Archive for October, 2009
October 30, 2009 by SuzyBehne • 2 Comments »
Posted in Around the Park, Events
What an amazingly fun week we’ve had here at the park. Our Environmental Heath and Safety Department put on a week worth of events for our team members to take part in. I wanted to share with you a little of the behind-the-scenes action that took place at SeaWorld San Antonio’s EHS Week, because everyone knows that all work and no play makes us a bit dull around the edges.
Monday kicked off the week with Bring Your Child to work day. The kids had a good time and took part in activities with our Education & Conservation Dept. then spent the afternoon hanging out with their parents.
Tuesday followed with Bring Your Dog to Work, and let me tell ya there were some cute ones! They participated in the doggie wellness walk around the park and then gathered at Ports-of-Call for a dog trick contest, costume contest and best in show judged by Dan Decker.
Wednesday was our Road Clean-Up where a group of us hit the streets of Ellison Drive and Military Drive surrounding the park and picked up trash and recyclables, can you believe we found an old mattress!
Thursday was our Halloween costume contest and there was some pretty good competition out there, the winner is still trying to find her dog, do you know where it’s at?
Today we had our inaugural Vice President’s Relay Race in conjunction with the Wellness Fair. The relay was a blast. It included nine legs; a one-mile run, an over 30 one-mile run, a one-mile run in costume, Journey to Atlantis stair climb, power walk and word search challenge, hula hoop, jump rope, egg toss and spelling bee.
All the participants enjoyed the week and it definitely was a fun way to keep our SeaWorld family in high spirits as the operating season begins to wind down.
Keep an eye out on our Flickr feed next week for more photos!
Suzy
What an amazingly fun week we’ve had here at the park. Our Environmental Heath and Safety Department put on a week worth of events for our team members to take part in. I wanted to share with you a little of the behind-the-scenes action that took place at SeaWorld San Antonio’s EHS Week, because everyone knows that all work and no play makes us a bit dull around the edges.
Monday kicked off the week with Bring Your Child to work day. The kids had a good time and took part in activities with our Education & Conservation Dept. then spent the afternoon hanging out with their parents.
Tuesday followed with bring your dog to work, and let me tell ya there were some cute ones! They participated in the doggie wellness walk around the park and then gathered at Ports-of-Call for a dog trick contest, costume contest and best in show judged by Dan Decker.
Wednesday was our Road Clean-Up where a group of us hit the streets of Ellison Drive and Military Drive surrounding the park and picked up trash and recyclables, can you believe we found an old mattress!
Thursday was our Halloween costume contest and there was some pretty stiff competition out there, the winner is still trying to find her dog, do you know where it’s at?
Today we had our inaugural Vice President’s Relay Race in conjunction with the Wellness Fair. The relay was a blast. It included nine legs; a one-mile run, an over 30 one-mile run, a one-mile run in costume, Journey to Atlantis stair climb, power walk and word search challenge, hula hoop, jump rope, egg toss and spelling bee.
All the participants enjoyed the week and it definitely was a fun way to keep our SeaWorld family in high spirits as the operating season begins to wind down.
Hope you all enjoyed!
Suzy
October 27, 2009 by ChrisJordan • 11 Comments »
Posted in Around the Park, Features, News
This Saturday we say goodbye to one of the longest running, most beloved show’s in our parks’ history. After a magical nine years the curtain will close sounding the knell for “Viva!”
The combination of Pacific white-sided dolphins, beluga whales, divers, synchronized swimmers, aerialists, bungee artists and Russian Swing performers and an amazing soundtrack was revolutionary in its inception. Never before had an audience experienced multi-species of marine mammal life with human performers and acrobats. It brought together powerful visions of the sea and earth together in a tour de force that delighted guests of all ages.
The power, majesty and beauty of the sea unfolds before your eyes in a tableau of wonder and amazement.
The Pacific white-sided dolphins known as the “acrobats of the sea” playfully perform their dazzling behaviors to the delight of all.
The beluga whales, nicknamed the “canaries of the sea” dazzle us with their grace and beauty.
Adding swimmers and trainers, the scene opens up into a glorious ballet sequence.
The aerialists’ actions over the water mirror reflect the action in the water.
The high flying Russian Swing performers take our breath away as they execute some of the most difficult stunts to be seen by an audience.
And who can forget the beloved Chad…
“Viva!” lives and breathes in all of us, touching our lives in ways words cannot express. With no spoken dialogue the story unfolds through music and movement. The music plays at our heart strings as the action in the air and sea resounds deep inside of each of us. From the heart thumping drums to soaring melodies it leaves resounding memories in all who experienced this celebration of life.
So let us not say farewell, but rather fare forward…..and like the Phoenix, “Viva!” will live on in its next incarnation….
What is it you ask?
Ah, that is the mystery….what we search for in all of us…only to be revealed…
October 22, 2009 by JackReturns • 15 Comments »
Posted in Events, Howl-O-Scream, Uncategorized
UPDATED: Our first hunt was last week and was won by Baroli from Twitter. Our second hunt is now underway – good luck!
It seems like everyone these days has a GPS-enabled device of some kind and I am always looking for ways to incorporate modern technology into my scare toolkit.
My minions and I have cooked up a trick-AND-treat game for you using GPS. It isn’t an easy game but it is an adventure and adventures are not meant to be easy.
If you should be brave and smart enough to meet my challenge, here is what you need to do:
- Use a Firefox or Flock Browser, or Internet Explorer browser
- Install the Add-On ClickableNow, this is a great little application that makes Twitter backgrounds clickable, it will even work for your background
- Head to my Twitter page and find the hidden link
- Click on the link to find my hidden page
- Enter the password: jackreturns
- Use a GPS-enabled device to find the coordinates given. If you don’t have a stand-alone, GPS-enabled device, you might try Blackstar for GPS-enabled Blackberry phones or Geocaching 2.0 for iPhone 3G
- When you find the treasure, Tweet me @jackreturns or go to our Facebook page and leave a wall post or leave a comment on this blog post so that I know you found it.
- Bring the secret ticket to SeaWorld Guest Relations to claim your prize. Guest relations is at the front of the park.
Rules:
- Don’t destroy any property searching for my stash, it will be in plain view and not buried.
- If you can’t find it, get a new set of glasses.
- You cannot be an employee or immediate relative of a SeaWorld San Antonio employee.
- No pumpkins allowed.
- You can only win once outside the park and once inside the park, give someone else a chance.
If you want to learn more about Geocaching and its rules and regulations, check out the San Antonio Geocaching Association. Jack’s Treasure Hunt affiliated in any way with SAGA or www.geochaching.com, nor do they have any information or knowledge about my trasure hunt. We were heavily inspired by this fun and entertaining activity, so if you have fun with it, check it out. I might even consider becoming a geocacher during my time in the pumpkin patch.
October 20, 2009 by JackHarvey • 1 Comment »
Posted in Around the Park, animals, conservation
 A look at Alligator Alley from SeaStar Theatre. SeaWorld San Antonio is a huge place; it’s one of the largest marine parks in the entire world. It’s way too big to see in an entire day, so I’m guessing there are some of you who miss certain parts when you’re visiting or maybe you don’t know a lot about what you’re seeing. I’m going to dedicate my next few blogs to some of these hidden places or interesting animals that you may not know a whole lot about.
Alligator Alley sits in the middle of the park between the Sea Star Theatre, Shamu’s Happy Harbor, Mango Joe’s Café, and Ski Lake. It’s home to 19 American alligators, several turtles and a few species of fish, including Japanese koi and bluegill.
American alligators can be found throughout the southeastern part of the United States in just about any freshwater area. They’re a top predator in most lake, river, stream, swamp or bayou ecosystems eating everything from fish to birds to small mammals. As cold-blooded animals, their growth depends on their environment with warmer temperatures and more food meaning higher metabolism and faster growth. A full-size male alligator can reach lengths of 4-4.5 m. (13.1-14.8 ft.) and weigh 180-228 kg (400-500 lbs.) The longest alligator ever recorded measured 5.72 m (19.2 ft.) and the largest males may way over 454 kg (1,000 lbs.). Here are a few more cool facts about the American alligator:
- Females will lay 20-50 eggs in a large nest and protect it at all cost. The incubation temperature of the eggs determine the sex of the offspring with temperatures below 30° C (86° F) will produce mostly female young and nests with temperatures over 34° C (93° F) will produce mostly males. Nests kept between these two temperatures will produce similar numbers of both sexes.
- The American Alligator is considered threatened due to the similarity in appearance to the endangered American crocodile. The American alligator was once endangered but through extensive conservation efforts, their numbers have increased. They are one of the few animals to be downgraded from endangered to threatened.
- Although they look similar, alligators are different than crocodiles. Alligators are dark colored with a broad, rounded snout and are usually found in fresh water. Crocodiles are grayish-green and prefer coastal, brackish and salt-water habitats. They have a narrow, tapered, triangular snout. Also, the fourth tooth on either side of the lower jaw of an alligator fits into an internal socket in the upper jaw so that these teeth are hidden when the mouth is closed. In a crocodile, the fourth tooth is always exposed.
If there are other exhibits in the park you’d like to know about, let me know and I’ll dig up some good facts about them too.
Thanks and Gig ‘em
Jack
October 16, 2009 by JackReturns • 5 Comments »
Posted in Howl-O-Scream, Who's Talking?
 Jack at SeaWorld San Antonio Hello there my minions! Ever wonder how I came to be? Read my legend below if you dare…It might send a chill down your spine. Oh, and don’t forget to follow me on Twitter @jackreturns and on the SeaWorld Facebook page, which I’ve hijacked for the month of October!
The origins of the jack-o-lantern began in Irish folklore where it was originally a hollowed-out turnip. But Irish-American immigrants later found that pumpkins better served their purpose.
Jack was a legendary trickster who outwitted the Devil twice during his lifetime. When Jack died and arrived at the gates of heaven, he was turned away because he was stingy and mean. He then journeyed to the underworld but the Devil was to afraid of Jack’s trickery to allow him entry.
The Devil gave him a piece of coal to help light his way, but it was too hot to carry. So Jack carved a hole in a turnip and placed the coal inside, thus he became known as Jack of the Lantern. He wandered the earth carrying his turnip looking for a place to spend eternity.
Jack is an organic half-plant/half-man creature that arises at the first sign of the Autumn Moon, and remains alive and well at the park, haunting visitors with his sinister laugh. He is reminiscent of Vincent Price, in that he does not wreak havoc, but simply points it out to us.
He’s creepy, obviously responsible for eerie happenings, but not physically threatening. He’s somewhere between the legend of Sleepy Hollow and Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas.
He’s old, and somewhat decayed (sort of like the Crypt Keeper from Tales from the Crypt, but more distinguished). He wears a top hat, which he tips to reveal the stem of a pumpkin.
His face is orange and linear like a pumpkin, but with evidence of decay and new growth. His hands are gnarly and appear from beneath his cape. They look more vine-like than human.
After the last moon of the month (end of October) he goes dormant, retreating back into a hollow tree which is his portal back to the underworld. Only to re-appear for the next harvest of brave souls…
~ Adapted from www.howloscream.com.
October 15, 2009 by SarahSaatzer • 2 Comments »
Posted in Around the Park, News, conservation
SeaWorld San Antonio has made conservation a top priority over the years and we are continuously working on innovative ways to improve the environment. We work hard every year to improve and reduce the park’s overall energy consumption through water and energy conservation, sustainability and recycling.
That is why we were so honored when SeaWorld San Antonio was recently presented with a 2009 “Going Green Award” in the Conservation Program category by the San Antonio Business Journal. The award program recognizes individuals, companies and programs making an effort to save our planet.
Our park’s water and energy conservation and recycling efforts were key factors in winning this award. Our park is known for its water attractions and we have made it a priority to reduce the consumption of water in a variety of ways.
One of the ways we conserve water that contributed to us winning the “Going Green Award” is by collecting water condensation from air conditioning units in two condensation tanks found in back areas of the park. The water collected in these tanks is used to irrigate landscaping throughout the park and is also used to pressure wash pathways. Low-flow toilets have been installed in park restrooms to reduce the amount of waste water used. These are only a few of ways that SeaWorld San Antonio conserves water on a daily basis.
Reclaimed water is used to water the plants and grass at SeaWorld San Antonio.
Recycling is also very important in a park this size! We have placed aluminum and plastic recycling receptacles throughout the park. We also provide a Recycling Center for team members to bring their recyclables from home. This is an easy and convenient way for us to recycle. I love that the center is open 24/7 so I can drop off my recyclables anytime.
SeaWorld San Antonio encourages team members to recycle. At this team member recycling facility on property, team members can bring recyclables from work or home, 24 hours a day.
We have also taken advantage of solar energy by utilizing solar golf carts. Nine golf carts at SeaWorld San Antonio have solar panels installed on them. The panels absorb sun and turn that energy into electricity to power the carts. The solar panels are powered by state-of-the-art photovoltaic cells that produce electricity directly from sunlight.
Panels on solar golf carts at SeaWorld San Antonio turn energy into electricity to power the carts.
We are always looking for new initiatives to promote conservation. If you have any ideas, please let us know!
October 14, 2009 by JackHarvey • 1 Comment »
Posted in Adventure Camp, Children, Events, Howl-O-Scream, SeaWorld Camp, Uncategorized
A few weekends ago, I was up at the Central Texas Kid’s Expo in Belton, TX, with some fellow team members spreading the word about what’s going on at SeaWorld this fall. When we go to events like this, most everyone knows about SeaWorld (although some are surprised when we say we’re from San Antonio), but I’m always surprised when they don’t know about all of the Education programs we offer. I’ve had this conversation many times:
Me: Howdy! How’s it goin’?
Passerby: Doin’ well. Oh we love SeaWorld! We have season passes.
Me: Great! We’ve got Howl-O-Scream coming up at the park, have you ever been to that?
Passerby: Oh no, but we heard about it. It looks pretty cool.
Me: It’s a blast. We have stuff for younger kids during the day, then it gets scarier at night. You can even spend the night at SeaWorld.
Passerby: Wow. I didn’t know you could do that. What would you think about spending the night at SeaWorld, Johnny?
So, just in case you didn’t know…
You can spend the night at SeaWorld for Halloween. We’re doing a Howl-O-Scream Sleepover October 24th. Children 3-5 years old must be accompanied by a parent and 1st-8th graders come by themselves.
We do special Halloween activities along with seeing all of the creepy things happening in the park, like “Shamu’s Rockin’ Creep Show,” “Jack’s Frightmare Forest,” and much more. Plus, learn about many of the animals that live at SeaWorld. Then we’ll sleep in our sleeping bags in the Sharks/Coral Reef Exhibit. The kids definitely have the option not to participate in certain features if they get too scared, but there’s something for everyone throughout the night.
 Guests enjoying Sharks/The Coral Reef before drifting off to sleep. Now that you know about our Adventure Camp programs in October, I’ll give you a little hint: If you’re at the website checking out the camps, also check out the Jack Hanna Sleepover coming up Nov. 6. I’ll give you more details on that one later, but it’s definitely one you won’t want to miss.
Thanks and Gig ‘em,
Jack
October 9, 2009 by SuzyBehne • 4 Comments »
Posted in Howl-O-Scream
Editors Note: My friend Tim Morrow, who is joining our team of bloggers, recently interviewed Jack. Check out the great dialogue that took place between them and I’m sure you will have a whole new outlook on Jack by the end, I know I did. Enjoy!
One of the things I love about my job as the Director of Consumer Events, is the opportunity to work with some amazing and talented personalities. Sometimes they are TV or movie stars, sometimes they are musicians or singers, and once a year I work with a rock star named Jack, Jack-O-Lantern.
I recently had the opportunity to sit down with Jack and ask him some of the tough questions that mainstream media have shied away from. I wanted to give you the opportunity to see into the mushy pumpkin head of this super star.
Tim: Jack, I’ve noticed how well you handle the guitar in your “Jack is Back” show, can you tell me  where you learned to play?
Jack: Well I started playing air guitar many years ago, but I fine tuned my skills by training on Guitar Hero. I was able to master that game pretty quick and move straight onto the stage so my minion fans could hear me rip it up. I’ve had many influences, mostly the great guitar heroes of the 1960’s such as Jimi Hendrix and later artists in the 80’s such as Slash! I am so good I scare myself sometimes!
Tim: Jack, was there any childhood drama that shaped who you are today?
Jack: I was always a mischievous lad. I pretty much spent the first half of my life in detention and timeout, but eventually people gave up on trying to make me conform to the norms of society. I like to be mischievous and playful during the day, but at night I love to terrify people. Screaming in the night is music to my ears, and reminds me a little bit of the sounds of Hannah Montana….Love ya Hannah! Did her dad have a great mullet or what? Now THAT was scary!
Tim: Are you currently dating anyone?
Jack: Well I prefer to keep my options open. Being the biggest rock star on the planet it is hard to be in a one pumpkin relationship. I prefer to play the pumpkin patch and keep things light. I’m so busy scaring people that a relationship isn’t high on my priority list right now. Someday I hope to raise some pumpkin heads of my own, but not now.
Tim: Do you have any celebrity followers on Twitter?
Jack: Define celebrity. After me the rest of ‘em are all just humans. I have a few human stars who follow me, literally. Matt Bonner, of the San Antonio Spurs, has been stalking me a bit since he arrived in San Antonio. He is convinced we are related! Must be the red head?!?
Tim: How do you spend your leisure time?
Jack: I spend most of it just hanging out playing Guitar Hero with my pumpkin posse. After Howl-O-Scream I’m still around causing some mischief. I watch the park guests and sometimes hide their stuff, or send bugs their way.
At night I like to check out the animals as they sleep and pull flowers out of the ground. That one drives the landscape team crazy! Every now and then I’ll do a little “dead heading.” You know, pick the dead blooms off of the flowers to help them grow. I do it because I like the name “dead heading,” and because I almost felt bad once about pulling flowers out of the ground…almost…once.
I guess it is a sign of my softer side, and it is just my way of passing time until the next Howl-O-Scream.
Tim: You mention a “softer side.” What makes you cry?
Jack: I often cry from laughing so hard when I see people screaming, crying for their mommies and generally terrified. I’ve also been known to cry during Guitar Hero when we play a great 80’s power ballad like Motley Crue’s “Home Sweet Home,” it reminds me of the old country, Ireland, where I’m from.
Tim: Well thanks for taking time out of your busy schedule to let me ask you some questions. What is on the agenda for the rest of the month?
Jack: Frights and delights at my Howl-O-Scream, tell all your friends so they’ll come and see!
Follow Jack on Twitter @jackreturns and on the SeaWorld Facebook page, which he has hijacked for the month of October. Rumor has it he is giving out lots of tricks and treats (prizes) there. He also has a fun interactive page.
Any of Jack’s fans have questions?
Tim
October 8, 2009 by TraciLewand • 1 Comment »
Posted in Around the Park, Events, Howl-O-Scream
The scares and screams at SeaWorld San Antonio started on September 30th when we hosted the Team Member Preview Night of Howl-O-Scream . Like any other program or product, we like our team members to preview what it is our park guests will be experiencing so we offer them first take.
Team Members not only enjoyed old “haunts” like Jack’s Frightmare Forest but also our very new maze called Den of the Departed. “Which maze was scarier?” Was the question of the night and team members seemed to be tied with their votes. Not only was the night a great first dress rehearsal for the Entertainment Department, it was the perfect opportunity for our team members to enjoy our Howl-O-Scream Program with their loved ones.
In addition to the Howl-O-Scream activities we also had a dunk booth, face painting, caricatures and snacks available with all proceeds benefiting the United Way . It was also a great night to kick-off our FREE flu shots for team members. Although you couldn’t be faint hearted because the representatives working the flu shot table were outfitted with blood splattered doctor’s coats to fit the Halloween theme! With over 200 flu shots administered and many guests in attendance we know everyone had a blast!
Preview night wouldn’t have been possible without the help of our World Class Service Team. The World Class Service Team is made up of full-time and part-time team members who coordinate and work team member events throughout the year. The team now starts planning the Christmas Celebration Preview Party on November 19th. Let the fun begin!
October 5, 2009 by Kami Huyse • 4 Comments »
Posted in Around the Park, Events, Howl-O-Scream
 Debi Pfitzenmaier and Kami Huyse (me) pose with Jack at VIP night Last Thursday, I had a chance to meet up with the San Antonio Social Media Club at the SeaWorld VIP night to preview Howl-O-Scream. We also had a photo opportunity with Jack-o-lantern, who is the undisputed star of Howl-O-Scream. Don’t believe me? Then ask him yourself on Twitter @jackreturns.
What a fun time we had getting to know each other better. The social media crowd in San Antonio is a pretty hip group. They also created a ton of wonderful photos and chatter on Twitter.
While at the event, I also had a chance to meet a number of the people who won VIP passes from Jack on Twitter. He is really causing quite a stir.
If you come out to the park for Howl-O-Scream there are several ways you can share your photos, videos and thoughts. Jack will also be offering all kinds of prizes throughout his rein in the park, so check back to the channel of your choice often.
Photo courtesy of Network-SA
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