Blackstone Group’s $2.7 billion acquisition of Anheuser-Busch InBev’s Busch Entertainment Corp. opens new possibilities for SeaWorld Orlando and its sister parks, said tourism experts.

The big question is what New York-based Blackstone Group may do next.

SeaWorld “probably will sleep better at night knowing it has Blackstone’s backing, resources, and its keen understanding of the industry,” said Peter Yesawich, president and CEO of Orlando-based Ypartnership, a travel, leisure, and entertainment marketing firm.

In addition to this latest acquisition, Blackstone Group’s portfolio includes 50 percent of Universal Orlando Resort—part of a larger joint $2 billion purchase made with NBC Universal in 2000—and Merlin Entertainment Group, operator of Legoland parks, which it bought in 2005 for $475 million.

New attractions at Universal that came under Blackstone’s watch included the Revenge of the Mummy roller coaster in 2004, the Simpsons Ride in 2008, and the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, slated to open in spring 2010.

Of particular interest to industry experts is what Blackstone Group may do with 47 acres of land surrounding SeaWorld that were part of the October 7 deal.

It could be used to expand SeaWorld’s parks “if it proves economically viable and improves profitability,” said Daniel Fannon, a Blackstone Group analyst for New York-based Jefferies Group Inc., a global banking firm.

Blackstone saw this deal as an opportunity to buy attractive property where it could create further value over time, he said.

But don’t expect an expansion announcement anytime soon, said Christine Anderson, a Blackstone Group spokeswoman. “The entire company and all of its parks have the potential for growth, and that’s part of the reason we were attracted to Busch Entertainment. Currently, there are no specific expansion plans.”

Even so, there’s no doubt SeaWorld has a golden opportunity to revamp itself into a bigger experience for guests, said Dennis Speigal, president of International Theme Park Services Inc., a Cincinnati-based theme-park consulting firm. “This new regime of Busch Entertainment allows it to promote an entrepreneurial spirit that could mean new development or expansion with some very valuable land.”

For example, SeaWorld could create a potential sister park that would provide a new experience for guests much like Islands of Adventure created for Universal Studios, Speigal said. “Theme parks are like golf courses—you have to reinvent them for people to want to come back and play.”

It also could be the perfect business opportunity to create a park-hopper pass that gives ticket holders access to Universal, SeaWorld, and Busch Gardens in Tampa, Speigal said.

For now, Blackstone doesn’t have any plans for a multipark pass and will “allow the companies to run as separate entities as before,” said Anderson.

Countered Speigal, “Maybe Blackstone won’t join the parks right now, but with those properties in that market and the possibility to co-promote and crossover, they would be very remiss if they didn’t take advantage of that. Blackstone didn’t buy these parks to make them sit on the bench—eventually it has to happen.”