Busch Entertainment Corporation
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| Busch Entertainment Corporation | |
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| Type | Subsidiary |
| Founded | March 15, 1959[citation needed] |
| Headquarters | St. Louis, Missouri |
| Key people | Keith Kasen, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer; Jim Atchison, President and Chief Operating Officer (effective December 1, 2007) |
| Industry | Amusement park operator |
| Revenue | ▲ USD$1.178 billion (2006)[1] |
| Operating income | ▲ USD$232.8 million (2006) |
| Net income | ▲ USD$144.3 million (2006) |
| Employees | 26,000 |
| Parent | Anheuser-Busch Companies, St. Louis, Missouri |
| Subsidiaries | Busch Entertainment Company International, Inc.; SeaWorld, Inc.; SeaWorld of Florida, Inc.; SeaWorld of Texas, Inc. |
| Website | http://www.worldsofdiscovery.com/ |
The Busch Entertainment Corporation (abbreviated BEC, or also called Anheuser-Busch Adventure Parks) is the family entertainment division of the Anheuser-Busch Companies. One of 13 Anheuser-Busch subsidiaries, Busch Entertainment is responsible for the operation and maintenance of ten amusement and water parks located throughout the United States. On October 24, 2007, Busch Entertainment announced it will move its headquarters from St. Louis, Missouri to Orlando, Florida in 2008.[2]
In 2007, Busch Entertainment's properties hosted a combined total of approximately 22.3 million guests, making it the fifth-largest theme park operator in the world.[3] However, Busch Entertainment officials dispute this number, as internal attendance figures, which they choose not to make public, reflect higher attendance than does the cited estimate.[4]
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[edit] History
The company was initially created to run the various Busch Gardens parks. In 1989, Busch Entertainment purchased the theme park unit of publisher Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, which included the SeaWorld family of parks and two other parks in central Florida.
[edit] Current properties
Busch Entertainment has marketed its properties as "adventure parks," emphasizing its animal exhibits and thrill rides. On November 9, 2007, it was announced that its parks will now be known as "Worlds of Discovery."[5]
Busch Gardens parks
SeaWorld parks
- SeaWorld Orlando (Orlando, Florida)
- SeaWorld San Antonio (San Antonio, Texas)
- SeaWorld San Diego (San Diego, California)
Water parks
- Adventure Island (Tampa, Florida)
- Aquatica (Orlando, Florida)
- Water Country USA (Williamsburg, Virginia)
Other parks
- Sesame Place (Langhorne, Pennsylvania)
- Discovery Cove (Orlando, Florida)
[edit] Former properties
Busch Gardens parks
- Pasadena, California (1905-1937)
- Van Nuys, California (1964-1979)
- Houston, Texas (1971-1972)
SeaWorld parks
- SeaWorld Ohio (Aurora, Ohio) (1989-2001)
Other parks
- Cypress Gardens (Winter Haven, Florida) was purchased alongside the SeaWorld parks in 1989, then sold to the park's management team.
- Boardwalk and Baseball (Haines City, Florida) was purchased alongside the SeaWorld parks in 1989, but was promptly closed.
- PortAventura (Salou, Spain) was constructed in 1997 in a joint venture with Universal Studios and The Tussauds Group. Universal bought out its partners in 2000, but would sell its own interests in the park in 2004.
[edit] Future properties
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This article or section contains information about expected future buildings or structures. Some or all of this information may be speculative, and the content may change as building construction begins. |
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- Dubai, UAE will have the following parks starting around 2012 [6]
- SeaWorld
- Busch Gardens
- Discovery Cove
- Aquatica (similar to the facility in Orlando)
[edit] References
- ^ Anheuser-Busch 2006 Annual Report, page 63
- ^ Scott Powers (2007-10-25). Busch Entertainment to call Orlando home. www.orlandosentinel.com. Retrieved on 2007-10-25.
- ^ TEA/ERA Theme Park Attendance Report 2007. www.themeit.com (2008-03-14). Retrieved on 2008-03-14.
- ^ Scott Powers (2008-03-14). Attendance at theme parks continues to skyrocket. www.orlandosentinel.com. Retrieved on 2008-03-14.
- ^ "Sea World, other Florida attractions, offer multi-park discounts", The Associated Press, USA Today, 2007-11-09. Retrieved on 2007-11-25. (English)
- ^ Busch plans four parks in Dubai. St. Petersburg Times. Retrieved on 2008-02-28.
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