Sea World San Antonio Opening World's First Launched Log Flume in 2023

© Sea World San Antonio

The announcement of a new log flume is always a big deal in my world, and this past week we got the announcement of not only that but a launched one to boot!  Sea World San Antonio put a big smile on our face by revealing Catapult Falls, a modern take on the classic log flume designed for the park by Intamin.  The ride will be located on the real estate of the park's former classic log flume, which was closed in 2011.

© Sea World San Antonio

Catapult Falls will be the "world's first launched flume coaster" when it opens in 2023.  It will also break the record for the steepest drop on a flume attraction, at 53 degrees.  While that may not be too steep on a modern roller coaster, it's considerably steeper than most log flume drops you are used to.  But that's not all, the attraction will also feature a vertical lift hill, a fun air-time bump after the drop, and a launched section - pretty wild for a log flume!

© Sea World San Antonio

Here is the park's infographic showing the different elements that riders will encounter on Catapult Falls.  The 8-passenger boats will head out of the station and meander around a traditional log flume path, then head into a large pond area where the boats will suddenly launch at 30 feet per second, "allowing riders to feel the rush of a coaster while experiencing the rocking and swaying of riding on a track of water."  The boats burn off the acceleration by heading up a small hill then down into a splash down area.

© Sea World San Antonio

Turning a corner the boats will then encounter an elevator style lift hill that will take them up to 55 feet above the park.  It's down the 53 degree drop after that, where the boats will achieve a maximum speed of 37 miles per hour.  At the base of the drop the boats will head up over a hill much like on a coaster before the final splashdown.

 

“Catapult Falls will be the perfect addition to our already fantastic line up of family rides,” said Byron Surrett, SeaWorld San Antonio President. “Not only will it provide thrills for those wanting the exhilaration of a coaster-type ride, but being a water ride, it will give guests one more way to cool down in the hot Texas temperatures.  It will be the perfect family adventure ride.”

Here is a preview video of how the ride will look when complete.  Can wait to see it in action!

Tidal Surge Now Open at SeaWorld San Antonio

© SeaWorld San Antonio

SeaWorld San Antonio has opened their new S&S Screamin' Swing, named Tidal Surge, to visitors of the Texas theme park.  The ride is advertised as the biggest of its kind, standing 105 feet tall and swinging riders up to a maximum of 135 feet in the sky.  The above photo from the park shows off that swing nicely, and just how big Tidal Surge is when looked at towering over the park.

© SeaWorld San Antonio

After a preview period for pass holders, SeaWorld San Antonio officially opened the ride to anxious guests.  The swinging action also hits a maximum speed of 68 miles per hour, which is pretty darn impressive for a flat ride!  Each of the two pendulum arms seats 20 riders, both forward and backwards, for a total of 40 riders per each 1 minute and 20 second ride.

 

© SeaWorld San Antonio

The ride's location actually has passengers swinging out over the park's waterski lake, a nice added feature to provide even more thrills.  It is also worth noting that the ride received a neat paint job and some additional theming to help it fit in with the park even more.

In additional to Tidal Surge, SeaWorld San Antonio has also opened their new Riptide Race dueling water slide in their Aquatica water park.  The ride features two parallel slide paths that start from a 51 foot tower, with several dueling points built into the layout.

SeaWorld San Antonio Announces Tidal Surge For Park's 2022 Season

© SeaWorld San Antonio

SeaWorld San Antonio has announced the addition of Tidal Surge, the world's tallest and fastest Screaming Swing ride, for the park's 2022 season.  The record breaker will take guests swinging out and over the park's waterski lake, giving them wide angle views of the park below them.  The new attraction is scheduled to open in the Spring of 2022.

© SeaWorld San Antonio

Tidal Surge is meant to give riders a sensation of flying as they swing back and forth on carriages each seating 20 riders, their legs dangling freely below them.  The ride is one of S&S Sensai's Screamin' Swings, though this one will be the largest that has been built to date.  Each of the ride's two arms will swing higher and higher as the ride progresses, eventually lifting riders to a height of 135 feet.  A lot of momentum is needed to raise the arms to that height, and Tidal Surge will maximize that by hitting speeds of up to 68 miles per hour.

© SeaWorld San Antonio

At the top of each swing arc (riders are seated back to back and as such both swing both forwards and backwards) riders will experience a moment of airtime before changing direction.  In total each arm will travel a total of 230 degrees and the main structure itself will stand 105 feet tall.  The ride's supports will be fittingly themed to the ocean, with a purple structure covered in decorative underwater plants.

SeaWorld San Antonio notes that this is a major addition to their thrill ride portfolio, which already includes four roller coasters, "two animal rescue adventure experiences and a fun-fulled family coaster."  For more information, check out SeaWorld San Antonio's Tidal Surge webpage.

Heard On... SeaWorld Entertainment's 2nd Quarter 2020 Earnings Call

© SeaWorld Entertainment

This week it was SeaWorld Entertainment's turn to report their 2nd quarter 2020 earnings, their full press release is available at this link.  It seemed like the market was anticipating these results even more than Six Flags or Cedar Fair, as they (along with Disney and Universal) give some insight to what's been happening in the all-important Orlando market.  The 2nd quarter still had very limited operations for SeaWorld Entertainment, with more 'guts' to be found in the 3rd quarter announcement this fall, but here are some notes from their earnings call:

 

• Attendance April through June was 300,000, 6.2 million visitors lower than last year.  Revenue was $18 million, down from $388 million last year.  The company's net loss was $131 million, and EBITDA for the quarter was a loss of $53.8 million.  Per capita spending was up 5.5% and in park per capita spending was up 10%.

 

• Deferred revenue from passes and other products was down almost 16% from a year ago.  The total pass base is down 31%.  However, parks that have been open in the quarter the pass base grew more than 10%.

SeaWorld San Diego

• As we saw with the other operators cash burn is a hot topic here too, and SeaWorld spent about $12 million a month in the quarter when all was said and done.

 

• As of the date of the earnings release they have reopened 9 of their 12 parks, with only SeaWorld San Diego, Aquatica San Diego and Water Country USA in Virginia not open (and those two water parks will not open at all in 2020 they confirmed).  In the second quarter they only got to have 7 parks open, and those parks had only 98 operating days total compared to last year with 12 parks and 861 operating days.

• Right now they are seeing positive cash flow at their operating parks.  They also are seeing positive trends as they reintroduce events and entertainment to draw visitors.  They are even adding more operating days and longer park hours at some properties.  There is also some small growth in season pass sales, and Discovery Cove bookings for 2021 are up over this time last year (quite a bit, 176% higher).

 

• More on increasing attendance - for parks that have been open at least 30 days so far they are seeing around a 15% increase in attendance from the week ended June 28th to the week ended August 2nd.  Both Sesame Place and Busch Gardens Williamsburg have had high demand since they reopened (both at the end of July) and are both adding more operating days.  It sounds like Busch Gardens Williamsburg will continue to do special events this year to keep the gates open, even with very limited capacity.

 

© Busch Gardens Tampa

• For operating parks overall they have been seeing attendance vary from 10-15% of last year's attendance on some days, all the way up to 50% on others.

 

• The company plans to hold both Halloween and winter Holiday events this year as they have in the past.  The events will be different to address safety concerns around COVID-19, but they are confident they and operate the events profitably.

 

• Due to selling notes and receiving a large sum from them, SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment appears to be on the lookout for parks that will be for sale due to their operators not being able to withstand these tough times.  What they're looking at are things like water parks, hotels or other small parks that could be converted into a Sesame Place.

 

• It was also noted that they believe they need to hit a out 40% of last year's revenue figures in order to be profitable overall for the year.

 

• Regarding capital expenditures.  They are about 87% complete with all the new rides that were supposed to be for 2020 but did not open, all of which have been pushed to 2021.  It will take another $15 million to finish those rides, but they still owe another $40 to $50 million on them as well - still to be paid.  No update was given on the conversion of Aquatica San Diego into Sesame Place San Diego.

SeaWorld San Antonio to Reopen June 19th + SeaWorld Parks to Reduce Operating Days

© SeaWorld San Antonio

SeaWorld San Antonio has announced that it will reopen to guests on June 19th.  It will join neighboring Aquatica San Antonio, which reopened to guests for fun in the sun this weekend.

The park will join the SeaWorld Entertainment parks in Florida (which open on June 11th) with similar safety standards in light of COVID-19.  This include temperature screenings, the mandatory use of face masks, limited capacity and plenty of other changes.  The park has a FAQ guide for guests located here.  To visit the park, ticket holders of all types must make a reservation ahead of time.

The park had already opened the Texas Stingray, a brand new wooden roller coaster, before the park temporarily closed due to the pandemic.  Fans are sure to want to race to the park to get either another or their first ride on the coaster!

© SeaWorld San Antonio

Another big change is that SeaWorld San Antonio is planning on staying closed on Tuesdays and Wednesdays through the entire summer, until they move to weekend-only operations in August.  While we didn't cover it here yet, SeaWorld Orlando is doing something similar this summer, with their schedule showing the park closed every Tuesday and Thursday for the rest of the year.

I have a feeling that SeaWorld Entertainment is waiting to see how much guest demand there is for visits, and making sure to control costs and keep the parks operating profitably by closing a couple days a week.  I also have a feeling that if demand is shown to be high enough they will add back those operating days in a flash.

It is an interesting plan that we haven't seen with other park operators, though really on Six Flags has started to open or announce park openings so far, not Cedar Fair. 

Right now you can reserve a visit to Frontier City as soon as tomorrow (though with very limited entrance times left) and to both Six Flags Over Texas and Six Flags Fiesta Texas the first day they are open to non-pass and members (this is true for day-tickets, I did not test as a pass holder).  Hopefully this isn't a sign of less than anticipated demand for the parks, if so perhaps Six Flags will switch to closing some days mid-week as well.  Or maybe Cedar Fair will even opt to open that way from the start.  We'll see soon enough.

Another Round of Park Reopening Announcements

© Kentucky Kingdom

I like posting these!  Here are the latest parks to officially announce reopening dates.  There are several more who are in states that have clarified when parks can open, but we prefer to wait to hear from the parks directly.

Up first is Kentucky Kingdom, which will reopen to visitors for the 2020 season on June 29th.  The water park, Hurricane Bay, will open soon after that.  While more details will come as the opening date nears, for now the park is saying that it "will operate with enhanced sanitizing and cleaning procedures and safety protocols to provide the best possible protection of guests and team members during the current coronavirus crisis."

Also, as a huge plus to the public, they have lowered their gate prices to $29.95 and 2020 season passes are only $49.95.  For people who already purchased 2020 seasons passes (they say there are 15K of them), they have made those passes also valid for the 2021 season.  Nice!

© Aquatica San Antonio

Aquatica San Antonio, located adjacent to SeaWorld San Antonio, will open on June 6th, the park has just announced.  Right now water parks are allowed to open in Texas, but not theme parks so SeaWorld San Antonio will have to open later.

The park has spent the past two months creating a full plan of how to operate the park safely, and they can't wait to welcome guests back and show them a good time.

This news is so new that the park's website isn't even updated yet, but watch for details soon.  The park has also confirmed that their new attraction, Tonga Twister, will be open for visitors on June 6th.

© Arnold's Park

Arnold's Park, located in Iowa, is a small classic lakeside park operation and it's wonderful to see that they are planning on reopening on June 3rd.  We've seen some parks of this size opt to not operate in 2020, so it's nice to see that Arnold's Park hasn't had to go in that direction.

The park hasn't set up a dedicated page that details any changes that have come from the pandemic.  However they have stated on social media that they are setting up a full set of new safety and cleaning procedures to cover the entire property.

For now visitors can look forward to rides on the classic Legend wooden coaster in just a short while!

© Bay Beach Amusement Park

Bay Beach Amusement Park, located up in Wisconsin, is planning to open for the 2020 season on June 26th.  They would like to hold two test days, on June 20th and 21st, with tickets being sold first come first served on those days.  So long as those practice days go well, the park intends to fully open on the 26th.

The purpose of the two test days is to make sure that the elaborate safety plan that has been put into place will work properly with visitors.  I'm sure the park will have no problem finding people who want to come out for the test and try out the Zippin Pippin for the first time this year!

© OWA

The Park at OWA, located in Alabama, will welcome back guests starting June 5th.  The amusement park is one of the anchor attractions at OWA, along with a large downtown shopping and dining area. 

A whole set of guidelines for visiting the park have been published, available at this link.  Face masks will not be required, but strongly encouraged.  They will do temperature screenings at the entrance, and strictly enforce social distancing throughout the park and while on the rides.

Additionally, the park will be limiting attendance levels like we've seen with many other parks.  As such, they will be selling a non-rider wrist band for $5.00 in order to keep track of the total number of guests on site.

Texas Stingray to Open at SeaWorld San Antonio February 29th!

© SeaWorld San Antonio

Looks like everyone won't have to wait too long to experience the Texas Stingray at SeaWorld San Antonio, as the park has announced that the new wooden roller coaster will have its grand opening on February 29th!

However, the park is offering a special weekend of exclusive ride time for pass holders, starting on February 22nd where Platinum pass holders can take their very first rides on the Texas Stingray from 10 am through noon.  After that time both Silver and Gold pass holders can join along in the fun and ride until 8 pm.  On February 23rd the fun continues as all levels of pass holders can exclusively ride the coaster from 10 am through 5 pm.

The 23rd will also be Pass Member Appreciation Day where holders can get a free Texas Stingray beanie hat, free sweet treats, special discounts, animal experiences and more.

The Texas Stingray is a custom designed Great Coasters International wooden coaster that utilizes steel supports with a lift hill of 96 feet and a 100 foot first drop.  The 3,379 foot long coaster will hit a top speed of 55 miles per hour and give plenty of air-time, twists and turns.

If you missed it earlier, here is the point of view ride on the coaster to hold you over until later this month when it opens!

SeaWorld San Antonio Releases Full POV of New Texas Stingray Wood Coaster

© SeaWorld San Antonio

With construction entering the final phases, SeaWorld San Antonio has released a full point of view movie of a ride on the Texas Stingray.  The custom designed wooden roller coaster has been created for the park by Great Coasters International, and features a 100 foot first drop and top speeds of 55 miles per hour.

SeaWorld San Antonio started working on the coaster early last summer, which means that progress on the ride has been swift and it looks like it will have no problem meeting a Spring 2020 opening date.  The park has not said exactly when that will be, but has a very short off-season and actually opens again on February 22nd.  That may be a bit early for the new coaster, but hey, you never know!

Enjoy your ride on the Texas Stingray below.

SeaWorld San Antonio's Texas Stingray Wooden Coaster Makes First Run

© SeaWorld San Antonio

Exciting early Christmas present for SeaWorld San Antonio!  The park's new for 2020 wooden roller coaster, the Texas Stingray, has completed its first test run!

The custom designed Great Coasters International ride will be a thrilling addition for riders in 2020, but the park is so far ahead on construction that it has already started to test before the end of 2019.  The Texas Stingray stands 96 feet tall, features a 100 foot first drop and 3,379 feet of twisting track.  The ride has several tall curves and hills toward the start of the ride, with a low to the ground finish including a tunnel.

The park has released footage from the test run, which includes both on-ride and off-ride clips.  I love the speed of the ride, even when it is near the end of the course.  Check it out below!

Santa knows that you’ve been good this year so here’s an early Christmas present — An exclusive first look at the inaugural run of the Texas Stingray! The tallest longest, fastest wooden roller coaster in Texas opens spring of 2020 at SeaWorld San Antonio. #RideTheRay pic.twitter.com/dTqLX6b4DC

— SeaWorld San Antonio (@SeaWorldTexas) December 23, 2019

SeaWorld San Antonio Texas Stingray Update + Aquatica San Antonio New for 2020?

© SeaWorld San Antonio

One of few new traditional wooden roller coasters being built for the 2020 season, it's been exciting to follow along with the progress of the Texas Stingray at SeaWorld San Antonio.  The park started major vertical construction of the ride this past summer, so it's arguably the further along than any new for 2020 coaster out there.

The park has shared another recent update for the ride, and a ton more progress has been made.  It looks like the first half of the ride is now in place, with tracking still needing to be added.  The park just completed the Texas Stingray's 100 foot first drop, which can be seen above.  Not many Great Coasters International rides have a straight drop like that, and it looks awesome!

Take a 👀 inside the construction of Texas Stingray coming in 2020! Want to be among the first to experience this thrill? Become a Pass Member today at https://t.co/QeJcqzA5lK pic.twitter.com/TAG0gudtkT

— SeaWorld San Antonio (@SeaWorldTexas) October 15, 2019

Here is the full update from SeaWorld San Antonio.  Another recent construction video, from YouTube, gives an idea of the presence the ride has from inside the park.

Are you ready to get twisted next summer at #AquaticaSanAntonio? See the latest on the NEW Tonga Twister and stay tuned for even more updates! https://t.co/5Xb07ivbsf pic.twitter.com/Qda6x5he0A

— SeaWorld San Antonio (@SeaWorldTexas) October 22, 2019

Also quite interestingly it appears as though Aquatica San Antonio, which is adjacent to the theme park, will add a new slide next year as well.  Maybe that was announced earlier and I missed it!  This video says that Tonga Twister will open next year, a body slide that "features translucent technology" and appears to be added to one of the existing slide towers.  The park promises more on that addition in the future.

SeaWorld San Antonio Building the Texas Singray Wooden Coaster for 2020

Coming to SeaWorld San Antonio in 2020 is the Texas Stingray, the park's first traditional wooden roller coaster, and the tallest, fastest and longest wooden roller coaster in Texas.  The addition is set to open in the Spring of 2020, and as we've seen through recent updates, the park has already made great progress on the construction of the coaster.

© SeaWorld San Antonio

Here is an overhead view of the Texas Stingray.  It will be located next to the new Turtle Reef exhibit and stretch between the Orca Stadium and the Rio Loco river rapids ride.  The Texas Stingray will be built by Great Coasters International, their first new coaster in North America since Mystic Timbers and InvadR opened in 2017.

© SeaWorld San Antonio

Texas Stingray starts with a 96 foot lift hill followed by a 90 degree right turn, immediately down into a 100 foot drop at 57 degrees.  Elevation changes in the land allow for the longer drop, which will send trains along at 55 miles per hour.  The ride's layout includes many GCI signature large swooping turns, some of which are banked at a maximum of 76 degrees.

In total the ride will offer 16 different airtime hills, last more than two minutes and near the end of the ride will be a 100 foot long tunnel.  Texas Stingray's total track length is 3,379 feet.

First Drop Construction © SeaWorld San Antonio

“Texas Stingray marks a new wave of excitement for SeaWorld,” said SeaWorld San Antonio’s Vice President of General Services Scott Bacon. “We continue to provide new reasons to visit SeaWorld and offer exciting new adventures for our guests with a blend of thrilling rides, family attractions and incredible animal and educational experiences.”

Ready to take a virtual spin on the Texas Stingray?  Check out the video that SeaWorld San Antonio released below!

SeaWorld San Antonio Confirms Wood Coaster for 2020 With New Tease

© SeaWorld San Antonio

We're inching closer to SeaWorld San Antonio doing their full announcement of the park's new for 2020 wooden roller coaster.  While the park has had some minor teases before, the latest they released makes it 100% clear that they are building a new wooden roller coaster for next season.

The clip even goes as far as showing some of the animated point of view ride video that they've created, though the clip is short and certainly leaves us wanting more.  They do note that the coaster will be the tallest and fastest wooden roller coaster in Texas.

A quick look at Roller Coaster Database helps us see what the SeaWorld San Antonio ride has to beat to have those titles.  Judge Roy Scream at Six Flags Over Texas is 71 feet tall with a top speed of 45 miles per hour, Kemah Boardwalk's Boardwalk Bullet stands 96 feet tall and hits 51 miles per hour, and Switchback at ZDT's Amusement Park hits 64 feet tall and goes 41 miles per hour.

So, the new SeaWorld coaster only needs to be 97 feet tall and go 52 miles per hour to be the tallest and fastest wood coaster in Texas.

Here's the official tease:

SeaWorld San Antonio's New Wood Coaster is Looking Great

© SeaWorld San Antonio

SeaWorld San Antonio's not-so-secret wooden roller coaster, currently standing tall over the theme park, is progressing by the day and looking better than ever.  Each new section that is going up looks more fun than from the last update, and in these new photos there are some interesting elements going up.

New construction pics from @SeaWorldTexas' "vertical fishing pier!" #RideWithACE #TheACEadvantage @aceonlineorg @SeaWorld pic.twitter.com/vf4csOA6uo

— ACE South Central (@acesouthcentral) August 11, 2019

ACE South Central has shared a bunch of photos of the coaster on Twitter this weekend.  The park has started the turn at the top of the lift that will eventually lead to the first drop.  More interestingly, they've also added a very highly banked curve complete with elevation changes to the middle of the structure.

More new construction pics from @SeaWorldTexas' "vertical fishing pier!" #RideWithACE #TheACEadvantage @aceonlineorg @SeaWorld pic.twitter.com/gBAWu3zAit

— ACE South Central (@acesouthcentral) August 11, 2019

It's not easy to tell from the angle that the photos were taken at, but the high point of the new curve looks to be close to vertical in banking.  If the ride stays low to the ground (and fast) like the image in the original leaked art was, this is going to be a furious ride.

And more new construction pics from @SeaWorldTexas' "vertical fishing pier!" #RideWithACE #TheACEadvantage @aceonlineorg @SeaWorld #FishWithACE pic.twitter.com/vx71o87c1l

— ACE South Central (@acesouthcentral) August 11, 2019

Some of these photos also show that the ride's station structures are being framed out, with a roof looking ready to go up next.

I hope the park announces this one soon, or maybe not, as it's quite fun to see this mystery ride go up!

SeaWorld San Antonio Heads Deep Into the Ocean With New 2020 Teaser

© SeaWorld San Antonio

SeaWorld San Antonio may be hard at work on an accelerated schedule building their new for 2020 attraction, but the park is just starting to tease fans with the details of the new ride.  The park's media department has sent out the below teaser for the ride, which seems like the first of many that we will see:

The clip begins with the camera heading below the surface of the ocean... way below the surface.  Sunlight is quickly blocked from view as the bubbles fade and the water turns dark.  Sounds of a submarine echo are heard as a couple of bioluminescent creatures swim by, though it's too dark to make out exactly what they are.  Aside from the park asking us all to stay tuned, we haven't got much else to go on.

However, it has been discovered (click here for more on that) that SeaWorld Entertainment has copyrighted the name Abyss for something in the nature of a "theme park ride."  Now that we've seen the teaser heading down into the dark bottom of the ocean, Abyss sure seems to fit nicely!

But then again we've always seen SeaWorld Entertainment copyright several possible names for their big rides, then finalize their choice later on.  So the park could still have more tricks up their sleeves!

SeaWorld San Antonio's New For 2020 Wooden Coaster Already Topped Off!

© SeaWorld San Antonio

Things are getting very exciting at SeaWorld San Antonio, as they are making a huge amount of progress on their new for 2020 wooden roller coaster.  The park has not officially said anything about the new ride yet, but considering it is now towering over the park it's not much of a secret!

That is an odd looking fishing pier they are building at @SeaWorldTexas! 🤔😉🤣 #FishWithACE @aceonlineorg @SeaWorld pic.twitter.com/CiEIopagkY

— ACE South Central (@acesouthcentral) June 30, 2019

The credit for these photos goes to ACE South Central, who posted them on Twitter - I am embedding them here to make sure you guys see them.  I'd give them a follow on Twitter as I suspect there will be many more photos of this new ride in the future.

More of the odd looking fishing pier they are building at @SeaWorldTexas! 🤔😉🤣 #FishWithACE @aceonlineorg @SeaWorld pic.twitter.com/NnuDBhroM3

— ACE South Central (@acesouthcentral) June 30, 2019

Surprisingly, the lift hill for this new wooden coaster, rumored but not confirmed to be by Great Coasters International, is already complete!  Usually the topping out of a new coaster is celebrated by the park through the press, and also it's usually during the winter.  SeaWorld San Antonio has already reached that milestone in June, the year before the ride will open!

And even more of the odd looking fishing pier they are building at @SeaWorldTexas! 🤔😉🤣 #FishWithACE @aceonlineorg @SeaWorld pic.twitter.com/8b8otmetev

— ACE South Central (@acesouthcentral) June 30, 2019

The coaster will utilize steel supports and a traditional wood coaster track, refreshing as there haven't been many new wood coasters in the U.S. for the last few years.  If the ride does in fact prove to be a GCI creation, it will be their first new wood coaster in the U.S. since 2017, when InvadR opened at sister park Busch Gardens Williamsburg.  A couple of the photos appear to show a track segment that is below grade, so perhaps it will have a tunnel or two as well.  It will be fun to see the ride go up without knowing the full layout - rare that that happens anymore!

The new wooden coaster will be the park's 5th overall, with Wave Breaker having only opened in 2017.

Sesame Street Birthday Party Parade to Entertain at SeaWorld San Antonio

© SeaWorld San Antonio

SeaWorld San Antonio is excited to bring the Sesame Street Birthday Parade to visitors starting May 18th, featuring the cast of Sesame Street in an interactive street production.

The "colorful, musical, show-stopping parade, which is part of Sesame Street’s year-long 50th anniversary celebration, will feature 10 larger-than-life themed floats including the iconic Mr. Hooper’s Store and Count’s Castle."

Characters including Elmo, Big Bird and plenty more will join 20 dancers who engage with guests along the route.  The 17 minute parade features "toe-tapping" good times and officially runs May 18th, May 25-26, June 1, June 8 and June 14 through August 11 - excluding Wednesdays.

© SeaWorld San Antonio

This new parade will feature colorful birthday themed decorations, sparkly cupcakes and a catchy new birthday song.  A part of the parade includes a "birthday stop" where everyone will be dancing and clapping along to the music.  Guests are invited to help their Sesame Street friends as they put on their birthday hats and blow out the candles on a giant cake.

The parade is a wonderful addition to SeaWorld San Antonio's Sesame Street Bay of Play themed area, which is celebrating it's 8th season at the theme park.

© SeaWorld San Antonio

“Sesame Street has had a long and popular presence in our park,” said Roland Garcia, SeaWorld San Antonio’s vice president of entertainment. “We’re delighted to expand our entertainment offerings for families and kids with this brand-new, engaging and endearing parade through the park. No doubt it will offer our guests some great opportunities for phenomenal photos.”

For those families with little ones, up to age 5, they can get them unlimited free admission to SeaWorld San Antonio all year long with a Preschool Card, only for Texas residents.  Parents can register their kids online before the end of this month on the park's website.

SeaWorld San Antonio Debuts Turtle Reef Themed Area + Two New Family Rides

© SeaWorld San Antonio

SeaWorld San Antonio has marked their 5th consecutive year of park expansions with today's grand opening of Turtle Reef.  The new themed area not only features a unique way to view endangered and rescued sea turtles, but also adds two new thrilling rides for families to enjoy.

A major initiative behind the expansion is to help educate guests on the human impact on oceans.  “Ocean pollution, oil spills and habitat degradation are some of the biggest challenges facing sea turtles, and Turtle Reef provides an immersive opportunity for guests to learn how they can help the species,” said SeaWorld and Aquatica San Antonio park president Carl Lum. “We are excited to showcase a species that has never been featured before at SeaWorld San Antonio, while educating guests about our mission to protect animals and habitats worldwide.”

© SeaWorld San Antonio

The Turtle Reef exhibit features a 126,000 gallon coral reef-themed biodynamic environment that is home to multiple species, like the friendly sea turtle seen above.  It is one of many "rescued and non-releasable sea turtles in SeaWorld’s world-class care, including endangered green sea turtles, and Big Mama, a 250-pound loggerhead sea turtle rescued offshore in the Gulf of Mexico after sustaining significant injuries to her front and back flippers."  Guests are able to visit with the turtles via a giant viewing window at the base of the exhibit.

The entire area is "designed as a natural biofiltration system to build a near natural, environmentally based recirculating filtration system that attracts wildlife and reduces water and energy consumption in the park, enabling the park to further its eco-friendly mission."  Specifically in Turtle Reef, seawater is filtered through a fabricated salt marsh grass wetland, similar to how water is filtered in the environment, and returned to the habitat.

© SeaWorld San Antonio

Two new family rides have also made their debut as a part of the Turtle Reef themed section.  Above is the Sea Swinger, a high swinging pendulum ride.   Sixteen riders are seated at the base of the pendulum as it begins to spin and swing high into the sky.  The passengers' feet dangle below them as they are offered aerial views of the park below them.

© SeaWorld San Antonio

The area's second new ride is named Riptide Rescue, seen above.  Themed around a fast race to rescue sea turtles in need, riders are seated in individual Sea Rescue boats.  The boats lift and spin on large arms, giving a maximum of 24 riders per cycle a feeling of twirling and diving through the ocean.

The new area will also benefit the University of Texas Marine Science Institute’s Amos Rehabilitation Keep program as five percent of all sales of turtle related merchandise will be funded directly to the organization.  The non-profit's main mission is to rescue and rehabilitate sick and injured sea turtles, birds and tortoises found along the South Texas coast.

Never Too Early to Start a New Coaster Project for SeaWorld San Antonio

New Coaster Location © Google Maps

Last year's leak of new rides an attractions for the SeaWorld Parks has slowly started to come true one project at a time, and now it looks like SeaWorld San Antonio's new for 2020 wooden coaster is both real and already under construction.

For those unfamiliar, reference back to the leaked images that were eventually confirmed by SeaWorld Parks as real - though they were confirmed as potentially planned rides and not 100% set in stone.  Still, the image of the wooden coaster at the Texas park now matches nicely with footers that are already in the ground:

While traditionally an autumn crop, footers are already popping up at @SeaWorldTexas. #Woodie2020 pic.twitter.com/5s8hlmCL18

— rcdb (@rcdbdotcom) April 23, 2019

The confirmation of the footings can be found in some new photos that Roller Coaster DataBase shared on social media, above, and also on their site with a new listing for the wooden roller coaster.  And yup, those photos sure do show what appears to be new wood roller coaster footers!

The original leaked images show the ride going up adjacent to the new Turtle Reef area, which is new for this season.  They also pin the ride at around 100 feet tall and 55 or so miles per hour at top speed.  The manufacturer remains a mystery for now, but with heavy construction already underway I can't image it will stay that way for long.  The obvious choices here are Great Coasters International and The Gravity Group.

With the number of traditional wooden roller coasters in North America decreasing in recent years, it's fun to see a new one going up - making this a project to watch for 2020.

Heard On... SeaWorld Entertainment's Q3 2018 Earnings Call

This past week SeaWorld Entertainment released their 3rd quarter, 2018 earnings and it looks like the turnaround of the company continued through the summer season.  The park put out a press release covering the news, but also held their usual investor conference call with some additional information.  Here are some notes on both:

•  During the third quarter of 2018 the company had 8.3 million visitors, up from 7.6 million in the period the year before.  Total revenues were $483 million, up 10% from last year.  Perhaps most importantly, EBITDA was up 22% for the quarter to $212 million.

•  This quarter helps cement a solid year so far.  Looking at the first 9 months of the year, attendance stands at 17.98 million, up 8.7% from last year, revenues are up 9.5% to 1.09 billion, and EBITDA is up 35% to $337 million.

•  SeaWorld believes the improved results are from a combination of "new strategic pricing initiatives, new marketing and communication initiatives and the positive reception of our new rides, attractions and events."  The EBITDA margin grew even further through continued cost reductions and more efficient operations.

© SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment

•  Special events appear to be aiding in the company turning the corner.  This summer saw Electric Ocean at SeaWorld Parks and Summer Nights at Busch Gardens parks.  Bier Fest debuted in Texas and Tampa Bay and returned again to Virginia.  The free beer promotion was also a home run at the Florida parks and is returning in 2019.

•  Season pass sales have remained strong.  The company debuted new pass structures for 2019 just a few weeks ago with the aim of giving "more value, flexibility and the most comprehensive benefits package they've ever offered."  Through 2018 revenue from season pass sales has increased at least 10%, with deferred revenue currently up 15%.

© SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment

•  Specifically regarding Infinity Falls at SeaWorld Orlando, while very late the company has seen "outstanding" guest ratings of the ride.  The lateness really seemed to make them take a look at their attraction development, to make sure that new attractions open on time in the future.

•  In-park revenue per cap also continues to grow as the parks hold special festivals that have resulted in higher product demand of both retail and culinary items.

•  When pressed about the search for a new CEO, the company didn't give much of an answer other than saying the Board is still searching.

© SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment

 •  The company sees their 2019 new attraction line-up as their biggest ever, with some new at nearly every park.  These include the Tigris roller coaster at Busch Gardens Tampa, Sesame Street at SeaWorld Orlando, Tidal Twister at SeaWorld San Diego, the new Turtle Reef area with two rides at SeaWorld San Antonio, a new thrill slide at Aquatica San Antonio, Finnegan's Flyer thrill ride at Busch Gardens Williamsburg and the Cutback Water Coaster at Water Country USA.

•  With increased results comes more cash on the books and SeaWorld was asked if they plan to start paying a dividend again, or complete stock repurchases.  The company said they're working on what the best plan is but haven't committed to anything yet.

© SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment

•  SeaWorld is still planning on changing the presentation of the Orca show in Texas and Florida as they did in California.  However, they learned that they can't close the show in between and are still planning the change it next in Texas in a year or so.

•  The company has revamped their capital expenditure budgets to make sure that each park gets new attractions more often.  The company seeing lodging as a long-term priority, but for now it is not and has actually dropped their deal to build a hotel at SeaWorld San Diego.

SeaWorld San Antonio Announces New Turtle Reef Area with Two New Rides + New Waterslide

© SeaWorld San Antonio

Today SeaWorld San Antonio announced a major expansion for their 2019 season called Turtle Reef, a brand new area that will feature a sea turtle habitat along with two new thrilling rides.

Turtle Reef will be built between Shamu Stadium and the Rio Loco river rapids ride, taking up a currently undeveloped area.

© SeaWorld San Antonio

Within Turtle Reef, visitors will find a "fascinating habitat that will enable guests to get an up-close look at threatened and endangered sea turtles, plus learn about the threats the species face in the wild. The focal point will be a 126,000-gallon coral reef-themed environment, with a unique and natural bio filtration, featuring rescued and non-releasable green sea turtles, along with hundreds of multi-colored Caribbean fish."  The new habitat will feature SeaWorld San Antonio's second underwater viewing area, with floor to ceiling portals with turtles swimming just inches away.

© SeaWorld San Antonio

Near Turtle Reef will be two exciting new family rides, Riptide Rescue and Sea Swinger.  Riptide Rescue looks like it will be a Huss Airboat ride, similar in design (and name) to the ride at sister park SeaWorld San Diego.  The ride features three arms with rescue boat themed gondolas for riders, and the motion is similar to a Trokia ride.

Sea Swinger appears to be one of Zamperla's smaller model pendulum rides.  Passengers will sit at the end of the pendulum in a circle, facing outward, then spin as it swings 180 degrees in both directions.

This video shows off the new Turtle Reef area, including animations of the new rides.  In celebration of the new area the theme park will also form a new partnership with the University of Texas Marine Science Institute's Amos Rehabilitation Keep, giving them 5% of proceeds from turtle-themed merchandise sold at SeaWorld.  The organization's goal is to rescue and rehabilitate injured sea turtles, birds and other animals.

© SeaWorld San Antonio

Next door to SeaWorld San Antonio is Aquatica, a full water park, which will also feature a thrilling new waterslide tower next year.  Named Ihu's Breakaway Falls, the slides will be themed after the park's colorful gecko, Ihu.  Each slide will start with a floor-dropping plunge down a steep slide, with plenty of thrills, tight turns and tunnels located along the journey.

For more information on all that is new to the parks at SeaWorld San Antonio in 2019, check out the park's official website.