Guests Racing Through Arctic on New Coaster at SeaWorld San Diego

© SeaWorld San Diego

SeaWorld's trend of adding roller coasters to its theme parks - and frequently at that - continued this summer much to the delight of enthusiasts.  SeaWorld San Diego saw the opening of a new Intamin designed family launch roller coaster named Arctic Rescue.  It was also billed by the park as the "longest and fastest straddle coaster on the West Coast," a very specific record to have.

© SeaWorld San Diego

The coaster is themed to riders being on snowmobiles blasting through the frozen Arctic on an animal rescue mission.  It is pretty brave to theme a ride to the Arctic when the park is located in Southern California, but all theme parks require a suspension of reality to some degree.  

The coaster utilizes tire launches - three in total - to move the trains at a maximum speed of 40 miles per hour over 2,800 feet of track.  Specifically, the launched are 34 miles per hour, 38 miles per hour and then 40 miles per hour.  The ride's layout stays close to the ground and features plenty of zippy looking turns and hills (30 feet is the ride's maximum height).  The ride is decidedly aimed at families, so no high thrills here, and for that it does look pretty fun!  Intamin has found relative success with this style of coasters, and I can see why.  

Earlier in the summer when the ride opened Park Journey shared some B-Roll footage of it both on-ride and off, check it out below!

SeaWorld Entertainment Posts Opening Dates for Three Coasters

© SeaWorld Orlando

We've had to wait an extra year for some of SeaWorld Entertainment's largest new roller coasters, and finally we're near to the grand opening dates for these attractions.  In the last week three parks have announced when we get experience new coasters at their parks, let's take a look at each.

SeaWorld Orlando will open Ice Breaker to visitors on February 18th.  The Premier Rides designed multi-launch coaster will actually have riders before that date, as pass members will get an opportunity to check the coaster out as soon as January 30th.

The theme park also released a new point of view ride on the attraction, the first we've had since the ride started testing:

 

 

Also in Florida, Busch Gardens Tampa has announced that Iron Gwazi will premier to visitors on March 11th.  

© Busch Gardens Tampa

This is the Rocky Mountain Construction hybrid redesign of Iron Gwazi, and fans have been salivating about their first ride on the coaster for far too long now.  Standing 206 feet tall and featuring a 91 degree drop, Iron Gwazi's trains will soar along the steel track at 76 miles per hour.  Similar to with Ice Breaker, pass members will start to ride Iron Gwazi as soon as February 13th, depending on their pass tier.  That's a lovely Valentine present if I do say so.

 

© SeaWorld San Diego

Last but certainly not least, SeaWorld San Diego will open Emperor, their custom B&M dive coaster, to the public on March 12th.   To celebrate, the park release this cool infographic covering the ride's layout and features - which include three inversions and a 14 story vertical plunge.  If only all that cool ice surrounding the ride really existed!

The coaster will have a pass holder preview set up as well, though right now the dates aren't set but expected to take place in March.

SeaWorld Entertainment Announces 2022 Opening Dates for New Coasters

© Busch Gardens Tampa

Over the past week SeaWorld Entertainment has announced that they will open several large roller coasters at their parks in early 2022.  Each of the rides were originally intended to have opened by now, and were delayed due to the pandemic.  With the SeaWorld Entertainment parks doing quite well in 2021 even without these new mega-attractions, the company has opted to give the rides opening dates to make them each parks' 2022 star attractions.

Busch Gardens Tampa will open Iron Gwazi, billed as "North America’s tallest hybrid coaster and the fastest and steepest hybrid coaster in the world," in March of 2022.  The ride is a conversion of the former Gwazi wooden roller coasters, which closed for good in 2015.  The new ride stands an impressive 206 feet tall, and features 91 degree first drop that sends trains roaring across the 4,075 feet of track at a maximum speed of 76 miles per hour.  The coaster also features two inversions and 12 moments of air-time.

© SeaWorld Orlando

SeaWorld Orlando will open Ice Breaker, a Premier Rides LSM launch coaster, in February of 2022.  Ice Breaker features four launches in total, both forwards and backwards, to send trains up over an 80 foot tall top hat element.  While getting up to its 52 mile per hour maximum speed the trains will soar up a 93 foot tall, 100 degree Jr. Scorpion Tail spike element.  The rest of the ride's 1,900 foot long layout includes several twisting elements and hills designed to provide air time for passengers.

© SeaWorld San Diego

Last, but not least, SeaWorld San Diego will debut Emperor, a B&M dive roller coaster, in March of 2022.  The dive coaster is the "tallest, fastest and longest" dive coaster in California according to the park.  Emperor takes trains up to 153 feet then hangs them over the edge of the 143 foot, 90 degree drop for a moment before they free fall down at a top speed of 60 miles per hour.  Emperor's layout includes 3 inversions, an Immelmann, corkscrew and a barrel roll.  When complete, riders will have travelled 2,411 feet of twisting track while riding Emperor.

No official word yet on Pantheon at Busch Gardens Williamsburg, but I would assume a 2022 opening for that ride as well.

New Sesame Street Parade of Lights Drive-Thru Experience to Debut at SeaWorld San Diego

© SeaWorld San Diego

The trend of theme park drive thru experiences is continuing with SeaWorld San Diego announcing that they will be reopening in order to hold the all-new Sesame Street Parade of Lights Drive-Thru Experience.  The event will start on January 15th and run on select nights through February 14th.

This is the first time that SeaWorld San Diego will allow visitors to drive their own vehicles through the park, and they're ramping up the family fun by introducing the Sesame Street characters into the mix.  The experience will allow visitors to stay in their vehicles during the fun, safely separated from other guests.  

© SeaWorld San Diego

As described by the park, the journey starts with traveling past "through thousands of dazzling lights lined with your Sesame Street friends physically distanced on parade floats while listening to Sesame Street music along the way.  The excitement continues as you venture under the illuminated SkyTower to snap photos, drive under two different tunnels of lights, and cruise through Sesame Street Village." 

 

Guests who make reservations for the event can also reserve add-ons such as a snack pack or a deluxe snack pack that comes with some retail items as well.  Season pass holders will get a 50% discount off the admission price, and Fun Card holders will receive 25% off.  For more information or to make a reservation, check out the park's official website.

SeaWorld San Diego to Reopen for Zoo Special Event + SeaWorld Orlando Adds Operating Days

© SeaWorld San Diego

SeaWorld San Diego has been granted permission to reopen as a zoo only, following the footsteps of Six Flags Discovery Kingdom which reopened earlier this summer as the Marine World Experience.  No rides or indoor attractions are able to open, so the park has put together a new event called Zoo Days: Bayside BBQ & Brews.

The special event requires a special ticket to enter, and is a mixture of the park's outdoor zoo facilities (a partial selection) along with a food and beer event spread over 40 of the parks acres.  Season pass holders still are required to purchase a separate ticket to the event, though they will receive a steep discount off of the regular admission.  The event ticket comes with a special lanyard that allows for six tastings of the park's special BBQ themed food options, or a variety of beers, wines and cocktails.

The park will have several of their open-air exhibits open to visitors, including Sea Lion Point, Otter Outlook, Dolphin Point and Explorer's Reef Touch Pools.  There will be several animal presentations as well, such as the Dolphin, Sea Lion and the educational Orca Encounter.  All will feature proper socially distanced seating.

 

The park will also offer Sesame Street character meet and greets - distanced for safety - while the park is open.

 

Reservations for the event are required as the capacity for each day is limited.  The park will also follow all health and safety guidelines already in place at other SeaWorld Entertainment parks, including mandatory face masks, increased sanitization and social distancing throughout the park.

Zoo Days: Bayside BBQ & Brews will starting this Friday, August 28th, and take place each Friday through Sunday (plus Labor Day) until September 27th.

© SeaWorld Orlando

SeaWorld Orlando and Aquatica Orlando have also both shared good news, the parks are now going to be open 7 days a week through October 4th.  Plus, SeaWorld Orlando will now stay open until 10 pm on Friday through Sunday through Labor Day weekend.

SeaWorld Orlando is also extending their craft beer festival to Fridays (in addition to the weekend) with operating hours of 3 pm until 10 pm.  The park is currently presenting Electric Ocean Remix on weekend days through September 6th.  It's great to see the park having enough demand to open for additional days and hours!

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 Entertainment Showing Signs of Delaying 2020 Rides Until 2021

© SeaWorld Entertainment

We haven't had a good confirmation yet from most of the SeaWorld Entertainment parks about whether or not they would still be opening their new-for-2020 rides this year, or pushing them back until 2021.  This is of course with the exception of the Texas Stingray at SeaWorld San Antonio, which has already opened.

Some recent developments have me thinking they are looking to open the new rides (most of which are roller coasters) next year.

Social media has been buzzing the last couple days with news of a multitude of liens being placed on the company, many of which are coming out of Florida.  The liens are being placed by contractors and other vendors that have done work for the company but not been paid for it, some have even escalated into lawsuits against SeaWorld.

The Orlando Sentinel has published a story on the liens, which they report total $16 million in Orange County, Florida alone.   They include Rocky Mountain Construction still being owed $3.5 million for Iron Gwazi, and Premier Rides owed $2.7 million for Ice Breaker.  Out in California they have been sued for non-payment of work done for SeaWorld San Diego's new Emperor dive coaster.  I have not heard of any recent news related to Pantheon at Busch Gardens Williamsburg, though I've also not seen any parks in Virginia be allowed to reopen or even set a date to reopen.

© SeaWorld Orlando

It sounds like although SeaWorld Entertainment technically has the funds to pay these bills, they're holding off until the parks open and they start to generate revenue again.  At least they try to politely say that in the Sentinel story.  However, that's a hard financial crush on all the vendors who still have to make ends meet and employ good people regardless - hopefully the company makes this right, and soon.

But the point of all that is that the parks that have reopened, like SeaWorld Orlando, are not showing any progress on these new for 2020 rides and if the vendors aren't being paid you can be sure they're not showing up to help, either.

As such it feels like the rides that were supposed to all be open by now very well may be new for 2021 rides, or at the least open much later in this year.  While all the new rides are exciting to have at the parks, that would probably sadly include Iron Gwazi at Busch Gardens Tampa, easily one of the most anticipated new coasters of the year.

Honestly, the delay makes sense.  With attendance levels still capped for the foreseeable future due to COVID-19, it makes no sense to open a ride that is built to draw in tons and tons of visitors.  There's really no bang for the park's buck in that sense... however it doesn't justify not paying the companies who helped create it.

SeaWorld San Diego's Emperor Dive Coaster Track is Complete

© SeaWorld San Diego

Exciting news from SeaWorld San Diego, which just recently completed all track and support instillation for Emperor, the park's new B&M dive roller coaster.  Seen above in its completed status, Emperor is now another impressive addition to the theme park's skyline.

Emperor towers 153 feet over SeaWorld San Diego, and features a vertical, 143 foot first drop.  With a top speed of 60 miles per hour, the trains will encounter three inversions along the 2,411 feet of track.

© SeaWorld San Diego

As is common in the industry, members of the construction team got a chance to sign the final piece of track before it was lifted into place.  It's a nice way to let the crew who built the ride forever be a part of the attraction!

© SeaWorld San Diego

The final piece was located in what appears to be the ride's 3rd inversion, a corkscrew near the end of the ride.  You could easily argue that Emperor has four inversions, as the ride's second element is a very highly banked turn that is indeed counted as an inversion on other rides.  No matter the final number, all the elements will be a blast so who cares!

© SeaWorld San Diego

And just like that the final piece was bolted in place and the Emperor track was complete.  The coaster is the only B&M dive coaster in California and one of only a handful in North America.

© SeaWorld San Diego

Not long after the track was completed the park reached another milestone - they placed the first Emperor floorless coaster train on the track!  With how quickly the park is making progress on Emperor I wouldn't be at all surprised to see testing start soon.  Stay tuned!

SeaWorld San Diego to Build Another Roller Coaster for 2021?

© SeaWorld San Diego

SeaWorld San Diego may currently be working on a brand new dive coaster, Emperor, for their 2020 season, but plans have emerged that show yet another major roller coaster will be headed to the park in 2021.

SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment is on quite a roller coaster building spree it seems, with nearly all their major parks receiving one in 2020 and now hints of more coasters planned for the following season.

Up top is one of the park's images of their simulator attraction, Wild Arctic, which appears to be biting the dust in order to build the ride for 2021.  These simulator rides were a staple of the SeaWorld parks in the 1990s, but are really showing their age in 2019... making it not all that surprising that the San Diego park would want to replace theirs.  Especially with an exiting and highly marketable roller coaster!

© Google Maps

The news of the new ride comes from Behind The Thrills, which published a large article on the plans of the attraction.  You can read the entire story via this link, but to cut to the chase the ride will be a low to the ground launched ride similar to Wave Breaker at SeaWorld San Antonio.

The ride will start in the space that the simulators occupy now, in the blue roof building in the above aerial image.  It will launch out into what is currently some of the parking lot, featuring a ton of twists and turns and a maximum height of 30 feet.  The ride's layout looks to feature not just a couple launch sections, but a total of four!  Aimed at families the ride would not be super-high thrill, but definitely an exciting addition nonetheless.

Make sure to check out Behind The Thrills' article for a ton more information and a look at the proposed ride layout!

With Busch Gardens Williamsburg also highly rumored to be adding another coaster in 2021, could we see the trend continue and see even more SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment properties go for thrills in back to back years?  Perhaps!

SeaWorld San Diego Tops Off New B&M Dive Coaster - Emperor

© SeaWorld San Diego

SeaWorld San Diego is hard at work building another new roller coaster for 2020, this time around a custom layout B&M Dive Coaster named Emperor.  Site clearing took place earlier in the fall, and recently track and supports started to go up.

The park has now topped off the ride, which stands 153 feet tall:

© SeaWorld San Diego

As with the park's other roller coasters, Emperor utilizes a color scheme that helps it to blend into the park's surroundings, a combination of teal and blue.  The new coaster will taken riders down a vertical 143 foot drop to hit a maximum speed of 60 miles per hour.

The ride's layout includes three inversions, an Immelmann, barrel roll and corkscrew.  In total the coaster will have around 2,500 feet of track when completed.  The ride's theming is linked to the "Emperor penguins’ journey from chilly, frosted cliffs to their deep dive into the depths of the ocean."

Here is some additional footage of the ride being topped off from the park via Theme Park Insider:

Tidal Twister Rolls and Turns its Way Into SeaWorld San Diego

© SeaWorld San Diego

SeaWorld San Diego has opened its all new "coaster-type ride experience," Tidal Twister.  The innovative thrill ride was created for the park by Skyline Attractions, and is one of their Horizon models.  The ride is the first of its kind to feature dueling trains that move through a 290 foot long horizontal track, only one similar ride from Skyline has opened prior to this one. 

While on board Tidal Twister riders experience a section of air-time at the peak of the ride's layout, and then a heartline roll that completely inverts them.  Riders sit face to face on the trains and experience both forward and backward movements.

© SeaWorld San Diego

The ride reaches speeds of 30 miles per hour as it simulates the trains rolling along with the tide, and requires only a 48 inch height requirement making it family friendly.

"There is no other coaster experience in the world like Tidal Twister," said Marilyn Hannes, SeaWorld San Diego's park president. "The two trains duel one another and guests will see the excitement on the faces of the other riders. You'll almost feel like you can reach out and touch them. The tight turns, the inversion and the airtime hill will leave our guests wondering which way is up. If you don't understand and love the ocean, you can't protect it. That is why with new attractions like Tidal Twister in California, Turtle Reef in Texas and Infinity Falls in Florida, SeaWorld seeks to collaborate with conservation groups that are making a real impact."

Tidal Twister is located adjacent to the Aquaria touch pool and aquarium, where guest can learn the importance of protecting the ocean and its coral reefs.  A portion of all Tidal Twister merchandise sales will go to the Rising Tide Conservation, which aims to protect the ocean.

Planning Documents Show Full Layout of Proposed 2020 Dive Coaster for SeaWorld San Diego

SeaWorld San Diego is moving forward with their exciting 2020 roller coaster project, a B&M dive machine.  The park recently went seeking approval from San Diego to build the attraction, which the park must do for anything taller than 30 feet.

A presentation was created by the park for the meeting, which is available publicly on the city of San Diego's website.

© SeaWorld San Diego

Before we get to the ride, here's how planning for SeaWorld San Diego's new attractions works, so long as they're taller than 30 feet.  The park was granted permission to build up to 4 attractions between 100 and 160 feet tall as part of their master plan (finalized in 2002) and it's also worth noting that Mako will only be the 2nd of these four rides.  So there's more opportunity for thrills at the park down the line.

© SeaWorld San Diego

Here is a wonderful aerial (updated with Electric Eel) of where in the theme park Mako will be located.  The area is currently parking lot, and is located behind Journey to Atlantis and next to Wild Arctic.  Visitors will pass through a long walkway that goes behind the water ride to get to a small plaza that will hold the entrance to Mako.

© SeaWorld San Diego

Here is how the corner of the park will look once Mako is built.  This also gives us a good look at the ride's layout, but there will be even better images in a moment.

© SeaWorld San Diego

Here is a profile view of Mako, showing the steep lift that will top out at 153 feet above the park.  The drop will head down 143 feet and up into a large Immelmann roll, as seen on many other B&M dive coasters.  The second element is interesting, a tall and heavily banked hammerhead turn.

© SeaWorld San Diego

This overhead layout should answer pretty much any question anyone has about Mako's layout.  The first drop leads directly into the Immelmann, then the neat looking hammerhead turn, then the track will rise into a barrel roll that swoops downward at the end.  A large flat spin comes next, followed by a highly banked 180 degree turn and up onto the brakes.

© SeaWorld San Diego

The park also created some visuals of how the ride will look on the skyline of the surrounding area, one of which can be seen above.  If you're wondering why SeaWorld San Diego keeps using the same teal-based color schemes for their rides, it's because they have to - keeping the rides colors that are similar to the sky was a part of the master planning agreement.

This looks like a wonderful addition to SeaWorld San Diego, can't wait to see the ride go up at the park later this year!

New B&M Dive Coaster - Mako - Opening in 2020 at SeaWorld San Diego

© SeaWorld San Diego

Everyone has to love a surprise announcement!  That's just what SeaWorld San Diego did this past weekend when they announced a brand new roller coaster named Mako for the park's 2020 season.  The ride will be one of B&M's dive coasters, featuring a vertical first drop to start the ride, and is already being marketed by the park as "California's tallest, longest and fastest dive coaster."

Behind The Thrills first gave us a look at the ride's concept art, up top, over the weekend.  Their story features plenty of photos from an event the park had where the ride was announced.  The park also plans to spruce up other areas of the property in the coming years, including the Shark Encounter and Penguin exhibits, according to the site.

© SeaWorld San Diego

Back to the coaster, the park released some additional statistics today.  First, the coaster will be located behind Journey to Atlantis, in what is currently a section of the parking lot.  Mako will stand 153 feet tall and feature a 143 foot first drop.  It will have almost 2,500 feet of track, and hit a top speed of 60 miles per hour.  Elements on the ride include a "barrel roll, Immelmann loop, a hammerhead turn, and a flat spin."  Mako will utilize floorless trains that have three rows of six riders.

Planning and approvals for Mako are going to start soon, so expect more details and probably a full layout to be released before too long.  For now, the coaster seems most comparable to Liseberg's Valkyria, at least in terms of B&M dive coaster height and length.

It sounds like this is the first of many exciting announcements that SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment have planned for 2020!

IAAPA Expo: SeaWorld San Diego Reveals Tidal Twister Lead Car

© SeaWorld San Diego

Also revealed during the recent IAAPA Expo was the lead car for Tidal Twister, the first-of-its-kind version of a SkyWarp ride that is opening at SeaWorld San Diego next year.

The attraction features two trains that duel on a single track, and feature both forward and backward motion.  The ride experience utilizes a "unique horizontal design," with "twists, banks, turns and curves" all along a tight horizontal track.  Highlights of the ride include a "dynamic zero-g roll and exhilarating airtime."

The reveal of the lead car design for Tidal Twister took place in the middle of the IAAPA show floor, and Scott and Carol were on hand for the presentation.  Check out this video for the big reveal, along with plenty of information from both SeaWorld and the attraction's designer.

Tidal Twister at SeaWorld San Diego is scheduled to open in the spring of 2019.

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 Diego Building New Tidal Twister Thrill Ride for 2019

© SeaWorld San Diego

Visitors to SeaWorld San Diego in 2019 will be able to "ride the tide" in 2019 on the park's new Tidal Twister thrill ride.

As predicted by many, the new ride will be one of Skyline Attraction's Skywarp Horizon models, the first of its kind and only the second Skywarp to be built.  According to the manufacturer's website, the Horizon model stands around 30 feet tall, with two sixteen passenger trains that feature face-to-face seating.

The ride will see the trains moving at a maximum speed of 30 miles per hour around a figure eight track.  The cross point of the layout features an air-time hill on top and a full zero-g roll on the bottom.  Trains will load at either end of the figure eight layout.

SeaWorld San Diego is classifying Tidal Twister as a roller coaster, and note that it has a 48 inch height requirement, allowing some younger visitors to take a spin.

The Tidal Twister will be located adjacent to the Aquaria touch tank and aquarium and feature "elements encouraging oceanic conservation and sustainability from Rising Tide Conservation, a collaborative aquaculture research effort SeaWorld launched in 2009. Rising Tide Conservation seeks an alternative to the collection of wild fish and the damage it can cause to coral reefs."

Newly Released Images Show New Rides & Attractions at SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment Properties

A couple days ago a bunch of images were released on Twitter that appeared to reveal new rides and attractions coming to SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment properties in 2019 & 2020.  Without being able to verify their legitimacy we didn't cover them, but in a surprising move the company went ahead and confirmed they were real to the Orlando Sentinel.

A spokesperson for the company stated that the images "are real and pulled from a company presentation," but "stressed nothing has been made final or approved yet."

Still, with official confirmation let's take a look at the images that Amusement Leaks posted.

#SeaWorldSanDiego #NewFor2019 #SeaWorldParks pic.twitter.com/54zgLarkvW

— Amusement Leaks (@AmusementLeaks) September 24, 2018

Up first is what appears to be a new Skywarp Horizon ride opening next year at SeaWorld San Diego.  The ride recently moved through the local government approval process, giving us a good look at the plans.  At the time the best guess was one of the Skywarp attractions, which appears to be correct.

#BuschGardensTampa #NewFor2020 #SeaWorldParks pic.twitter.com/NLNkiFM0fm

— Amusement Leaks (@AmusementLeaks) September 24, 2018

Here we have another ride that we pretty much had confirmation of with the recent announcement of Busch Gardens Tampa's Tigris roller coaster.  From the not-so-subtle hints that were given during the announcement, many have expected that the former pair of Gwazi wooden roller coasters would become hybrid rides via Rocky Mountain Construction in 2020.  No new details of the experience are revealed, such as if the coaster will feature one or two tracks when it reopens.

#SeaWorldSanAntonio #NewFor2020 #SeaWorldParks pic.twitter.com/RiyRifWOq5

— Amusement Leaks (@AmusementLeaks) September 24, 2018

Here is another exciting project that we have heard rumors of, it appears as though SeaWorld San Antonio plans to add a large wooden roller coaster in 2020.  Standing around 100 feet tall, the ride would be in a new turtle-themed section of the park (more on that from the park tomorrow morning in their 2019 announcement).  The blurry concept photos appear to show a twisted ride layout that features plenty of low-to-the-ground segments.  We can only guess on the manufacturer for now, but with a limited amount of wood coaster builders there are only so many options.

#BuschGardensWilliamsburg #NewFor2020 #SeaWorldParks pic.twitter.com/drqV8r8jR1

— Amusement Leaks (@AmusementLeaks) September 24, 2018

From various filings with their local government, we've known that Busch Gardens Williamsburg has had their eye on a large new roller coaster for quite some time now.  This is our first look at what the park is planning in 2020, described as a multi-launch shuttle coaster, the fastest coaster at the park hitting a top speed of 76 miles per hour.  The notes call out that the ride will hit its max speed and final drop near the park's Italy bridge, and the images reveal a large spike element, extended fan turn and what looks like a top hat element.

#SeaWorldOrlando #NewFor2020 #SeaWorldParks pic.twitter.com/XolvfdtPqv

— Amusement Leaks (@AmusementLeaks) September 24, 2018

Last but not least, the final image shows a new launch roller coaster planned for SeaWorld Orlando in 2020.  As the text reads, it seems the park isn't too sure about exact statistics, layout or location in the park for the ride.  The text does mention inversions, airtime and banked turns, so it would appear that the ride will be on the more thrilling side of things.

Granted, the company spokesperson did make it clear that while these are real images, that nothing is final quite yet - so take all this with a grain of salt.  However, if it proves true then it seems like 2020 will be a gigantic year for SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment properties!

SeaWorld San Diego Planning New "Roller Coaster" for 2019

SeaWorld San Diego has filed plans to build what is described as a new roller coaster for the park's 2019 season.  The plans, which can be viewed at this link (while the agenda is live at least), describe the addition as follows:

The proposed new 22-foot high coaster will cover approximately 800 square feet, and includes the new coaster, two 250 square foot loading ramps sited on the east and west ends of the new attraction with attached open shade structures not to exceed 19 feet in height, and a new 300 square foot building housing the controls for the roller coaster.  New landscaping and hardscaping improvements are also proposed.  The ride is designed to conform to the aquatic and educational nature of SeaWorld by incorporating elements of its “Rising Tide” program which promotes sustainable aquaculture and protection of coral reefs.

© SeaWorld San Diego

The planning document also contains this look at the ride, and its location.  As you can see the attraction is small and the layout is a figure eight when viewed from above.  The ride will be built along side an existing tide pool, on the far Eastern edge of the theme park, below the Cirque Stadium and tucked next to one part of Shipwreck Rapids.

© Google Maps

Here is a comparable view of the park to go along with the plans.  The area in red will be cleared to allow the new ride to go in.  I'm not sure what is there currently, it looks like just landscaping and perhaps a small retail location - either way not much of a loss there.

So now for the ride itself, as many other sites have pointed out (Screamscape, for one), the dimensions and layout closely match the Skywarp Horizon model, created by Skyline Attractions.  Here is a snip of the manufacturer's website, showing this version:

© Skyline Attractions

The horizon is similar to the Skywarp that was added to Six Flags Discovery Kingdom this year, but obviously with a different layout.  That said, these are powered rides that work much like a Larson Super Loop, so most put these in the "flat ride" category more so than the "roller coaster" category.

Either way, it's great to see SeaWorld San Diego expanding again after building a large roller coaster, Electric Eel, this year.  Many parks have a very quiet year after adding a large ride, so it's nice to see SeaWorld San Diego continuing to push forward!

SeaWorld San Diego Gives Electric Eel Opening Date + On-Ride Video

© SeaWorld San Diego

Excited fans of SeaWorld San Diego now know that they only have to wait until May 12th to ride the park's all new launched roller coaster, Electric Eel.  The theme park has been testing the ride regularly and finishing work on the coaster's station, queue and surrounding plaza. 

According to this site the new area of the park featuring Electric Eel will also feature a live eel display, featuring California moray eels, along with an educational experience called Mission: Deep Discovery.  During this visitors, in teams of one to four, will go on a virtual experience in the deep sea.

Electric Eel, which has been built by Premier Rides, features three launches - two forward and one backward, to get trains up to a top height of 150 feet above the park.  This on-ride video that SeaWorld San Diego released shows just what that ride will be like, including the full heartline roll at 150 feet in the air and a non-inverting loop that takes place after a vertical dive.  There are also some off-ride shots at the end of the video that should not be missed.

For more information on Electric Eel, click here.

SeaWorld San Diego Finishes Electric Eel Construction in a Flash

© SeaWorld San Diego

In what seemed like a flash, SeaWorld San Diego has completed major construction of the track and supports for Electric Eel, their new-for-2018 launched roller coaster.

This photos are actually out of date, since the track is now complete, but I figured were still worth sharing.  Originally I was under the impression that the higher track on the ride was to have a lighter color, but I guess that isn't so.

© SeaWorld San Diego

The Electric Eel is designed by Premier Rides, and features multiple launches and a maximum speed of 62 miles per hour.  This shot shows the ride at its full height, though there was still plenty of track and supports left to go up when it was taken.  The ride certainly has a large presence over the theme park!

This video was just released by SeaWorld San Diego showing off the complete Electric Eel construction in just a matter of seconds.  Now the park will work on the ride's station, landscaping, theming and all the other details that have to come into place before it can open.