SeaWorld Orlando has a new leader, and he is already a familiar face across the company’s Central Florida parks.
Brad Gilmour has been named Park President of SeaWorld Orlando, Aquatica Orlando and Discovery Cove, bringing all three of United Parks & Resorts’ Orlando properties under his leadership. The appointment was announced August 6, 2026, and took effect immediately. For Gilmour, the new role represents the latest step in a career with the company spanning more than two decades.
Gilmour began his career at Discovery Cove in 2003 and has now spent 23 years with the company.
During that time, he has held multiple leadership positions across SeaWorld Orlando, Discovery Cove and Aquatica Orlando, giving him experience at each of the three properties he now oversees.
Since 2023, Gilmour has served as Park President of Discovery Cove and Aquatica Orlando. His expanded role adds SeaWorld Orlando to those responsibilities, placing the entire Orlando portfolio under a single park president.
“Brad has consistently demonstrated the kind of leadership that puts our guests and our ambassadors first,” Kyle Miller, Co-Chief Operating Officer of United Parks & Resorts, said in announcing the appointment. Miller also pointed to Gilmour’s operational experience and track record across the Orlando parks, saying he was confident the teams would benefit from his leadership.
One notable aspect of Gilmour’s appointment is that SeaWorld Orlando isn’t being handed over to an executive unfamiliar with the property. His career has developed within the Orlando parks themselves, beginning at Discovery Cove before eventually expanding into leadership roles across all three properties. That experience could also provide additional consistency between SeaWorld Orlando, Aquatica and Discovery Cove, three parks that offer very different guest experiences but operate as part of the same Orlando destination.
Gilmour has already overseen significant investment at Aquatica. Earlier in 2026, the water park announced several million dollars in park-wide enhancements, including improvements to its arrival experience, guest spaces, dining and operations.
His involvement extends beyond the parks as well.
Gilmour currently serves on the Board of Directors for Visit Orlando, where he is listed as Park President of SeaWorld Orlando, Aquatica and Discovery Cove. He also serves on the Board of Directors for Special Olympics Florida and is a graduate of the University of Central Florida.
The leadership change also marks the departure of Jon “JP” Peterson, who most recently served as Park President of SeaWorld Orlando.
United Parks & Resorts did not provide additional details regarding Peterson’s departure or the circumstances surrounding the leadership change.
“We are grateful for JP’s contributions,” Miller said in the August 6 announcement. Peterson had overseen SeaWorld Orlando while Gilmour served as president of Discovery Cove and Aquatica. With the change, Gilmour now oversees all three Orlando properties.
A Busy Time for SeaWorld Orlando
Gilmour steps into the expanded position during a particularly active period for SeaWorld Orlando.
On May 25, the park officially debuted Expedition Odyssey: Fire & Ice, a reimagined version of its Arctic flying-theater attraction. The experience places guests inside an Arctic research mission before sending them on a cinematic journey through glaciers, mountains, rivers and volcanic landscapes. The attraction concludes with access to SeaWorld’s real Arctic animal habitats, including its beluga whales and walruses.
Meanwhile, SeaWorld Orlando is preparing for its fall event season. Halloween Spooktacular returns on select dates beginning August 29, followed by Howl-O-Scream as the park moves into its Halloween season, but one of the biggest projects awaiting Gilmour may be what comes next.
SeaWorld is currently developing SEAQuest: Legends of the Deep, an ambitious new attraction that the park describes as a first-of-its-kind suspended dark ride.
The attraction will place guests aboard submersible-inspired ride vehicles that rotate and swing as they travel through immersive underwater environments. Developed with ride manufacturer Vekoma, SEAQuest represents a significant addition to SeaWorld Orlando’s attraction lineup and continues the park’s recent push toward indoor, story-driven experiences.
We could very well be seeing a new era for SeaWorld, and so far, it looks to be for the better!
