ORLANDO, Fla. — SeaWorld Entertainment's revenue and attendance both plummeted 96 percent compared with the same period last year, showing just how much of a dramatic effect the coronavirus pandemic has had on its parks.


What You Need To Know

  • SeaWorld revenue, attendance plummet in 2nd quarter

  • In 2nd quarter, most parks were closed

  • Florida, Texas parks reopened in June

  • SeaWorld pushing Ice Breaker, Iron Gwazi to 2021

Orlando, Florida-based SeaWorld reported just $18 million in revenue in the second quarter, a 96 percent decline from the $406 million it reported for the same period last year. Attendance also fell nearly 96 percent at the parks. SeaWorld reported 300,000 visitors for the quarter, compared with 6.5 million visitors in the same period in 2019.

The company also reported a net loss of $131 million in the three months that ended June 30.

In March, the company closed all of its parks in response to the pandemic. It also furloughed 95 percent of its workers in April as part of a set of cost-cutting measues while the parks were closed. By June, SeaWorld's parks in Florida and Texas had reopened with limited capacity and fewer operating days. So far, nine of SeaWorld’s parks have reopened. SeaWorld San Diego remains closed due to restrictions in California.

SeaWorld also doesn’t plan to reopen its Aquatica water park near San Diego or its Water Country USA water parks in Williamsburg this year.

In an investors call Monday, SeaWorld interim CEO Marc Swanson said that many of the company’s new attractions, including Iron Gwazi at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay and Ice Breaker at SeaWorld Orlando, will be pushed to 2021.

“We’re really excited about the lineup for 2021,” Swanson said. “As we noted, we’re moving most of the attractions, the ones that didn’t open this year, our plan is to move to 2021.”

It wasn't all bad news, however, for SeaWorld. The company also reported a 15 percent attendance increase between the last week of June and the week that ended August 2 at the parks that have been open for at least 30 days. In-park per capita spending was also up 10 percent in the second quarter.

SeaWorld plans to still hold Halloween and Christmas events at several of its parks, but with modifications. No additional details were shared about which events or which parks. That plan is in contrast to its Orlando competitors Disney World and Universal Orlando, which both canceled its popular Halloween events, Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party and Halloween Horror Nights, respectively.

The SeaWorld parks that have reopened amid the pandemic have implemented a number of health and safety measures, including face mask requirements for employees and visitors, temperature checks, social distancing protocols and increased cleaning procedures.