SeaWorld Entertainment has announced that it is changing its corporate name to United Parks & Resorts from 12 February.
The name change, SeaWorld said, will unite its portfolio of seven brands across 13 theme parks in the US and Abu Dhabi.
Only the parent company of these parks, SeaWorld Entertainment, is changing its name. SeaWorld, Busch Gardens, Discovery Cove, Sesame Place, Water Country USA, Adventure Island and Aquatica parks will all keep their names.
“Our new company name, United Parks & Resorts Inc., better reflects that we have been, and will continue to be, a diverse collection of park brands and experiences,” said Marc Swanson, the company’s CEO.
“Each of our iconic parks – including the four SeaWorld parks in Orlando, San Antonio, San Diego and Abu Dhabi – will continue to operate under the same names our guests know and love.”
He added, “What also remains unchanged is our deep commitment to creating experiences that matter for our guests and inspiring them to help protect animals and the wild wonders of the world.”
As part of the name change, the company’s main website and investors website will become UnitedParks.com and UnitedParksInvestors.com on 13 February.
In the past couple of months, SeaWorld has filed plans for two new hotels near its Orlando parks. One is a 504-room hotel near SeaWorld Orlando, and the other is a 250-room property at Discovery Cove.
Name change to unite SeaWorld brands
SeaWorld has been planning to introduce a hotel for some years. During an earnings call in November 2023, Swanson said: “As we mentioned last quarter, we are refining our design planning on our first hotels, and we expect to begin opening in 2026.”
In 2022, he said: “We continue to make progress with our plans to design and build hotels to complement our park offerings.”
In more news, SeaWorld Orlando is opening the new Penguin Trek coaster later this year.
Images courtesy of United Parks & Resorts
