United Parks & Resorts saw declines in theme park attendance and revenue in the third quarter of 2025, while SeaWorld Orlando’s numbers have increased for the year so far, according to executives reacting to the company’s earnings report.
The number of visitors to all attractions in the July-September period was 6.8 million, down 3.4% from the same period last year. Total revenue was $511.9 million, down 6.2% from 2024.
“Obviously we’re not satisfied with the results we achieved in the quarter,” United CEO Mark Swanson said on a conference call Thursday. “Our results for the quarter were adversely affected by unfavorable calendar changes, adverse weather conditions during the busy holiday season, reduced international visitor numbers, and suboptimal execution.”
He cited positives in the report, including a 1.1% increase in per-capital spending within theme parks and attendance growth at SeaWorld Orlando through the first nine months of 2025. He said the level per capital increased in 20 of the past 22 quarters.
“We also saw significant year-over-year increases in separately ticketed Howl-O-Scream events, including record event attendance in Orlando and San Diego,” Swanson said.
Visitor numbers at the Orlando-based company fell by 90,000, but it’s difficult to pinpoint the impact of consumer economic anxiety and immigration news beyond international statistics, he said.
“We are confident that there will be some impact on certain guests across our portfolio,” he said.
“If you look at our (annual) pass base, you can see it’s decreasing. I’m sure some of our peak seasons for pass sales were when the tariff noise was happening,” Swanson said. “It’s hard to know if it affected us or not. I don’t think it helped us.”
Other holiday activities at SeaWorld, Legoland, and Disney’s Jollywood Nights
Still, Discovery Cove, the company’s most expensive-ticket Orlando day resort, is on track for annual attendance and revenue at a record pace and “looks solid for next year,” Swanson said.
“There are some consumers who say, ‘We’re fine,’ right? … So there’s a complicated situation there,” he said.
He said the company will continue to invest in theme parks.
“One of the key things you need for a strong passing program is to have a reason to visit,” Swanson said. “We have a new and exciting lineup coming to the park next year.”
Upcoming projects include SEAQuest: Legends of the Deep, a submarine-themed attraction scheduled to open at SeaWorld Orlando in 2026, and Lion & Hyena Ridge, a new animal habitat at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay. SeaWorld San Antonio will introduce Barracuda Strike, an inverted family roller coaster, next year.
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