Universal Parks and Resorts: Poor Alternative
Universal Parks and Resorts is the theme park unit of NBCUniversal, a subsidiary of Comcast. Universal Parks and Resorts is best known for attractions and lands based on famous classic and modern pop culture properties (movies, television, literature, cartoons, comics, video games, music, etc.).
It operates Universal Studios Hollywood, Universal Orlando Resort, Universal Studios Japan, Universal Studios Singapore, and Universal Beijing Resort. In 2017, approximately 49,458,000 guests visited Universal Studios theme parks, making it the third-largest amusement park operator in the world.
While its parent company is not as vocal in their embrace of “woke” causes, Comcast-NBCUniversal tacitly supports initiatives that run counter to traditional values. For instance, Comcast is a corporate sponsor of the Equality Act, one of the biggest threats to religious liberty ever considered by the United States Congress. Comcast also supports the Respect for Marriage Act, which would redefine marriage as something other than a union between one man and one woman on the national level. Comcast also announced they would pay for their employees to travel for abortions.
Both Universal Studios Hollywood and Universal Orlando host Pride Month events. Universal Studios Hollywood hosted a drag show in June of 2022.
SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment: Better Alternative
SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment is a subsidiary of SeaWorld Entertainment Inc. and owns and operates thirteen recreational destinations in the United States. In May 2018, Themed Entertainment Association and the global management firm AECOM reported that SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment ranked ninth in the world for attendance among theme park companies.
SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment’s parks include: SeaWorld Orlando, Discovery Cove Orlando, Aquatica Orlando, Busch Gardens Tampa Bay, Adventure Island Tampa Bay, SeaWorld San Diego, Sesame Place San Diego, SeaWorld San Antonio, Aquatica San Antonio, Discovery Point, Busch Gardens Williamsburg, Water Country USA, and Sesame Place near Philadelphia.
SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment, along with its parent company, are not vocal on social issues. For instance, they are not corporate sponsors of the Equality Act, and we could not find a public pledge to pay for their employees to travel to undergo abortions.
While Orlando has become a popular destination for LGBT tourists, SeaWorld does not appear to have any events specifically designed for that audience. Numerous LGBT oriented travel magazines note that Orlando is a popular place and recommend a visit to SeaWorld, but we could not find specific events sponsored by the park.
Six Flags Entertainment Corporation: Better Alternative
Six Flags Entertainment Corporation owns the most theme parks and water parks combined of any amusement-park company and has the seventh highest attendance in the world. The company operates 27 properties throughout North America, including theme parks, amusement parks, water parks, and a family entertainment center. In 2019, Six Flags properties hosted 32.8 million guests.
Six Flags has largely remained silent on social issues. It is not a corporate sponsor of the Equality Act, and we could not find any public statements on paying for employees to travel to undergo an abortion. Several people on the left condemned Six Flags for making political contributions to Texas officials that were pro-life or opposed to the transgender agenda. While this is not dispositive that the corporation is for these issues, we could not find any statements of trying to spin these contributions as just the cost of doing business. Rather, Six Flags appears to have ignored the controversy.
In 2022, Six Flags Mexico rescinded its bans on homosexual couples showing public displays of affection. Additionally, several Six Flags parks in the United States offer private LGBT/Gay Nights; however, we could not find evidence that minors are allowed to attend.
