SeaWorld Entertainment on Tuesday reported a slight dip in attendance at its theme parks in the second quarter — citing “adverse weather” as the main reason for the drop.
In an earnings report, the Orlando, Fla.-based park operator said it had 6.1 million visitors at its parks, a decline of about 125,000 visitors compared to 2022.
“Some combination of unusually hot and cold weather, rain and/or the fallout from Canadian wildfires impacted most of our markets during the quarter,” SeaWorld Chief Executive Officer Marc Swanson said in a news release.
Last month, Universal Orlando’s parent company, Comcast, reported lower attendance at its Florida parks. Disney will release its quarterly results later this week, revealing how Central Florida’s slow tourism has affected Disney World this summer.
SeaWorld’s attendance drop also impacted the company’s revenue, which was $496 million in the quarter, down 1.7% from $504.8 million last year. Net income was $87.1 million, down 25.3% from the same quarter in 2022.
Swanson said the company also dealt with construction delays and “other in-park disruptions” that affected results. However, in an earnings call with investors, he said the company was “extremely excited” about its 2024 plans that will “improve guest experience” and “increase revenue.”
“We’re also excited about our lineup of 2024 rides and attractions, events, and/or other experiences where we have something new planned for every park.”
SeaWorld operates 12 parks in the United States — including SeaWorld Orlando, Aquatica, Discovery Cove, Busch Gardens Tampa Bay and Adventure Island in Florida, as well as parks in Texas and California.
This year, the company opened a surf-inspired coaster called Pipeline at SeaWorld Orlando in May and a pendulum-style swing ride called Serengeti Flyer at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay in February.
Although SeaWorld executives didn’t announce what new attractions would be debuting next year, Swanson promised more details would be shared “in the coming weeks.”
