Description of the Business	12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2021
Accounting Policies [Abstract]
Description of the Business	1. DESCRIPTION OF THE BUSINESS SeaWorld Entertainment, Inc., through its wholly-owned subsidiary, SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment, Inc. (“SEA”) (collectively, the “Company”), owns and operates twelve theme parks within the United States. Prior to December 1, 2009, the Company did not have any operations. On December 1, 2009, the Company acquired all of the outstanding equity interest of Busch Entertainment LLC and affiliates from Anheuser Busch Companies, Inc. and Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV (“ABI”). The Company completed an initial public offering in April 2013. See further discussion relating to subsequent ownership changes in Note 17–Related-Party Transactions. The Company operates SeaWorld theme parks in Orlando, Florida; San Antonio, Texas; and San Diego, California, and Busch Gardens theme parks in Tampa, Florida, and Williamsburg, Virginia. The Company operates water park attractions in Orlando, Florida (Aquatica); San Antonio, Texas (Aquatica); San Diego, California, (Aquatica, which will be converted to a Sesame Place park in 2022); Tampa, Florida (Adventure Island); and Williamsburg, Virginia (Water Country USA). The Company also operates a reservations-only theme park in Orlando, Florida (Discovery Cove) and a theme park in Langhorne, Pennsylvania (Sesame Place). During the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2019, respectively, approximately 58% and 57% of the Company’s revenues were generated in the State of Florida which exposes the Company to risks affecting the Florida market, such as natural disasters, severe weather or other incidents. During the year ended December 31, 2020, more than 70% of the Company’s revenues were generated in the State of Florida, due in part to the temporary park closures and limited operations as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. See Impact of Global COVID-19 Pandemic section which follows for further discussion. Impact of Global COVID-19 Pandemic The Company’s results of operations for the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020 were impacted by the global COVID-19 pandemic due in part to the following factors: (i) capacity limitations, modified/limited operations and/or temporary park closures which were in place for portions of the respective periods; (ii) decreased demand due to public concerns associated with the pandemic; (iii) restrictions on international travel and; (iv) a decline in both international and group-related attendance. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, and in compliance with government restrictions, the Company temporarily closed all of its theme parks effective March 16, 2020. Beginning in June 2020, the Company began the phased reopening of some of its parks with enhanced health, safety and cleaning measures, capacity limitations and/or modified/limited operations, which at times included reduced hours and/or reduced operating days. By the end of August 2020, the Company had reopened 10 of its 12 parks on a limited basis. The Company was unable to reopen its Aquatica water park in California and its Water Country USA water park in Virginia for the 2020 operating season but opened both parks for their 2021 operating season. At the start of 2021, seven of the Company’s 12 parks were open but were operating with capacity limitations or modified/limited operations. By the end of the second quarter of 2021, all of the Company’s 12 parks were open, and operating without COVID-19 related capacity limitations. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Company has taken a number of proactive measures for the safety of its guests, employees and animals, to manage costs and expenditures, and to maximize liquidity in response to the temporary park closures and limited reopenings related to the COVID-19 pandemic. Some of the measures taken in 2020 included, but were not limited to: (i) increased its revolving credit commitments on March 10, 2020 prior to the temporary park closures; (ii) issued first-priority senior secured notes and second-priority senior secured notes in 2020 to raise additional capital and further enhance available liquidity at the time; (iii) entered into amendments to its existing senior secured credit facilities to amend financial covenants at the time; (iv) furloughed approximately 95% of its employees in 2020 upon closing all of its parks; (v) obtained payroll tax credits and deferred certain social security payroll taxes under the CARES act; (vi) temporarily reduced executive officers’ base salary by 20% through November 2020; (vii) eliminated and/or deferred all non-essential operating expenses at all of its parks and corporate headquarters while the parks were closed and actively managed operating expenses as parks reopened; (viii) eliminated substantially all advertising and marketing spend while the parks were closed and strategically managed marketing spend as parks reopened; (ix) substantially reduced or deferred all capital expenditures starting in March 2020 (other than minimal essential capital expenditures) when the parks were closed and postponed the opening of rides that were still under construction and scheduled to open in 2020; (x) worked with certain of its vendors and other business partners to manage, defer, and/or abate certain costs and payments and; (xi) added additional levels of review and approval for payments and cash disbursements which remained in place through 2021. The Company continuously monitors guidance from federal, state and local authorities and engages with governmental authorities as well as medical/scientific consultants. The Company may adjust its plans accordingly as laws change and new information and guidance becomes available. The COVID-19 pandemic has had, and may continue to have, a material impact on the Company’s financial results.

Description of the Business

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2021

1. DESCRIPTION OF THE BUSINESS

SeaWorld Entertainment, Inc., through its wholly-owned subsidiary, SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment, Inc. (“SEA”) (collectively, the “Company”), owns and operates twelve theme parks within the United States. Prior to December 1, 2009, the Company did not have any operations. On December 1, 2009, the Company acquired all of the outstanding equity interest of Busch Entertainment LLC and affiliates from Anheuser Busch Companies, Inc. and Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV (“ABI”). The Company completed an initial public offering in April 2013. See further discussion relating to subsequent ownership changes in Note 17–Related-Party Transactions.

The Company operates SeaWorld theme parks in Orlando, Florida; San Antonio, Texas; and San Diego, California, and Busch Gardens theme parks in Tampa, Florida, and Williamsburg, Virginia. The Company operates water park attractions in Orlando, Florida (Aquatica); San Antonio, Texas (Aquatica); San Diego, California, (Aquatica, which will be converted to a Sesame Place park in 2022); Tampa, Florida (Adventure Island); and Williamsburg, Virginia (Water Country USA). The Company also operates a reservations-only theme park in Orlando, Florida (Discovery Cove) and a theme park in Langhorne, Pennsylvania (Sesame Place).

During the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2019, respectively, approximately 58% and 57% of the Company’s revenues were generated in the State of Florida which exposes the Company to risks affecting the Florida market, such as natural disasters, severe weather or other incidents. During the year ended December 31, 2020, more than 70% of the Company’s revenues were generated in the State of Florida, due in part to the temporary park closures and limited operations as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. See Impact of Global COVID-19 Pandemic section which follows for further discussion.

Impact of Global COVID-19 Pandemic

The Company’s results of operations for the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020 were impacted by the global COVID-19 pandemic due in part to the following factors: (i) capacity limitations, modified/limited operations and/or temporary park closures which were in place for portions of the respective periods; (ii) decreased demand due to public concerns associated with the pandemic; (iii) restrictions on international travel and; (iv) a decline in both international and group-related attendance. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, and in compliance with government restrictions, the Company temporarily closed all of its theme parks effective March 16, 2020. Beginning in June 2020, the Company began the phased reopening of some of its parks with enhanced health, safety and cleaning measures, capacity limitations and/or modified/limited operations, which at times included reduced hours and/or reduced operating days. By the end of August 2020, the Company had reopened 10 of its 12 parks on a limited basis. The Company was unable to reopen its Aquatica water park in California and its Water Country USA water park in Virginia for the 2020 operating season but opened both parks for their 2021 operating season.

At the start of 2021, seven of the Company’s 12 parks were open but were operating with capacity limitations or modified/limited operations. By the end of the second quarter of 2021, all of the Company’s 12 parks were open, and operating without COVID-19 related capacity limitations.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Company has taken a number of proactive measures for the safety of its guests, employees and animals, to manage costs and expenditures, and to maximize liquidity in response to the temporary park closures and limited reopenings related to the COVID-19 pandemic. Some of the measures taken in 2020 included, but were not limited to: (i) increased its revolving credit commitments on March 10, 2020 prior to the temporary park closures; (ii) issued first-priority senior secured notes and second-priority senior secured notes in 2020 to raise additional capital and further enhance available liquidity at the time; (iii) entered into amendments to its existing senior secured credit facilities to amend financial covenants at the time; (iv) furloughed approximately 95% of its employees in 2020 upon closing all of its parks; (v) obtained payroll tax credits and deferred certain social security payroll taxes under the CARES act; (vi) temporarily reduced executive officers’ base salary by 20% through November 2020; (vii) eliminated and/or deferred all non-essential operating expenses at all of its parks and corporate headquarters while the parks were closed and actively managed operating expenses as parks reopened; (viii) eliminated substantially all advertising and marketing spend while the parks were closed and strategically managed marketing spend as parks reopened; (ix) substantially reduced or deferred all capital expenditures starting in March 2020 (other than minimal essential capital expenditures) when the parks were closed and postponed the opening of rides that were still under construction and scheduled to open in 2020; (x) worked with certain of its vendors and other business partners to manage, defer, and/or abate certain costs and payments and; (xi) added additional levels of review and approval for payments and cash disbursements which remained in place through 2021.

The Company continuously monitors guidance from federal, state and local authorities and engages with governmental authorities as well as medical/scientific consultants. The Company may adjust its plans accordingly as laws change and new information and guidance becomes available. The COVID-19 pandemic has had, and may continue to have, a material impact on the Company’s financial results.