Florida teachers want to save their Sea World pass

For years, Florida and Georgia full-time teachers have received free annual passes to Sea World. Many have used their unlimited admission to create fun aquatic-themed lessons for their students.

The end of 2009, though, means the end of the free ride into the theme park. So a group of teachers have started an online petition in hopes of changing the new park owner's mind.

"As an educator in the state of Florida or Georgia," they write in the introduction, "it is up to you to let Sea World Orlando know just how important the Study Pass is to our daily lesson plans and how denying educators of the Study Pass is essentially denying students knowledge."

Of course, Sea World does provide free study guides for teachers. And it offers an entire Web site aimed at teachers and education, also free. It's just the entry fee — $74.95 for unlimited admission for Florida and Georgia residents — that won't be gratis anymore.

Still, more than 150 teachers had signed the petition when we last checked, writing things like, "Teachers and SRPs get paid so little that this is a really nice way of letting us know we are appreciated. Please keep this promotion going."

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Comments

[Tony Vincenti]

Hey, I am the person who made this petition. It is not to late to fix this. Contact "The Blackstone Group". They are the people who just bought Sea World and currently own Universal. If anything we will get several free days a year like they do for us at Universal.

[Tamara Sendewicz]

This is what happens when foreign companies take over an American enterprise. When the transaction took place, In-Bev broadcasted there would be no changes to the parks. As soon as the media attention was off, it all changed. I hesitate to go to Sea World even with a teacher study pass. I most certainly will not be going without one! Along with that, I will cancel the annual passes my children have for both Sea World and Busch Gardens. Take away the study pass and In-Bev will lose all the paying family members of those teachers. Maybe a hit in the pockets is exactly what In-Bev needs!

[Making good economic choices]

From another perspective, teachers who have contracts have a secure income for the next year. Not too many other people can say that. Without job security, few will take off work to vacation at Sea World.

Also, we have the "free" time in the summer to go. Worried employees don't take vacations.

It seems to me that teachers are an important target group to help maintain attendance in hard economic times. Just a thought...

I won't pay $75.00 to go.

[NB Teacher]

I totally agree with Daniel. My husband and I are both teachers and we go to Sea World every summer. We bring our children, stay in a hotel, buy the kids tickets, food, souvenirs and etc. If we didn't have the free adult tickets to begin with - I am not sure that we go every summer.

To "Pay us what we are worth" - you can be offended by the freebies teachers receive and mistakenly believe that if we did not receive them then we would be paid more. However, I think soon there will be no more freebies to offend you and we still we be paid the same. Teachers as a whole can complain about our salary - I do it too - but I don't really believe that I will ever see a day when I am paid like a true white collar professional. I know this. I don't accept this, but I do know it.

[teacher and taxpayer]

I have a study pass and bring my famliy along. We end up spending alot of $$, so Sea World can't be hurting all that bad. It's a shame they want to cut educators out of the picture. Offering a free website is nice, but can't compare to being there in person. Always inspired when I go there.

[Daniel Wood]

Ever since In-Bev purchased the company all perks for Anheiser Busch employees have dried up. They no longer receive free tickets or passes to the parks and the free beer for employees of Anheiser disappeared too. The hospitality houses are gone...and at one time they thought about getting rid of the Clydesdales all together too until their was a huge outcry "Over our dead bodies will you get rid of the horses...." It is sad as I did enjoy the perk and I think it is an extremely educational park for kids and promotes sea life and how precious some species are to the eco pyramid. They really should do the math...because the pass usually generates more money in food, gifts, drinks, etc...than what the cost of admission is. Teachers bring their families and pay for them and all the meals,etc. We have Disney passes and we go a lot, but we spend ten times over the amount of the pass in food, Disney property lodging, gifts, souvies, drinks, special programs, etc... In-Bev is the real culprit to why they are getting rid of them.

[terminator]

didn't the cheapos get rid of the free beer samples too?

12:49
you better be prepared to wait until hell freezes over before that happens!

screw SeaWorld, let's go to a place that gives us discounts!

[Teacher]

I use the pass and I take my family who pays and of course we pay the 12 to park and the huge amount for food and stuffed shamus etc. etc. This seems to be a poor decision for Sea World in my opinion.

[Pay us what we're worth]

I'm a teacher, and I am constantly offended by the freebies that we get. I would much rather have society collectively respect teachers and pay us what we're worth instead of taking pity on us and giving us free passes and discounts to things (for which THEY get a tax deduction). Pay us what we're worth and we'll happily pay our own way.