Anheuser-Busch InBev has officially announced to employees that free Budweiser will no longer be available to visitors at the Busch theme parks. Visitors will still be able to buy beer but the free beer “hospitality centers” within the parks will be converted to cafes and restaurants. The closures will take place at the both the Busch branded theme parks and the SeaWorld branded parks around the end of January.
So basically if you like roller coasters or killer whales and you like to get your drink on you’ve got about 25 days left to take advantage of free beer. I’ve been wondering what kind of changes InBev would make after their takeover. In fact InBev isn’t just stopping the free booze they are actually trying to sell the Busch Entertainment division that runs the theme parks.
I can remember going to Busch Gardens when I was a kid but I had no idea they served free booze. Part of me is pissed off that I didn’t know about this but on the other hand since turning 21 I’ve never lived anywhere near a Busch theme park. You would think that a place that served free beer and had roller coasters would be a destination for college students everywhere.
Original Story: St. Louis Biz Journals
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I go to Sea World twice a month and pay 6 bucks for a beer, far from free.
I was just at Sea World Orlando today and found out the bad news. As soon as my card expires there will be no renewal. This was one of the highlights of a day off. A quick trip out to Sea World to ride the Kraken roller coaster and have have a couple of complimentary brews. But it looks like that is to be no more. Too bad AB is taking this stand. I wonder if it would have changed policy if the company had stayed in American hands? They just lost another customer and from what I read here I’m not the first and certainly won’t be the last! I think they are shooting themselves in the foot here, especially with the current economy. People are going to more careful than ever with discretionary dollars and try to make them stretch. For AB this is certainly a step in the wrong direction!