The parent company of the SeaWorld and Busch Gardens parks didn’t sugarcoat its 2025 financial results in a Thursday earnings call, reporting declines in attendances, revenue and income.
As United Parks & Resorts CEO Marc Swanson stated: “Our fiscal 2025 results did not meet our expectations. While the consumer environment was uneven and our results were impacted by negative international tourism trends and volatile weather during certain peak visitation periods, we should have delivered better results, particularly on the cost side of the income statement.”
Net income was down 26 percent from 2024 to $168 million. Total revenue sank by 3.6 percent to $1.7 billion thanks largely to lower attendance, as United Parks welcomed 378,000 fewer guests to its 13 parks in 2025, a 1.8 percent dip from the previous year.
While the company did not break down its attendance by park, Swanson did note during the earnings call that it was “pleased with our attendance results in Orlando in 2025,” saying the regional market benefited from Universal opening its Epic Universe theme park last year.
To turn the corner in 2026, Swanson said United Parks will reverse what he called “less-than-optimal cost management” from last year and boost attendance with new offerings, including the Barracuda Strike roller coaster at SeaWorld San Antonio and the SEAQuest: Legends of the Deep dark ride at SeaWorld Orlando.
“I really think the lifeblood of giving people a reason to visit is having new attractions and events and shows and things like that,” Swanson said.
The company is also considering multiple ways of using its real estate to boost revenue. Swanson said these options “could be a sale leaseback, it could be developing that land into shopping, housing, entertainment, whatever it may be, hotels.”