SeaWorld Entertainment Changes Corporate Name
SeaWorld Entertainment Inc., announced today, that it will change its name to United Parks & Resorts Inc., effective Feb. 12, 2024. The new name unites the Company’s world-class portfolio of seven brands across 13 parks in the United States and Abu Dhabi.
The Company’s stock ticker symbol on the New York Stock Exchange will change from SEAS to PRKS, with trading as PRKS to begin Feb. 13, 2024.
The name change affects only the name of the parent company – SeaWorld Entertainment, Inc. The Company’s portfolio of parks – SeaWorld, Busch Gardens, Discovery Cove, Sesame Place, Water Country USA, Adventure Island, and Aquatica – will retain their respective park names.
SeaWorld isn’t the only theme park operator to undergo rebranding. Universal Parks & Resorts changed its name to Universal Destinations & Experiences in March of 2023.
“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. 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. 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,” said Marc Swanson, the Company’s Chief Executive Officer.
The Company has 12 park locations across the United States, and a 13th park, SeaWorld Abu Dhabi, opened in the United Arab Emirates in 2023.
The renaming aims to establish a closer connection with the United Arab Emirates and upcoming global parks, creating an international brand. This strategy seeks to distinguish the corporate identity from individual park names, delineating the parent company from its products.
SeaWorld has recently filed permits with Orange County to construct two on-property hotels; a 504-room hotel at SeaWorld Orlando (behind Mako) and a 250-room hotel at Discovery Cove. The hotels are slated to open in 2026.
In Spring 2024, SeaWorld Orlando is unveiling the new Penguin Trek roller coaster, the park’s first family launch coaster manufactured by Bolliger & Mabillard (B&M). With both indoor and outdoor tracks culminating in the penguin habitat, the coaster offers two launches and reaches speeds of 43 mph along a 3,020-foot track. This marks the eighth coaster at SeaWorld Orlando.
As part of the name change, the Company’s main website and investors website domains will change to UnitedParks.com and UnitedParksInvestors.com on Feb. 13, 2024.
