Shamu For Sale
Major Tampa and Orlando theme parks get a new owner
By TODD WRIGHT
Updated 7:39 PM EST, Wed, Oct 7, 2009
Anheuser-Busch has sold its stake in all of its theme parks for at least $2.3 billion.
The beer company's flagships, Busch Gardens and SeaWorld, now belong to a private company named Blackstone Group out of New York.
But what we want to know is what does the sell mean for Shamu, Sea World's iconic killer whale in Orlando (or San Diego, depending on who you listen to). We could not get in contact with Lolita at Miami Seaquarium for comment, but our guess is she would echo our concerns.
Blackstone is no stranger to operating theme parks in Florida. The firm also has a stake in Universal Studios Orlando.
The beer company's theme park wing was considered the second-largest entertainment park operator in the country behind Walt Disney Co. and hosts about 25 million visitors a year.
As it stands now, the Busch in "Busch Gardens" will remain on the park in Tampa, but we can't confirm the fabulous beer-tasting ride will continue to be sponsored by Anheuser-Busch.
We sure hope so.
Here's a list of the parks that were sold.
-- SEAWORLD:
Orlando, Fla.
San Diego
San Antonio
-- BUSCH GARDENS:
Tampa Bay, Fla.
Williamsburg, Va.
-- AQUATICA:
Orlando, Fla.
-- DISCOVERY COVE:
Orlando, Fla.
-- ADVENTURE ISLAND:
Tampa, Fla.
-- WATER COUNTRY USA:
Williamsburg, Va.
-- SESAME PLACE:
Langhorne, Pa.
Copyright Associated Press / NBC Miami
First Published: Oct 7, 2009 5:14 PM EST
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