SeaWorld to be Universal's Sister Park?
Posted by Ashley McChesney on Wed, Sep 23, 2009 @ 05:39 PM
Not to be left out of all the new Orlando Theme Park news and scandals, SeaWorld may end up as Universal's sister park!
Executives from Blackstone Group where seen touring the SeaWorld Orlando property recently and are rumored to be considering buying the SeaWorld theme parks. SeaWorld's current owners, AB InBev, have made no secret about the fact that they would like to see 7 billion dollars in cash profit from the parks this year by selling off its assets.
Who is Blackstone Group?
- They own half of the Universal Studios theme parks.
- Also have assets in travel industries (including Orbitz), miscellaneous food and beverage manufactures, the Hilton hotels as well as Six Flags, Legoland, and Madame Tussauds.
- Has a reputation for buying up all kinds of businesses, cuts the fat and tries to sell them for a profit.
What this means for SeaWorld and Orlando Theme Park industry
Disney will no longer be the big dog. If this sale were to take place it would allow admission for both Universal Parks and SeaWorld parks to be sold on the same ticket. Since all the money would be going to the same place ticket prices would theoretically could go down, or at least be of a higher monetary value than a ticket for Disney for the same price. This would also open all sorts of tie in opportunities - Madame Tussauds in Orlando? Legoland section in Islands of Adventure (remember there is a Lego imagination center in Disney)? Themed SeaWorld hotels (they are the only major theme park in Orlando that does not have them)?
And those options are not even touching what a great thing this would be for the California tourism market, or even those in other states.
SeaWorld executives have refused to comment on these "rumors" and a large employee meeting was held this morning where current workers were not informed of any impending ownership changes. But as we have learned from Disney Orlando's Fantasyland Expansion, most rumors have a basis in truth in this town.
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Photo: Nancy