SeaWorld Orlando Tips (For Visiting With Kids!)

We recently took a family trip to Orlando in January and SeaWorld was a must on our itinerary for our animal-loving 6 kids (ages 10 down to 11 months old). After spending the day there and doing quite a bit of research, I gathered some helpful SeaWorld Orlando tips and tricks to help you get the most out of your visit (especially if you have little ones!).

Let’s dive into the details!

*Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links. All opinions and recommendations are my own.

A Bit About SeaWorld Orlando

For those that are unfamiliar, SeaWorld is a Marine Life Park in Orlando, Florida featuring dolphins, orcas, sharks, fish, sting rays, sea lions, beluga whales, walruses, flamingos, and much more! Marine animals are the center focus, and they’re featured in special shows such as Dolphin Adventures, Orca Encounter, and Sea Lion & Otter Spotlight, while also featured in different areas of the park- indoor aquariums, outdoor tanks, and special exhibits.

SeaWorld Orlando also has different rides and attractions such as roller coasters, rides for toddlers and young children, “Sesame Street Land”, a Sesame Street parade, a whitewater raft adventure, and flamingo paddle boat rentals on the lake (I have a legit fear of alligators so you won’t catch me on any flamingo-shaped boat in any body of water in central Florida, other than a resort pool, but that’s just me!).

Is it true that SeaWorld is part of Disney World? False. Contrary to popular belief, SeaWorld is not part of Disney World- it just happens to be nearby, and is one of the many kid-friendly things to do in Orlando other than the Disney theme parks!

Is SeaWorld Orlando Worth It?

If your family likes animals, then YES, SeaWorld is worth a visit when visiting Orlando. It’s more than just an “aquarium”- it’s entertaining, educational, good for all ages, and has opportunities to be more “hands on” with different marine life animals. All of our kids love animals, but one of our boys has always been obsessed with sharks, so to be able to see sharks up close, as well as so many other sea creatures, is such an amazing experience for any budding marine biologist!

SeaWorld Orlando Tips And Tricks

Visiting SeaWorld can be a really enjoyable and memorable experience with your kids if you keep in mind some of these suggestions! Here are some of my best SeaWorld Orlando tips and tricks when traveling with kids (and babies):

The BASICS: Tickets, Parking & Best time to go

Buy Tickets ONLINE. Did you know that ticket prices are MUCH cheaper if purchased online? Even if you’re vacation itinerary isn’t very scheduled yet, and you decide the morning-of to visit SeaWorld, that’s okay! Buying your tickets online, even the same morning as your visit, will save you a hefty price tag.

If you’re an Active-Duty Military member or a Veteran, be sure to take advantage of SeaWorld’s Military Discount. SeaWorld is very military-friendly and through SeaWorld’s Waves of Honor program, former military personnel (and up to five guests) receive a 50% off discount on a single-day ticket. Although prices may fluctuate, this came out to ~$68 per person at the time of our visit. If you have a large family, this is SUCH a great deal that will save you hundreds!

Consider SeaWorld’s “sister-parks” Discovery Cove and Aquatica Orlando when buying your SeaWorld tickets. If you purchase tickets online (as suggested above) ticket combos for Discovery Cove and Aquatica Orlando end up being super discounted (and Discovery Cove can be VERY expensive if paid full price). So do a little planning ahead of time, and if you decide that Discovery Cove or Aquatica might be worthwhile for your vacation, then definitely buy them as a “bundle” online to save hundreds.

Parking at SeaWorld Orlando is pretty easy- there’s one big lot, no shuttle or monorail to take, with the option of VIP parking which allows you to park right in front of the SeaWorld entrance, if necessary. Since SeaWorld parking is much easier than some of the nearby Disney theme parks, I suggest just save the money, park in the main lot, and bring a stroller, or baby carrier, if you have little ones.

Arrive early as SeaWorld Orlando gets a bit more crowded later in the day. This will fluctuate depending on when you travel there, for example, spring break will naturally be much more crowded all day than if you were to visit in January, but overall lines were pretty minimal in the morning hours. We went on a Thursday in early January and the only time we decided to not wait in a “longer” line (~30 minute wait) was for the Penguin exhibit in the late afternoon around 3pm.

If possible, try to do SeaWorld on a weekday, Monday-Friday– weekdays are naturally less crowded than the weekend, as goes the same for any theme park!

SeaWorld Orlando is great to visit any time of the year, but I think we really lucked out visiting in early January. The weather was around 65 degrees- GREAT for walking! Plus, it was really laid back and not crowded- which is so nice when you just want to explore the park and not deal with the crowds or long lines. SeaWorld even still had their “Christmas/Holiday Theme” there during the first week of January with holiday music playing, a giant decorated Christmas tree, a Sesame World Christmas Show, holiday decorations, etc.

Is it okay to go to SeaWorld on a rainy/cloudy/chilly day? I actually think SeaWorld Orlando is fine to go to if the weather isn’t “ideal”. Sure, I wouldn’t say go there if it’s pouring rain all day, but I actually liked scheduling SeaWorld on one of the more mild-weather days of our vacation.

When it’s hot out, we want the pool, so this was a great place to walk around but also spend a decent part of the day at indoor exhibits or covered at the open air shows. The dolphin, orca and sea lion shows are outside but covered, so if your main plans for the day are to see these must-do shows, then even if the weather isn’t great (or even if its super hot out), you’ll still have a GREAT time and be comfortable. Pack disposable poncho packs if necessary, and bring an extra sweatshirt if it’s a bit chilly but you should be good to go despite the weather!

FOOD Tips

Okay, these tips might be a bit depressing but: SKIP THE FOOD AT SEAWORLD. Like every other theme park, food is so expensive. Frustratingly expensive. For example, our kids got hungry and wanted some pretzels at a small pretzel shop, and let’s just say my husband and I could go out for a very nice dinner date at home for the amount we’d spend on a few PRETZELS. And forget the Dippin’ Dots if you want to send your kids to college 😉 .

But truly, food is so expensive there and very below-average (at least where we stopped). We went to the SeaFire Grill and it was basically an expensive glorified cafeteria. The dining area wasn’t very clean, and there was a random old-time movie playing on the big screen, where every child in that dining area was very bored watching it. Why not put on an educational marine life show? Or just a video of fish swimming around? Or nothing? I’ll stop my rant soon, but it was so random, and I felt like I wanted my time back haha.

So my biggest SeaWorld Orlando tips for FOOD, if traveling with kids, is to 1) eat a big breakfast before you come to the theme park, 2) pack lots of snacks and water and include some sweet treats as an alternative to expensive theme-park sweets, 3) pack lunches to bring with, or at least enough to hold you over, 4) if you were able to get to the park at opening, plan to leave by dinnertime and get dinner on your way back to the hotel!

(Check out this post for some of my favorite easy and healthy bento box lunch ideas for kids– which are great for traveling or days at a theme park!)

NOTE: if you have to eat lunch at the theme park, do some research ahead of time as to which restaurant is considered “best”.

This goes without saying, but skip the “All Day Dining Option”.

ITINERARY & MUST-DO’s

Okay, now back to the FUN part.

Hands down, my biggest SeaWorld Tip is to plan your day around the shows! Then, fill in time in between shows with everything else on your itinerary. SeaWorld Orlando tickets include each of these animal shows, so check online for your specific date to check that day’s schedule, and you’re all set to attend each one.

Here’s an example schedule from our visit:

When visiting SeaWorld, you’re most likely there for the animals, so in order to get the most of your experience, consider the animal shows as a “must-do”.

Some of SeaWorld’s must-see shows are Dolphin Adventures, Orca Encounter, and Sea Lion & Otter Spotlight. Our entire family, kids ages 10 down to 11 months, adults and grandparents, ALL LOVED these SeaWorld shows.

So often, if you have varying ages, it’s difficult to find things that the toddlers love while also the big kids or adults. Well, the SeaWorld Orlando shows are all well worth the visit for all ages.

NOTE: if you do NOT want to get wet, then sit further up in the bleachers. The front sections (not just front row), are labeled “SOAK ZONE“, but it looked like many people that got soaked didn’t see the sign… which you don’t want on a mild-temperature day or if you don’t have a change of clothes! We sat in one of the furthest back rows (by choice) and still had such a great view.

Arrive at the shows earlier in the day if possible, as they do have the potential to fill up.

**NOTE: Another good reason to arrive early is because if for some reason you miss a show, especially since “things happen” when you’re traveling with little ones, then, crisis-averted, because you can still catch the Dolphin Show later on in the day! Whereas if you were to start your day later at the theme park, and you happen to run late for a show or it fills up, then you’re out of luck.

*A little obvious, but use the bathroom before entering the show. Also, because some of the bathrooms are completely outside of the theater area, by a further away location/restaurant. Last thing you want to do is get all settled and then a kid has to use the bathroom and you need to leave the entire vicinity!

If you have a baby, I recommend bringing a baby carrier, as strollers can’t go into the shows, so plan on parking them nearby outside.

Beyond the must-do animal shows, a SeaWorld itinerary is really what you make of it. If you don’t want to go on a single ride, you don’t have to! You can keep it more animal-focused and have a great time. Other than my 10 year old venturing off with his “fun uncle” for some roller coaster rides, the rest of us didn’t go on a single ride the entire day (other than the carousel) and still had such a great time.

If you have older kids that love roller coasters, there are multiple options to choose from: Manta, Kraken, Mako, Ice Breaker, Pipeline (and Penguin Trek opening in 2024). And other thrill-seeker rides include the whitewater rafting adventure Infinity Falls, and the plunge ride Journey To Atlantis.

NOTE: Before your SeaWorld visit, measure your child’s height because some rides include height requirements of 38″, 42″, or 54″. You don’t want to wait until you are in line to discover they’re quite not tall enough and then have to deal with the disappointment…

But again, you can easily skip the rides here and just focus on the animal experiences. There is an outdoor dolphin nursery where you can see mother and baby dolphins together, a shark encounter tunnel where you can view sharks swim overhead, a flamingo cove, manta aquarium, stingray lagoon, a wild Arctic area where you can see walruses and beluga whales, and an Antarctica penguin experience. Here is a link for all of the offered animal experiences at SeaWorld Orlando.

For the littlest visitors, there is Sesame Street Land– a little random, not sure why it’s even here in the first place (haha), but Sesame Street is super cute and it’s great entertainment for the little ones! Unlike other nearby theme parks, (like Universal Studios for example), where they are really catered toward the older kids and if you’re traveling with little ones it feels like you really need to “scope out” the toddler friendly rides and attractions in order to enjoy your time. Well, Sesame Street Land is great to have if you want it, but also not even necessary if you’d rather stick to the marine life experiences.

But if your toddlers and young children want more to do, there are plenty of rides, attractions, and interactive play at Sesame Street Land. Sunny Day Carousel, Super Grover’s Boxcar Derby (38″ height requirement), Elmo’s Choo Choo Train, the Sesame Street Parade, and so much more! Here is a link for Sesame Street Land.

There is even a Rubber Duckie Water Works splash pad area- so be sure to bring a change of clothes for your little one or pack a swim suit!

We had such a fun day at SeaWorld Orlando and I’d definitely take the kids back there again!

If you’re ready to plan ahead and purchase tickets at SeaWorld Orlando, click HERE!

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SeaWorld Orlando Tips (For Visiting With Kids!)