Sea World : Park Hopes to Shatter Attendance Records in a Yearlong Celebration

Sea World of California, which drew a record 3.7 million visitors during 1987, expects a yearlong 25th anniversary celebration that begins on Saturday to push 1988 attendance at San Diego’s most popular tourist attraction to more than 4 million visitors.

Park President Robert K. Gault on Monday linked that rosy prediction to a pair of new animal acts that will be introduced in the coming weeks, a nightly ice-skating extravaganza during the summer months and a yearlong series of pop, rock and jazz concerts that will take place at the park’s new Nautilus amphitheater.

Gault credited last year’s attendance increase to 3.7 million from 3.1 million in 1986 to a $25-million renovation that included a new 5,000-seat Shamu Stadium and a new front entrance.

During a Monday press conference at the park, Gault predicted that during 1988, Sea World might finally overtake two competitors in Southern California and become the state’s second-largest attraction behind Disneyland, which drew 13.5 million visitors during 1987.

Trainers Out of Water

Sea World in San Diego was the nation’s sixth-most popular amusement park attraction during 1987, according to Nashville, Tenn.-based Amusement Business magazine. The Universal Studios Tour in Universal City drew 4.2 million visitors, and Knott’s Berry Farm in Buena Park drew 4 million visitors during 1987, according to the magazine.

Gault’s upbeat prediction for the park, which on Monday celebrated its 24th anniversary, came despite controversy over the park’s decision last November to pull animal trainers from killer whale tanks after several trainers in San Diego were injured.

At the time, William Jovanovich, chairman of Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, which owns Sea World parks in San Diego, Ohio, Florida and Texas, ordered trainers not to go into the water with the animals. The trainers since have been allowed to touch the whales during training sessions and shows.

However, trainers probably will remain on land for “several months . . . (until trainers know) what they’re supposed to do and what they’re not supposed to do,” Gault said.

Consequently, the new killer whale show that begins on Saturday will instead showcase the “power and grace of these top predators of the sea,” Gault said.

Visitors to Sea World in San Diego will pay higher admission prices beginning later this week, Gault said Monday. The San Diego park will boost ticket prices by $2 to $19.95 for adults and by $3 to $14.95 for children. The last time the park increased admission prices for adults was slightly more than a year ago.

Paying Off Debt

Sea World’s other parks probably will increase admission by a like amount, according to one industry analyst.

The ticket price increases announced Monday were probably forced by the expensive recapitalization that HBJ undertook last year to thwart an unwanted takeover by British media tycoon Robert Maxwell, according to J. Kendrick Noble Jr., a New York-based industry analyst with PaineWebber.

Late last year, HBJ sold its magazine division to reduce its debt load, and analysts have expected Sea World to increase ticket prices to further reduce HBJ’s $2.7 billion in debt.

“At the time of the restructuring they said they’d be raising profits and doing some (expense) cutting” in HBJ’s three major divisions, Noble said. However, HBJ’s core textbook division faces stiff pricing competition and various regulators would have to approve pricing changes in HBJ’s insurance business, Noble said.

“The parks division is the only place where they’d easily be able to raise revenues, even though there is competition,” Noble said.

Watching New Park

In addition to its Sea World properties, HBJ also owns two Orlando, Fla.-area attractions, Boardwalk & Baseball, a theme park, and Cypress Gardens. HBJ’s parks have drawn a cumulative total of more than 100 million visitors since the San Diego park opened in 1964.

Industry analysts will be watching attendance at the new Sea World park that will open next month in San Antonio. HBJ has spent an estimated $140 million to build the 250-acre park.

A former HBJ official in December sparked rumors that the Orlando-based company wanted to sell the parks division because of adverse publicity surrounding the trainer injuries. Noble on Monday suggested that those rumors “probably have been laid to rest.”

1987 ATTENDANCE AT THE NATION’S TOP SIX AMUSEMENT PARKS

Walt Disney World and Epcot Center, 26 million visitors

Disneyland, Anaheim, 13.5 million

Sea World of Florida, Orlando, 4.8 million

Universal Studios Tour, Universal City, 4.24 million

Knott’s Berry Farm, Buena Park, 4 million

Sea World of San Diego, 3.7 million Source: Amusement Business Magazine (except for Sea World of San Diego).