A Strange Place, Under-documented
There are a few unique things about which I have memories, real experiences and specific information that are also of any interest to others and previously not in a free online record. Among those things is Florida Festival, the daytime/nighttime shopping, dining and entertainment complex under one (odd) roof owned by, and operated just across the street from, Sea World from 1979 to 1985.
Florida Festival was Sea World's attempt, partially successful, to emulate Walt Disney World's Shopping Village (later Downtown Disney and Disney Springs) and Bob Snow's Church Street Station in downtown Orlando in terms of drawing visitors who were done with their day in a park to something where they might spend just as much money as they had before sunset in a new spot that also carried a theme or brand along with it. Other than just being, for example, a restaurant with a theme like Steak & Ale or Sweden House.
From what I've seen in online posts by others, Florida Festival was primarily the idea of William Jovanovich (1920-2001), the director of publishing company Harcourt, Brace & Jovanovich (HBJ). At the time of Florida Festival's operation, HBJ was the owner of the Sea World parks. Jovanovich was a creative-minded person who, beyond running a publishing company that also held theme parks, was the author of several fiction books. In addition to overseeing the Florida Festival era of Sea World, Jovanovich was apparently the person who decided that San Antonio, Texas needed its own Sea World park. It got one in 1988. Unlike Florida Festival, Sea World of Texas is still operating and has been profitable for the majority of its timespan.
I'm starting this post with some scans and intend to come back to add more information over time. Maybe.
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| Florida Festival Brochure 1980 Scan 1 |
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| Florida Festival Brochure 1980 Scan 2 |
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| Florida Festival Brochure 1980 Scan 3 |
