SeaWorld Orlando (SWO) Discussion Thread

[IronWolfman]

 

Except that B&M hypers aren't fun. They shudder all over the place and have (generally) boring layouts.

 

I hate to say this, but it seems like you have gotten to the point were you can't have fun on a decent roller coaster. I mean come on, I even have fun on rides like Iron Wolf and Twister 2, coasters largely regarded as boring/rough. Some people need to learn to enjoy themselves.

 

On the subject of SeaWorld, I am glad they and the other trainers are calling Blackfish out on it's crap.

[KBrylczyk]

^ Oh, I absolutely LOVE nearly every ride I've ever been on. There's just something about the B&M hypers that rub me the wrong way. I rode Nitro on opening day and, at the time, it was a very fun ride. It hasn't aged well, however, and after riding it in 2012 I just really didn't enjoy it. But when I plopped myself down into Rolling Thunder I had a great time!

 

EuroStar was probably the tipping point for me. I'd been tired of B&M's design choices for hypers already but I still had some fun on them. EuroStar was just bad, though. No airtime, rough, and a completely lackluster layout. It seems that every one of their hypers has become the same thing. Hill after hill with no airtime and poor pacing.

 

Throw me on Ghost Rider, though, a coaster many have come to loathe over the years, and I'm happier than a pig in poop!

[coasterbill]

Nitro has aged very well. Last year there was a point where it needed a few wheels replaced near the back of one of the trains but it's been fixed. I don't see how anyone can honestly say that Nitro is a rough coaster.

[cfc]

^From what I've heard, Nitro can be a bit "tempermental."

 

Now, to get this thread back on topc . . .

 

 

Penguins!

[Garet]

A band member of REO speedwagon "explaining" why they backed out: http://www.tmz.com/videos/0_1k3clsyt

[Hercules]

So, any happy Seaworld investors out there?

[KBrylczyk]

A band member of REO speedwagon "explaining" why they backed out: http://www.tmz.com/videos/0_1k3clsyt

 

Annnnnd the "Bag O' Douche" list gets another tally mark...

[bert425]

A band member of REO speedwagon "explaining" why they backed out: http://www.tmz.com/videos/0_1k3clsyt

 

I actually have absolutely NO issue with his comments there (he even gives Sea World credit for the good work they do with the animals).

 

and his take that "it's Sea World's fight, not mine" -- while not an attitude *I* would take, it's a valid one.

 

ignore the sensational headline, and watch the clip - he never says anything even CLOSE to what the headline states (he never says "my son SURVIVED Sea World").

 

And he does have a point - it was dangerous to put a 6moth old on the back of an Orca (but it would have been just as dangerous to put a child that age on the back of an Elephant at the San Diego Zoo, and I get the definite impression that if they had asked him that, they would have gotten the SAME answer)

 

so yeah. . I have no issue with anything he says.

[bert425]

A band member of REO speedwagon "explaining" why they backed out: http://www.tmz.com/videos/0_1k3clsyt

 

Annnnnd the "Bag O' Douche" list gets another tally mark...

 

did you watch the video?

 

or just go by the headline?

[KBrylczyk]

^ His casual "Haha, they've eaten people recently, hahahaha!" at the end ticked me off.

[bert425]

^ His casual "Haha, they've eaten people recently, hahahaha!" at the end ticked me off.

 

but it's a big animal, and they have killed folks (fairly recently).

 

can that be said about a lot of big animals? yep, a Lion just killed a zookeeper in Atlanta Zoo (I think it was Atlanta)?

 

but he was asked specifically about Blackfish, so, he responded regarding Orcas.

 

so yeah. . he was a bit casual, but c'mon, he got asked a question by someone with a camera (who probably lied and said he's a fan to get him to talk) while getting off a flight. It's not like it was a formal interview in a business or press conference setting.

[KBrylczyk]

^ I know, I know. And yes, the first 60 seconds of the video were decent. You can tell they did it to save whatever fame they have remaining, though.

[Cyrbuzz]

I'm so happy the Academy had the sense to pass Blackfish up for Oscar nomination. Let's hope for a quick falling off the radar for this miserable propaganda film.

[tarheel1231]

Poor Seaworld parks. These idiots who think the whales are being tortured shouldn't be allowed into ANY park, with or without animals. Shame on Blackfish, and the idiots who supported it.

[robbalvey]

And he does have a point - it was dangerous to put a 6moth old on the back of an Orca (but it would have been just as dangerous to put a child that age on the back of an Elephant at the San Diego Zoo...

so yeah. . I have no issue with anything he says.

Are you serious? It's WAY WAY MORE dangerous to put his 6 month old in a car seat and drive on the California freeways.

 

That video was completely idiotic.

 

I'm shocked that anyone here could actually support that and think there was "nothing wrong' with it.

 

--Robb "There are just so many stupid people in this world" Alvey

[bert425]

And he does have a point - it was dangerous to put a 6moth old on the back of an Orca (but it would have been just as dangerous to put a child that age on the back of an Elephant at the San Diego Zoo...

so yeah. . I have no issue with anything he says.

Are you serious? It's WAY WAY MORE dangerous to put his 6 month old in a car seat and drive on the California freeways.

 

That video was completely idiotic.

 

I'm shocked that anyone here could actually support that and think there was "nothing wrong' with it.

 

--Robb "There are just so many stupid people in this world" Alvey

 

I wasn't doing any kind of comparison between putting a toddler on an animal and putting a toddler in a car.

 

saying I don't have an issue with anything he says, isn't the same thing as saying I agree with him about why REO pulled out of Sea World.

 

(because it IS dangerous, just as it would be dangerous to put a 6month old on ANY animal (bigger than a human or not).

 

I can see his point of view, that does NOT mean I support that they pulled out of Summer Nights.

 

and of course the video is idiotic -- it's TMZ asking the guy a question when he gets off a plane (and putting a false and misleading headline on the video).

 

but what he actually says in the video? I simply don't think it's all that bad.

 

sorry you feel that's a terrible thing to say (apparently?), but that's what I think about this particular 90 second interview with a member of REO Speedwagon.

 

 

(how do you feel about Heart performing on "Family Guy". . do you find that as hypocritical as I do?).

[ytterbiumanalyst]

You know, we had a zookeeper killed by an elephant at our local zoo here in Springfield, Missouri, this past fall. When dealing with animals, anything can happen. Our zoo has a really great elephant breeding program, and elephants born here are sent to many zoos around the country. It's something that we who are "Friends of the Zoo" take pride in. So it's always sad to see that someone who loved animals so much is killed by one of the animals he cared for for most of his life. But that sort of thing happens from time to time, even with veterans. Our zookeeper had worked with elephants for 40 years. He knew what he was doing. Tragedies by nature cause us to stop and think about what we could have done differently. But abuse is not the only reason an animal can become violent. I've seen how our elephants are cared for, and they are by no means abused. But any animal can become scared or feel threatened, and lose control of their actions. Sometimes life just sucks, and no one's to blame. That can be hard to deal with for some people who want to feel that we've conquered nature and that we can make ourselves perfectly safe. But the world's a dangerous place, and always will be. The worst thing we can do after a tragedy is assign blame to an innocent party--not only is it unfair to them, it also causes us to stop searching for real answers. May we never stop wanting to learn about our world and all its inhabitants. Anyone who devotes their life to learning something new that humanity as a whole does not currently understand is a hero to me.

[Jew]

So, any happy Seaworld investors out there?

 

Well, if they bought when it dropped to $27/share last week, then I would imagine so! It's up to $33.25/share now, so whatever impact Blackfish may have had certainly wore off quick with Wall Street...

[thrillrider]

Just watched a great show on ABC called "sea rescue". It was about the rescue staff at seaworld. They rescued a humpback whale and a manatee. It comes on again the 25th of this month, so set your dvr. By watching this show, and looking at all the staff and equipment they have in place, it has to be costing seaworld a ton to continue the rescue efforts.

 

But you will never see this mentioned in $lackfish.

[Cyrbuzz]

I think the Fishheads as I come to refer to them are now in their last gasps for attention. It's great to see Sea World stock going up and turnstiles still a spinning. Give it another week or two at best and this story will be a forgotten inconvenience.

[megametal]

I've decided to go to Sea World Orlando this year for the first time just to support them. I had not planned to until the last few weeks. I'll buy lots of food and merchandise while I'm there too. Tired of these fire breathers, and the news media that's stoking the flames. (Though since it wasn't nominated for an Academy Award, I think the news organizations will move on soon.)

[coasterbill]

I've decided to go to Sea World Orlando this year for the first time just to support them.

 

Good for you, I'm doing the same thing. We're heading to Orlando on Vacation next month and added Sea World to our itinerary specifically because of this Blackfish thing. They need our support. There's nothing wrong with running a for-profit business where you have animals that are treated exceptionally well and would never survive in the wild anyway... especially when you spend a ton of money and time (that you're not obligated to spend) with conservation efforts.

 

Also, Sea World is helping animals indirectly by teaching children about the power of nature and giving them an appreciation for these animals which may inspire them to help animals in the future (even if it's something as simple as not littering on the beach). This may sound ridiculous but it's really not. Baba Dioum said it best...

 

“In the end we will conserve only what we love; we will love only what we understand; and we will understand only what we have been taught.”

[PeoplemoverMatt]

^ I just hope that, for most people, Blackfish isn't their only teacher!

 

Too bad there's a lot of people who have never been to a SeaWorld park, would never travel to a SeaWorld park, and would let Blackfish form their entire attitude towards SeaWorld...

[Mrlittle]

SeaWorld just posted this article. It's a great read. I feel blackfish is starting to disappear. Why “Blackfish” is Propaganda, not a Documentary

[eddytheviper]

I was just going to link the response, you beat me to it but what a response!

 

Good on you SeaWorld for standing up finally, heroic tearing down of BlackFish, a joy to read.