SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — Memorial Day weekend marks the unofficial start of San Diego's summer tourism season and San Diego's theme parks are launching their new attractions to lure guests.
Friday afternoon, Legoland California in Carlsbad launched its LEGO World Parade, the first parade at any of the brand's theme parks in North America.
“We’ve been talking about having a parade here at Legoland California for years," spokesperson Julie Estrada told ABC 10News. “A parade is a lot of work. There’s a lot of people involved in it, from the float technicians, to the music that was all created just for Legoland California, to the choreography involved.” The parade is just one element of the park's 25th birthday celebration.
SeaWorld is also launching its own summer slate of attractions this weekend, which includes a new parade featuring Shamu, a new fireworks production, new live shows, and a summer concert series.
Sesame Place in Chula Vista will have its own new attraction, a Dine with Elmo option.
Carl Winston, founder of the L. Robert Payne School of Hospitality and Tourism Management and San Diego State University, says that theme parks cannot afford to stand still and must constantly be adding new attractions. But while there is competition for guests and slices of San Diego's $22 billion tourism industry, Winston says each added improvement and attraction at one park is good for all across the region.
“You think about coming to Southern California, you’re coming for our weather, you’re coming for our beaches, you’re coming for our attractions. It’s not just any one of those things," Winston said. "They might do a few days in Anaheim, L.A., then they come to San Diego for a few days. So we’re all part of a big touristic package and the theme parks are a critical part of that entertainment for families.”
Winston says that major new attractions are an added benefit to the entire region. As an example, he cites Disneyland's announced plans for its biggest expansion since the opening of California Adventure theme park in 2001. In the period after the new rides open, it could entice locals from San Diego to temporarily shift their theme park spending from parks such as Legoland, SeaWorld, or the San Diego Zoo to Disney. However, the new attractions are also likely to bring more out-of-town visitors to Southern California who will visit several of those destinations on their trip.
“Will it have some short-term impacts that are negative on some of its competitors? Probably. But I think that over time, we know that it’s actually going to help everybody. It’s one of those rising tides lifts all boats situations with theme parks," Winston said. “I do think the ongoing arms race is a good one. It’s a virtuous one, not a vicious one.”
Estrada says there significant key differences between the Southern California theme parks and their target audiences. “We took an amazing IP, intellectual property, in LEGO, and they are fantastic and we have that that nobody else has and I think that’s our edge and that’s what nobody can compete with.”
Furthermore, Legoland has its own plans for significant improvements. “We always are adding new things," Estrada said. "We have some things planned for next year, which I cannot share yet, and for this matter, we have things planned for five years from now that are already in the books that we are already working on.”
All of the major theme parks are offering discounted ticket options for the summer season.
