Credit: SeaWorldThis week should have been about the future of SeaWorld Orlando Park. Instead, the parks have been embroiled in controversies of their own making that have forever damaged their band.
This week, SeaWorld Orlando opened its newest roller coaster, Penguin Trek, to employees and season pass holders. By all accounts, the coaster is a unique, family-friendly experience; however, that was not the news story everyone focused on regarding the theme park.
Theme parks by their nature are a guest service business. This sign assumes guest service isn’t a business priority. #seaworld #SeaWorld #leisure https://t.co/Te0J72h8El
— Jim Shull (@JimShull) July 3, 2024
Related: Emergency Update: Another Violent ‘Takeover’ Coming to Florida theme park
It started Monday when SeaWorld Park posted a “no re-entry” sign outside the park. Guests were told that they would not be allowed to leave and return to the park once they entered the park.
So, guests were stuck in SeaWorld Orlando and could not leave the park for a mid-day break or to get food. The backlash on social media was intense, with very few people fully understanding the move.
Rumors swirled that this was part of extensive security measures taken by the park to prevent the type of “takeover” that occurred at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay. However, before those “takeovers,” they were advertised on social media, and there is no evidence that any such takeover was happening at SeaWorld.
SeaWorld followed that up with a strict message to guests that they must adhere to the park’s code of conduct or they will be trespassed upon.
As the week continued, SeaWorld Park’s situation worsened. A story broke on social media claiming the theme park scammed guests into giving employees tips, but those tips never reached the employees.
This is so slimy. Who would want to work for SeaWorld after this? If SeaWorld’s goal isn’t really to make guests exceptionally happy and certainly not to make their employees feel valued, what’s their plan to survive against Epic? Just sucker in thoosies? 😵💫 https://t.co/OQTv7Wx3iI pic.twitter.com/4Ke79TZsSO
— adam unchained: the frankenstein experiment (@adamj_film) July 2, 2024
SeaWorld added a tip option for guests ordering food at the park earlier this month. The $1.75 tip was meant to be given to the SeaWorld employee who helped with your order. Instead, the employee only receives a partial tip, and the company keeps the remainder.
How Does It Work?
According to social media posts, if a SeaWorld employee makes $15 an hour and someone leaves a tip, their pay will increase to $15.75. But that math doesn’t add up for a guest leaving a $1.75 tip.
Instead of giving the employee the entire tip, their hourly salary is reduced to $14, and they are given the extra money to increase their salary. So, SeaWorld entertainment parent company, United Parks, takes over half of that employee’s tip.
Guests have the option of leaving a tip for the service received at our dining locations. Including a tip in your purchase is optional and is a way for guests to reward our ambassadors for providing excellent service. The full amount of any tips goes directly to our ambassadors.
— SeaWorld (@SeaWorld) June 27, 2024
While guests believe they are doing the right thing by tipping the SeaWorld employee, they subsidize the company on top of the service charge with every order.
SeaWorld has said that employees receive the total tip amount, which is technically accurate. However, the reduction in salary to account for the tip does not necessarily hold to the idea of tipping and the faith guests put in the company.
So, what could have been a glorious week for SeaWorld has turned into a public relations nightmare. Hopefully, the company has learned its lesson and will return the tips to the employees where they belong.
What do you think about SeaWorld’s newest policies?