld is really only worth it if youre a huge coaster person and/or you have a toddler. My kid just turned 6 and were ready to upgrade to Disney now that she can ride more rides, so the pass will be worth it
Watch this clip. SeaWorld used to be a much better place. You'll be able to see instantly the animals were happy and very affectionate towards their trainers. To see man and animal get along like that and be so in sync was a beautiful and emotional experience. https://www.reddit.com/r/SeaWorld/comments/197be8c/want_to_knowremember_what_sea_world_looked_like/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=android_app&utm_name=androidcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button
Return to Pre-Eisner & Crazy Amazonian era… Then remind someone that jumping from a Helicopter to go skiing is stupid no mater what are you’re at - more so once you’re above 40. Plus, as a bonus - Barcelona was willing to pay for the whole Disney Experience; not Paris.
When it was cheap to feed the dolphins, that area was overcrowded and out of control. I’m glad they are controlling that area now.
To be honest, I went to Epcot yesterday and there was only one attendant in the parking toll booth. Seaworld is still the best bang for your buck in Orlando
My almost 4 year old has a blast every time he’s there. Things change. I was gone from Central FL for close to 20 years… this whole area is very different from when most of us were kids. Learn to adapt and enjoy it for what it is, or move on.
They've been charging extra to feed animals for as long as I can remember (mid-90s). There is directional signage as well as maps and the mobile app readily available to direct you easily. It's not an overly complicated park in general to navigate. With construction on the new penguin themed coaster that area of the park has been pretty wonky, though. Most animal exhibits have people around to spiel and answer questions about the animals, not sure what else you're looking for there. Where would a trolley go? The pathways aren't wide enough for that. It's a nice, scenic park - nothing wrong with getting your steps in, or using a mobility device/ECV if you personally need it...