Hurricane Rips Massive Hole in SeaWorld Attraction, Extensive Damage Pictured

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Entrance to SeaWorld Orlando, Florida theme park

Credit: SeaWorld

A week on from Hurricane Milton, more damage is still being uncovered at theme parks – including SeaWorld Orlando.

Hurricane Milton slammed into Florida as a Category 3 storm last Wednesday, with winds that reached 120 mph leaving a trail of destruction across Florida. Coastal and inland areas were inundated with heavy rainfall and storm surges, while fierce winds caused widespread blackouts and left millions temporarily without power.

Prince Charming's Royal Carousel at Magic Kingdom Park in the rain.
Credit: Jamie S., Inside the Magic

Tampa, previously dubbed the most vulnerable city to hurricanes in the U.S., narrowly escaped the worst impacts of Milton.

However, Busch Gardens Tampa Bay still experienced significant damage, only reopening on Sunday after releasing a statement saying, “We are grateful for our dedicated team of animal care experts, including veterinarians, who remained onsite during the storm to monitor the animals.”

Meanwhile, billboards advertising Walt Disney World Resort were destroyed by the high winds. The likes of Disney’s Contemporary Resort experienced minor water leaks and rooms at Disney’s Polynesian Resort also flooded and experienced minor damage.

Guests in ponchos in the rain in Toy Story Land at Disney World's Hollywood Studios
Credit: Inside the Magic

Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort experienced a chaotic night as blaring fire alarms rang out, a result of electrical problems from the storm. Guests were safely sheltered as maintenance crews hustled to fix the issues and bring back normalcy. Thankfully, no fires occurred, and the alarm system is undergoing thorough inspection to avert any similar incidents in the future.

Now, reports are emerging about the storm’s toll on SeaWorld Orlando.

Killer whales during Orca Encounter at SeaWorld Orlando
Credit: SeaWorld Orlando

As per SeaworldH on X, formerly known as Twitter, a hole was ripped into the edge of Journey to Atlantis – the park’s iconic flume ride-roller coaster hybrid that “treats you to more than its share of surprises as you explore dark, watery passageways through the sunken city before being flung from its gates down a thrilling plunge into the waters below.”

There is unfortunately a pretty large hole on the backside of JTA from the strong winds of Milton

As noted, it appears that the damage is only cosmetic, so shouldn’t have any impact on the ride’s operations.

Earlier this year, it was reported that Journey to Atlantis – which also has sister attractions of the same name at SeaWorld San Diego and SeaWorld San Antonio – was temporarily closing early to guests due to low attendance at the Florida theme park.

Since the controversy of Blackfish (2013), the documentary that covered the living conditions of captive killer whales at its theme parks, SeaWorld has experienced a significant drop in attendance. This has recovered slightly since the initial impact of the film, but revenue has continued to take a hit since COVID-19.

A sea lion on a rock by a pool at SeaWorld Orlando
Credit: SeaWorld

In 2023, United Parks & Resorts (formerly SeaWorld Entertainment) saw revenue decrease by $4.7 million to $1.72 billion. Attendance also fell 1.5% to 21.6 million visitors.

A statement from Marc Swanson, CEO of United Parks & Resorts, attributed the declines to adverse weather conditions. “We estimate that weather-related factors and calendar shifts resulted in a decrease of approximately 75,000 visits in the fourth quarter and over 370,000 visits for the full year,” he said.

Have you noticed any damage at Florida’s theme parks from Hurricane Milton?

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