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Seaworld Orlando
Rating Details »
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
41 reviews for Seaworld Orlando
I have to admit, the gift shops are awesome.
The weather was perfect when we were there. It is off season, so we did not wait longer than 5 minutes for our rides.
The animals seemed a bit lethargic.
Just got back from one of my favorite conferences of the year. While I'm not a huge theme park junkie, I was thoroughly impressed with the attentiveness of the staff at Seaworld. For one very reasonable price, attendees were able to network, learn, and get in some tourist time at four of central Florida's hot spots- including two theme parks!
The event kicked off with a pre-party at Busch Garden's Howl-O-Scream in Tampa. The staff at Seaworld coordinated several charters for show attendees, a few of which even stopped to pick up refreshments along the way. Upon boarding the coach buses, each attendee received a very nice gift bag and fast pass access to all the haunted houses in the park. While I hate scary rides and haunted houses, I was very appreciative of the fast past (made it quicker to get in AND out of the haunted spots).
The official conference kickoff included a full day of sessions at Seaworld's Ports of Call. It's a great location to get some of the benefits of the park including animal visits, but still keep an exclusive vibe for your group. Seaworld provided lots of great food, beverages, and snacks throughout the conference, which was much appreciated as typically shows only provide meals and snacks cost extra.
The Seaworld staff was also extremely accommodating. Our group had some crazy requests including giant cakes to be used as a weapon, not food; human sundaes, and head shaving for Locks of Love. The never once even hinted that our group was crazy, messy, or annoying. They even provided extra bandwidth when our internet was running slow. Major bonus for that feat!
As if the Seaworld crew hadn't done enough for us already, they were extremely generous to include a one-day ticket to the park for all attendees, and VIP tours for A-List guests and speakers. The only way the team at Seaworld could have possibly done more is if they spoon-fed us our Shamu ice cream pops, which might have gotten a little awkward.
If you're not in town for a specific event, I still suggest you check out Seaworld. It's a quieter, unique alternative to Disney, and has some great attractions for kids and adults of all ages. My personal favorites are the Manta roller coaster and the penguin exhibit. Other options I didn't have time to take advantage of but sounded fun were dolphin interactions, shark feedings, and the Shamu Rocks show.
While I only saw one show (Believe), it was worth the short wait and I would love to see the other Shamu shows. The stunts the animals perform, and the extreme patience they have, is absolutely amazing. The stadium itself and rotating movie screen monitors were extremely impressive, too.
I absolutley LOVE SeaWorld! Whenever my family comes into town we head to SeaWorld. It is perfect for all ages and offers quality entertainment at reasonable pricing! I actually get my tickets through http://OrlandoFunTicke... when my parents come into town, because they offer great deals on tickets. When they came into town last time, OrlandoFunTickets had a deal for buy one day and get the second day free!
Manta is by far one of the best roller coasters in Orlando! I also love all of the animal shows. Believe is one of my favorite shows in Orlando.
The only thing about this park is that it is HUGE...so prepare to do a lot of walking! But, if you are looking for an alternative to Disney or Universal, SeaWorld is a great change of pace :)
PROS: great shows. they have so many shows! really laid-back atmosphere! Oh and you can feed the Stingrays and Dolphins.. you just pay for the food. It's like $5-10 depending on how many little fish you buy.
CONS: needs more jellyfish. i dont know why.. but i am fascinated by jelly fish.. and no aquariums seem to carry them (see National Aquarium review in Baltimore, MD).
mediocre, pricey food.. but great shows. definitely do this park last during your Orlando vacation. great way to end a vacation.. relaxing aquarium theme park. only have 2 or 3 rides.. but fun.
I would die happy in Seaworld - though the "Believe" show has gone beyond cheesiness into melodrama.
Great place to go on the weekend with the family! The park was a little crowded since it was beautiful weather and a saturday, but there was plenty of staff to help accomadate all the park goers. The food, like at any amusement park, was over priced and mediocre, but the shows made up for it all! You can actually pet some of the marine life...sting rays are much slimier than you would expect. There is a wide variety of shows to enjoy, plus there are fun rides for all ages.
Overall it is a great, fun place to take the kids and even enjoy as an adlult.
My review of Sea World's newest roller coaster, Manta:
This past weekend we were able, by pure luck, to ride in both the first and last row. The front row is cool, when you look up you see open sky and track ahead of you but the ride is much more intense in the back. In fact, it's like a whole other ride in the last row. Let me say that RIDING IN THE LAST ROW I FELT MORE G-FORCES THAN ON ANY ROLLER COASTER; and I've ridden plenty of coasters from Cedar Point, King's Dominion and more than a few Six Flags, Sea Worlds and Bush Gardens.
Let me explain it this way, when we rode in the front and went through the first (and only?) loop we were yelling, "WooooHooooo!" but when we rode in the last row it was more like, "WooooHoooooAAAAHHHHH-----------". The silence was the G-forces sucking the air out of our lungs. The ENTIRE back of the coaster went from hooting and hollering to silent for those few seconds, it was surreal. It was so intense that you wonder how long it's going to last and how much more you could take; then you're out of the loop and thinking, "Holy Crap".
Even though you're not even going that fast, something about being whipped through that loop head over heels on your back is killer and unlike any coaster I've experienced. If you're nervous about roller coaster sit up front, it is still a cool ride gliding over the tourists and lagoons but if you're into thrills climb into the back but don't say you weren't warned.
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2/15/2009
I must say I am soooo disappointed that Sea World/InBev did away with beer school and the free beer… Read more »
Shamu! Shamu! i went to Sea World a couple days ago with my mom, sis and niece. i hadn't been there since i was a kid, and they have certainly expanded the place. thankfully my mom was footing the bill, because a day at disneyworld the day before cost the four of us just slightly more than seaworld. admission is $75 for adults and $65 for kids...plus all the extra fees for feedings, riding the sky tower and all crap they try and sell you in the place.
my niece is 4 1/2 and she had a great time. the two shows we went to (shamu and pirate sea otters) were entertaining (ok, shamu was a *little* mushy and nearly brought me to tears). there were several kiddie rides that my niece also loved, plus a fun water area for kiddies. i had fun because she did, my only regret not going on the new rollercoaster....
one thing i don't recommend is the dinner/ luau show. not worth the money ($49 each adult, $29 kids: no alcohol included!!). the show was decent but the food was TERRIBLE, service was so-so (oh, tip not included either) and they sat us all the way over to one side so we had a bad view.
i recommend bringing in your own lunch in with you if you want anything close to healthy and not hanging around for dinner. wear a bathing suit because there are many opportunities to get wet, and you will want to in that heat.
I guess I just expected alot more.
The animal exhibits were pretty cool. I expected to see Shamu for more than 2 minutes. I couldn't even take pictures but that was my fault for sitting in the wet zone. I got soaked and therefore couldn't have the camera out. I thought I would have a second shot during the Shamu Rocks show later that night but Shamu didn't even appear! Still, the whale and dolphin shows were all great.
Unfortunately I didn't check out the theme park side of Sea World.
I'm upset I spent my limited time in Florida at a zoo/aquarium I could have seen back home :(
I've been here a couple of times without paying because free admission to this place is included with admission to Discovery Cove, its sister park down the street. (Read my Yelp of it if you haven't already) Even if we had to pay for it, we'd still go. We are animal lovers so it never gets old. If you aren't an animal lover, I think it'd be pretty darn boring, but then I really don't do the rides, so maybe those would be a good enough draw if you're into them.
The best tip I can give is don't plan to see Shamu's show prior to the arctic exhibit! When they warn you about that, they mean it. The advice is definitely applicable if you plan to get wet from Shamu (sitting in the designated wet seats, which I think is totally fun.) You don't want to get soaked -- I do mean soaked! -- from head to toe and then go directly into the super-cold environment they have for the polar bears, beluga whales, and walruses. If you have little ones who listen to "Baby Beluga" in preschool, this exhibit will be especially relevant to them!
I love everything about Sea World. We couldn't make it during our last trip to Florida, and it really felt like something was missing. I missed looking through the observation area at Shamu swimming all around, the cutie with a constant smile.
Do yourself a favor and check this place out if you love sea animals, and be prepared to do a lot of walking!
I love Sea World!!! The trick with Sea World is to buy the platinum pass. I'm all for being a cheap skate and saving money whenever I can but I have a plat pass for Sea World because it gives me ride again privileges on the top rides and lets me have better and easier access to the shows. Sea World has a section reserved at most shows for plat pass holders. You show your pass and you get to sit front and center. This also allows you to arrive later and still get a great seat. Any time I can eliminate having to sit and wait and wait and wait just so I can have a good seat, I do it, and this is a real time saver. Plus it's the only way to get the best seats. Unless of course you are in a wheelchair or with someone who is.
Ride again privileges... doesn't make the line any shorter like a fast pass at Disney or Universal Express Plus at Universal but after you wait in line and ride the first time, you can go again with no wait. Some rides you don't even have to get off to ride again which is great. Depending on who is running the ride you can ride more than just twice. Not sure what the official policy is but I've rode Journey To Atlantis three times back to back even though there was a 40 minute wait. Very nice at the hottest part of the day.
So now that I've covered that, what is at Sea World to make you want to go? Shamu for one. Sea World is all about quality shows. Sure they have a few rides and their rides are pretty great, but the animals are why you'll visit and Shamu is their biggest star. Right now there are two different shows you can see. One is the normal Shamu show and the other is Shamu Rocks which happens towards the end of the day and is very different than the earlier show. Both are great and if you go, be sure to catch both, but they each have their own feel. I was wondering if there would be much difference between the two, having just seen the one, would I be bored at the second, but they were much different and both are great.
Dolphin show is not to be missed. It has more pageantry and while I love both Shamu shows, I thought the dolphin show was just as good.
My last several visits were during the Halloween festivities during which they had an Elmo stage show that was perfect. My daughters favorite character is Elmo so it was an ideal show to get her into the Halloween spirit. Of course being local we had to go every weekend while they had the show, including a trip on Halloween just to trick-r-treat and see that one show.
Trick-r-treating was great. There were some long lines at times but that's to be expected. The characters we encountered were all very friendly and weren't as rushed as the characters at other parks. On two occasions a princess spent nearly 5 minutes talking to my daughter and remembered here the second time we saw her. It's the special touches that can really turn a just-another-day-at-a-theme-park into something memorable and this happens often at Sea World.
Couple of other minor things to mention: the fountain show is pretty cool and is set to music. There are three guys that do a sketch comedy act at various times that are hilarious. Catch this if they are doing it when you are there. And lastly, when you are told to get to Shamu Rocks very early because it can fill up, do not rely on your platinum pass to get you four seats together at 35 minutes before show time. It does fill up. Even the plat pass section. Get there VERY early!!!
Sea World is where Shamu the famous whale hails. The aquatic shows are definitely worth watching. However, the restaurants in Sea World do not know good quality food. The pizza is horrendous which lacks taste and the bread was stale. As a native New Yorker, I can spot good pizza anytime as no other city or state can compete with New York pizza. I lost my appetite for the rest of the day while at Sea World.
There is a shark tunnel with very thick glass walls which the fishes and sharks swim over you as guests walk underneath. It's freaky but worth a visit.
N.B. If you're a roller coaster enthusiast than Kraken is a must do on your list while you're at Sea World. Kraken is rated one of the great coasters as American Coaster Enthusiasts (ACE) gives it two thumbs up.
LOOOOVE it. I'm sure you will too.
It is worth every single penny i spent.
SeaWorld is one crazy expensive aquarium: at $70 per adult and$60 per child, you would think they would at least buy you lunch. Not sure you get the biggest bang for your buck here, but hey, you're on vacation, right?
There are fish everywhere. There are rides, and animal talent shows featuring seals, otters, and dolphins. I might have met Shamu here. Oh, the shark tunnel/walkway is freaky, especially at night - I don't care if the glass walls in the tunnel are four feet thick, those are SHARKS on the other side! If you're into marine animals (uh, but not in that way), you'll love SeaWorld.
A theme park owned by a beer company...hmmm yeah I am not even a beer drinker but I felt like I had the best beer of my life here in the steaming hot sun after walking around for 6 hours.
Seaworld Orlando is my new happy place, my 8 year old daughter fed dolphins, got to pet them, fed sea lions, pet and fed sting rays, rode roller coasters and water ride and had a smile on her face the whole day! They have great shows here too, don't miss the famous Shamu show (get there early) and the Dolphin show, both were fabulous. We also saw the sea lion show and a show with cats, dogs and pigs in it doing all sorts of David Lettermen type pet tricks. Oh, one thing you need to know if you sit in the Shamu soak zone that really does mean you will get soaked, Shamu is the size of a city bus and drenches everything in the area of the "soak zone".
We travel to Orlando alot and decided to purchase the 2 year Seaworld passport. When you do this you save 10% on everything you purchase inside the park...even the beer. Also, Sea World has these awesome camps for kids, we signed up our daughter for one, if you have the pass you get a discount and what felt like some priority on these camps. I will update my review when she completes the camp but supposedly she will get a hands on learning experience with all the animals. We loved Sea World and plan on returning often, for the animals and the beer!! :)
Like many other Orlando attractions, Sea World is pretty fun, but pretty darn expensive too. Still, If I'm going to spend the money on an attraction, I really do prefer going to sea world, just because the attractions don't really get old, and watching all the sea life just never gets boring to me.
The Good:
Awesome Animal Exhibits: If it is walruses, penguins or sharks that you want to see, SeaWorld has you covered. Looking at all the different animals is always the highlight of the trip for me, and there is no shortage of exhibits to look at!
Fun Shows: You wouldn't think the whale and dolphin shows would be all that interesting, but the people at SeaWorld just make it fun. Although the highlight has to be the walrus show! It is super funny, and cute for the kids!
Thrill rides: Although there's only really 3 or 4 "rides" in the complex, they are all pretty fun, and will keep older kids engaged while the little ones look at the penguins.
The Bad:
Yes, it is pricey: At $70 a ticket for out of towners, this place is really expensive. They have a promotion running now that is basically a buy one, get the rest of the year free, but that doesn't help people only staying in town for a few days.
Long Waits: This place gets packed, and with only a handful of rides to go on, the lines can become insufferably long, especially on hot summer weekends.
Unprepared for rain: There is a serious lack of rain shelter here, which is definitely a bad thing when those signature afternoon thunderstorms come rolling in during the afternoon.
I personally love going to SeaWorld, but I realize that this place might not be everyone's cup of tea, and you definitely don't want to pay $70 for a place you might not enjoy
Overall: 7.7/10= Come to SeaWorld for the Animals!
Way cheaper than disney with cute sea animals. Minus the lines!!!!
The park itself is beautiful. I wouldn't mind coming back here many times.
I was also surprised that the staff is very well educated. You can ask them anything and they'll probably give you a good answer.
Also, the Kraken was an awesome coaster. And Journey to Atlantis scared the bejesus out of me
I am going to back up everything Janene said. That Manta roller coaster is friggin fantastic! Somehow the back does seem more intense but I have no idea why. I also got the opportunity to ride it before it was officially open. We did have some difficulties but still got to ride it twice. Besides that the shows are fun for all ages and it was a lot better time than I had originally thought. Try it out!
Shamu!
Apparently theres 3 Shamus and a baby as well. INTERESTING.
They've got a polar bear and I love him and I want to take him home.
The animals are treated well here which is more than you can say for a lot of aquariums.
The lines are long to get into the arctic region so be prepared for that...same with the shark tank.
You can touch the sting rays which grossed me out at first then i learned to love it.
Again...its way too expensive. $65 is a bit insane.
This was our first time ever at SeaWorld, and it was very pleasant. We had a really good time.
SeaWorld is basically a good-sized outdoor aquarium, with a lot more interaction than average. You can feed and pet the dolphins, touch the stingrays, and feed the seals and sea lions. The shark exhibit was wonderful... you get to see leafy seadragons, barracuda (one of my faves), and, of course, five different species of shark above and beside you (you view them as you walk in a tube that goes through their tank).
I was expecting the Shamu show to be really cheesy, but it was great. A little short, but fun for both children and adults.
Everyone who works there was very warm and welcoming (although, I'm from Chicago, where most museum, aquarium, and planetarium employees are disinterested at best, so maybe I'm a little biased).
One thing, though: I was expecting it to be a little bigger... the website emphasizes that you should allow the entire day. We saw everything (plus we did the Shark Deep Dive and several things twice, and we left the park for an hour due to a medical emergency) and it did not take up the entire day. Even so, it was a very enjoyable day and we had a lot of fun. (FYI, I'm not big into rollercoasters, which is why you don't see me mentioning the rides here; we didn't go on them. We did see the rides on a Travel Channel special, though, and they looked kinda cheesy. The show was pre-Manta, however... that ride looks pretty kick-ass, but it wasn't open yet during our visit. Just missed it!)
If you have the extra money, do the Shark Deep Dive. It's a once-in-a-lifetime thing, and something that most people you know will have never done. You basically get a half an hour to pick the brain of a long-time SeaWorld employee, who will tell you everything you need to know about sharks. You'll get to feel their skin, hold a Megaladon's tooth, and hear their history. Then, you jump into a wetsuit (or, if you're "curvy" like me, squeeze, skip, hop, roll, wiggle, and stretch as best as you can into a wetsuit), take a short behind-the-scenes look on your way to the shark tank, don your bubble helmet (no scuba training required) and hop into an authentic shark cage for a 30-minute close encounter with SeaWorld's shark population. It was an absolutely amazing experience. They even have a professional photographer capturing your moment with the sharks, and they give you all the photos, and the copyright so you can reproduce and print them, on a CD, along with a book about sharks and rays and a souvenir t-shirt. Be warned, though; the water is pretty cold. You get used to it quickly, but most people are ready to get out after 30 minutes. I could have stayed there all day, though... it was incredible!
Another tip? If you're going to be in Orlando, and if you can afford it, get the Discovery Cove package. You'll have instant and unlimited access to SeaWorld, Busch Gardens, and Aquatica, along with admission to the FABULOUS and incredible Discovery Cove. Everywhere you go, you'll be treated like a VIP :)
My wife, 5 year old daughter, my parents, and my aunt went to Sea World June 19th 2008. I'd been here before 18 years ago.
This is a great park and a lot of fun. They've added two coasters to jazz up the excitement a bit, Journey to Atlantis and the Kracken. I do not like huge roller coasters but I love water rides. I rode Atlantis twice while it was early and no waiting. Great ride with two drops, one a water drop one a roller coaster drop that twists to the right and ends in a huge splash. You get soaked.
MUSTS:
-Get there early, pet and feed the Dolphins. If you're into this, who isn't.
-You must see Shamu. Unfortunately, you have to wait in line so early to get a good seat it slows down your park experience and robs your time at other attractions. The show has become a bit more boring since 18 years ago as well. Back then it was loaded with humor, now it's more motivational called 'Believe'. The show was 45 mins but Shamu only came out for about 15mins. They really need to give more Shamu for the $$$ and less video. I swear the improvement of video technology has made these type of productions very lazy. It's like a high tech Powerpoint presentation. Still, my family was very impressed. It's a full grown killer whale for goodness sake. I missed half the park though because everybody was tired and hot after the show and ready to go.
-Shark tank. Do it.
-Pet the Rays.
For the most part, park food is bad. Eat before you come. Snack on what you bring or eat as cheap as possible in the park. The night before, freeze bottled water at your room and bring it with you. It will thaw quickly but remain cold most the day. Money and comfort saver. Florida weather usually sucks, so cope with the humidity by dropping into the air as much as possible. Wait out the afternoon rain and it will clear up in about 2 hours and be a nice 74 or so. If you still have the energy you can keep going. Like everything in Orlando it's expensive, about $60 a person. Grin, bear it, and have fun!!! It's a must see. I love Sea World.
I was expecting much more from the Orlando location. San Diego and San Antonio are much better. There isn't a whole lot on the way of rides and show variety here. It seems very small. They could have done a lot better with this place.
Talk about a day well spent!
Forget Disney, forget Universal - SeaWorld is the place to be! Petting Sting Rays, taking pictures in front of Penguins! How could life be any better?
The park itself is very clean and organized. The staff are nice and helpful. I've been to SeaWorld in San Antonio also, but it's not as amazing.
And KRAKEN!! Great Coaster at that! Buy 1 day come back all year for free :)
Dirty park, Employees are rude and lazy, but manta is the best ride in Orlando.
Woohoo, a fish......
Yea, if you have never been, you will probably have some fun here. But if you have been dragged there more than once, it is all the same. Nothing too special anymore about seeing what there is, but for a new comer, it will be fun. Jumping dolphins, touch some starfish, a big whale, and some walrus trying to do a sitcom. I actually really like that last part. Again, come once, but no need for a return visit.
Great rides!
Great shows!
Great exhibits!
The killer whale known as Shamu puts on two different shows! One during the day, and the night show which includes stunt jet skiing, stunt water skiing, loud music and fireworks. Do not miss the second show! It is spectacular!
Make sure you feed the dolphins! The penguins and polar bears are my favorite!
Make sure you sign up for the Hawaiian Luau dinner show. The food is not as good as Walt Disney World's Hawaiian Luau but it is a better show! It costs extra but it is so well worth it!
This is one of the best theme parks in the world... definitely the alternative to Disney and Universal if you have small children that are afraid of rides and costumed characters (which I do). It was a great experience and took us two days to see everything. I would say, however, that it is not a place to go to everyday of a week long vacation because you will get bored, as an adult, seeing the same stuff over and over.
My five year old loved the dolphins and wanted to see them every day... but my three year old was only really interested in seeing everything once. There's lots of shows to see as well, but we only went to the dolphin/whale show (very cool for a five year old girl) and the Shamu show (WAY COOL FOR EVERYONE!).
Be prepared, like all over amusement parks EVERYTHING is pricey! The food is good, but I don't think it's nearly as good as the food at the one in San Diego.
Okay, so it may seem like sea animal exploitation to some or a glorified zoo...but it is so much more. This park is about sparking a childlike interest of animal and resource conservation in kids and adults alike.
Granted the ticket prices are outrageous...but...you have to think about how much it takes to manage those sea animals. It ain't easy for them to look that cute!
I like this park b/c it isn't all about the rides (there are only 2 actual rides within the park: Kraken and Journey to Atlantis), but allows the guest to actually choose to be a passive or ACTIVE participant in the variety of shows that they have within the park.
Where else can you feed & pet dolphins? Plus the quality of the marine animal shows are TOP NOTCH. In fact, I think that there just may be more amazing performances at SeaWorld than what you would see at "the house of mouse" just down the street. Shh...don't tell anyone I said that.
The things that the trainers do in "BELIEVE" with the Orcas are AMAZING. They are ultra-humans and must be part sea mammals, as well.
I urge you to see it, at least once. Or, if you're anything like me... see it multiple times.
I love Seaworld Orlando! I've probably been here at least 7 times in my life. It's expensive but they have a TON of animals to feed. The shows are great. I love the shark exhibit where you go through an underwater tunnel. They've added a ride or two to make things somewhat more interesting for the teenage/young adult population. If you're over 21 they have a Anheuser-Busch brewing center there and you can see the Clydesdale's if they're there (any age) and go have some beers.
I wouldn't suggest this if it's not something you're interested in or you've been to lots of big aquariums before, but it definitely offers some things that smaller ones can't.
Insider tip: Don't forget your sunscreen!
Super fun for anyone and any age! An exciting learning adventure awaits around every corner. You'll learn things without even knowing it.
They have great shows, rides & food throughout the park. Best thing is that all the shows and rides are included in your admission.
Feed the dolphins, pet stingrays, walk through an underwater tunnel, watch the animal shows and just have a wonderful time.
Be certain to bring your rainslicker or poncho for those sudden downpours! Grab the big collectors cup and bring it with you for cheap refills throughout the park.
Wonderful experience!
Having an annual pass I never seemed to really get into it. I liked the child play area, but my hcildren weren't old enough to play yet, when I went with my friend and her kids parts were always closed due to bees.
I did like the TWO rides. And the smelly penguin exhibit.
I can't believe parents were giving their kids the alcoholic slushies! I did miss those towards the end!
Seaworld is a fun park for the family but only for the young ones this is typically not a park for the adults there is only a few rides here that are for the adults but everything else is mostly animals unless you are fascinated by animals or are doing some kind of research paper.
I came here to channel my inner childhood experience with marine animals and I got a bunch of cheesy cirque de soleil marine acts with some flipping dolphins and killer whales. I was highly disappointed. There were only three rides, the Manta is awesome and you have to at least check this ride out. The water ride, Journey Into Atlantis had a few surprises and you will get wet. The Kraken gave me head injuries, I think my brain flopped around a bit. The focal point of this place was the retarded dance acts with flowers and sparklies. The animals performed for 20 mins. out of 30 mins. they also looked painfully bored and needed much snacking to perform. This place is fake and mind numbing. I loved this place more than Disneyland as a child, but I guess I grew up and my ability to smell BS has heightened since then. Also, the theme park has a lot of depressed NYers working. The energy just sucks the life out of me. The highlight of my visit was visiting the Dolphin Nursery, it housed nursing mothers, calves, and injured dolphins. They were very engaging and playful. Do go there and get your 75.00 experience. I will always have my memories of me gluing my face into Shamu's tank at age 6 but yea this place is a joke. Also, this place is absolutely not vegetarian friendly. I paid 10.00 for my lunch, white bread with lettuce, tomatoes, and white cheese, chocolate milk and bottled water.
Who wants to go to Sea World when you have the Discovery Channel in HD? That's what a lot of people might say, which is what I also thought. It's been a while since I've been to Sea World and I wasn't very interested in going to Sea World. But as soon as we got on the theme park premises, I got pretty anxious. Crowds in the morning are a lot quieter in the morning at Sea World as compared to the Disney and Universal theme parks, so lines were nonexistent on Kraken (rollercoaster) and Journey to Atlantis (log water ride). Besides the few rides, most of the attractions will have you observing the animals (polar bears, manatee, penguins, walrus, etc.) through glass. Some of the more enjoyable one's are feeding the dolphins ($7 for three fish) and having the chance to pet them. Make sure to check out the feeding schedule times so you can plan accordingly. As you feed the dolphins, there will also be a couple professional photographers taking pictures of you. They will then give you tickets to view your photos on kiosks so you can decide whether or not you would like to purchase them. You can also feed the sea lions and manta ray, which I believe is $5 each. The shows are another thing you can't miss, especially Believe and Blue Horizons. Believe is a show with Shamu and friends (orca/killer whales) performing tricks. Be forewarned that you will get very wet if you sit on the lower section of bleachers. The other show worth checking out is Blue Horizons which is with the dolphins, parrots/birds, and circus acts. You will get to see some pretty nifty tricks performed by these animals at both shows.
Probably the highlight of the theme park was the Anheuser-Busch Brewmaster's Club (ages 21+) at the Hospitality Center. You will have the chance to try many free samples (12 oz. each) of different beers brewed by Anheuser-Busch and their subsidiaries. There were a few breweries that I was not aware that Anheuser-Busch owned so be in for a surprise (except for those who are beer aficionados / history buffs). You can also sign up for the VIP Tour which is 30-minutes long. You will be taken to a private room with an Anheuser-Busch Brand Ambassador and a small group (usually around 6 people) be educated on beer and how to complement different fruits/cheeses with different types of beer. You will also get to try 4 types of beer (selecting from 1 of 3 during each round) along with an assortment of fruits/cheeses. Try to reserve your time slot, which occurs at every 15th and 45th minute of the hour. Since Inbev has bought Anheuser-Busch, I was informed that the Brewmaster's Club might disappear in the near future, because Inbev is not too interested in keeping it going. Of course that this is still "speculation" (wink), and it might just happen to stay, but I would definitely recommend checking it out before it does go. Free beer is always good!! And a lot of it too!! Besides the Hospitality Center is a barn with Budweiser's 4 horses, Bud, Classic, Prince, & Kelly, where you can also get your photo taken with one.
My impression of Sea World is not half bad, with free beer. One downside was having to pay for the food to feed the animals. You might ask yourself why are you paying so much to get into a zoo-like theme park, but the Anheuser-Busch Brewmaster's Club, Kraken, Believe, and Blue Horizons shows definitely made up for it.
Amazing time at SeaWorld! Would recommened b/c it's different. The rides are great!
Sea World is a great mix of zoo and theme park, offering something for every age. Personally, I think it is a little bit expensive, coming in at just under 70 bucks for a ticket, but thats not too much of a shock compared to the other theme park prices that are about the same. My advice if you are a Florida resident and think you will be back more than once in a year is to get an annual pass, which is just a bit more than a one-day ticket, so that means if you go more than once you get your moneys worth.
I would recommend seeing the Shamu show (of course), as well as Clyde and Symour, which always provides some good chuckles as well as entertainment. The Terrors of the Deep attraction (shark tunnel) is exciting to see. And, of course, I have to recommend the Hospitality House which offers free beer samples and even an opportunity to attend "Beer School," in which you can learn about your favorite ales.
I love Sea World. Primarily because I love the sea. The park lets you get up close and personal with their residents. Great aquariums, and of course the Shamu show. The sea lion show was also quite amusing with a grand finale of a walrus breakdancing. Hilarious.
this place is a joke. excluding the dolphin show, all the exhibits and shows here are inferior to the one at sea world san diego. don't waste your time here if you have already been to the san diego location. Sea World is meant to be next to or near the ocean, this place is in the middle of a swamp with stinky nasty tap water.
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1/10/2009
The park is big but where is the sea? I am glad i live only 70 mins away from sea world san diego.… Read more »
I've never been too fond of Sea World. Trust me, it's not because I don't put value on the educational aspect, it's just that they have the resources to do so much better. Every exhibit is pretty much a lackadaisical effort. Everything is packed, but with no pay off. The Shamu Rocks show is a sad exploitation of an innocent animal. The arctic refuge is one of the interesting exhibits because it has puffins, which is a rare thing to see. It's also cool to go to the stingray bay and pet the sting rays. Kraken is one of the greatest coasters you will ever go on, but expect a wait exceeding an hour at least. Journey to Atlantis is another interesting ride. It's a flume ride dressed up to look like the lost city of Atlantis. It has a nice splash mountainesque drop at the end. I just never really have a good time at the park when I'm invited to go. They have the resources to do alot better and to replace useless attractions like the Wild Arctic Ride with something astounding. Overall, the park isn't worth the price unless you've never been there. It's good to make the rounds once and then move on and not come back for at least a decade.
We just went to Seaworld last Friday. My three years old daughter (and the whole family, for that matter) went trick or treating there. It was really a fun time, safe, and the characters all had beautiful makeup. Also, the t-shirts for Halloween were only $8 for kids. That's cheap! The Believe show with the killer whales is awesome and even emotional. I cannot believe what they can do! And, I think Kraken is THE BEST rollercoaster EVER!! It's a long ride with three hills and lost of loops, twists, and turns :) The kids ride area is nice, too. It was raining, so some of the rides weren't open. But, it was still nice. I think the food in the Anheuser-Busch pavilion was fine. I had a roast beef sandwich. It was good. Of course, I love dolphins, polar bears, and all that, but I really loved touching the sting rays. And, I really like how knowledgeable and friendly the staff are and how much info they are willing to share.
