Sea World, Orlando

This was our first theme park of the trip. Everyone recommends that you start at this park and use it to get used to how theme parks work. This turned out to be good advice. Seaworld didn't seem to be a busy as some of the Disney parks and this gives you time to think and plan out your day.

Believe me when I say that you will not get around to seeing all of the park in one day, but remember that if you buy the two park ticket, which includes entrance to Busch Gardens, your ticket lets you visit the park as many times as you like for 14 days after your first visit for no extra cost. Some of our group took great advantage of this offer and popped in on two or three occasions whilst others were shopping or playing golf.

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Sea World is one of those once in a lifetime ventures also. The show that is presented is one to remember and very well done. The water animals are so well trained, it is beyond imagination of how they can do that, adn get the tricks to come off so well.

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Seaworld is one of the many themeparks that i would recommend if you plan to go to Orlando. The animal shows are really great! The killer whale SHAMU will show his talent and skills to entertain you but prepare to get wet if you plan to sit in the front row. The sealion & dolphin shows are equally entertaining.
They also have other animal shows which features dogs, cats and other mammals. Make sure to grab a copy of the brochure for the schedule of the shows.
Also, within the park you will find aquariums & exhibits to better understand the life of the marine animals.
And just in case you never had enough of the rides in Disney or Universal, Seaworld also offers fun rides to better enjoy the park.

Note:
when you buy a day pass ticket they usually give 2nd visit free. You just have to go to the customer service counter to validate your tickets and they will issue a new one (valid for the nexty 13 days after first use) with your names on it.

My family spent the day at Sea Worlds discovery cove on a recent trip to Orlando and it will go down as one of our most memorable experiences ever! Everything about the experience was great. We were a little reluctant to shell out the $275.00 per ticket, but now we are so glad that we did. The swim with the dolphin was a once in a lifetime experience, the unlimited food and beverages were great and all the attention to detail by the staff will long be remembered by our family. Everyone should plan a visit to discovery cove.

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First thing to know is that Seaworld tickets are a bit pricey (more than you'll be paying for Disney). Possibly they justify this because some of the money goes towards very good causes (The Seaworld Orlando Rescue Team is one of the best in the country) and because a one day ticket gets you back in the next day for free.... the chances of wanting to go back the next day are......possibly on the slim side!

If you have very small people you will be wanting to hire "strollers" which are again pricey. Then somebody will jump out at you to take your photo - the first of many throughout the day - which you can later purchase should you so desire (and of course for families - how often do you get a nice family shot?!?!).

Before you can get any further you'll be buying fish for the rays who are frankly not that interested. One did take a fish from me but I think I just got lucky!
Dolphins - Now, who could possibly resist feeding the dolphins? Especially children... and let's face it how many chances are you realistically ever going to get to get this close to dolphins? The dolphin feeding is worth it. They are hungry, playful, can be touched and are just absolutely fantastic creatures who you will fall in love with at once.

Time for a snack? Ooh dear - food's gonna cost ya!!!

Souvineer shop...actually quite surprised because they had pocket money toys for kids which were good value.

There is no denying that Seaworld is a fantastic place and somewhere that you can really get to see a lot of animals that possibly you otherwise wouldn't be able to. Added to that are the shows which demonstrate some amazing talents. You will have a very fantastic day - we did... but as well as leaving the park utterly exhausted, we also felt that every which way we turned there was somebody requiring more of our money!
This is probably going to be the most expensive (of the theme parks etc..) day out!

a rough idea - in 2004 adult/child $54/44 (under 3's free), $8 parking and $4 per fish food

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Sea World has the greatest aquariums and the only place I have ever seen whales perform. They seem to enjoy doing it too.
In recent years they have added some rides. I like the Journey to Atlantis ride, it is a lot like Splash Mountain as Disney. They just added a large roller coaster a few years ago.
Don't forget to look at the Manatees. They are my favorite Floridian animals and you might never see one anywhere else.
I would go directly to the rides, if you want to avoid standing in line.
Sea World has a great playground for kids. They would spend hours in there, and you might not see them for hours, if you just let them go. So, I would go there last.

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We arrived early so we first went for the rides to be ahead of the crowds. We started out with Kraken followed by Journey to Atlantis. After that we decided to watch some of many shows you can see here. A nice and funny one is the show Clyde and Seamore be sure to be early not just because to be sure to be able to see the show. A mime player is making fun of people walking in the stadium which will surely make you laugh.

Seaworld is also an educational park which learns you and your children more about nature and the animals that make part of that. For instance you can see the Manatees that life in Florida and the reason why in areas with Manatees you have to be carefull when you are on a boat or fishing here. Fishing lines and motors of boats can hurt these animals which almost have no fear for human. In Seaworld lifes one Manatee of which the tail shows the damage a boat can do to these animals.

Some of the main attractions are the ones where you can feed the animals, you can even feed the dolphins or maybe a little less spectacular the Stingrays. When you have had it for a while with the exhibitions you can go to the lake because next to the Shamu stadium you can find the show Fusion. In this showyou'll find a combination of dance, stunts on water and kiting to the max. While going over the water on high speed they also perform a simultaneous show with kites.

In the afternoon the clouds had turned dark and threatning. Since we had lunch opposite to Wild Artic we thought it could be a good idea to ride it. That was a smart decision because it really started raining and thundering. Our ride in the simulator stopped before it had ended due to a technical malfunction. For this reason we where invited to ride again and since it was still raining outside we did exactly that. After the second ride the rain had stopped and wouldn't return that day.

Ofcourse a day in Seaworld isn't complete without a visit to a show with Shamu and the Dolphins in the Blue Horizons show.


Pictures taken July 2006

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Seaworld is a must see when in Orlando, so much to see and do. You'll need a whole day for this place. Crocodiles, Polar Bears, Manitees, Killer Whales and Dolphins to name a few. There are also some rollercoaster rides here for good measure but the emphasis is on marine life. Don't miss the spectacular Shamu show, this Killer Whale is world famous and the show is amazing. Be sure to get a seat in one of the first 14 rows as that's the "soak zone", you will get absolutely soaked by Shamu and friends but it's well worth it. Once you're out of there you'll soon dry off in the hot sunshine. There are plenty of places to eat and prices are not too bad. Lots of restrooms and plenty of picture opportunities. If I remember rightly, I payed around $65 to get in here, you can save a few bucks by buying you tickets in advance online but I guess I'll know that for next time. Be sure to see the Polar Bears and Walrus, the sheer size and power is amazing. Also check out the Manitee rescue area. This was the first time I've seen these close up and they are absolutely amazing. Be sure to also check the Sting/Mant Ray area out, you can buy feed to feed them.