22 May 2015
SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment is Ready for Summer with New Rides
and Shows for the entire family
New launch coaster, water thrill ride, sea lion antics and birthday celebrations on tap for 2015 season
Orlando, Fla.-- Summer is right around the corner! SeaWorld parks in Orlando, San Diego and San Antonio – as well as Busch Gardens Tampa, Busch Gardens Williamsburg and Sesame Place – are welcoming the warmer weather with new rides, shows and events for the entire family to enjoy. Photos and video available upon request.
SeaWorld Orlando, Fla.
New in 2015: “Sea Lion High”
Clyde and Seamore's Sea Lion High is an all-new sea lion comedy adventure at SeaWorld Orlando. Full of fun and big personalities of sea lions, walruses and otters, the show takes place in an aquatic-themed high school where laughter and education go hand in hand (er, flipper). When our dynamic duo is nominated to win scholarships to Ocean University, they must enter crash courses in science, dance and gym in a storyline that is full of fast-paced fun. The cast of amazing animals and trainers connect guests with these incredible animals in a way that only SeaWorld can, and a special pre-show celebrates teachers from all over.
Returning Favorites: Antarctica: Empire of the Penguin®. SeaWorld Orlando's newest attraction, Antarctica: Empire of the Penguin, transports families into a rarely seen, icy world. Feel the majestic grandeur of the South Pole and see it through the penguins' eyes on an exhilarating, first-of-its-kind family ride. Explore a massive penguin colony as you walk through their chilly habitat.
Behind-the-Scenes Tours /lending a hand, leading the way. Working in partnership with state, local, and federal agencies, SeaWorld's rescue teams are on call 24/7 assisting animals that are orphaned, ill, injured or in need of expert care. With a legacy of animal rescue spanning more than 50 years and benefiting more than 25,000 animals, responding to wildlife in crisis is a commitment we take to heart. Our goal is to successfully rehabilitate animals for return to the wild. The small percentage of animals whose injuries are too debilitating to permit release are given lifelong care.
Aquatica Orlando, Fla.
Aquatica is a whimsical, one-of-a-kind waterpark that could only come from SeaWorld. Rivers range from relaxing to racing and slides spin and soak – including two through a lagoon of playful, black and white Commerson's dolphins. It's where serene-to-extreme waters fill double wave pools, sun and shade cover the beach and fun is as endless as the sea.
Returning Favorites: Ihu's Breakaway Falls™is Orlando's tallest, steepest, and only multi-drop tower slides of its kind. At nearly 80 feet tall, eight stories high, it's where thrill seekers face their fears and each other. With four unique slide paths, Ihu's Breakaway Falls brings a whole new level of thrill to Aquatica Orlando. Riders will step into one of three clear “breakaway boxes,” and watch each other fall one-by-one as the floor underneath them disappears OR test their bravery on a fourth open slide for a different, but just as thrilling experience. They'll never know who's going to breakaway first – and the anticipation of who drops next is part of the wild ride. No matter which slide you choose, once you get to the top, the only way down is down. With waters from serene to extreme, Aquatica Orlando offers something for everyone.
Discovery Cove Orlando, Fla.
Renowned as the No. 1 amusement park in the world in the TripAdvisor® Travelers' Choice™ Awards, Discovery Cove® is an all-inclusive, immersive paradise. Guests can swim with Atlantic bottlenose dolphins, snorkel with gentle rays and thousands of tropical fish, hand feed exotic birds and play inches from otters and marmoset monkeys. From meals to snacks, snorkels to sunscreen, even admission to SeaWorld and Aquatica Orlando, Discovery Cove provides an abundance of amenities – making for a hassle-free vacation experience.
SeaWorld San Diego, Calif.
DuringSummer Nights at SeaWorld®, guests can enjoy Turtle Reef™, Manta® and all their other favorite SeaWorld attractions by day and then stay late to take infireworks and special nighttime animal shows, Shamu's Celebration: Light Up The Nightand Sea Lions Tonite. By day, Cirque de la Mer®, an acrobatic odyssey performed on and above Mission Bay, will be featured as well. (Summer Nights take place weekends only May 23 through June 6, nightly June 13–Aug. 9, Aug. 15, 22 and 29; and Sept. 5–7)
Returning Favorites: Explorers Reef™. SeaWorld San Diego transformed the park's arrival experience when it opened Explorer's Reef™ last year. Guests are immediately immersed into an undersea oasis, connecting with the sea through multiple touch pools featuring shark pups, rays, skates and delicate little cleaner fish.
SeaWorld San Antonio, Texas
New in 2015: “Sea Lion High,” Pacific Point Preserve and Harbor Market
Debuting this May at SeaWorld® San Antonio, “Clyde & Seamore's Sea Lion High” stars the comedic sea lion duo, Clyde and Seamore, who find themselves in slippery pursuit of their high school diplomas. This hilarious tale is filled with amazing animal behaviors and splashy audience fun, and will be part of “Pacific Point Preserve,” which also features a new restaurant called Harbor Market and renovated habitats for the animals. The centerpiece of this new realm will be the animals' habitat. Guests will have the opportunity to visit and feed sea lions and harbor seals inside the newly remodeled area, and reservations can be made for sea lion interaction programs, an in-water experience offering the closest connection the park offers with these amazing animals.
Aquatica San Antonio, Texas
Play side-by-side with the sea at the waterpark only SeaWorld could create. The park offers water rides from serene to extreme, plus meet stingrays, tropical birds and other awe-inspiring animals. Guests can soar up a three-story high wall on Walhalla Wave or soak up the sun on white sand beaches.
Returning Favorites: Up-close animal encounters take flight at Roa's Aviary
Roa's Aviary is a 13,500 square feet aviary containing about 150 birds representing more than 40 species. Aquatica's newest attraction is one of the park's serene offerings, giving guests the chance to float, wade or walk among hundreds of tropical birds. Guests have the opportunity to hand feed birds as SeaWorld aviculturists and educators are on hand to teach guests about these beautiful animals.
Busch Gardens Williamsburg, Va.
New in 2015: Tempesto™, Celebrating 40Years
Busch Gardens Williamsburg's newest thrill attraction, Tempesto™ debuted April 25. Tempesto's three launch experiences propel riders forward and backward through the ride's station house, speeding past waiting guests at more than 60 miles per hour. Riders then climb 154 feet in the air for Tempesto's signature loop-the-loop inversion.
Busch Gardens® offers fun for the whole family with thrilling roller coasters, world-class dining options and kid-friendly attractions. The world's most beautiful theme park celebrates 40 years of family entertainment in 2015 with in-park displays, special remembrances and memorable experiences, including the return of Busch Gardens' Food & Wine Festival (May 22 – June 28)
In May of 1975, Busch Gardens opened its gates for the first time. Over the past 40 years, Busch Gardens has expanded, upgraded, and only gotten better with age. This year, the Virginia theme park is celebrating 40 years of fun, thrills and unforgettable memories with in-park experiences from the past, cool retro merchandise and 40 fun facts about Busch Gardens' storied history throughout the park. The park has been named “The World's Most Beautiful Theme Park” every year since 1990.
Water Country USA, Williamsburg, Va.
Water Country USA® is the sister park to Busch Gardens Williamsburg and offers fun for the entire family with a retro surf theme, resort-style amenities and more than 25 state-of-the-art water rides and attractions.
Returning Favorites: Colossal Curl™ at Water Country USA , Virginia's largest water park, is back to thrill guests for the 2015 season. This mega slide delivers a high-adrenaline, action-packed adventure, featuring a funnel element to swish and swirl guests before whisking them through the ride's enclosed colorful tubes on their way to a wave element that hurtles them high above the park. At 552 feet long, it is almost the length of two football fields.
watercountryusa.com/colossalcurl
Busch Gardens Tampa, Fla.
Busch Gardens® Tampa is the ultimate family adventure, offering 300 acres of fascinating attractions based on exotic explorations around the world. A unique blend of thrilling rides, one of the country's premier zoos with more than 12,000 animals, live shows, restaurants, shops and games, Busch Gardens Tampa provides unrivaled excitement for guests of every age.
Returning Favorites: Falcon's Fury®: Located in the heart of Busch Gardens, the centerpiece of Pantopia™ is Falcon's Fury®, North America's tallest freestanding drop tower. This one-of-a-kind ride stands at 335 feet and takes riders soaring straight down. Like its bird of prey namesake, at the ride's highest point, riders pivot 90 degrees in midair to a face-down dive position. An instant later they plunge 60 mph straight down.
Up-Close Animal Experiences: Animal Care Center - Busch Gardens® welcomes guests to closely observe and even take part in the animal care experience in the Animal Care Center. From nutrition to treatments, X-rays to surgeries, much of Busch Gardens' animal care is now conducted in guest view in this state-of-the-art facility.
Adventure Island, Tampa, Fla.
Located across the street from Busch Gardens® Tampa, Adventure Island's® 30 acres of water-drenched fun in the sun feature the ultimate combination of high-speed thrills and tropical, tranquil surroundings for guests of all ages. Within a soothing Key West atmosphere awaits an unrivaled blend of slides, corkscrews, waterfalls, a wave pool, children's water playground and other family attractions.
New in 2015: Colossal Curl™: Hurtle high above Adventure Island® Tampa and experience a feeling of
weightlessness aboard Colossal Curl™, the park's newest ride. True to its name and holding up to
four passengers, this mega slide delivers a high-adrenaline, action-packed adventure, making it
the ultimate family thrill slide.
Sesame Place, Langhorne, Pa.
Ideal for families with young children, Sesame Place is the place where parents and children can share in the spirit of imagination and experience Sesame Street® together. Sesame Place is located just 30 minutes north of Philadelphia and 90 minutes south of New York City and is the nation's only theme park based entirely on the award-winning show.
Sesame Place was named by Parents Magazine as one of the “10 Best Theme Parks for Families” in 2014.
New in 2015: Celebrating 35 years
Sesame Place is celebrating its 35th birthday and hosting a party all season long featuring fun and festive birthday decorations and a fantastic new Neighborhood Birthday Party ParadeTM. For the first time ever, the park will be decorated for the celebration with bright balloons and garland, a giant, inflatable birthday cake, and a line of life-sized candles all the way down Sesame Street. New character photo spots will be stationed throughout the park and even the adorable Sesame Street character topiaries will be outfitted in their birthday best.
Returning favorites: Cookie's Monster Land™ is Sesame Place's furriest and newest land. Cookie Monster serves as host to all of his monster friends in this colorful and imaginative new land featuring five exciting rides, a three-story net climb, and a soft play area for the park's youngest visitors.
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About SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment
SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment™ is a leading theme park and entertainment company delivering personal, interactive and educational experiences that blend imagination with nature and enable its customers to celebrate, connect with and care for the natural world we share. The Company owns or licenses a portfolio of globally recognized brands including SeaWorld®, Shamu® and Busch Gardens®. Over its more than 50-year history, the Company has built a diversified portfolio of 11 destination and regional theme parks that are grouped in key markets across the United States, many of which showcase its one-of-a-kind collection of approximately 89,000 marine and terrestrial animals. The Company's theme parks feature a diverse array of rides, shows and other attractions with broad demographic appeal which deliver memorable experiences and a strong value proposition for its guests.
SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment is one of the world's foremost zoological organizations and a global leader in animal welfare, training, husbandry and veterinary care. The Company collectively cares for what it believes is one of the largest zoological collections in the world and has helped lead advances in the care of animals. The Company also rescues and rehabilitates marine and terrestrial animals that are ill, injured, orphaned or abandoned, with the goal of returning them to the wild. The SeaWorld rescue team has helped more than 25,000 animals in need over the last 50 years.
SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment is a wholly owned subsidiary of SeaWorld Entertainment, Inc., a publicly traded company (NYSE: SEAS). Copies of this and other news releases as well as additional information about SeaWorld Entertainment, Inc. can be obtained online at www.seaworldentertainment.com. Shareholders and prospective investors can also register to automatically receive the Company's press releases, SEC filings and other notices by e-mail by registering at that website.
