ORLANDO, Fla. \u2013 SeaWorld Orlando has a new boss.<\/p>\n
The theme park announced Thursday that Brad Gilmour will be president of SeaWorld, Aquatica and Discovery Cove in Orlando, effective immediately.<\/p>\n
Gilmour succeeds Jon \u201cJP\u201d Peterson, who was SeaWorld\u2019s president. SeaWorld\u2019s parent company, United Parks and Resorts, did not say why Peterson was leaving. <\/p>\n
\u201cWe are grateful for JP\u2019s contributions,\u201d said Kyle Miller, Co-Chief Operating Officer for United Parks & Resorts.<\/p>\n
Gilmour has been with the company since 2003. A news release from SeaWorld said Gilmour has served in leadership roles across the parks. Since 2023, he has been park president for Discovery Cove and Aquatica.<\/p>\n
[WATCH: SeaWorld Orlando returns 9 rehabilitated green sea turtles to Atlantic Ocean]<\/p>\n
\u201cHis deep operational knowledge, combined with his proven track record across our Orlando parks, makes him exactly the right leader to guide our parks into their next chapter. I\u2019m confident our teams will benefit greatly from his leadership,\u201d Miller said in a news release.<\/p>\n
Earlier this week, United Parks and Resorts announced that second quarter attendance was at 6.1 million guests across the company\u2019s parks, down 2.9% from last year. <\/p>\n
The company said the attendance drop was due to the unfavorable timing of Easter this year, along with a decrease in international visitors.<\/p>\n
In addition to Orlando\u2019s three parks, United Parks and Resorts runs Busch Gardens in Tampa, and has parks in Virginia, Pennsylvania, Texas, California and Abu Dhabi.<\/p>\n
In the Loop: Theme Park Scoops<\/p>\n
More Stories Like This In Our Email Newsletter<\/p>\n
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