Busch Entertainment Corporation

Infobox Company
company_name = Busch Entertainment Corporation
company_
company_type = Subsidiary
foundation = March 15, 1959Fact|date=October 2007
location = Orlando, Florida
key_people = Keith Kasen, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer; Jim Atchison, President and Chief Operating Officer "(effective December 1, 2007)"
industry = Amusement park operator
products =
revenue = profit USD$1.178 billion (2006) [ [http://www.anheuser-busch.com/_pdf/2006AR_Anheuser_Busch.pdf Anheuser-Busch 2006 Annual Report, page 63] ]
operating_income = profit USD$232.8 million (2006)
net_income = profit USD$144.3 million (2006)
num_employees = 26,000
parent = Anheuser-Busch Companies, St. Louis, Missouri
subsid = Busch Entertainment Company International, Inc.; SeaWorld, Inc.; SeaWorld of Florida, Inc.; SeaWorld of Texas, Inc.
homepage = http://www.worldsofdiscovery.com/
footnotes =

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. The subsidiary relocated its headquarters from St. Louis, Missouri to Orlando, Florida in 2008. [cite web | url=http://www.orlandosentinel.com/business/orl-seaworld2507oct25,0,3595314.story | title=Busch Entertainment to call Orlando home | author=Scott Powers | work=www.orlandosentinel.com | date=2007-10-25 | accessdate=2007-10-25 ]

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. [cite web | url=http://www.connectingindustry.com/downloads/pwteaerasupp.pdf | title=TEA/ERA Theme Park Attendance Report 2007 | author= | work=www.themeit.com | date=2008-03-14 | accessdate=2008-03-14 ] 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. [cite web | url=http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/local/orange/orl-parks1408mar14,0,5698343.story | title=Attendance at theme parks continues to skyrocket | author=Scott Powers | work=www.orlandosentinel.com | date=2008-03-14 | accessdate=2008-03-14 ]

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.

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."cite news
title = Sea World, other Florida attractions, offer multi-park discounts
work = The Associated Press
language = English
publisher = USA Today
date = 2007-11-09
url = http://www.usatoday.com/travel/news/2007-11-09-sea-world-discounts_N.htm
accessdate = 2007-11-25 ]

Busch Gardens parks
*Busch Gardens Africa "(Tampa, Florida)"
*Busch Gardens Europe "(Williamsburg, Virginia)"

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)"

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.

Future properties

*Dubai, UAE will have the following parks starting around 2012 [cite web|url=http://blogs.tampabay.com/breakingnews/2008/02/busch-plans-fou.html|title=Busch plans four parks in Dubai|accessdate=2008-02-28|publisher=St. Petersburg Times]
**SeaWorld
**Busch Gardens
**Discovery Cove
**Aquatica (similar to the facility in Orlando)

References