SeaWorld owner’s attendance falls 4.7% as SEAQuest slides to 2027

About 320,000 fewer guests visited SeaWorld, Busch Gardens and their sister parks from July through September. The SEAQuest dark ride SeaWorld Orlando announced for 2026 now sits on the company’s 2027 list.

SeaWorld and Busch Gardens had a rough summer, and SeaWorld Orlando’s next big ride is officially a 2027 project.

United Parks & Resorts, which owns SeaWorld, Busch Gardens, Discovery Cove, Sesame Place and Aquatica, reported third-quarter results Thursday, Nov. 5. Its parks drew about 6.5 million guests from July through September, down roughly 320,000, or 4.7%, from the same stretch in 2025.

That’s three down quarters in a row. Attendance fell 5% in the first quarter and 2.9% in the second, according to the company’s earlier releases. Through nine months, the parks are down about 670,000 visits.

CEO Marc Swanson blamed “significantly unfavorable weather,” calendar shifts and fewer international visitors. He said those headwinds cost about 325,000 visits, and that without them, “our attendance would have been up.”

The company also cut back on promotional tickets on purpose. Swanson said that accounted for more than 100,000 visits.

The guests who did show up spent more. In-park spending hit a record $37.39 per guest, up 4.4%. Total revenue still slipped 1.1% to $506.5 million, and net income fell 10.5% to $80 million.

When does SEAQuest open at SeaWorld Orlando?

Sometime in 2027. United Parks’ Nov. 5 release lists SEAQuest: Legends of the Deep among its new attractions for 2027. There’s no opening date yet.

That’s later than first promised. SeaWorld Orlando announced the suspended dark ride on Sept. 17, 2025, with a 2026 opening window. On Oct. 31, a SeaWorld representative told Attractions Magazine, “We are saying 2027.” The ride’s official page went from “coming soon” to “surface soon.” Cute.

It wasn’t on the company’s 2026 list, either. United Parks’ May 11 earnings release named five new attractions for 2026, and SEAQuest wasn’t among them.

Neither the release nor SeaWorld’s comment to Attractions Magazine gave a reason for the delay.

What is SEAQuest: Legends of the Deep?

It’s SeaWorld Orlando’s first suspended dark ride, built in a newly expanded area behind Expedition Odyssey, according to Attractions Magazine.

The company calls it a “submersible adventure” through undersea ecosystems, guided by the SeaWorld Adventure Team. The ride ends with a launch finale. SeaWorld showed off the ride vehicle at the IAAPA Expo in 2025.

What did United Parks promise for Busch Gardens Tampa Bay?

More attention, mostly. On the earnings call, Swanson singled out Busch Gardens Tampa Bay as a park with a lot of potential, Attractions Magazine reported. He acknowledged the company has room to better manage the guest experience there.

He also said a former leader has returned to help improve operations and that United Parks plans to keep investing in the park. Attractions Magazine didn’t name the returning leader.

Tampa fans have had a busy year:

• Kumba closed for good on Aug. 2, 2026, after 33 years.

• Iron Gwazi added metal detectors, and guests who needed to stash their stuff first paid $4 for a locker. In October, the park started offering free lockers for up to two hours.

• Lion & Hyena Ridge opened in July, with five young male lions and two hyenas in a habitat of nearly 35,000 square feet.

Busch Gardens Tampa Bay will announce its next attraction at the IAAPA Expo in Orlando later this month, the company said.

What’s new at SeaWorld and Busch Gardens in 2027?

United Parks listed three projects in Thursday’s release:

• SeaWorld Orlando: SEAQuest: Legends of the Deep.

• Busch Gardens Williamsburg: Return to Corkscrew Hill, a motion theater ride in the park’s Killarney village. It continues the story of Corkscrew Hill, which ran from 2001 to 2009.

• Busch Gardens Tampa Bay: to be announced at IAAPA.

Swanson also pointed to pass sales. They were up almost 8% in the quarter, and the base of 2027 passes was up more than 15% as of Oct. 31. He said October revenue was projected to be up despite “continued brutal weather.”

Who is leaving SeaWorld San Antonio?

In other United Parks news, SeaWorld San Antonio president Jeff Davis is leaving the company, as we reported Thursday.

Article compiled and written by Kambrea Pratt (editor-in-chief), Derek Gibbs (beat editor) and the Pirates & Princesses newsroom. Pirates & Princesses is part of WebReef Media.

Pirates and Princesses is your destination for Disney news, theme park updates, and the pop culture you love. From Disney cruises and travel tips to Disney fashion, food, collectibles, and movie news, PNP covers it all. Visit us at piratesandprincesses.net for daily coverage. Follow PNP on Facebook and Instagram, and listen to the Pirates & Princesses podcast on Apple Podcasts and YouTube.

Hat Tips:

• United Parks & Resorts (Nov. 5, 2026), third-quarter results, Swanson’s statements and the 2027 attraction list

• Attractions Magazine (Nov. 5, 2026), Swanson’s Busch Gardens Tampa Bay comments on the earnings call, Kumba, Iron Gwazi lockers and Lion & Hyena Ridge

• Attractions Magazine (Oct. 31, 2026), SeaWorld’s confirmation that SEAQuest moved to 2027 and the ride details

• United Parks & Resorts (May 11 and Aug. 4, 2026), first- and second-quarter attendance and the 2026 attraction list

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