SeaWorld unveils new price structure

Visitors to SeaWorld San Diego will see a new pricing structure starting this year that is designed to offer greater value, especially for those who plan in advance.

Among the new offers for online purchasers is a single-day “value” ticket priced at $69 and valid for any day of the week. That’s down from $89 last year. Buying admission at the gate costs $89.

Also new for 2016 is a single-day ticket for $89 that includes the park’s most popular amenity: all-day dining. It gives buyers admission to the park and the option to eat up to three menu items, as often as once every hour, until the park’s six participating restaurants close.

SeaWorld San Diego President John Reilly described the new options as part of a “good, better, best” strategy that begins with the $69 online ticket and tiers up to what is expected to be a $109 bundle that will include allday dining, front-of-the-line and preferred seating privileges, a photo package and a complimentary second visit to the park. Reilly said the park is hoping to debut that bundle by the end of the month.

The new offerings are part of a strategy by the park’s parent company, SeaWorld Entertainment Inc., to simplify ticket prices and make them more competitive with other theme parks.

The San Diego park is also offering a discount on its Fun Card, which gives the buyer park admission for the rest of 2016. Currently $79, it will rise to $89 after April 30.

The price of SeaWorld’s one-year pass remains $155, unchanged from last year. The pass includes a year of unlimited admission, parking, discounts on food and merchandise, three single-day guest tickets and no blackout dates.