SeaWorld puts all three Orlando parks under one president

A park already focused on its next chapter

The leadership change comes as SeaWorld Orlando continues to emphasize more immersive, story-driven attractions and experiences. During a May interview with Attractions Magazine surrounding the debut of Expedition Odyssey: Fire & Ice, then-Park President Jon “JP” Peterson spoke enthusiastically about the creative collaboration happening behind the scenes and the park’s focus on continually improving the guest experience.

“You get a vision and a conversation of, ‘How do we make this better?’” Peterson told Attractions Magazine.

You can watch part of that interview in our video below.

Peterson pointed to Expedition Odyssey as an example of what could happen when those teams worked together, praising everything from its queue and music to its scents, visuals and emotional storytelling. He was particularly enthusiastic about the attraction’s ability to appeal across generations.

“I think we have hit something that is going to be, for a very long time, a ride that people talk about,” Peterson said.

Gilmour now takes the helm as SeaWorld Orlando continues that work, while also navigating the broader priorities outlined by United Parks & Resorts executives during this week’s earnings call, including improving marketing execution, growing attendance and using intellectual property to reach new audiences.

A familiar leader

Gilmour is already a familiar presence. In my own interactions with him, he has brought an approachable, measured demeanor to his leadership at Aquatica and Discovery Cove. It can be encouraging to see a leader who has spent more than two decades with the company—and whom many in the local attractions community have watched throughout his career—entrusted with a larger role.

Gilmour’s expanded responsibilities also come with unresolved challenges. The National Labor Relations Board recently ordered Discovery Cove to recognize and bargain with a union representing divers at Discovery Cove and Aquatica after finding that the company unlawfully refused to do so. The union dispute began while Gilmour was president of the two parks, although the public record does not establish his individual role in the company’s response.

SeaWorld returns to three-park leadership structure

Gilmour is not the first president to oversee all three of United Parks & Resorts’ Orlando properties. Kyle Miller was named interim president of SeaWorld Orlando, Aquatica and Discovery Cove in 2019 and later continued in the role permanently.

The company divided those responsibilities in January 2023 when Miller was promoted to a corporate operations position. Jon “JP” Peterson became president of SeaWorld Orlando, while Gilmour became president of Aquatica and Discovery Cove.

Gilmour’s appointment reunites the three parks under one president for the first time since that transition. Miller remains with United Parks & Resorts as chief parks operations officer for its Florida parks, a broader corporate position he has held since January 2023.

For those familiar with Gilmour’s long history in Orlando, his expanded role offers a sense of continuity at an important moment for the parks. He now has the opportunity to build on each destination’s strengths while shaping what comes next for SeaWorld Orlando.