Archive for the ‘Photo Sets’ Category
September 8, 2009 by JenniferBailey • Comments Off
Posted in Around the Park, Events, Our Town, Photo Sets
Just wanted to say Hi and Thank You to our annual pass members who made it out to one or both of the last two events. Annual Pass Members get special discounts and free parking, among other benefits. Occasionally we also hold special events like the ones in August.
The Aug. 19, Wild, Wet, Wednesday event turned out to be a great evening and was well received by those who were able to make it out. Because it was open to annual pass members only, there were no crowds in the pools, lazy river and virtually no lines for any of the slides. Many pass members saw this as a perfect opportunity to take some great family photos as well as of their kids coming down slides or just playing in the water. I wonder if we should offer exclusive waterpark time again in 2010? Check out the fun in the Flickr photo set.
The PassMember Advantages event on Aug. 30 was also a success. Pass members really like spinning the wheel to find out what they have won, especially the kids. This time the big prize was a $20 Lowe’s gift card and it looks like the gift card will again be the big prize at our next event on Nov. 15.
 Pass members spin the wheel for a chance to win big! Talk to you later!
Your Personal Pass Representative!
Jennifer
July 8, 2009 by DanDecker • 8 Comments »
Posted in News, Photo Sets
 Shamu Theater, one of seven ways to get WET at SeaWorld San Antonio Great ways to get wet at SeaWorld San Antonio…I certainly have my favorites, however I like to spend most of my time in the park trying to view the park through our guests eyes. This is sometimes difficult for me to do as I am very close to our product. That’s why I frequently turn to my favorite four person focus group, my family. Every time they I ask my wife and my two teenage boys what they liked most liked the least and what they would change. While their input provides quite a bit of value to my job, I realize that even their opinions come with a certain amount of bias making it difficult to equate to an actual guests visit. This however is not true with my seven year old daughter Kady. The honesty and enthusiasm of a sassy little girl is pretty easy to trust. You know exactly what is wrong and why. You also get to know what is most important from the constant questions and “pester power” as it is affectionately referred to. Young children are creatures of habit, so when something is right it is easy to spot by their desire to do it over and over and over again. So without further ado, here are Kady Decker’s top ways to get wet at SeaWorld San Antonio verbatim;
- Atlantis (Journey to Atlantis) is great because when you go down the hill you get splashed and when you get off the ride you get to get splashed again.
- I like the (Lazy) river because it gets you wet because you are swimming in it
- Shamu gets you wet, you take two hands and wave and you get splashed
- Dolphins splash water in the pool and sometimes get you wet, they make me laugh they are so cute
- And the Rio Loco (raft ride) waterfall gets everyone wet
- Swimming with the Sea Lions gets you wet, also when you watch the Sea Lion show the big tower explodes and sprays water all over everyone
- At the Viva Show the guy (the Waterworks Mechanic) splashes you and you get to watch the butterfly lady fly around
So whether you’re a kid, have kids, have grand kids or simply resist the urge to ever grow up Kady’s favorites should help keep you cool during the hot summer days.
What are your kids favorites?
I’d love to hear from you.
Dan
To see photos of all seven places, check out our Flickr photo set.
May 26, 2009 by PaigeNewman • 1 Comment »
Posted in Our Town, Photo Sets, Uncategorized
 Swainson's Mountain Blue Lorikeet Chick These are some of the most recent additions to our Aviculture department. Most people don’t realize the time and commitment it takes to raise one of these cute little guys, but I hope to give you some insight into the process.
We have chicks being born at differing times of the year. Because our birds come from all over the world, we have baby ducks, flamingos, penguins, etc., year-round. You never know what you might see on your next SeaWorld visit.
Right now, we are hand-rearing the Swainson’s Mountain Blue Lorikeet in the picture above. We are also taking care of a Lady Ross’s Turaco, and various species of waterfowl.
Depending on the species, we will help out by incubating the eggs and hand-raising the individual, particularly if they are new parents. Lorikeet chicks are born with closed eyes and few or no feathers, so they need lots of care. Zoo people refer to this as an altricial bird.
From the time the lorikeet eggs are laid, it will take 3-4 weeks for the chick to hatch. Then, once hatched, one of our skilled Aviculturists will take on the task of hand-raising this bird. This requires him or her taking the chick home for round the clock feedings (24-7). This is also a fun time for family members!
After two weeks, the chick will be growing and able to stay at SeaWorld (to the dismay of our families as they grow attached to the little guy!). He will be kept in a “baby room” which we call the brooder room, as he continues to grow. During this whole time, the chick is fed a specialized bird formula which will change as he grows to accommodate his dietary needs.
At two months, the little guy’s feathers start to appear. He’ll become fully feathered, or fledged, in four months. By 6-8 months, he will be introduced to the rest of the flock at our Lorikeet Aviary at SeaWorld. Then, guests will get the chance to see what feeding a lorikeet is like!
Check out some of our favorite baby birds in this Flickr set.
Your Animal Connection,
Paige
May 23, 2009 by JanetWarner • Comments Off
Posted in News, Photo Sets
 Jessica Amesquita (L) and Andrew Santellan (R) take the oath at SeaWorld What a great military day at SeaWorld San Antonio. I have always been honored to be the military representative for our park but today could not have made me prouder. SeaWorld hosted a special swearing-in ceremony at Shamu Theater today.
Imagine this. On this bright, sunny morning, 175 young men and women are sitting in the front rows of the theater. Families are seated and getting their cameras ready to capture this moment. Everyone in the theater gets on their feet as the flag of the United States comes into view. What a wonderful sight to see the flag held high by Leslie, a SeaWorld trainer, on Shamu. (I don’t think I was the only person with goosebumps.)
Marine Corps Colonel Mark Rayfield came on stage to administer the Oath of Induction. Cameras flashed as the young people raised their right hand and swore to serve and protect our country. I saw fathers bursting with pride, mothers with a little tear in their eyes and young brothers and sisters waving little flags. Our other park guests cheered and showed their support for the newest members of our armed forces. What a great pre-show for Believe!
I am so proud to be a part of a company that supports our troops. The company’s “Here’s to the Heroes” program, sponsored by Budweiser, provides a single-day’s free admission to any one SeaWorld or Busch Gardens park, Sesame Place, Adventure Island or Water Country USA for the service member and as many as three of his or her direct dependents. Over more than one million service members and their families have visited our parks under this program. This tribute program was launched in February 2005 and has been extended through 2009. Check it out here.
What a fantastic start to the Memorial Day weekend. Take time to thank somebody who protects your freedom.
Jan
To see more photos of our event, visit our Flickr site
May 4, 2009 by GeoffBaldwin • 1 Comment »
Posted in News, Photo Sets, Uncategorized
 Our First ID Bed One of my hobbies is gardening, something I learned growing up in the Midwest and having a mom with a very green thumb. So I was thrilled when I got the chance a few years ago to begin working with the SeaWorld landscaping team. For those of you that like to garden, you know that although our area has a rather long growing season, it is tempered by the many challenges that the South Texas climate provides us. However, none of us have to deal with the added challenge of having thousands and thousands of guests visiting our gardens day after day, nor is our back yard 265 acres, but our SeaWorld Landscaping team is more than ready.
To maintain the grounds at SeaWorld including almost 1000 pots and hanging baskets, is a very dedicated team of about 50 team members at summer’s peak. We do everything in-house, from design to construction and maintenance, even growing a good bit of what we use. But the number one most frequently asked question is “what is the name of that plant?” We try to use a wide variety of plant material , looking for eye catching color, easy care and something that holds up to our sometimes very harsh climate, including many native varieties. Most are available at local nurseries, but sometimes we get creative and use something that is new or in a different way and our guests want to be able to do the same thing at home.
On a busy day it is not unusual to be stopped 2 or 3 times to identify a plant; we use hundreds of different kinds and I hate to admit it, but I don’t know them all. So, this year our landscape manager Frank Jonas came up with the idea of creating flower beds with signs to ID all the plants. Of course that is not really a new idea, but what Frank did was create a small detour path out of the main traffic flow and filled it with a wide variety of different plants, naming them all. He even included a bench for guests to rest while they take notes on the plants. One of my favorite things is the Spanish moss display, explaining that although somewhat unsightly the ball moss does not hurt the tree, a common misconception.
Our first Plant I.D. bed (PID for short) is located just before you get to our Dolphin Cove area and has been so popular that just this week, Frank designed and installed a second PID near Shamu Theater, with some different plants. The plan is to change them seasonally and hopefully add at least one more. I still try and answer any plant questions, but now I can also direct them to the nearest PID. So, be sure to stop on by, get some ideas for your next garden project and if you see a team member with a large hat on, ask him a plant question, it might just be me.
Gotta go, burning daylight!
See more of our garden on our Flikr page.
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