SeaWorld Orlando and United Parks just implemented a new price gouging system that takes more money from your wallet. However, this isn’t the first time this has happened. Here’s what you need to know.
Post Covid Surcharges: The 5 Percent Hidden Fee
Proceeding with the COVID-19 pandemic, SeaWorld and other parks in the United Parks chain, such as Busch Gardens Williamsburg, were implementing a surcharge on all purchases in the park.
It was found anywhere from food and beverages to merchandise anywhere you made a purchase. There could have been multiple reasons for them to do this. With the rising costs, it made it difficult to change the signs that were not digital and tags on merchandise items in line with rising costs.
Guests did not see it that way at the time, and it was strung as a not so good feeling hidden fee with no good rhyme or reason to it. People didn’t expect to be charged an extra 5 percent on anything in the park. They expected it to be the price they saw on the tag and on the menu.
The 2024 SeaWorld & United Parks Tipping Disaster
After this 5 percent surcharge was unleashed at a majority of the United Parks chain in the United States, they found new methods to pay their employees. Last year, at every food and beverage location, they implemented a new tipping program.
As of June 6th, @SeaWorld has implemented a tipping system at every food and beverage location around the park.
— Ethan Hershaft (@EthanHershaft) June 27, 2024
After every purchase, guests are prompted to leave a tip but can also choose "no tip" if they want pic.twitter.com/Xy2e3qUMK3
You would think that’s a great thing for the ambassadors at these parks. More money going to them at a time that some are still at a base $12 an hour rate. But not everything is always as it seems.
BGWFans last year released an article unloading a bombshell that those tips are going towards part of the already existing ambassadors wages.
“Say a food and beverage service worker is currently paid $13 an hour. With this new tip pool program, that $13 per hour becomes this employee’s Individual Guaranteed Rate. That is the minimum amount per hour this employee will make under this new program with or without tips. That $13 an hour does not, however, become this employee’s Position Guaranteed Rate. In the example SeaWorld Orlando included in their documentation, this employee’s Position Guaranteed Rate is actually $12 per hour—a pay rate that just so happens to be the current Florida minimum wage.” From BGWFans.com
SeaWorld Orlando Tipped Pool Program goes towards the ambassadors’ Individual Guaranteed rate of pay, which was already a pay rate that SeaWorld was paying before.
Essentially, they found a way to pay their employees less and have the guests cover the costs while making the guests think the ambassadors were getting the money as an extra tip, as it works that way practically everywhere else.
SeaWorld Orlando’s New Ploy: 9 Percent Surcharge on Festival Food & Beverage Items
At this point, SeaWorld seems to be trying to find out how much they can get away with. Their newest way to charge the guests more is by putting an eye-watering 9 percent surcharge on festival food items.
Look at this… now SeaWorld is charging a 9% fee! What was supposed to be temporary during COVID has increased… Posted by Daniel #seaworld #unitedparksandresorts pic.twitter.com/MeHn1FMR39
— florida_thrills (@florida_thrills) February 14, 2025
Yesterday florida_thrills on X posted a photo of a tag on the card reader at one of SeaWorld’s Seven Seas Food Festival booths.
“Taxes and a 9% service fee will be added to all purchases”
This is a new imposed fee for festival items. Other surcharges remain the same as they were post-pandemic in the park at only 5 percent. It also remains to be seen if this charge will be added to all other parks in the chain.
The Negative Effects Hidden Fees for SeaWorld and United Parks
Instead of charging more at the gate, like Disney does, they charge more for the items in the park, and even parking your car before entering (standard parking at Disney is $30 and SeaWorld is $35).
The immediate positive effect of these price hikes will be short-lived, likely with attendance decreases in the coming years. SeaWorld Orlando has some of the highest food prices in all of the Central Florida parks, and they have now made it even less affordable.
What hidden fee will SeaWorld come up with next to charge you more? Stay tuned to RideRover for more updates!
Get rid of the “hidden surcharges” SeaWorld and just increase your prices. All you are doing is making your regular customers angry. SeaWorld Orlando is going to be facing stiffer competition in the coming years as Universal opens Epic Universe and Disney opens new attractions in its parks. The surcharge is the number one complaint I see against SeaWorld from its customers.