SeaWorld news, photos

Tough times

Economy looms over attractions expo in Orlando

The nation's economic woes are clouding one of the sunniest trade shows of the year.

Hundreds of brands of beer on wall

SeaWorld Orlando and its parent company, Orlando-based Busch Entertainment Corp., were acquired Tuesday along with American beer giant Anheuser-Busch by the Belgium-based beer company now known as Anheuser-Busch InBev.

Tourism & Travel

Attractions trade show returns

One of the most distinctive trade shows of the year returns to Orlando this week when the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions opens its annual conference and expo in the Orange County Convention Center.

Wall Street Report The markets in 60 seconds

Hartford Financial to acquire Federal Trust

Sanford-based Federal Trust Corp. announced Friday that it has agreed to be acquired by insurance giant Hartford Financial Services Group Inc., a pending deal potentially worth $10 million. Terms call for the insurer to pay Federal Trust investors $1 a share. Its stock had fallen to 20 cents a share this year, and was recently delisted by the New York Stock Exchange. Hartford also will provide an infusion of capital to the federally chartered savings bank, which has been under regulatory sanction for shoddy lending practices during the housing boom. Bank officials expect the Hartford transaction to close in the first quarter of 2009, subject to regulatory and shareholder approvals. Hartford was among four insurers to ask the U.S. government Friday to allow them to buy thrifts so they can qualify to receive federal money under the financial rescue program. Hartford said it expects to be eligible for between $1.1 billion and $3.4 billion in government bailout money. Federal Trust operates 11 bank branches.

Wall Street Report The markets in 60 seconds

The markets in 60 seconds

Kuhn company files for Chapter 11

Nursing-home residents get free trip to Animal Kingdom

Five residents of Avante at Mount Dora, a skilled-nursing facility, will spend today at Disney's Animal Kingdom, thanks to the generosity of Alzheimer's Helpers Inc.

7,000 coming to Orlando to talk budgets, sewage, Nona & more

If the forecast calls for more hot air, it's because 7,000 politicians and government bureaucrats from across the country are headed for Orlando.

Loggerhead sea turtles: Thriving or declining?

It was a better season in Florida for loggerhead sea turtles, with more nests dug at many beaches than last year.

Universal Orlando's profit takes a hit, joining SeaWorld and Disney

Caught in the slowing economy, Universal Orlando's parent company joined SeaWorld's and Walt Disney World's corporate parents Friday in reporting a softening of the theme-park business and lower profit in its most recent quarter.

Wall Street Report

Profits dip at Anheuser-Busch, InBev

As brewing giants Anheuser-Busch Cos. and InBev move toward their planned merger, both companies reported increased sales yet slight decreases in earnings for their third quarters Thursday. With the merger awaiting its shareholders' vote, Anheuser-Busch earned $666.1 million, or 90 cents a share, on $4.92 billion revenue for the three-month period ending Sept. 30. That's compared with $706.7 million, or 95 cents a share, on $4.62 billion revenue for the third quarter of 2007. Anheuser-Busch's Orlando-based entertainment division, which counts SeaWorld Orlando, Discovery Cove and Aquatica among its 10 theme parks, had similar results. Gross sales increased to $499.2 million, compared with $479.5 million a year ago, yet the division's operating profit fell slightly to $105.2 million, compared with $108.5 million in 2007. Meanwhile, the Belgium-based InBev, which orchestrated the merger last summer, reported a 7.7 percent increase in third-quarter revenue to 3.95 billion euros (about $5.1 billion,) yet a slight dip in earnings per share, to 0.75 euros (97 cents).

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Dewayne Bevil: Acrobatics go aquatic in new SeaWorld show

A new stage show at SeaWorld Orlando takes to the air to present underwater adventures.

Houghton's Harcourt unit moving to SouthPark Center in south Orlando

Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Co. is moving its Orlando operations from Sea Harbor Lane near SeaWorld to SouthPark Center in south Orlando, where it is taking 250,000 square feet of leased space, the office park's developer said Monday.

Police seek clues in deadly McDonald's shooting

A gathering of Orlando students after a Dr. Phillips High School homecoming dance turned deadly when a former student was shot and killed.

Tourism & Travel

Busch goes green in bigger way

Green initiatives being tried this year at SeaWorld Orlando, Discovery Cove and Aquatica involving biodegradable food-service wares, sustainable fisheries and hydrogen-fueled vehicles are being extended to the rest of the company's 10 theme parks, Busch Entertainment Corp. announced.

Travel, leisure are all ears: Where do McCain, Obama stand on tourism-related issues?

Advertising

As drivers park cars, Orlando-area traffic thins out

Here's something positive from the lousy economy: Central Florida's roads are a little less clogged these days.

Tourism & Travel

JetBlue's push is boost to OIA

JetBlue Airways looks poised to grow even more in the Caribbean and Latin America in the coming months -- and Orlando should be one of the biggest beneficiaries.

Backstage Pass

Dewayne Bevil: Cook will heat up 'SNL'

The Saturday Night Live on Nov. 1 will be a really big show. It's the last episode before the election, and NBC has added a definite ratings draw: American Idol victor David Cook will be the musical guest. Ben Affleck will be the host. This weekend's show should be pretty big, too. Jon Hamm of Mad Men is the host (that AMC drama has its second-season finale this weekend). The musical guest is Coldplay. Saturday Night Live airs at 11:30 p.m. Saturdays on WESH-Channel 2. -- HB

theme park ranger

Dewayne Bevil: The whole family can dig in at Disney's T-Rex Cafe

A few notes and nibbles from my first sit-down at T-Rex Cafe, a few days after its grand opening last week at Downtown Disney:

Dewayne Bevil: A little scary, a little eerie at theme parks

For the next two weekends, Central Florida theme parks and attractions will offer a range of Halloween events, from sweet to shriek. Whether your

COMMENTARY

Mike Thomas: School-funding cuts jeopardize student gains

The Nap Ford Community School saves kids in Parramore. It gives them the same quality education kids in the suburbs receive.

Backstage Pass

Dewayne Bevil: From New York Times to Fox News

Former New York Times reporter Judith Miller has become a Fox News Channel contributor. The channel made the announcement Monday and said Miller will offer analysis and commentary on international affairs and national-security issues. She also will write for FoxNews.com. Fox didn't have a date for her debut. Miller shared a Pulitzer Prize at the Times for reporting on global terrorism.

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Dewayne Bevil: We won't keep you in the dark - these theme park rides fade to black

Expedition Everest is a ride that has grown on me. My first impression was lukewarm -- not particularly thrilling or fast, yet the Yeti sequence zipped by too quickly. And although I value an entertaining queue, that shouldn't really be the selling point.

Orlando-area theme parks report 10 ride incidents during past 3 months

Three people were hospitalized with chest pains and three others with broken bones after riding Central Florida theme-park attractions during the past three months.

Electioneering groups make contribution limits irrelevant

A Tallahassee police union group paid for radio and mail ads to voters touting Orange County commission candidate Shannon Gravitte as a "true crime fighter," a key plug in a race where crime is a top issue.

Offbeat

He should have taken a left at Ponce Inlet

A wayward manatee is headed home to Florida after being pulled from frigid Cape Cod, Mass., waters in an early Saturday rescue. Chris Cutter of the International Fund for Animal Welfare said boaters trapped the animal in a net and then moved it to a truck. Workers will keep the manatee wet during the drive to SeaWorld Orlando. Once it's rehabilitated there, it will be released into the wild.

CF Blogwatch

CF Blogwatch

Theme Park Rangers

theme park ranger

Dewayne Bevil: Magic Kingdom, SeaWorld celebrate Halloween without horror

One of the things Walt Disney World does best is transport adults back to childhood, and a prime example of that is Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Party, an after-hours, separate-ticket event at Magic Kingdom.

Wall Street Report The markets in 60 seconds

The markets in 60 seconds

Report: Heard stores draw buyers

North I-Drive: How can it be cleaned up?

Cleaning up north I-Drive's congestion and crime

Plans are taking shape to help north International Drive shed its image as the ugly stepchild of Orlando's well-known tourist strip.

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Dewayne Bevil: Which theme-park attractions take the cake in 2008?

As I re-read last year's best-of list, I realized my most favorite theme-park things haven't shifted much in the past year. I'm still a steadfast fool who will stand in line for the Amazing Adventure of Spider-Man ( Islands of Adventure), Kraken ( SeaWorld Orlando), Festival of the Lion King (Disney's Animal Kingdom) and Tower of Terror (Disney's Hollywood Studios).

Wall Street Report The markets in 60 seconds

Consumer spending weakens

Consumer spending in August turned in the weakest performance in six months, underscoring the threat the economy faces as the government's stimulus program fades into the past. The Commerce Department reported Monday that consumer spending was unchanged in August, even worse than the small 0.2 percent gain economists had expected. Personal incomes were up a better-than-expected 0.5 percent, a rebound after a 0.6 percent drop in July. After-tax incomes, which felt the impact of the stimulus program to a greater extent, dropped by 0.9 percent, however. "Consumers are still earning some money but they have no interest in spending it," said Joel Naroff, chief economist at Naroff Economic Advisors in Holland, Pa.

Corporate giving

Corporate Giving: Theme parks come to the rescue

A rescue center for orphaned gorillas in the Congo and efforts to rescue Magellanic penguins in Brazil and injured brown pelicans in California are getting backing from visitors to Walt Disney World and SeaWorld Orlando, through separate programs run by the Disney Worldwide Conservation Fund and the SeaWorld & Busch Gardens Conservation Fund.

Tourism & Travel

Spooktacular times at SeaWorld

SeaWorld Orlando opens its annual, daytime Halloween Spooktacular festivities this weekend, offering friendly fantasy sea characters and activities such as trick-or-treating for younger children.

Tinker Bell and friends attraction coming to Disney World

Move over, Cinderella, Snow White and Ariel: The Disney Fairies are on their way.

Condo-hotel project goes into Chapter 11

A condominium-hotel project on Turkey Lake Road near SeaWorld Orlando has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, more than a year after the project put all sales on hold.

Tourism & Travel

Try out to be on 'Wheel of Fortune'

Fans of the show Wheel of Fortune can apply this weekend at SeaWorld Orlando to be contestants when the show comes here to tape episodes in December.

Visit Disney park for free on your birthday in 2009

Next year, everyone will be able to visit a Walt Disney World theme park on his or her birthday and get in free.

Tourism & Travel

Lufthansa beefs up Orlando runs for winter

Although other airlines are cutting back their service to Orlando, German carrier Lufthansa plans nearly to double the number of seats it flies to and from Orlando International Airport this winter.

Tourism & Travel

JetBlue auctions flights, vacation packages on eBay

JetBlue Airways Corp. has launched an unusual promotional stunt, and Orlando has a role.

What you think Real life vs. virtual reality

A safe haven

PETA announced "an undisclosed donor wants to buy at least one SeaWorld park, then free the animals and replace them with virtual-reality displays." This is insane since the primary goal of SeaWorld is education and rehabilitation. SeaWorld balances entertainment with the more-important efforts of education and conservation.

Tourism & Travel

Expedia reports strong travel bookings

Americans still arranged vacations this summer despite economic and fuel-price concerns, says a new report from Expedia Travel Trendwatch, a marketing newsletter of the Internet travel Web portal.

theme park ranger

Dewayne Bevil: Attraction puts you in eye of the storm

Introducing a severe-weather simulator at the height of hurricane season is interesting timing. But if you can't get enough of Fay, Gustav and their ilk, Epcot now is home to an attraction called StormStruck.

Tourism & Travel

Attraction sheds light on hurricanes

Just as Tropical Storm Fay gave Walt Disney World and the rest of Central Florida a taste of severe weather last week, StormStruck, a new mini-attraction based on hurricanes, blew into Epcot.

What you think

Out of the tank

PETA's proposal to transform SeaWorld into a 21st-century center for educational entertainment is as forward-thinking as Microsoft was in the 1980s. Today's youth are born into gigabyte worlds, and watching a wetsuit-clad guy directing dispirited animals with a bullhorn isn't even worthy of a text message.

Wall Street Report The markets in 60 seconds

AirTran Airways to furlough 169 pilots

Orlando-based AirTran Holdings Inc. said Friday that it will furlough 169 pilots as part of continued cost-cutting. The furloughed pilots, all of whom have worked for less than one year with AirTran Airways, will leave by Sept. 3. AirTran will have recall rights for seven years. Earlier this summer, AirTran had announced it would lay off as many as 180 pilots. The company also said it would lay off as many as 300 flight attendants, but a spokeswoman said Friday that enough flight attendants volunteered through early exit programs to avoid furloughs.

Tropical Storm Fay dampens Orlando's water parks, boosts mall traffic

Tropical Storm Fay made the region too wet and windy for some Central Florida businesses, including a pair of water parks.

EDITORIAL

We think: PETA's vision for SeaWorld won't float

Their hearts might be in the right place, but let's hope those scolds at PETA never take charge of a real business.

Campaign 2008

Candidates for Lake County Water Authority can at least agree on their goal

The candidates running for two seats on the Lake County Water Authority have varied experiences, but they share one goal: All say they want to clean up the county's waterways, and they want to get the public involved.

Just a little rain on their parade

At theme parks, tourists play despite Fay

The threat of Tropical Storm Fay scared some tourists away from Orlando's theme parks Tuesday, but that was perfectly fine with the people who did show up.

Whale of an offer: Buy SeaWorld, free animals

Forget about freeing just Willy. An animal-rights group says a supporter wants to buy one or more SeaWorlds from the theme parks' soon-to-be new owner so it can free all the animals, even killer whales.

Bracing for Fay: Tourism

Many theme parks, Orlando airport will be open for business today

Orlando's three big theme-park resorts made early preparations Monday for Tropical Storm Fay, but all three were planning to operate largely as normal today even with Fay expected to slosh ashore.

Local News

Cops nab 3 men accused of seeking sex with kids

A youth swim coach visiting from North Carolina was among three men arrested during the weekend for traveling to a Polk County house to have sex with children, according to the Polk County Sheriff's Office.

Voter's Guide

Kissimmee Mayor, Commission Seat 5

John Cortes

theme park ranger

Dewayne Bevil: So which theme-park treat is sweetest?

Friends phoned the Theme Park Rangers Hotline recently with this breathless request: Where best to eat dessert at Epcot? That's a hefty question because the international options of the park's World Showcase probably outnumber the choices at any other park.

Cover Story

Businesses go extra mile to help workers save on gas

Scott Clements drives 23 miles, one way, to his job at Walt Disney World. Nathalie Russo travels a similar distance, from Poinciana.

Orlando entrepreneur floats idea to clean pools

Scot Weiss left a full-time career in finance and accounting for one that requires taking financial risks and fiddling with gadgets in the garage.

Universal keeps pace with Disney and raises ticket price to $75

Universal Orlando adds $4 to its basic ticket price today, keeping its one-day, one-park pass in line with Walt Disney World's at $75 a person.

Going to Disney World? You'll need at least $75

A basic theme-park ticket at Walt Disney World will cost an added $4 a person starting Sunday.

Passenger traffic down at OIA in June

The number of passengers at Orlando International Airport fell 3.3 percent in June from a year earlier, according to figures released Wednesday by Central Florida's main tourism bureau, in what could be an early sign that airline cutbacks and a slumping national economy have begun to erode travel to the region.

Take guns to work - but don't stop on way?

A federal judge has upheld the gist of a new law giving employees the right to take their guns to work, as long as they have a concealed-weapons permit and keep them locked in their cars.

Wall Street Report

The Markets in 60 Seconds

Action Products avoids delisting

Tourism & Travel

Tinker Bell may get a new home

Walt Disney World is planning to add actresses playing Tinker Bell and her friends from an upcoming series of "Disney Fairies" movies -- and might be creating a new attraction based on them.

Tough times Warning signs for Central Florida

Will tourists keep coming? Industry fears future

Despite falling home values and rising gas prices, Central Florida tourism prospered in early 2008. But now, tourism officials are wondering how long their good fortune will last.

Less money, all of the fun: Families try 'stay-cations'

This summer could have been an instruction booklet on how to kill vacations.

Regional Report Central Florida in 60 seconds

Rescued days-old manatee calf being reared at SeaWorld

A female manatee calf rescued near Ormond Beach on Wednesday is being reared at SeaWorld Orlando.

attractions theme park ranger

Dewayne Bevil: Lost at SeaWorld? Shamu GPS can help

I'm traveling solo at SeaWorld Orlando when a little voice beckons "In 100 feet, turn right."

Regional Report Central Florida in 60 seconds

Celebrities join fight against Type 1 diabetes

Nearly 3,000 family members and children with Type 1 diabetes will be in town starting today to learn how to better manage the blood-sugar condition. A former Miss America, a renowned ballerina, an Ironman triathlete and a former NBA player are among the Type 1 patients attending the gathering, which organizers say is the largest of its kind. The conference -- called Friends for Life 2008 -- will be through Sunday at the Renaissance Orlando Resort at SeaWorld Orlando.

Local News Cops & courts

SeaWorld worker arrested in connection with shooting

A 53-year-old SeaWorld employee was arrested Friday in connection with a shooting that endangered a teenager, Polk County Sheriff's deputies said Sunday.

Devoted theme-park goers visit attractions hundreds or thousands of times

Across Central Florida's theme parks are hundreds of rides, shows and attractions -- and the people who love them. A lot.

COMMENTARY

Beth Kassab: After Anheuser-Busch sale, it could be a wild ride for brewer's attractions

Some corporate mergers sail by with hardly a whimper from consumers. Add theme parks with a devoted fan base into the equation, though, and you've got the makings of a high drama.

Heart attack, broken bones are reported at theme parks

A heart attack at Wet 'n Wild and two broken ankles at other attractions were among the serious ride incidents at Central Florida theme parks this spring, according to state records released Tuesday.

Beer execs mum on theme parks' future

InBev and Anheuser-Busch executives laid out their deal Monday to create the world's largest beer company, but they declined to say whether that will include continued ownership of SeaWorld and the rest of Orlando-based Busch Entertainment Corp.

This Bud's for you, Belgium: $52B Busch deal struck

Anheuser-Busch reportedly has agreed to be acquired by InBev for about $52 billion in a deal that would create the world's largest brewer.

Progressions

Progressions

Architecture

Sentinel help team

Beware, patients: Killer bug plagues hospitals

More Americans are getting sick from a potentially fatal bacterial infection usually caught by people in hospitals or nursing homes.

Reports: A-B, InBev nearly ready to drink to merger

After weeks of public bickering, Anheuser-Busch Cos. Inc.'s board is likely to accept a sweetened buyout offer from the Belgian-based brewer InBev SA as early as this weekend, a published report said.

Brazilians jazz things up at Orlando-area attractions

When Gabriela Lande raises her lime-green flag, 50 Brazilian teenagers in matching lime-green T-shirts fall in behind her.

Dewayne Bevil: Best places to get soaked at theme parks

Grueling-hot summertime visits to theme parks can be alleviated with turns on one of their water-thrill rides. Take a whirl through this guide to H2O zones and discover which ones are worth getting soaked to the bone.

DeBary couple face mounting medical bills for wife battling cancer

While a teenager in the Philippines, Leah Fretwell was plagued with thyroid problems.