ORLANDO — As the Memorial Day weekend approaches, two of Central Florida’s largest theme parks are rolling out the perks – in the form of special ticketing to encourage advance purchases – to convince customers to spend their summer days there.
Both SeaWorld Orlando and Busch Gardens Tampa just announced that guests can now take advantage of the newly launched “select your day, select your savings” ticket offer, which allows guests to choose between a weekday or “any day” visit. Either one, the two theme park giants note, means savings in price.
As part of this program, guests are given the flexibility of using their tickets up to one year from the date of purchase. They can buy their tickets online, print the tickets at home, and take them directly to the theme parks.
“Whether you want to visit the chills of Antarctica: Empire of the Penguin at SeaWorld or the thrills of Cheetah Hunt at Busch Gardens, weekdays are the best time to explore the parks,” noted a news released issued by SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment.
At the same time, SeaWorld raised ticket prices on Monday, and a general admission one-day ticket is now $95, instead of $92, before tax. That’s a 3 percent increase.
SeaWorld rolled out some perks to counter that. A Weekday Ticket — which can only be used during the week — costs $65, offering a $30 discount.
An Any Day Ticket is $80, offering a $15 discount.
A SeaWorld Orlando Weekday Ticket can be purchased online or by calling 888-800-5447. It’s valid for one day’s admission to either SeaWorld Orlando or Busch Gardens Tampa, and needs to be used within a year of the purchase date.
Annual passes offer guests unlimited admission throughout the entire year, free parking and no blackout dates. SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment calls it “the best value for Florida residents,” and the passes start at $13 per month with EZpay.
The two-park and three-park combination tickets have length-of-stay benefits, allowing unlimited entry to the parks for up to 14 days.
SeaWorld is also hoping for a successful summer by surrounding guests with activities related to SeaWorld’s 50th Celebration and the special Sea of Surprises activities, which include “new interactive experiences, even more up-close animal encounters, giant sea life sculptures at the all-new SEA Garden and the SeaWorld ‘Surprise Squad’ roaming the park on a daily basis randomly giving away prizes and special gifts,” the theme park notes.
SeaWorld is also introducing a new show on Saturday, June 21, called Shamu’s Celebration: Light Up the Night, an evening show that will include original music and on a focus on behaviors of killer whales.
SeaWorld’s 18-month long 50th Celebration will also feature “Bubble Blowout,” a vehicle creating tons of bubbles that come in all shapes and sizes, and “Splash Dance,” with performances in sea-inspired costumes and props.
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