Bad weather is no excuse for poor management.
United Parks & Resorts, the parent company of the SeaWorld and Busch Gardens theme parks, this month reported another dismal quarter of earnings. Attendance, revenue and earnings were all down for the first three months of 2026, as the company’s net loss doubled over the same period one year ago. CEO Marc Swanson blamed “unfavorable weather” for the poor performance.
Theme park executive blaming the weather for bad attendance become a joke in the fan community at this point. I suspect that some fans have turned this into a drinking game, but I would never recommend that because I don’t want my readers to suffer from alcohol poisoning.
Inclement weather is simply part of doing business in travel. Forward-thinking managers are accounting for that, developing attractions and environments that appeal to visitors even when the weather is not clear and comfortable. But United Parks’ excuse doesn’t even make sense. The first quarter is the best time of the year in Orlando for weather, and in the first three months of 2026, United Parks was lapping a horrific fire season in early 2025 in Southern California.
United Parks’ problems go far beyond the weather. The company changed its name from SeaWorld Entertainment a few years ago, seemingly to distance itself from the SeaWorld brand as live animal performances fall from public favor. But the company ended up with a brand that means nothing to anyone.
These parks need an identity that resonates. The good news is that there are a lot of great components at these parks. The company offers some really nice roller coasters, with Orlando’s Mako and Manta and Abu Dhabi’s Manta making Theme Park Insider’s Top 40 global list last year. Fans have praised the food festivals and holiday events at SeaWorld and Busch Gardens as among the best in the industry. SeaWorld San Diego is about to debut California’s largest theme park drone show, too.
So what is the problem? Whenever I see theme parks struggling, the first question I ask is, “How is the customer service?” A park can offer a mediocre collection of rides and attractions, but if it also offers great customer service, fans will show up and love it.
I have heard from many fans that SeaWorld and Busch Gardens simply do not offer the same level of welcoming customer care that they did back in the days when Anheuser-Busch owned the parks. In-park surcharges and extra fees have boosted corporate revenue at the expense of customer goodwill.
United Parks has been spending hundreds of millions of dollars a year buying back stock in an effort to boost its share price. That is money that United Parks could have invested in its people. No company can provide great customer service with low staff morale and high staff turnover. How do you turn that around? You do it by offering higher pay, better benefits and management support to empower front-line employes to make customers’ days magical.
Trends in entertainment and attractions change, but customers’ need for great service remains constant — no matter the weather.