Sea World Tips and Tricks
Sea World Orlando is yet another theme park located in Orlando, Florida. It features marine mammal parks, oceanariums, and rehabilitation centers owned by SeaWorld Entertainment. Sea World is popular around the globe and welcomes all visitors who are enthusiasts of experiencing marine life-themed attractions, exhibits, rides, and shows. SeaWorld Orlando has been divided into seven separate entertainment areas known as “Seas,” through which you move by foot along well-labeled pathways, and each one celebrates a different aquatic theme.
Planning your trip beforehand is time well spent! For up-to-date health and safety guidelines, click here. As hours of the park vary, click here to get the most up-to-dates park hours to plan your trip. Also deciding on what shows you want to see before will help you plan the rest of the day. Click here to see what shows and show times are being offered as they vary as well. If you’ve never been to SeaWorld before, you might be thinking that SeaWorld is just a place to see sea animals and not to experience rides, but let me tell you the rides are one of the best things to do at SeaWorld Orlando.
As for avoiding long lines on a budget, there’s no way around the old but true way. Get to the park when it first opens and make a beeline for one of the attractions likely to have the longest lines: Empire of the Penguin, Infinity Falls, and the coasters, Manta, Kraken, and Mako. If possible, take a midday break when the park is generally the most packed. Enjoy a long leisurely lunch or plan to watch shows at this this time. If you are able to spend a little more $$, there are some great upgrades to consider. “Signature Show Seating & Quick Queue Unlimited” allows you to get to the front of the line at all the popular rides and shows without limit. You will need to arrive to the show 15min prior to the showtime to receive your reserved seating. Another extra is the “All-Day Dining Deal” which allows you to eat and drink (1 entrée, plus 1 side or dessert and 1 soft beverage or ice tea) as often as once every hour, all day long! Lastly, who wants to meet and greet a sea animals up-close? The Dolphin, Penguin, Walrus and new Beluga Encounter allows you to touch and get a picture with these animals on your encounter!
- Here’s breakdown of the seven “seas” in SeaWorld and what to find in each area:
- Sea of Ice: One of the park’s main attractions, Antarctica: Empire of the Penguins, is housed here. This exhibit features a ride that give you the choice of “Mild” or “Wild”, or you can just skip the ride altogether.
- Sea of Delight: This area includes a sub-area named “The Waterfront” which resembles a seaside Mediterranean village. But this area is most famous for it 400-foot-tall Sky Tower ride which takes you to the top observation tower in a double-deck rotating pod to get a birds-eye view of the park and Orlando. Lastly, you’ll also find sea lion and otter viewing stations in the Sea Of Delight.
- Sea of Shallows: From its name you might have guessed that the shallow water animal exhibits are housed in this area. It also includes the Dolphin Theater, the Manta roller coaster (mimics the gliding on a manta ray) and the Turtle Trek (a dome theater show). You also don’t want to miss Key West at SeaWorld, designed to mimic the architecture and seascape of this charming Floridian island. Live exhibits in this area include rays, turtles, dolphins, manatees, flamingoes and much more.
- Sea of Legends: This area is based around two hugely popular roller coaster rides where thrill seekers will definitely want to spend time: “Journey to Atlantis”, a roller coaster boat ride and “Kraken”, a floor-less roller coaster! This means flip-flops and sandals definitely are not allowed! The ride features a total of seven inversions including two vertical loops, a dive loop, a spiraling camelback (zero-g roll), a cobra roll, and a corkscrew.
- Sesame Street Land: This is mainly an activity park for younger children, and has a junior roller coaster, climbing frames, and a water play area. A Sesame Street at SeaWorld area with familiar characters and backdrops from the TV show is also operational now.
- Sea of Power: This area of the park is famous on its own, and home to Shamu Stadium, where the iconic orca shows take place. Next door is the Wild Arctic indoor pavilion that is a combined attraction, including a motion simulator followed by an indoor animal exhibit. The exhibit includes beluga whales, harbor seals and Pacific walrus. The the newest and biggest thing here is the new Ice Breaker ride that just opened in Feburary of 2022. This new coaster features a 93 foot tall vertical drop and a number of twists, turns and “airtime hills”. Top speed is 52 miles per hour for this “quadruple launch coaster”.
- Sea of Mystery: Shark Wreck Reef and Shark Encounter can both be found here, and are among the park’s most popular attractions. Plus “Mako”, a steel hypercoaster designed in 2016 by the world-famous Bolliger & Mabillard company. This hypercoaster is billed as Orlando’s tallest, fastest, and longest roller coaster. It goes up to 73 miles per hour and up to 200 feet high. And if you aren’t into thrill seeking, this area also includes the “Sea Garden” which is landscaped with themed structures made from trash found on beaches.
Naturally on your visit you’ll be searching for good food. Below are SeaWorld’s famous cuisines and restaurants:
- Dine With Shamu: This is one the premiere experiences in SeaWorld because, where else can you dine next to a killer whale? While you eat from a delicious buffet, the whale trainer will talk about some of the most interesting characteristics of killer whales. There are two certainties and one possibility with this dining experience. The two certainties are that you will have a memorable time and you must pre-book or else it will sell out. The possibility of this experience is you may get wet while you eat from the whales jumping about!
- Shark’s Underwater Grill: If you want to try one of the best restaurants in Orlando you must visit this award-winning restaurant! Not only is the food amazing but also it features a wrap-around floor-to ceiling aquarium filled with mysteriously majestic sharks to marvel at while you dine.
- Seafire Grill: Located at the Waterfront, the Seafire allows you to overlook the lagoon and has simple but classic meals such as fish and chips, pasta bowls, Caesar salads and veggie wraps.
- Seaport Pizza: For all the pizza lovers out there take a break from the thrills and recharge the whole family with mouthwatering pizza. Its menu is simple and you can’t go wrong with wood-fired pizza for even your pickiest eater!
- Waterway Grill: Enjoy flavors inspired from regions around the Amazon Basin. Quench your thirst by stopping by the Waterway Bar for a selection of craft beers.
- Mama’s Pretzel Kitchen: You’ve never had homemade pretzels like these before! They’re great for a quick lunch on-the-go and offer an array of flavors from sweet to savory to their famous Mama’s Meatball Pretzel. Don’t forget to wash it down with a refreshing craft beer or frozen cocktail they can also serve to go!
