Item 1A. Risk Factors
Item 1A. Risk Factors
There have been no material changes to the risk factors set forth in Item 1A.to Part I of our Annual Report on Form 10-K, as filed on February 27, 2020, except as noted below or to the extent factual information disclosed elsewhere in this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q relates to such risk factors.
The global COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted our business and will adversely affect our results of operations and various other factors beyond our control could materially adversely affect our financial condition and results of operations.
In response to the global COVID-19 pandemic, quarantines, significant travel warnings and restrictions, social distancing rules, curfews and shelter-in-place have been implemented and may be re-implemented pursuant to federal, state and local orders and mandates. Effective March 16, 2020, we temporarily closed all of our theme parks and therefore, did not generate revenue from our parks during the closure period. Although some of our parks have been permitted to re-open with limited capacity, the extent and duration of any negative impacts over the longer term remain uncertain and dependent on future developments that cannot be accurately predicted at this time. It is also impossible to predict the severity and transmission rate of COVID-19, the extent and effectiveness of containment actions taken, including mobility restrictions, and the impact of these and other factors on travel and consumer behavior. It is possible that the spread of the COVID-19, the resulting economic and societal impact, social distancing or other safety requirements existing today or that may be implemented will reduce our guests’ interest or ability to visit our theme parks. The COVID-19 pandemic and the actions taken in response, pose the risk that we or our employees, contractors, suppliers, and other business partners may be prevented from conducting business activities for an unknown period of time. Restrictions on travel, quarantines and other measures imposed in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as ongoing concern regarding the virus’ potential impact, have had and will likely continue to have a negative effect on economies and financial markets, including supply chain shortages and additional business disruptions. Any such impacts could have a material adverse effect on our business.
In response to our park closures, we took steps to minimize our cash outflows. Some of these measures included, but are not limited to (i) deferring all capital projects other than a minimal amount of essential projects and maintenance; (ii) eliminating or deferring non-essential operating expenses while the parks were closed; (iii) eliminating substantially all advertising and marketing spend for closed parks; (iv) temporarily reducing Executive Officer base pay by 20%; (v) working with certain vendors and other business partners to manage, defer, and/or abate certain costs during the closure period; and (vi) initially furloughing approximately 95% of our employees upon closing all of our parks. It is unclear if any of these actions could have a lasting negative impact on our relationships with vendors, current and/or future business partners or ambassadors or if the parks are forced to close again whether we will be able to achieve similar cost savings. We have been sued and may face additional lawsuits or damage to our reputation related to actions taken or not taken as a result of COVID-19 from current and/or future vendors, customers and/or ambassadors. The lawsuits could negatively impact our cash flows and results of operations. Also, another prolonged closure of our parks could materially impact our results, operations and financial condition. Additionally, due to the uncertainties created by the COVID-19 pandemic and the related impact on our business, we have made or may make future employment or restructuring decisions which may subject us to increased risks related to employment matters, including increased litigation and/or claims for severance or other benefits.
In March 2020, we increased borrowings under our revolving credit facility as a precautionary measure to increase our cash position and in April 2020 we issued $227.5 million aggregate principal amount of 8.750% first-priority senior secured notes due 2025 to raise capital and provide additional liquidity for a sustained period and to preserve financial flexibility in light of uncertainty in the global markets resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic. Additionally on April 19, 2020, we entered into an amendment to our Amended Credit Agreement to amend certain provisions therein (“Amendment No. 11”). As of June 30, 2020, total unrestricted cash and cash equivalents was approximately $375.7 million. On July 29, 2020, we entered into another amendment to our Amended Credit Agreement to further amend certain provisions therein (“Amendment No. 12”). Pursuant to Amendment No. 12, we will be exempt from complying with our first lien secured leverage ratio covenant through the end of 2021 and will be required to comply with a quarterly minimum liquidity coverage test (defined as unrestricted cash and cash equivalents and available commitments under the
37
Revolving Credit Facility) of not less than $75.0 million until the earlier of September 30, 2022 or the date we elect to use actual Adjusted EBITDA for purposes of calculating our financial maintenance covenant . There is no certainty we will be able to meet this test and failure to meet this test could result in events of default under our debt agreements, acceleration of our outstanding debt and materially affect our financial condition and results of operations. On August 5 , 2020, we closed on a second -priority senior secured notes offering of $500.0 million 9.5 0 0% second -priority senior secured notes due 2025 which provided us with net proceeds of approximately $ 489.7 million.
We cannot be certain that we will continue to have access to sufficient liquidity to meet our obligations for the time required to allow our cash generating operations to normalize. The effect of COVID-19 on the capital markets could significantly impact our cost of borrowing and the availability of capital to us. COVID-19 also makes it more challenging for management to estimate the future performance of our business or our liquidity needs, particularly over the near to medium term. We may not be able to obtain additional liquidity and any relief provided by lenders, governmental agencies, and business partners may not be adequate and may include onerous terms. If we are unable to generate revenues from our parks due to a prolonged period of closure or experience significant declines in business volumes upon reopening, our results, operations and financial condition may be negatively impacted.
We had never previously experienced a complete cessation of our operations, and as a consequence, our ability to be predictive regarding the impact of such a cessation on our operations and future prospects is uncertain. In addition, the magnitude, duration and speed of the global pandemic is uncertain. As a consequence, we cannot estimate the impact on our business, financial condition or near or longer-term financial or operational results with certainty. As we continue to make progress in the reopening of our theme parks, we may face additional costs and obstacles in complying with any new federal, state or local regulations or industry best practices established in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, re-integrating our furloughed employees and attracting guests who may not wish to travel or visit our theme parks for a prolonged period. In addition, any measures we take or may be required to take such as limiting capacity in our theme parks, enforcing social distancing requirements and / or requiring masks, may negatively impact attendance at our theme parks. It is not possible to predict what steps, if any, we may be required to take if the COVID-19 pandemic worsens. It is possible we could be forced to close some or all of our parks again. Any of these factors could have a material adverse effect on our revenue and results of operations. A single case of COVID-19 in a theme park could result in additional costs and further closures. If we do not respond appropriately to the pandemic, or if customers do not perceive our response to be adequate, we could suffer damage to our reputation, which could significantly adversely affect our business. Furthermore, the effects of the pandemic on our business could be long-lasting and could continue to have adverse effects, some of which may be significant, and which may indefinitely impact our ability to operate our business in the traditional, pre-pandemic manner.
Our business also could be significantly affected should the disruptions caused by COVID-19 lead to systemic changes in consumer behavior. The outbreak of COVID-19 has significantly increased economic uncertainty. It is possible that the current outbreak or continued spread of COVID-19 could cause a global recession, which could further adversely affect our business, and such adverse effects may be material.
Our properties are subject to the risk that operations could be halted for a temporary or extended period of time. If there is a prolonged disruption at any of our properties, our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects will likely be materially adversely affected. Additionally, if a prolonged downturn of general economic or other conditions in the areas in which our properties are located or from which we draw our guests or prevents guests from easily coming to our properties, our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects will be materially adversely affected.
Various other factors beyond our control could adversely affect attendance and guest spending patterns at our theme parks. These factors could also affect our suppliers, vendors, insurance carriers and other contractual counterparties. Such factors include but are not limited to:
•
bad weather and even forecasts of bad weather, including abnormally hot, cold and/or wet weather, particularly during weekends, holidays or other peak periods;
•
natural disasters, such as hurricanes, fires, earthquakes, tsunamis, tornados, floods and volcanic eruptions and man-made disasters such as oil spills, which may deter travelers from scheduling vacations or cause them to cancel travel or vacation plans;
•
fluctuations in foreign exchange rates;
•
low consumer confidence;
•
outbreaks of pandemic or contagious diseases or consumers’ concerns relating to potential exposure to travel-related health concerns such as pandemics and epidemics such as Ebola, Zika, Influenza H1N1, avian bird flu, SARS and MERS;
•
changes in the desirability of particular locations or travel patterns of both our domestic and international guests;
•
oil prices and travel costs and the financial condition of the airline, automotive and other transportation-related industries, any travel-related disruptions or incidents and their impact on travel or decrease transportation options to cities where we have parks;
•
war, terrorist activities or threats and heightened travel security measures instituted in response to these events;
38
•
actions or statements by U.S. and foreign governmental officials, including the U.S. President and administration officials, related to travel and corporate travel-related activities (including changes to the U.S. visa rules) and the resulting public perception of such travel and activities; and
•
interruption of public or private utility services to our theme parks.
Any one or more of these factors could adversely affect attendance, revenue and per capita spending at our theme parks, which could materially adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations. Fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates impact our business. A strong dollar increases the cost for international tourists and could impact their spending. In addition, demand for our parks is highly dependent on the general environment for travel and tourism, which can be significantly adversely affected by quarantine requirements, availability of flights, closures of borders and/or extreme weather events. Any of these such events could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, or results of operations. Additionally, because many of the attractions at our parks are outdoors, attendance at our parks is adversely affected by bad or extreme weather conditions and forecasts of bad or mixed weather conditions, which negatively affects our revenues and results of operations. For example, attendance at our parks in 2019 was negatively impacted by Hurricane Dorian over Labor Day weekend. Separately, in 2017 we also experienced negative impacts from weather events, particularly hurricanes, which caused park closures in Tampa and Orlando and park closures and other weather impacts in Texas and Virginia.
The COVID-19 pandemic (including governmental responses, broad economic impacts and market disruptions) has heightened the risks related to the other risk factors described in our 2019 Annual Report on Form 10-K.