SeaWorld is trolling its Halloween competition with a new promotion.
The SeaWorld parks in Orlando, San Diego and San Antonio are offering half-price Howl-O-Scream tickets to employees of theme parks with competing Halloween events. The offer is available to employees of Universal Orlando, Universal Studios Hollywood, Six Flags Magic Mountain, Six Flags Over Texas, Six Flags Fiesta Texas, and Knott's Berry Farm. Employees at the San Antonio Zoo and San Diego Zoo also are eligible.
"We eagerly await our competitors to come and experience what the #1 Halloween event for theme parks is all about," SeaWorld Parks and Entertainment Chief Commercial Officer Chris Finazzo said in the company's announcement. "For the brave employees at other parks that accept our dare to scare, there is no turning back from the terror that awaits. From all new and fan favorite haunted houses, to death defying thrills and sinister shows, there is no better place to be this Halloween than SeaWorld."
The primary audience for SeaWorld's PR stunt isn't their rival's employees, of course. SeaWorld using this promotion to amplify to the general public that it just won USA Today's 10Best reader-voting content for best theme park Halloween event. (Full disclosure: I was on the nominating committee for that contest.) That's the reference to "#1 Halloween event" in Finazzo's comment.
That said, industry nights and discounts are nothing new in the hospitality business. Bars, clubs, restaurants and attractions have been offering discounts to employees of competitors for years. People move around in the business, and giving your rivals' employees a discount to come enjoy your establishment is a time-honored way of introducing yourself. Howl-O-Scream was sister parks Busch Gardens' Halloween haunt brand for two decades before SeaWorld adopted to it start their own haunt events just a couple years ago.
Eligible workers can just show their employee ID at a SeaWorld ticket window to get 50 percent off one Howl-O-Scream ticket. The offer is good on all event nights through October 31, though SeaWorld disclaims that it - like all offers - is subject to change.
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I know it can easily get lost against more popular haunts (especially in California), but Howl-O-Scream is a solid event each year that too many people sleep on.