Sea World...Yikes!!!

[LuvOrlando]

M-

 

[miprender]

SO true.

I want to go to SW on our upcoming trip but DH already didnt want to spend the extra money. If I tell him the tickets are even more I know we definately wont be going.

 

[Dreamsoftravel]

Are they also stopping the free beer at Busch Gardens Tampa? Busch Gardens williamsburg does not have the free beer. It has always been a treat to go to SW and BGT and have a little sample.

 

[hiwaygal]

This is interesting...I grew up going to Sea World in Ohio BEFORE it was owned by AB. Free beer was not part of the tradition I remember.

Busch Gardens Williamsburg hasn't had the Hospitality Center in years. But they d0 still have the Brewmasters Club.

Rumor has it there are five companies considered potential bidders for the AB Theme parks:

1 - Disney
2 - Universal
3 - Cedar Fair
4 - Merlin Entertainment
5 - Six Flags

Personally - I'm routing for Disney but praying it's not Six Flags.

 

[artesian]

This is interesting...I grew up going to Sea World in Ohio BEFORE it was owned by AB. Free beer was not part of the tradition I remember.

Busch Gardens Williamsburg hasn't had the Hospitality Center in years. But they d0 still have the Brewmasters Club.

Rumor has it there are five companies considered potential bidders for the AB Theme parks:

1 - Disney
2 - Universal
3 - Cedar Fair
4 - Merlin Entertainment
5 - Six Flags

Personally - I'm routing for Disney but praying it's not Six Flags.

I agree if Six Flags takes over then forget it. I won't be going back to SW. My Six Flags is less than 60 mins from my home and I don't plan on going back there anytime soon. I had such hi hope when the new management team took over a while back.

 

[Dreamsoftravel]

I agree if Six Flags takes over then forget it. I won't be going back to SW. My Six Flags is less than 60 mins from my home and I don't plan on going back there anytime soon. I had such hi hope when the new management team took over a while back.

I am there with you. Not a fan of Six Flags. I am glad that my annual pass to AB parks is now month to month. Not sure if I would continue it.

 

[matthew&haleysmom]

This is interesting...I grew up going to Sea World in Ohio BEFORE it was owned by AB. Free beer was not part of the tradition I remember.

Busch Gardens Williamsburg hasn't had the Hospitality Center in years. But they d0 still have the Brewmasters Club.

Rumor has it there are five companies considered potential bidders for the AB Theme parks:

1 - Disney
2 - Universal
3 - Cedar Fair
4 - Merlin Entertainment
5 - Six Flags

Personally - I'm routing for Disney but praying it's not Six Flags.

I really hope that it is not Six Flags. I live 40 minutes away from Busch Gardens Williamsburg and go there about once a week in the summer. I would not be to happy with Six Flags. Any of the rest, I can live with.

 

[KYMickey]

This is interesting...I grew up going to Sea World in Ohio BEFORE it was owned by AB. Free beer was not part of the tradition I remember.
Busch Gardens Williamsburg hasn't had the Hospitality Center in years. But they d0 still have the Brewmasters Club.
Rumor has it there are five companies considered potential bidders for the AB Theme parks:
1 - Disney
2 - Universal
3 - Cedar Fair
4 - Merlin Entertainment
5 - Six Flags
Personally - I'm routing for Disney but praying it's not Six Flags.

Six flags is in financial trouble and I don't see any way they could get the financing to even by one of the AB parks. Merlin makes some sense since it would give them a major foothold in North America. Cedar Fair seems awfully small to take on something this major. Which leaves us Disney and Universal both of which certainly have the money but do they really want these Parks? My personal bet is some financial holding company that doesn't know a darn thing about amusement parks will buy them, bleed them for all they're worth and then try to resell them! Not a good scenario for anybody but a reality in American business.

 

[dolphingirl47]

I sincerely hope that it won't be Six Flags. We all know what they have done with the former Seaworld Park in Ohio.
I know that I have been harping on about this ever since the takeover was announced, but I am absolutely convinced that the most likely buyer is Nakheel. They have their investment in Dubai to protect. If another company buys Busch Entertainment, then what would happen to Worlds of Discovery Dubai? They are also actively branching out and already have some property interests in the USA.

dolphingirl47

 

[hiwaygal]

Six flags is in financial trouble and I don't see any way they could get the financing to even by one of the AB parks. Merlin makes some sense since it would give them a major foothold in North America. Cedar Fair seems awfully small to take on something this major. Which leaves us Disney and Universal both of which certainly have the money but do they really want these Parks? My personal bet is some financial holding company that doesn't know a darn thing about amusement parks will buy them, bleed them for all they're worth and then try to resell them! Not a good scenario for anybody but a reality in American business.

I agree with you about Disney and Universal and Merlin. But I think you are mistaken about Cedar Fair:

(From their website)

Cedar Fair is a publicly traded partnership headquartered in Sandusky, Ohio. The Partnership is one of the largest regional amusement park operators in the world, with eleven amusement parks and six water parks.

The thing that concerns me about Cedar Fair is that they own Kings Dominion and that is barely an hour away from BG Williamsburg. I know what they have done to other amusement parks (Geauga Lake in Aurora Ohio for one) and I don't want to see that happen to BG Williamsburg...or Kings Dominion for that matter. But, Cedar Fair MAY see this as a great opportunity to get into the Orlando tourist area (a location where they currently do not have a foothold).

 

[Peter Pirate 2]

I agree with you about Disney and Universal and Merlin. But I think you are mistaken about Cedar Fair:

(From their website)



The thing that concerns me about Cedar Fair is that they own Kings Dominion and that is barely an hour away from BG Williamsburg. I know what they have done to other amusement parks (Geauga Lake in Aurora Ohio for one) and I don't want to see that happen to BG Williamsburg...or Kings Dominion for that matter. But, Cedar Fair MAY see this as a great opportunity to get into the Orlando tourist area (a location where they currently do not have a foothold).

They won't be serious contenders.

Disney and Universal are the only prospective buyers with the 'where withall' to make this deal. Other than these two the Parks will have to be sold piecemeal and that won't be good for InBev.