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SeaWorld
SeaWorld
is a fun place to take anyone who has an appreciation
for the sea. To get the most out of your time it is
good to have a plan to make sure you can hit all the
shows, rides, and other attractions. If you like a seat
up front, be prepared to get very wet as many of these
shows involve a lot of splashing of the audience! Make
sure to get a map at the entrance. They are printed
daily and on the back summarize the days show schedule,
exhibit and interaction times, and other important information.
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Dining
with Shamu
At first this seemed pricy on top of an expensive
ticket, but this is probably my most suggested
event at SeaWorld. Basically you can have breakfast
or lunch a few feet from trainers as they explain
and demonstrate how they train the killer whales
for the shows. This is also a nice way to ensure
that you can get a relaxed sit down meal rather
than be rushed at the fast food stands! The picture
at right was taken right from our table (no telephoto
lens) as we ate our lunch!
Other
Special Tours
There
are various special tours that allow you to interact
with dolphins, sea turtles, or sharks, or even
be a trainer for a day. These may seem pricy in
addition to the already high ticket prices, but
it is worth it. Most of the tours also include
reserved seating at the killer whale show following
your tour. If you are there on a crowded summer
day, that alone can be worth the price versus
standing in line for 45 minutes waiting to get
into the show with a hot and bored kid...
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Animal
Interaction Areas
There
are several areas where you can get close to animals
and even some where you can feed them! Forbidden
reef allows you to purchase food for bat rays
and feed them. They can be kind of scary for a
younger kid (especially if they are hungry). Rocky
Point Preserve offers the chance to feed and interact
with bottlenose dolphins (fee required); and the
Seal and Sea Lion exhibit has the chance to purchase
food to feed harbor seals and California sea lions.
There is also a tide pool area where kids (and
adults) can see and touch starfish and other small
animals found in the tide pools up and down the
California coast.
Shows
There are a number of shows and scheduling them
all into a busy day when you don't know how much
time you are going to spend waiting in line and
walking can be a challenge. Obviously the killer
whale show is suggested, but if you can pay for
the special tour and get a reserved seat it can
save you a lot of time and potential grief. The
little kids will enjoy the Pet's Rule! show and
Clyde and Seamore's Risky Rescue, while the older
kids will enjoy the Dolphin show and the haunted
lighthouse, so you probably want to choose based
on the age or interests of your kids.
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Rides
There are a few rides at SeaWorld. The Journey
to Atlantis is a rollercoaster (height requirement
42 inches), Shipwreck rapids is a water ride (height
requirement 42 inches), and the Wild Arctic has
a motion ride (height requirement 42 inches).
A non-motion version of the Wild Arctic ride is
available with no height requirement. There is
also a skyride which goes over Mission Bay and
gives you a nice view of the area for $3.00 per
person (no height requirement).
Where
to go when the parents need a rest
When
the parents need a rest, go to Shamu's Happy Harbor
near the entrance. This is basically a giant play
area, with slides, rope ladders, bridges, etc.
The only caution here is that there are many exits
from this attraction onto sidewalks, so probably
only one parent can rest while the other one chases
the little ones (parents are ok in most of the
areas).
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