SeaWorld Orlando (SWO) Discussion Thread

by **jedimaster1227** » Tue Jan 31, 2012 9:32 pm

SeaWorld Orlando has sent us a press release regarding a very unique marriage proposal that recently took place at Discovery Cove!

Celebrate Valentine’s Day with a Romantic Twist at Discovery Cove in Orlando

At Discovery Cove in Orlando, Halid Shokunbi took the plunge and proposed to his longtime girlfriend, Kyla Brown, while 14-feet underwater during the new SeaVenture experience.

Both from the Chicago area, Shokunbi popped the question in a most unique way -- surrounded by schools of exotic fish and velvety rays gliding overhead.
With Valentine’s Day approaching, there’s nothing more unique than celebrating with dolphins in a tropical paradise as part of Discovery Cove’s Special Occasions Packages.

Discovery Cove is part of SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment, based in Orlando, with more than 21,000 employees nationwide. The other parks include: SeaWorld and Aquatica in Orlando; Busch Gardens Africa and Adventure Island in Tampa; Busch Gardens Europe and Water Country USA in Williamsburg, Va., and Sesame Place near Philadelphia. For more information on multi-park tickets and vacation planning tips, guests may visit WorldsofDiscovery.com or call (800) 327-2424.
Learn more at Discovery Cove’s website or call 1-877-557-7404.

SeaWorld Orlando has also sent us a press release regarding this year's Bands, Brew & BBQ Festival.

SeaWorld Orlando’s Bands, Brew & BBQ festival is twice as fun this year when the park hosts rockin’ concerts Saturdays AND Sundays on Feb. 11-12, 18-19, 25-26, and March 3-4. That’s four weekends of smokin’ hot bands, sizzling BBQ from your favorite local restaurants and SeaWorld’s very own culinary team, plus a thirst-quenching beer garden and amazing atmosphere.

Bands, Brew & BBQ is included with park admission. And the best way to experience this festival is with a Fun Card where you pay for a day’s admission and come back all year – with no blackout dates – to experience all of SeaWorld’s remarkable events.

This year’s awesome line-up features top artists in classic rock and country music including a side stage showcasing local bands. For those who want to show off their line dancing and boot scootin’ skills, a DJ will be spinning music to satisfy movers and shakers of all levels.

Concert times are at 4 p.m. and seating is on a first-come, first-served basis.

Saturday, February 11: Foreigner
Sunday, February 12: Gary Allan
Saturday, February 18: Trace Adkins
Sunday, February 19: Kenny Rogers
Saturday, February 25: Doobie Brothers
Sunday, February 26: Ronnie Dunn
Saturday, March 3: Sara Evans
Sunday, March 4: Scotty McCreery

This year beer lovers will rejoice with our “brew”-licious Beer Sampler. Hoist your mugs in our thirst-quenching beer garden that showcases nearly 50 craft beers from domestic and international breweries.

A haze of sweet-smelling BBQ smoke will fill the air as SeaWorld’s culinary team serves up a cornucopia of all things BBQ including the authentic Homemade Beef Jerky and bodacious Famous BBQ Spare Rib Platter. In addition, favorite local restaurants will be on hand serving BBQ foods tendered to perfection.

For those who want to feel like a rock star there are VIP and Elite VIP ticket packages available. Guests who take advantage will enjoy the best seats in the house, mouth-watering food and a unique experience that they’ll never forget as they get up-close and personal with some of today’s hottest classic rock and country music performers.

Regular, single-day SeaWorld admission is $81.99 for adults and $73.99 for children ages 3-9. The Fun Card is valid from the date of purchase and good throughout all of 2012 with no blackout dates.

Fun Cards are available at the front gate, online at SeaWorldOrlando.com or by calling 1-888-800-5447. Event dates, times and artists are subject to change. Performances are included with any daily admission or annual pass. Concert seating is available on a first-come, first-served basis. Concert dates and artists are subject to change.

by **jedimaster1227** » Fri Feb 03, 2012 1:12 pm

http://www.insideseaworld.com/sneak-peek-alert-discovery-coves-all-new-freshwater-oasis

We’re excited to give our fans a special glimpse of the new Freshwater Oasis opening at Discovery Cove later this spring!

At the Freshwater Oasis you’ll be able wade, relax and come face-to-face with playful otters and curious marmosets. Designed with a rainforest canopy above and sparkling-clear springs below, Freshwater Oasis is a natural fit within Discovery Cove’s tropical atmosphere. No matter where you turn, you’ll find endless discoveries.

Take a look and be sure to stay connected on Facebook as this will be the first of many “webisodes” all about Freshwater Oasis. For move information, visit DiscoveryCove.com.

YouTube Videolink

http://www.insideseaworld.com/seaworld-orlandos-turtletrek-webisode-no-2-dome-construction

Take a look at the next TurtleTrek “webisode”, this one focuses on the dome construction. Coming soon are more videos about the animals, technology and animation that will bring this amazing attraction to fruition.

Remember, TurtleTrek is going to be the world’s first 3D, 360-degree domed theater experience that takes you on a sea turtle’s incredible journey and invites you to become an everyday hero.

YouTube Videolink

by **Porsmond** » Wed Feb 08, 2012 3:59 am

Just when you thought law suits couldn't get any weirder or more stupid, they just did

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-16920866

A US judge is considering a complaint by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals' (Peta) against SeaWorld.

It is reportedly the first time a US court has heard legal arguments over whether animals should enjoy the same constitutional protections as humans.

SeaWorld's legal team said the case was a waste of time and resources.

The marine park's lawyer, Theodore Shaw, told the court in San Diego: "Neither orcas nor any other animal were included in the 'We the people'... when the Constitution was adopted."

He said that if the case were successful, it could have implications not just on how other marine parks or zoos operate, but even on the police use of sniffer dogs to detect bombs and drugs.

'Historic case'
Peta says the killer whales are treated like slaves for being forced to live in tanks and perform daily at the SeaWorld parks in California and Florida.

It is not considered likely that the whales will win their freedom, but campaigners said they were pleased the case even made it to a courtroom.

The lawsuit invokes the 13th Amendment to the constitution, which abolished "slavery or involuntary servitude" in the US.

Jeffrey Kerr, the lawyer representing the five whales, said: "For the first time in our nation's history, a federal court heard arguments as to whether living, breathing, feeling beings have rights and can be enslaved simply because they happen to not have been born human.

"By any definition these orcas have been enslaved here."

Hearing the arguments for about an hour, US District Judge Jeffrey Miller raised concerns over whether animals could be represented as plaintiffs in a lawsuit.

He will issue a ruling at a later date.

Peta names the five wild-captured orca plaintiffs as Tilikum and Katina, at SeaWorld Orlando; and Kasatka, Corky, and Ulises, at SeaWorld San Diego.

It is not Tilikum's first time in the media spotlight - he drowned his trainer before horrified spectators in February 2010, prompting a ban on the Florida park's employees entering the water to perform tricks with the orcas.

The same whale has also been linked to two other deaths.

OMG, this is just ridiculous, I really have heard it all now, curious to see if this will have any effect on the future of the shamu shows, but hopefully it will just be laughed out of court

by **dragonskeep** » Wed Feb 08, 2012 8:10 am

Free Tilly! I'm probably the very first person ever to say that.

Their only goal here was to move their agenda forward, which they did manage to do. I think they (PETA) mostly suck but this is already a big succsess for them. Put this in the hands of a judge and we are in scary territory. The case is something to loosely keep your eye on if you are a fan of the parks. The fact that, the argument that people and animals are to be equal as it pertains to captivity, made it to a court of law is not good news. It would be a hard case to win but it only takes the right judge at the right time.

by **Gnome** » Wed Feb 08, 2012 11:18 am

look at it this way, too. If whale's can't be held in captivity, then neither can any other domesticated animal. Where will our food supply come from then?

by **jedimaster1227** » Thu Feb 09, 2012 5:14 pm

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2012/02/judge-tosses-out-lawsuit-seeking-freedom-for-orcas-at-seaworld-1.html

A federal judge in San Diego on Wednesday dismissed a lawsuit by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals that had sought an order forcing SeaWorld to free five orcas.

U.S. District Judge Jeffrey Miller ruled that a lawsuit on behalf of the orcas could not be brought under the anti-slavery 13th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution because the amendment pertains to human beings, not animals.

Even in defeat, PETA hailed its lawsuit as a victory, "one more step taken toward the inevitable day when all animals will be free from enslavement for human amusement."

Three of the five orcas mentioned in the PETA lawsuit are at SeaWorld San Diego; the others are at the SeaWorld park in Orlando, Fla.
SeaWorld had asked the judge to dismiss the lawsuit, branding it a publicity stunt.

In a statement praising Miller's decision, SeaWorld said, "We cannot hope that this is PETA’s last publicity stunt but we can now refocus our energy in more positive and constructive ways: delivering high quality educational experiences to our guests and providing the highest possible standard of care to our animals."

by **osm** » Thu Feb 09, 2012 6:30 pm

Logic prevails. Let's hope PETA does something productive to promote actual animal rights now. :roll:

by **ernierocker** » Fri Feb 10, 2012 11:38 am

Unfortunately, PETA already got everything they wanted out of this frivolous lawsuit, but at least our justice system had the sense to put an end to this circus.

by **jedimaster1227** » Fri Feb 10, 2012 12:30 pm

So today Theme Park Review was invited to participate in a media construction tour of TurtleTrek's new 3-D, 360 degree dome whose construction was completed yesterday. The dome will be the centerpiece of the new attraction which will borrow many pages from other SeaWorld attractions (tying in a lot of the messages we already find in the SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment properties) but will also empower guests with a new message, inspiring them to become "everyday heroes" in their local environment. The new attraction retains much of the original structure used by the former Manatee Rescue exhibit but has some significant modifications to allow for it to become the new TurtleTrek later this year. The manatees will return with the attraction but will be joined in an adjacent tank by sea turtles in the attraction's pre-show experience. Guests will then experience a "hyperrealistic" 3-D digital film running for around seven minutes detailed the twenty five year journey of the sea turtle from birth in the sand, its travels in the ocean and its return to lay eggs in the same sands in which it was born.

We were fortunate enough to be joined by Brian Morrow, Creative Director for SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment who happily shared many details about this (and other new attractions on the company's horizon). He shared that the film will feature easter eggs of sorts throughout its duration, though wouldn't mention what that might entail. He also noted that other well known creatures seen already in the park would make appearances in the film, such as the manta ray, spotted eagle rays and dolphins (those specifically were the topic of his favorite scene in which he described our title sea turtle being rescued by dolphins from vicious predators including sharks).

Here is the short version of today's video I filmed including a one-on-one interview with Brian Morrow regarding TurtleTrek!

Click to download video to your computer or iPod/iPhone

Here is the longer version of the video including a very detailed description of the TurtleTrek film which will be shown in the dome.

Click to download video to your computer or iPod/iPhone

And finally, here is a quick look at some of the other projects Brian Morrow is working on for the other SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment properties for this year.

Click to download video to your computer or iPod/iPhone

I'd like to thank Brian Morrow and the rest of the SeaWorld team for welcoming us today--it was another incredible media event and I truly look forward to seeing TurtleTrek when it debuts later this Spring!