Hmmm - let's see, lighthouses, ports of call villages, major interactive sea and aquatic experiences, thrill rides, special high level purchase experiences...where have I heard that before...

Oh, yeah.  

Disney.  The PORT DISNEY PROJECT...back in the early 1990's.  Long Beach.  California.  A sad poker hand that was lost in the dealings to arrange for a 2nd gate at the Anaheim location.  

Point is - this isn't to "nay say" or down play what Busch hath done with Sea World...but, you'll find that the majority of those ideas and experiences were touted many years before the Sea World implementation by the Disney Company.  And, don't forget the unique interactive wildlife experience of Discovery Island there at WDW when it first opened.  1970's.  

In this industry of themed entertainment design it is hard to find a truly original thought and idea that hasn't got it's roots someplace else.  Sure, the budgeteers at Disney may have stopped too many a brilliant project that should have seen the light of day before other companies developed it...but, the lineage is pretty traceable back to certain places within WDI areas.

And, a lot of the "Freelance" designers that Busch and other companies lay hold to for their projects came from Disney first...where they quite easily could have worked on a project that had similar foundations...and, carried the glimmer of those ideas forward into reality with another firm that was willing to take the time to run it.  

Again, this isn't to nix what Sea World Orlando or Universal Orlando do to provide some serious needed competition to keep the Mouse on their toes.  I think it's great they move forward and do this.  But, it is also important to know where the ideas may have a originating point from...and how they outward  grow from there.

Kind of like a major amusement park that was once designed for Hawaii...never  got built, but, had the specs and drawings that were seen back in the early 90's gotten off the track, it would have been an amazing aquatic themed family park to visit.

As I recall, some of those design concepts were also very similar to what was done with the entry village as well...

As I said, it's hard to pin down anything that is truly original in this business.  Just who can get the chicken to lay a prettier egg.  ;)

You beat me to it Skipper. I love all of the theme parks in Orlando, and SeaWorld offers a fantastic alternative to the non-stop frenzy of WDW, but to try to claim that SeaWorld is the more innovative park is nearly laughable.

I thought this was going to be an article telling us some in-depth info about Sea World and what's interesting about Discovery Cove.  Instead, it's a Disney-bashing reason to visit SeaWorld instead because they "did it first".  Couldn't we have an article about the park without even brining up Disney?  I would have enjoyed reading about upcoming things for SeaWorld...but we didn't get that.  The simulator comparison was needless too.  All parks refresh rides...

I have to say, this site is getting more and more stale.  The articles are hardly articles anymore.  We get very little info, and what we do get usually has a negative spin, or is just fluff.  What happened to the more in-depth stuff, or lengthy series?  Oh well...

Hope you're enjoying that commission, Jim.

And I have to agree with gurgitoy2.

What happened to JHM?

I mean, sure, I wasn't a reader back when this site was really worth reading, but I've read the archives. You used to write fantastic pieces, Jim.

What happened?

Is it what's happened to the Walt Disney Company in general?

It's not the same as it used to be, is it?

All they want to do anymore is sell the Disney Channel, and cruddy and quick animated fare like Bolt.

I hope the old Disney returns sometime soon. TR2N might be just what the company needs.

But if the Disney of the moment isn't worth writing about, Jim, then could you maybe consider writing more about the past? Surely you've not told us everything there is to know.

Maybe a story like that really, really old one about Ray Kroc and Walt Disney you wrote.

Stuff like that.

Thanks Jim.

Is this just a promotional advertisement for Orlando Fun Tickets?

I think it's time to throw in the towel Jim.

Psst, Jim didn't write this.  And I daresay that Mr. Davis might just have a vested interest in getting us to go to Sea World.  At least if we decide to go through Orlando Fun Tickets.

Oh snap Jim didn't.

Whoah..

Sorry Jim!

Haha