SeaWorld Announces New Weather Policy- Should Disney and Universal Do This?

SeaWorld Parks and Entertainment announced a new, expanded “Weather or Not” Assurance Policy. This policy entitles guests to return on another day for free if their day at a SeaWorld theme park lowers in quality due to certain weather conditions. Will Universal or Disney follow this pattern?

As extreme heat and wild weather continue to batter regions across the country, SeaWorld introduced “Weather-or-Not” Assurance. This new policy covers a broader range of weather conditions than ever before. It has become the most generous weather policy in the theme park industry. This new weather assurance policy covers the SeaWorld and Busch Gardens theme parks.

This expanded offering gives consumers peace of mind when planning their visits to SeaWorld theme parks. If extreme weather impacts the guest experience in the park or impacts their flight plans for an upcoming visit, SeaWorld invites them back within 12 months – and at no charge.

The Weather-or-Not Assurance program solidifies the value of guests’ SeaWorld experience. No theme parks can guarantee good weather days. However, this new policy applies year-round. The policy covers weather events for every season, including rain, lightning, extreme heat, wind, snow, hail, and more.

Weather-or-Not Assurance at SeaWorld

In introducing Weather-or-Not Assurance, we are proud to note this is the most generous inclement weather policy in the industry,” said Marisa Thalberg, chief marketing and communications officer of SeaWorld Parks and Entertainment. “When guests book and look forward to making memories in one of our SeaWorld parks, we want them to feel fully assured that if Mother Nature winds up having other plans that day – even if for as little as an hour – they will be able to come back another day, on us.”

The Weather-or-Not Assurance program applies when rides are closed for 60 minutes or more due to weather. So, if Pipeline: the Surf Coaster closes due to weather for an hour or more, the return policy kicks in. This policy does not apply if the attractions are down for that long for other reasons. Still, if inclement weather causes early closure or negatively impacts the park’s operating hours, guests are eligible for a return visit at no additional cost. This expanded policy also covers extreme heat. If park temperatures reach a heat index of 110 degrees or above, visitors will be eligible for a return visit through the Weather-or-Not Assurance.

Recent Weather Patterns

Based on this year’s weather patterns, especially in Florida, several days would have been eligible for this weather assurance policy. In contrast to SeaWorld, the Disney and Universal theme parks have no such policy. Sure, both of those significant theme park resorts make allowances for major weather events. However, SeaWorld Parks and Entertainment made what looks like a bold move expanding their weather policy to include extreme heat.
What would it look like if Universal and Disney followed this pattern? We doubt we will ever know since those significant players in the theme park landscape may not need to make such allowances for guests.

Either way, SeaWorld made the value of their theme park tickets look far better with this policy. Since SeaWorld theme park tickets generally cost less, this increases perceived value.

Even though theme park revenue continues to increase at the Disney and Universal theme parks, attendance has shown some signs of weakening overall. The crowd levels at Universal Orlando Resort and Walt Disney World have been noticeably lower on extreme heat days this summer.

Would a weather policy like SeaWorld’s help with that potential issue? Should Disney and Universal develop an official policy like SeaWorld? They probably should. Will they? Theme park fans can only hope. For more information about SeaWorld’s new weather policy, please consult the SeaWorld website.