ORLANDO, Fla., Dec. 1 /PRNewswire/ -- With the sale of Busch Entertainment Corp. to Blackstone Capital Partners V L.P., an investor fund advised by The Blackstone Group, comes a new name for the company that operates some of the nation's best known and popular theme parks.

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"SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment" replaces "Busch Entertainment Corporation" with the closing of the sale announced jointly today by Anheuser-Busch InBev and The Blackstone Group.

SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment operates 10 parks across the U.S.: SeaWorlds in Orlando, San Diego and San Antonio; Busch Gardens parks in Tampa, Fla. and Williamsburg, Va.; Discovery Cove and Aquatica in Orlando; Sesame Place near Philadelphia, Pa.; and water parks Adventure Island in Tampa and Water Country USA in Williamsburg.

The new name reflects the prominence of the SeaWorld brand in both the family travel industry and among the company's portfolio of parks.

"It is one of the world's most widely recognized and respected family travel brands," said Jim Atchison, SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment President. "SeaWorld has been a brand associated with quality family entertainment since SeaWorld San Diego opened its gates for the first time in March 1964."

Despite the new name, little else about the company changes with today's acquisition by Blackstone, Atchison said. The leadership team, park portfolio, operating philosophy, commitment to quality and workforce is unchanged: "While this is the start of an exciting new phase in our evolution, we remain dedicated to the same values and principles that have been the foundation of our success for five decades."

SOURCE SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment

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