SeaWorld Orlando (SWO) Discussion Thread

[A.J.]

When Seaworld did their presentation to Orange County last month, they said masks would be mandatory and social distancing measures would be in place. If this continues not to be enforced, could Orange County take measures against the park? For example fining them or telling them to temporarily close?

 

In the UK (not a model template in dealing with coronavirus, for sure) companies have to be 'covid secure' prior to reopening and can be fined/closed if they don't follow guidance. I was wondering if it was the same in the US as I'm not really sure how these things work there.

The U.S. Government has basically left any and all procedures regarding COVID-19 to the individual states, only offering (limited) recommendations as to how they should proceed. The President has threatened to "step in" if he feels that a state is not opening as fast as he thinks it should, though analysts have concluded that he may not have the legal authority to do so and he has not done so yet, for any state.

 

Florida's government is very pro-business and has always wanted to see things close later and open sooner. The Governor, a noted ally to the President, is attributing the increase in COVID cases in the state to an increase in overall testing, though some outlets have reported that the increases are due to premature re-openings and / or inconsistent mask and distancing enforcement throughout the state, as well as a potential under-reporting of confirmed cases.

 

Based on the fact that their plan was approved because of the supposed mask / distancing enforcement, I wouldn't be surprised if Orange County had the ability to penalize them as part of the agreement. Though, the county stepping in and doing so may draw political backlash that they might not to deal with, not just from citizens doing civil disobedience, but potentially from the state government as well.

 

I've read some reports from other coaster people that part of the reason why SeaWorld and Busch Gardens acted the way they did was because they were just completely unprepared for their openings, though I can't confirm that myself. I have reservations coming up so I'm interested in seeing if things change after they've been opened for a few weeks.

 

Disclaimer for those who read this later: My attempted neutral analysis doesn't change the fact that mask wearing is not a political issue and shouldn't be treated as one. Wear your mask. Please.

Edited June 16, 2020 by A.J.

[sfkk]

Hey Robb! When talking about appealing culturally to the right, I think the bulk of the conversation was centered around first of all the fact that SeaWorld still calls it "Christmas Celebration" and not "Holiday In the Park"

Seriously, WHAT THE FUCK IS WRONG WITH YOU!?!?!

 

Now "Christmas" is a political thing??!?!

 

Can you please just stop posting to our forums? I'm not joking.

 

You can do a quick google search to see how the use of the word Christmas has become political. Seriously, just look it up. It’s not something made up at all. Also, nice job keeping the forums PG-13 like you say you strive to do in the terms of service. It’s just the nature of the world we live in. If you don’t like it maybe that says more about this country than it does about me, but in any case I’m happy to leave the forums. It was good while it lasted Robb! I would delete my own account, but as far as I know there isn’t a way to do that.

 

Edit: Here are some links because I like to back up my discussions with links, sources, and professional opinions

https://www.google.com/amp/s/amp.usatoday.com/amp/2401251002

 

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.nytimes.com/2016/12/19/us/war-on-christmas-controversy.amp.html

 

https://wbckfm.com/the-word-holiday-is-now-politically-incorrect/

 

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.history.com/.amp/news/the-war-of-words-behind-happy-holidays

 

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.nbcnews.com/think/amp/ncna1106181

[Chiselphane]

When someone asks you to stop doing something, maybe try stop doing it instead of doing it again. *shrug*

[sfkk]

^ No it’s ok, thank you. I’m just waiting to get banned at this point. I have been nothing but civil and insightful to everyone in this forum. I just don’t feel the need to censor myself from talking about very real topics raised by another user in relation the theme parks. Civility in discourse and dissent is exactly why we have so many problems in the world today. Just because you don’t like a perspective that you hear that is simply analyzing national trends does not mean it will go away if you bully someone to stop talking about it. That’s exactly why we are so fractured right now as a nation and I thought TPR would be the last place I’d ever see that happen.

[Haymaker]

This was pretty eye opening for me

[robbalvey]

^ No it’s ok, thank you. I’m just waiting to get banned at this point.

Man I love it when the garbage takes itself out.

[robbalvey]

When Seaworld did their presentation to Orange County last month, they said masks would be mandatory and social distancing measures would be in place. If this continues not to be enforced, could Orange County take measures against the park? For example fining them or telling them to temporarily close?

I seriously hope so! That park should NOT have been allowed to open or continue to operate if they are not going to do the things they said they were going to do in order to be allowed to re-open.

 

We plan on going back next week. We'll see what it is like then.

[robbalvey]

When someone asks you to stop doing something, maybe try stop doing it instead of doing it again. *shrug*

This is extremely good advice, especially on a private forum where someone had to "opt in" to be here, but sadly as seen at so many at theme parks every day where many people also feel that they are "above the rules" and can do whatever the hell they want to, his behavior does not surprise me.

 

Thank you for your support.

[KarlaKoaster]

Thanks for taking the time to explain about the laws surrounding reopenings, AJ, that's really interesting. I feel like Seaworld's plans were well intentioned but badly managed. I can't wait to hear follow-up reports to see if they nip the problem in the bud.

 

For me the lack of people wearing masks was a self-fulfilling prophecy in that as soon as a few people go unchallenged, everyone else thinks 'why bother' and give up and it snowballs from there. It's sort of like a gum wall where as soon as one person sticks some gum there and it's not removed, everyone does it!

[RAWKIN_coaster38]

We love SeaWorld but they're boxing themselves into a strange situation. I don't want to bring up politics on a theme park site unnecessarily but it's clear to see what they're doing. They're pandering a bit to right leaning crowd since so many people on the other side of the aisle have a less-than-favorable view of them.

I wasn't comfortable getting into it either but now that you have, I can say that I've also been noticing that, and it IS weird! Some people I know actually kind of frown on me for having a SeaWorld pass for that reason.

 

I almost didn't post it and I'm trying really hard to keep from injecting my politics into it in hopes that nobody else will, I really just think it's weird that they're targeting the niche-iest of niches and you can't NOT talk about it because it's just so weird.

 

"Hey, do you want to make America great again but also learn about only eating sustainable seafood, fighting climate change and saving sea turtles by purchasing re-usable straws? We have just the place!"

That's a really interesting theory.

 

I don't know if the Florida anti-mask rightists are the reason masks aren't being enforced by the park, but whatever the case, I hope the park gets it under control soon. The park is going to have a bigger problem on their hands if they become known as the park "where you go to get COVID" because they weren't enforcing distancing and people start getting sick after visiting. I highly doubt that Disney is going to have that problem.

[Canobie Coaster]

My SeaWorld San Diego Platinum Pass (that I paid for in full) was accepted at the parking booth, but not the front gate. I had to wait in the general ticket line (15-20 groups, 1-2 windows open) to get it sorted out. Has anyone else had a similar issue? It sounded like the error was caused by the San Diego park currently being closed.

 

I saw multiple employees asking guests to put their facemasks back on, but guests were only putting them on until that employee looked away or wearing them below their nose.

 

As for the operations, they were bad. Rides ran at quarter capacity with glacially slow cleaning cycles in between. I wish the park would use the hand sanitizer system of Universal Orlando or even the power washer system Family Kingdom used on Swamp Fox.

[jjeerr]

I'm not going to visit places running the "SeaWorld" system. The "Universal" system seems to work (at least as well as before ), hopefully it's what everyone not open yet is going to do!

[southpuddle]

Not only is the “Universal system” of squirting sanitizer in hands before (and after?) each cycle so much faster, it seems more effective than what I’m sure if a very half-assed cleaning of the train after each cycle.

[KarlaKoaster]

Behind the Thrills has posted what appears to be a lien filed against Seaworld by Bolliger & Mabillard which seems to endorse the theory that a Surf Coaster is on its way at some point:

 

 

So far we know B&M have trademarked the name 'Surf Coaster' and that Seaworld Orlando received a shipment of parts labelled 'SF-A' (Surf Coaster 1). So far enthusiasts have been speculating on this being a new stand up coaster (and there was a pretty bad fake 'blueprint' circulating around), but I've always backed the idea that it could be B&M's take on the Blitz Coaster, and the lien mentions that this is a launched coaster.

 

All these little clues seem to be giving credibility to the idea that we'll be seeing a new B&M product soon, although coronavirus could have the final word I suppose.

[TBpony414]

...That park should NOT have been allowed to open or continue to operate if they are not going to do the things they said they were going to do in order to be allowed to re-open.

 

We plan on going back next week. We'll see what it is like then.

 

Hey Robb I was wondering if you guys ended up revisiting SWO and if so, how did it go? Hopefully it wasn't disaster day #2 but after your last report I wouldn't be surprised.

[SharkTums]

^We haven't yet. We heard things have gotten *slightly* better and will try to check it out again towards the end of the month.

[A.J.]

All these little clues seem to be giving credibility to the idea that we'll be seeing a new B&M product soon, although coronavirus could have the final word I suppose.

There's also the possibility that whatever B&M ended up designing / manufacturing for SeaWorld Orlando could end up somewhere else.

[TBpony414]

^We haven't yet. We heard things have gotten *slightly* better and will try to check it out again towards the end of the month.

 

Thanks Elissa. Looking forward to a hopefully positive update! I love all your reports and got a good chuckle out of your Universal video. For those of us who cannot attend parks this year it's great to live vicariously through the posts here!

[SharkTums]

^We should have some more updates over the next two weeks if parks stay open here!

[A.J.]

^We should have some more updates over the next two weeks if parks stay open here!

Based on our government's recent track record, I think they will.

[Guy T. Koepp]

^^I was just gonna say the same thing. What is going on down there? Florida feels like a shite' show right now. Jarett is getting daily notifications from his college about the likelyhood or lack-there-of, for a fall semester at the actual school. They desperately want to have classes, but the state is making it as hard as possible to do so. And by hard as possible, I mean doing pretty much nothing to help stop the crazy spread down there in America's penis.

[SharkTums]

^Honestly, it's really not as bad as people seem to be making it out to be. I get that De Santis is a horrible lying human, but the scary thing is that he's right about *some* of the stuff he's saying about the virus. A ton of people have it, but much less are dying from it now and so many people are completely asymptomatic. Basically it comes down to the fact that we never had the virus here back in March - May when NY and other states were getting hit hard, now we have it and we're going through the same numbers and spikes and spread that they did but now we know how to treat it better so we're having less serious cases and deaths. The parks have not had any traceable cases. The majority of the cases that they're tracing (which is about 1% because we have no real tracing in this country) are from bars, clubs, gyms, social indoor get togethers. Our big problem (along with most states) is that it's taking over one week to get test results back so in that week these asymptomatic people are spreading it around exponentially. Our central Florida hospitals are predicting that we will peak at the end of the month due to so many cases and then start declining. KT is supposed to start school four weeks from today and no one sees that happening in person (sorry Betsy DeVos you stupid idiot!).

 

And let's end the virus talk there and keep this back on track for Sea World!

 

Guy, feel free to message me anytime if you'd like to discuss more! Remember, I'm from Sarasota so I know all about what's going on there and with Jarett's school!

[coasterbill]

And let's end the virus talk there and keep this back on track for Sea World!

 

If you insist...

 

Money saving tip: It's $5 to feed the Sea Lions at Sea World but you can now feed the gators for free!

[fbvideonew]

[/fbvideonew]

-Facebook

Edited July 14, 2020 by coasterbill

[Hilltopper39]

Yeah I saw that lol, I mean it's not funny but at this point is nothing is surprising.

 

Speaking of Seaworld I know Icebreaker isn't open yet and am aware of the lien issues etc., but for anyone that's been to the park is there any activity at all on the job site or is it just completely shut down like this thing might get pushed to open in 2021? As far as I was aware the track was complete and trains were on site, just curious if there's any landscaping or people working on/around the site currently.

[Canobie Coaster]

I didn't see anyone working the site when I was there last month.