SeaWorld Orlando (SWO) Discussion Thread

[robbalvey]

Andrew just sent me a little clip of Kid Rock supporting SeaWorld and saying what a great place it is for families to create memories together. Check it out:

[coastertube]http://www.themeparkreview.com/coastertube/play.php?vid=IMG_9193_oht0[/coastertube]

 

Should have a better quality version and maybe more clips later on!

[Philrad71]

^That's cool. Not a big fan, but nice to see that he knows all the crap the park has been taking for Blackfish and is there to show support.

[B&MBoy1982]

Glad to see that there are artists that still have a backbone, and don't let a film or stupid fans who see the film dictate whether or not they perform at a venue.

[SuperShawn]

That BBQ and sauce selection looks fantastic! Might just have to add this event to the list of to do's.

[bert425]

Sounds like a great weekend.

 

Curious if Kid Rock played a lot of his older "Metal Rap" stuff, or stuck to the Country-Rock that he's been doing for the past 6 years or so.

 

I'd think with Alan Jackson there yesterday, it's likely the later. . but how fun would it be to hear him bust out "Bawitaba" in the middle of his set. . .

[Cyrbuzz]

Glad to see some celebrity support tot Sea World. Congrats to Sea World for getting this event off with good crowds and supportive entertainers.

[AndrewRnR]

Thanks Robb for posting!

 

It was a great but different (for Kid Rock) concert. The park wasn't as full as I've seen it in previous years for concerts (park was clearly expecting more with cops stationed to block off the street to the aux parking lot - which was never needed) but come show time pretty much entire stadium was full. I expect much of it had to do with the Super Bowl since the kickoff was just about a hour after the show ended.

 

As you see in the clips he mentioned how great SeaWorld was a few times during the show and it always seemed genuine since it was followed by comments how he used to come there as a kid. He stayed away from his more vulgar songs (Cocky, Devil Without a Cause, You Never Met a Mother F..., even perhaps one of his biggest hits: Bawitdaba) and stuck mainly to his more recent country rock tunes. He even joked at one point "we are digging deep today... 'family friendly' show hmm... we'll play some stuff we don't usually play." (Someone told me earlier in weekend one of the backup singers tweeted they specifically rehearsed different songs and reworked others). He never cursed and let the audience sing the more vulgar parts. At one point when he was doing a DJ turntable routine he stopped and was like "um yeah so the next part... block the kid's ear for a few seconds." Whether if he was asked to tone down(I heard he wasn't) or he did it on his own, it was still probably the most energetic and lively crowd at a Bands, Brew and BBQ event.

 

Quote highlights:

 

"Wasn't expecting this lively of a crowd - looks like we're gonna have some fun."

"SeaWorld is a great place - we used to come down here every easter..."

"No matter how you slice it, this is a place that pays a lot of taxes and one of the reasons that America and Florida is such a great place to be. More importantly, the bottom line when you cut through all of it - it brings families together and creates memories that last a lifetime."

"I wish SeaWorld had rock and roll concerts when I came here as a kid.. I just remember going home wet from a big smelly whale."

 

You would never know anything had happened in regards to bands canceling and effecting the event - and the MC before/after the show was quick to remind people to keep checking the website this week for next week's concerts.

 

One theory I have - the CEO said late last year they were going to focus more on driving revenue than attendance and weed out discounts. Then a few weeks ago there was Groupon offers and a huge focus on Fun Cards - quite the opposite of his remarks. I wonder if knowing it would be hard to announce bands with a short notice and expect people to buy tickets they found a way to quickly build up an annual pass base so that when people hear "just announced this weekend..." they can go "oh, I have a pass, that's included" instead of "oh, I have to spend 90 dollars to see them?"

[robbalvey]

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Edited February 5, 2014 by robbalvey

[Blue Turbo]

^But that is all they can do is attack things on the internet because they don't actually have to put in any effort to do so. If they really cared they would do something more meaningful than disliking a video on YouTube.

[2012jarrett]

When we went to Florida in the fall we picked Busch Gardens Tampa (TOTALLY worth it, got my new #1 and had a blast) but seeing this makes me think I could have had fun had we picked SeaWorld too. It's a park I've always wanted to visit.

 

And as somebody with a neutral stance on the whole "Blackfish vs. SeaWorld: The Final Conflict Driving Down the Highway in Space in a McDonalds on Robotic Legs Chased by Ninjas with Bad Electronic Music Playing in the Background 4 and a Halfth Edition" thing (don't want to go too far into detail on my stance because some people might not fully agree with it and I don't want to start a fight, but I can safely say I'm not a Blackfish person. Not necessarily somebody to go out of my way to support SeaWorld, but at the same time I'm not a total Blackfish person) I can safely say that while the bands who decided not to perform had every right not to, it's a real shame that they did because even with two musical acts that aren't really my cup of tea, this looked like an amazing event and what a way to spend a Sunday! Go to Bands, Brew, and BBQ and then watch the Superbowl, love it! I'm not legal in the States yet but I've been legal for a week on vacation in Mexico and know what kinds of beer I do and don't like, but in a year and a half when I am I'll definitely make an effort to make it to this! The ribs looked amazing and I loved the stage setup with the palm trees and Manta in the background. And I WANT that dressed up Shamu costume. No idea what I'd do with it, but I'd find a use!

 

Makes me wish Wildwater Kingdom had stayed SeaWorld (wasn't it or Geauga Lake that started life as SeaWorld Ohio?) so I could have gone to it at some point. This and Wizarding World make me want to go back to Florida sometime! Today I would have much preferred to be there than driving on roads covered in icy slush. Hope everybody who went had a blast!

[crazydaveh]

Any local breweries to recommend?

 

YES! Orlando Brewing (Orlando), Florida Beer (Cape Canaveral), and Cigar City (Tampa) are all there this year. I'm glad to see Orlando Brewing getting into the action this year. Disney has been using some of their brew for the Summer Festival at Epcot (Can't remember the name of it) and now SeaWorld is using them. All make quality brews. I suggest the I4 IPA from Orlando and the Red.

 

If you want to go to the brewery, it's about 15-20 minutes north of the theme parks (depending on traffic) and it's right downtown.

[Meteornotes]

Nice to see a good turnout for the first concert in the series. Hopefully this trend will continue, along with the trend of people ignoring propaganda disguised as a "documentary".

 

dt

[jynx242]

^ We were there briefly yesterday afternoon. The park looked and SMELLED fantastic! It was fairly busy, but not nearly as bad as I expected - and wait times were minimal for the rides.

 

David

[Solid Gold]

Just passed by this...some humor.

No problems with attendance at SeaWorld today.

[CoasterGoddess]

I wasn't able to make the BB & BBQ this weekend, but will be there in the coming weeks and have recently seen the crowds in the past months! my family and I are lifetime Sea World and animal supporters. We know very well of the animal conservation of the Sea World parks and that Sea World and Busch Gardens are among the best American zoos for both sea life and land life animals. Both parks do so much to save animals. These so called animal activists do nothing for animals but complain about those who do.

I'm glad to see many entertainers who don't have their heads up their butts and are playing this event at both parks! The bands who have canceled have been put on my do not support list and their music has been pitched from my home. Except the Beach Boys who currently has only Mike Love as their original member. Pathetic that Mike Love gets to call his band the Beach Boys and not Brian Wilson, who is more talented.

Also, great to hear Sea World is buzzing with new coaster rumors! Awesome! Maybe the Polarcoaster/Polercoaster? "Polar" get it?

A wing coaster sounds very cool also! Love this news about Sea World!

Pat Benatar, you are trash woman! Same with Heart, who have no hearts! Bye, bye has been entertainers. Pat Benatar I have seen a few times dating back to the 80's and her concert was always lame, I just liked her music but no more. True fact: The last time Pat Benatar played Busch Gardens I was bored and left half way through her show. No loss with these now activist bands.

I highly recommend seeing the bands play Busch Gardens Real Music Series concerts. Those bands really put on very entertaining shows! Paul Revere and the Raiders are among the best and will be playing soon. Go see them.

[robbalvey]

SEAWORLD® ORLANDO’S BANDS, BREW & BBQ™ HEADLINERS FOR WEEK TWO

 

GRETCHEN WILSON (FEB. 8), BILL ENGVALL (FEB. 9)

 

 

ORLANDO, Fla. (February 4, 2014) – SeaWorld Orlando’s Bands, Brew & BBQ festival features five more weekends of rocking concerts, mouth-watering BBQ, thirst-quenching beer and toe-tapping fun. Bands, Brew & BBQ takes place weekends in February through the first two weekends in March.

 

· Grammy Award-winning Country star, Gretchen Wilson, plays Saturday, February 8.

 

· Comedian Bill Engvall plays Sunday, February 9.

 

Both concerts start at 4 p.m. at the park’s Bayside Stadium. Visit SeaWorldOrlando.com for more details.

Bands, Brew & BBQ also celebrates the food! Serious barbecue connoisseurs can taste it all and pick their favorites. Sample Orlando’s best barbecue from local smokehouses -- Bubbalou's Bodacious Bar-B-Que, Cecil’s Texas Style BAR-B-Q and Sonny’s BBQ® – plus SeaWorld’s very own Sweet & Smokin’ Barbecue. Sip on our ice-cold craft beer selection while enjoying live rocking concerts and exciting activities for the whole family to enjoy.

 

Even the little ones have their own area to get up close to animals, work on masterpieces at coloring stations, take photos with SeaWorld costume characters, learn from educators and play interactive games.

 

During Bands, Brew & BBQ, all Harley-Davidson® riders get free parking when they ride their hog to SeaWorld. And in between all the eating and line dancing, event-goers can take in the proudly displayed 2014 Harley-Davidson motorcycles.

 

Like all other events at SeaWorld Orlando, Bands, Brew & BBQ is included with park admission or any annual pass product.

 

The best way to experience Bands, Brew & BBQ is with a Fun Card; pay for a day and play all year – with no blackout dates – to experience all of SeaWorld’s remarkable events.

 

Visit SeaWorldOrlando.com for more information.

 

 

About Gretchen Wilson:

Gretchen Wilson exploded onto the country music scene in 2004 with her smash hit “Redneck Woman” and has since scored three #1 albums. The critically-acclaimed singer/songwriter has won virtually every award for which she’s been nominated, including trophies from the Grammys, ACM, CMA, AMA and more. Her first book, the autobiographical “Redneck Woman: Stories from My Life,” landed her on the prestigious New York Times Best Seller List. CMT listed her “Redneck Woman” video at #11 in their Top 100 videos in 2008. She formed her own record company, Redneck Records, in 2009, and her “I’d Love To Be Your Last” single from her I Got Your Country Right Here CD, received two Grammy nominations. She released three albums in 2013: a new country album entitled Right On Time, a 13-song Rock covers record Under The Covers, and her Christmas In My Heart holiday collection.

 

About Bill Engvall:

Bill Engvall is a Grammy nominated and platinum selling recording artist. He remains one of the top touring comedians, a television and film star as well as a best selling author. Most recently, Bill was a contestant on season 17 of ABC’s Dancing with the Stars, and as a fan favorite, he made it to the finals. He previously starred in and executive produced The Bill Engvall Show. Bill was part of the enormously successful Blue Collar Comedy concert films which sold more than 9 million units and received a Grammy nomination. He also starred on the WB’s hit sketch comedy show Blue Collar TV and in several solo specials for Comedy Central. Bill’s first album, Here’s Your Sign, is certified platinum and held the No. 1 position on the Billboard Comedy Chart. His second album, Dorkfish, also debuted at No. 1 on Billboard’s Comedy Chart. Bill has written several books, including his 2007 autobiography Bill Engvall –Just A Guy. Bill resides in Southern California with his family. More information is available at www.billengvall.com

[COASTER FREAK 11]

I really hope to do this one year! The food looks great! Maybe one day they will bring this to Sea World San Diego.

[Mrlittle]

I love to see if Bill Engvall makes a joke or pun towards blackfish at some point. Doubtful though.

[BarryH]

^I wonder if Blackfish will be parodied in Sea Lions Tonight.

 

With the lineup this weekend (especially Gretchen Wilson), I think we will see another Bayside Stadium. I'm sure REO Speedwagon and .38 Special would have never attracted these kinds of crowds!

[thrillrider]

CNN was advertising the hell out of blackfish the other day for an airing this sunday night. I guess they are really trying to get some milage out of this crap film.

[bert425]

Ok.. Gretchen Wilson would be a HUGE draw in Texas.

 

how do you think she's gonna do in Florida?

 

(If I were able to, I'd absolutely go, and i'm not even a big Country Music fan. .yeah, she's THAT good).

[Philrad71]

^ I take it that she must not be related to Ann and Nancy Wilson?

[Moose]

^Not related but they have collaborated in the past.

[_koppen]

This picture was just tweeted. Some awesome looking Proslide pieces for the new drop slide tower coming this year to Aquatica.

From what they have said so far, it will be a tall one.

Source

[KBrylczyk]

^ Yep, not the typical trapdoor freefall slides. They're quite twisty, according to the promo materials.