SeaWorld Orlando's Future Plans

[wutisgood]

And the flying theater would have the same issue Wild Arctic had-- they don't have the resources or budget for a GOOD film for it. Hell, even Disney can't seem to produce a decent film for Soarin, what hope does SeaWorld have of getting it right?

Maybe the price hikes and expansion would make enough money to pay some people? Quality cameras are getting cheaper and cheaper. Europa park has a decent flying theater. I did one in Seattle that was pretty good. Legoland can make this work. There is no reason sea world cannot maintain a ride as much as Legoland given the number of guests they receive. And before you claim the lego movie ride is at more than one park, sea world should absolutely monetize this at more than one park. This is the kind of thing that should actually be cheap for the chain.

It's always can't do can't do on the forums though. They can't afford that say people paying record ticket prices.

 

[Thatguyoverwhere]

I'm of the mind that the general public won't notice even if there is any difference in quality. Unless it's something like Europe in the Air, which didn't even resemble a flying theater, the general effect is going to still be there. I rode the Brogent flying theater ride at RiseNY and thought it was executed very well, especially considering the space constraints.

 

[AnyNameYouWish]

I'm of the mind that the general public won't notice even if there is any difference in quality. Unless it's something like Europe in the Air, which didn't even resemble a flying theater, the general effect is going to still be there. I rode the Brogent flying theater ride at RiseNY and thought it was executed very well, especially considering the space constraints.

Personally, I worry that the public will view it as a knock-off, low-key Soarin' clone, and that new attendance won't be as strong as other potential additions- hence paving the way for SeaWorld Corporate to believe that dark rides/non-coasters are a failure.

 

[Thatguyoverwhere]

Personally, I worry that the public will view it as a knock-off, low-key Soarin' clone, and that new attendance won't be as strong as other potential additions- hence paving the way for SeaWorld Corporate to believe that dark rides/non-coasters are a failure.

If I had any say in the company's decisions I'd definitely be pushing for a true dark ride or something new to the Orlando market like Hypersphere 360. My thinking is more that a flying theater would be better than having no indoor/immersive rides at all, which may very well be the alternative. I still however think it would make a great addition and help fill a massive hole in the park's lineup.
As for the risk of it not being a huge attendance driver, have any of the recent coaster additions led to a spike in attendance either? The park is so saturated with coasters now that I doubt the yearly additions are moving the needle any more than seasonal events or external factors.

 

[UniversalRBLX]

If I had any say in the company's decisions I'd definitely be pushing for a true dark ride or something new to the Orlando market like Hypersphere 360. My thinking is more that a flying theater would be better than having no indoor/immersive rides at all, which may very well be the alternative. I still however think it would make a great addition and help fill a massive hole in the park's lineup.
As for the risk of it not being a huge attendance driver, have any of the recent coaster additions led to a spike in attendance either? The park is so saturated with coasters now that I doubt the yearly additions are moving the needle any more than seasonal events or external factors.

Pipeline is a great coaster... but it didn't move the needle much. Their special events are the true drivers of the park (along with Pass Member free tickets). Pipeline opened in May, and If I recall correctly Pass Members received additional free guest tickets in June and July was a rather quiet month (thanks to the heat).

I don't think just one family addition will move the needle, it'll need to be a package of things to truly move the needle.

 

[wutisgood]

Personally, I worry that the public will view it as a knock-off, low-key Soarin' clone, and that new attendance won't be as strong as other potential additions- hence paving the way for SeaWorld Corporate to believe that dark rides/non-coaster

These are extremely popular rides. Again Legoland with much less attendance chose to build one and it is very popular. also Disney is much more expensive. People would specifically value a super popular ride for less money which is another reason this would be a wise choice. Trust in sea world is the long term problem not popularity. Restoring Atlantis would go a long way.

 

[UniversalRBLX]

These are extremely popular rides. Again Legoland with much less attendance chose to build one and it is very popular. also Disney is much more expensive. People would specifically value a super popular ride for less money which is another reason this would be a wise choice. Trust in sea world is the long term problem not popularity. Restoring Atlantis would go a long way.

I want Atlantis restored, but that won't make a significant impact to increase/draw attendance as it's a water ride. All I know, is that the next (insert type of ride here) needs to be indoors/covered from the heat/elements, including a coaster. SeaWorld has done a great job with 2-ish indoor coasters at BGW, Orlando and Tampa need them.

 

[IzzyB]

These are extremely popular rides. Again Legoland with much less attendance chose to build one and it is very popular. also Disney is much more expensive. People would specifically value a super popular ride for less money which is another reason this would be a wise choice. Trust in sea world is the long term problem not popularity. Restoring Atlantis would go a long way.

Agreed. The one in legoland is very popular, so I imagine it would go over well with the Sea World crowd and also be popular.

 

[Scott W.]

Yikes.

 

[Magic-Man]

Yikes.

I will never complain about theme park food pricing again. Wtf SeaWorld?

 

[GA-MBIT]

Yikes.

This is what I do when I need to beat the Tycoon Rank missions in RCT.

"Altitude Burgers 1 is too expensive!"

 

[Wesker69]

This is what I do when I need to beat the Tycoon Rank missions in RCT.

Temporary food/drink price increase & park admission (if there is one). I miss RCT

I also had the SeaWorld park "game". Now that was a challenge to make money & add new stuff lol

 

[UniversalRBLX]

Yikes.

Excluding pricing, it's also poor-quality food with slow service (due to low staffing) at times. Thankfully, they've finally cleaned the place up, a few years back nobody was collecting trash so the trash bins were overflowing so much that people had to start putting their trash over the condiment station.

I understand their strategy of making a single meal so expensive you convince folks to pay for the all-day plan (essentially keeping them for lunch & dinner, longer in the day), but pair that with all the additional scummy practices at the park and its future is not looking great.

Pretty huge theme park fan, including some of my friends, and we're all just going to drop our APs this year because the place is just not it anymore unfortunately.

SeaWorld Trip Hack - Don't buy Quick Queue, they don't have anyone checking passes, so pretty much anyone can just use the line at this point lmao

 

[IzzyB]

Yikes.

I have been saying for awhile the SW food prices are out of hand. I think it is because they reduce the tickets and have so many free deals that they need to make the money in food.

Excluding pricing, it's also poor-quality food with slow service (due to low staffing) at times. Thankfully, they've finally cleaned the place up, a few years back nobody was collecting trash so the trash bins were overflowing so much that people had to start putting their trash over the condiment station.

I understand their strategy of making a single meal so expensive you convince folks to pay for the all-day plan (essentially keeping them for lunch & dinner, longer in the day), but pair that with all the additional scummy practices at the park and its future is not looking great.

Pretty huge theme park fan, including some of my friends, and we're all just going to drop our APs this year because the place is just not it anymore unfortunately.

SeaWorld Trip Hack - Don't buy Quick Queue, they don't have anyone checking passes, so pretty much anyone can just use the line at this point lmao

The food is absolutely poor quality, but I never had slow service. Only park I have had major slow service is Universal and it is every single time and getting very annoying.

QQ is hit or miss. I use it a lot as I have a bunch of complimentary passes from an issue they had so they comped me one time use passes. 75% of the time there is someone checking, but the other 25% no there is no one. So it really isn't something I would go and do all the time.

 

[UniversalRBLX]

Only park I have had major slow service is Universal and it is every single time and getting very annoying.

You have no idea how frustrated I've been at Universal this past year or so. They're always at the goal line, but they always fumble it at the end.

Ever since that plaza in Sand Lake with the Portillos/Raising Canes opened, I do not need to eat at a Universal park, and that's coming from someone who spends way too much on food at DAK/Epcot.

 

[wutisgood]

Disney has the cheapest quick service because their tickets are insane and you have to buy genie plus to have a good day and they have a lot of quick service where they want to push volume. Disney also has the best value season passes for locals with free parking and the worst value season passes for non locals in Orlando by far. Disney also has mostly poor value sit down restaurants.

Universal has decent value season passes for non locals. Food that can be hit of miss on price. Quick service is worse value than Disney but sit down is often not much more than quick service, Locals get pass discounts but have to buy a higher level pass to get free parking which can make Disney a better value. Pass member perks are prob better at that level though.

Sea world maybe has the worst value last minute pricing but the best value passes. Sea world has the best value Halloween event on entry price. Sea World has the best value Christmas included in the pass. Sea world has more concerts included with every pass. Sea world has the best multi day ticket values ( we did the dolphin swim, SeaWorld Christmas, and aquatica for 200 per person with free parking, often two day park deals for less than just sea world with a free bus you can take to tampa). Sea world has atrocious food pricing that is meant to push season pass discounts and all day dine. Sometimes ticket plus all day dine deals are still much cheaper than a family would spend in another park. When looking at merch or parking prices way more people get free parking or bigger discounts than you could get for a lower entry price at universal or Disney. I believe all merch is 20-40 percent depending on the pass at sea world. In my experience overall merch has been cheaper with discounts overall at sea world. I think i remember the Busch gardens quick pass pricing being more than competitors but they gave passholders a %50 discount for example.

My point is these parks all have incentives and value that changes depending on what you want and what the parks want. Comparing list prices are not an accurate portrayal of what the average guests spends. I have been going to Orlando now for a decade. The number one piece of advice I tell everyone is do not show up to any park for a single day without planning and do not go to Orlando if you are not willing or able to take advantage of multi park deals.

In my experience sea world has checked quick queue but didn't scan it. so how would they know about one time or unimited.

 

[MrRoamer]

Disney has the cheapest quick service because their tickets are insane and you have to buy genie plus to have a good day and they have a lot of quick service where they want to push volume. Disney also has the best value season passes for locals with free parking and the worst value season passes for non locals in Orlando by far. Disney also has mostly poor value sit down restaurants.

Universal has decent value season passes for non locals. Food that can be hit of miss on price. Quick service is worse value than Disney but sit down is often not much more than quick service, Locals get pass discounts but have to buy a higher level pass to get free parking which can make Disney a better value. Pass member perks are prob better at that level though.

Sea world maybe has the worst value last minute pricing but the best value passes. Sea world has the best value Halloween event on entry price. Sea World has the best value Christmas included in the pass. Sea world has more concerts included with every pass. Sea world has the best multi day ticket values ( we did the dolphin swim, SeaWorld Christmas, and aquatica for 200 per person with free parking, often two day park deals for less than just sea world with a free bus you can take to tampa). Sea world has atrocious food pricing that is meant to push season pass discounts and all day dine. Sometimes ticket plus all day dine deals are still much cheaper than a family would spend in another park. When looking at merch or parking prices way more people get free parking or bigger discounts than you could get for a lower entry price at universal or Disney. I believe all merch is 20-40 percent depending on the pass at sea world. In my experience overall merch has been cheaper with discounts overall at sea world. I think i remember the Busch gardens quick pass pricing being more than competitors but they gave passholders a %50 discount for example.

My point is these parks all have incentives and value that changes depending on what you want and what the parks want. Comparing list prices are not an accurate portrayal of what the average guests spends. I have been going to Orlando now for a decade. The number one piece of advice I tell everyone is do not show up to any park for a single day without planning and do not go to Orlando if you are not willing or able to take advantage of multi park deals.

In my experience sea world has checked quick queue but didn't scan it. so how would they know about one time or unimited.

From a pass pricing standpoint, I consider Disney and Universal to be pretty neck and neck with each other with each having places it comes ahead on.

There is no way that Universal's Quick Service or Sit downs can come close to Disney's excluding Magic Kingdom. Most the food there is overpriced and horrible. Everywhere else Disney has seriously stepped up their game: just about anywhere at AK sit down or quick service, Via Napoli, Le Cellier, Connections, Regal Eagle, etc. Heck even Commissary at HS looks pretty decent. This isn't touching any of the resort options either.

There are some spots that used to be regular places for us to hit that have gone way down in quality like Sunshine Seasons (How did they mess this up!?!?) and the stretch of food over by Tower of Terror. And sure there are some that have never been good and still are like that Rodent infested pizza place but overall its not a competition.

 

[IzzyB]

Also, don't forget they give passholders a ton of $10 bucks and discounts that most passholders are not paying those prices. They are basically trying to get out of towners to pay the all day dining and locals to use their discounts.

 

[UniversalRBLX]

Also, don't forget they give passholders a ton of $10 bucks and discounts that most passholders are not paying those prices. They are basically trying to get out of towners to pay the all day dining and locals to use their discounts.

I somehow managed to pay the same price as WDW for chicken tenders even with my 15% discount and $10 SeaWorld bucks a few weeks ago lol

 

[HandsomePete]

I have been saying for awhile the SW food prices are out of hand. I think it is because they reduce the tickets and have so many free deals that they need to make the money in food.

This is a regional park tactic, which SW basically is now. Sell people $100 season passes to get them in 5-6 times a season and sell them $18 tenders and a $16 beer.