Why was Busch Gardens called the Dark Continent?


Why was Busch Gardens called the Dark Continent? The Dark Continent was chosen to distinguish Busch Gardens from other comparably named attractions in Florida, such as the Tiki Gardens and Sunken Gardens. As part of the campaign, the African veldt became known as the Serengeti Plain, Boma became Nairobi, and the Moroccan village was formally dubbed Marrakesh.


Is SeaWorld owned by Anheuser-Busch?

The parks were bought in 1989 by Busch Entertainment Corp., the family entertainment division of Anheuser-Busch, which is best known for brewing beer. In 2009, Busch Entertainment was sold to the Blackstone Group and subsequently renamed SeaWorld Entertainment.


Who currently owns SeaWorld?

SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment is a wholly owned subsidiary of SeaWorld Entertainment, Inc., a publicly traded company.


Why did Anheuser-Busch sell Busch Gardens?

Anheuser-Busch InBev had been seeking a buyer for its theme parks since completing the $52 billion merger of beer giants InBev and Anheuser-Busch last year. Executives have said they want to sell off non-core assets to use the proceeds to pay down debt stemming from the merger.


How did the Busch family lose Anheuser-Busch?

In 2008, after many decades of Busch family ownership, a company called InBev, the largest beer company in the world — owner of some 400 beer brands today — bought the Anheuser-Busch Company in a hostile takeover for a whopping $52 billion, making the surviving Busch family members even wealthier.


What happened to Shamu the whale?

In 1971, at just 9 years old, Shamu died at SeaWorld from a uterine infection and blood poisoning. In the ocean, she could have lived for up to 80 years. Even in death, SeaWorld continued exploiting Shamu—the company trademarked her name, using it to sell even more tickets to abusive orca shows.