United Parks & Resorts
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Founded | 1959 |
Headquarters | Orlando, Florida, USA |
Official website | https://unitedparks.com/ |
Amusement parks | 6 |
United Parks & Resorts, previously SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment, is a family entertainment company owned by The Blackstone Group. United Parks & Resorts operates twelve theme parks located throughout the United States and United Arab Emirates. The chain was formerly a subsidiary of Anheuser-Busch since 1959, under which it was known as Busch Entertainment Corporation.
History
Anheuser-Busch initially created the subsidiary to run the various Busch Gardens parks. The parks at Tampa, Florida, and Williamsburg, Virginia were located adjacent to breweries, and the parks included tours of the facilities and even free samples of the products made there.
In the fall of 2009, the Blackstone Group acquired Busch Entertainment. The Blackstone Group already owned a significant interest in Merlin Entertainments, which operates attractions and theme parks such as Madame Tussauds and Alton Towers.
On January 30, 2024, the company announced plans to change its corporate name from SeaWorld Entertainment, Inc. to United Parks & Resorts Inc.[1]
Amusement parks
Current (8)
Park | Location | Opened | Acquired | Additional Info |
---|---|---|---|---|
Busch Gardens Tampa | Tampa, Florida, USA | 1959 | N/A | Founding member |
Busch Gardens Williamsburg | Williamsburg, Virginia, USA | 1975 | N/A | Founding member |
SeaWorld Abu Dhabi | Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates | 2023 | N/A | Owned and operated by Miral Asset Management under license, only location outside the United States |
SeaWorld Orlando | Orlando, Florida, USA | 1973 | 1989 | Acquired from Harcourt Brace Jovanovich |
SeaWorld San Antonio | San Antonio, Texas, USA | 1988 | 1989 | Acquired from Harcourt Brace Jovanovich |
SeaWorld San Diego | San Diego, California, USA | 1964 | 1989 | Acquired from Harcourt Brace Jovanovich |
Sesame Place Philadelphia | Langhorne, Pennsylvania, USA | 1980 | N/A | Owned and operated under an exclusive license from Sesame Workshop Combined theme and water park |
Sesame Place San Diego | Chula Vista, California, USA | 1997 | 2012 | Acquired from Cedar Fair, originally a sole water park before becoming a combined theme and water park Owned and operated under an exclusive license from Sesame Workshop Located about 20 miles from SeaWorld San Diego |
Past (3)
Park | Location | Opened | Additional Info |
---|---|---|---|
Boardwalk and Baseball | Haines City, Florida, United States | 1989 | Closed in January 1990 due to low profitability and attendance, shortly after being purchased |
Cypress Gardens | Winter Haven, Florida, United States | 1936 | Acquired from Harcourt Brace Jovanovich in 1989, sold in 1995 |
Sesame Place | Irving, Dallas County, Texas, United States | 1982 | Closed following the 1984 season, announced not to be reopening in January 1985 following reported low attendance and revenue |
Water parks
Current (4)
Park | Location | Opened | Additional Info |
---|---|---|---|
Adventure Island Tampa Bay | Tampa, Florida, USA | 1980 | Located opposite Busch Gardens Tampa Bay |
Aquatica Orlando | Orlando, Florida, USA | 2007 | Located opposite SeaWorld Orlando |
Aquatica San Antonio | San Antonio, Texas, USA | 2012 | Located adjacent to SeaWorld San Antonio |
Water Country USA | Williamsburg, Virginia, USA | 1980 | Located 3 miles from Busch Gardens Williamsburg |
References
- ↑ "SeaWorld Entertainment, Inc. Changing Its Corporate Name to United Parks & Resorts Inc". SeaWorld. 2024-01-30. Retrieved 2024-01-30.