
SEA WORLD ORLANDO FL
by Paula Hughes Court
Known as Orlando’s best kept secret, Sea World Orlando FL is
a great theme park for adults and children of all ages.
Covering over 200 acres, the adventure park offers world-
class shows, thrilling rides and hands-on animal encounters.
Unlike Orlando's other amusement parks, Sea World Orlando
is large and spread-out so you'll never feel crowded.
Several reasonable Orlando hotels are located close-by on
International Drive, so your best bet is to visit in the morning,
go back to your hotel for lunch and a swim, them return to Sea
World in the cooler evening hours.
If time is limited, the following attractions are the ones that you
don't want to miss.
SEAWORLD ORLANDO FLORIDA THRILL RIDES:
KRAKEN:
Kraken is the newest, highest, fastest, and longest roller
coaster in Orlando. It's also floorless with open-sided seats,
which means the riders feet dangle. The roller coaster reaches
speeds up to 65 mph.
Height requirement is 54".
JOURNEY TO ATLANTIS:
Part water-ride, part roller coaster, the Journey to Atlantis ride
combines the excitement of both into this one-of-a-kind water-
coaster. The ride includes two of the steepest, wettest, fastest
drops to be found in any theme park. Height requirement is 42".
WILD ARCTIC:
Guests have a choice of two ways to visit the Polar Exhibit,
they can walk through, or they can enter by way of the Wild
Arctic ride, a simulated motion-based flight over the frozen
Arctic. Though tame-looking in appearance, this ride is not for
guests who experience motion-sickness. Height requirement is
42".
SEA WORLD ORLANDO'S ANIMAL EXHIBITS:
MANATEES: THE LAST GENERATION:
If you're short on time, skip the movie and go straight to the
aquarium where you can view gentle endangered Florida
manatees. The attraction was named the best new zoological
exhibit in the country by The American Zoological Association.
PENGUIN ENCOUNTER
Guests ride a 120-ft. moving walkway through this icy exhibit
featuring more than 200 playful penguins. Children love this
exhibit, so don't miss it. The exhibit holds four species of
penguins and is kept at a freezing 30 degrees. Six thousand
pounds of snow falls daily inside the simulated penguin habitat.
On your way out, be sure to visit the puffins.
WILD ARCTIC EXHIBIT
Don’t miss the wild Arctic where you’ll be transported into a
simulated twilight zone of the Arctic circle. Children will enjoy
watching the baby-faced beluga whales toss balls around, but
don’t forget to visit the enormous walrus on the lower level. He
loves interacting with visitors.
KEY WEST AT SEAWORLD
If you want to handfeed the dolphins, go straight to this area
when the park opens and get in line for the dolphin food (a cup
of fish). The dolphin's appetites diminish quickly so morning is
your best time to do this. There's also a smaller tank holding
gentle stingrays that park visitors are allowed to touch.
CLYDESDALE HAMLET
Children (and adults) are always amazed at the size of these
giant Budweiser Clydesdales. Don't miss a walk through their
stalls to see them up close. During daily petting sessions,
guests can have their photo taken with a Clydesdale.
SHARK ENCOUNTER
Travel through the world's largest, underwater acrylic tunnel
and find yourself just inches away from dangerous predators in
Shark Encounter. Slithery eels, frightening barracuda,
venomous fish and toothy sharks make their home in this coral
reef habitat.
SEA WORLD SHOWS:
Clyde and Seamore Take Pirate Island:
This is my family's favorite attraction at SeaWorld Orlando. The
park's talented sea lions, otters, and a giant walrus join the
actors in a tale of pirates and lost treasure. This is a not-to-be-
missed show. Get there early, the mime working the crowd
before the show is hilarious.
BELIEVE
“Believe” is a revolutionary production that features SeaWorld’
s entire family of majestic killer whales performing awe-inspiring
choreography to an original musical score performed by
Prague National Symphony Orchestra. The elaborate 3-story
set features an 80-foot-wide whale tail designed exclusively for
this show as well as four rotating panoramic LED screens and
nearly 100 speakers.
BLUE HORIZONS
“Blue Horizons” is a new breakthrough theatrical spectacular
that showcases graceful dolphins and false killer whales, a
rainbow of exotic birds and an entire cast of world-class divers
and aerialists draped in elaborate costumes. The vivid
imagination of a young girl sets the stage for an emotional
adventure to experience the power of the sea and the
elegance of flight.
PETS AHOY
“Pets Ahoy!” is a comical show featuring the talents of a
menagerie of dogs, cats, birds, rats, skunks, pot-belly pigs,
and other animals performing a series of uproarious and
amazing skits. Most impressive is the fact that nearly all of the
fabulous four-legged celebs were rescued from animal shelters
before they found their fame at SeaWorld.
ODYSSEA
“Odyssea” is a 30-minute spectacle combining gravity-defying
acrobatic feats, lively music and dazzling special effects within
a set that transports guests into an underwater world filled with
wonder and fantasy.
MISTIFY
Special this summer, “Mistify” is a nighttime finale on SeaWorld’
s center lake and features larger-than-life marine creatures on
60-foot mist screens, 100-foot fountains, flames on water and
dazzling fireworks.
Shamu Rocks America:
Both of the Shamu shows are great, but this nighttime show is
a perfect ending to the day. The killer whales and their trainers
perform high-energy routines to loud rock music. Take note of
the splash-zone signs.
Trust me-you will get wet if you're sitting in those seats and the
water is ice cold!
PRIVATE ANIMAL ENCOUNTERS
Along with the opportunities to touch stingrays and feed
dolphins, SeaWorld also offers special programs for a limited
number of participants who desire an even closer animal
encounter. Surprisingly inexpensive, the one-hour programs
include tours of rescue and rehabilitation facilities, a behind-
the-scenes arctic tour where you can pet a penguin, and a
predators tour of the shark tank where you can even touch a
white-spotted bamboo shark. For the truly adventurous,
SeaWorld offers the chance to scuba dive enclosed in a shark
tank in the Shark Encounter attraction.
“Adventure Express Tour”
An exclusive guided tour with back-door access to rides,
reserved seating at shows, special animal feeding and
interaction opportunities and lunch. Tour guests will have a
knowledgeable guide to personally escort them through
various park attractions and answer questions. The six-hour
Adventure Express tour costs $89 per adult, $79 per child
(ages 3 - 9) plus tax. Prices are in addition to park admission.
Reservations can be made at the Guided Tour Counter inside
the park or in advance by calling (800) 327-2424.
“Saving a Species”
This 60-minute tour takes visitors behind the scenes for a look
at the park’s animal rescue, rehabilitation and release efforts.
Manatees, sea turtles, birds and other animals have all
received a new lease on life with the help of SeaWorld’s animal
care team. Guests have the rare opportunity to hand-feed
exotic birds in a free-flight aviary, and tour SeaWorld's
rehabilitation facilities where endangered and threatened
species receive state-of-the-art medical treatment. One dollar
of this tour admission is donated to the SeaWorld & Busch
Gardens Conservation Fund to support research, conservation
and education projects around the world. Nominal fee.
“Polar Expedition Tour”
This 60-minute tour features an adventure from the North Pole
to the South Pole. Guests explore the world of polar bears and
beluga whales, get a backstage view of the Wild Arctic animal
care areas, meet and touch a Magellanic penguin, and go
behind the scenes at SeaWorld's Penguin Research Facility.
Nominal fee.
“Predators”
Who rules the oceans, sharks or killer whales? During this 60-
minute tour, guests get an exclusive, behind-the-scenes tour of
Shamu Stadium and a backstage peek at eerie ocean dwellers
at “Shark Encounter.” Participants find out how SeaWorld
aquarists care for sharks and stingrays, visit the shark food
preparation room and get to touch a live shark. Nominal fee.
BEST FOR SMALL CHILDREN
Shamu's Happy Harbor is a wonderful place for small children
to run off some energy. Pack a bathing suit for the kids so they
can play in the water jungle gym. Older children will enjoy
climbing in the large netted areas.
SEA WORLD TICKET PRICES
Ages 10+ $64.95 (plus tax); Ages 3-9 $53.95 (plus tax); Ages
two and under are free. Prices are subject to change without
notice. Discounts available for guests with disabilities, senior
citizens, military personnel and AAA members
TERRIFIC TUESDAYS FOR SENIORS
Geared for guests over 50, SeaWorld’s Terrific Tuesdays is a
series of one-hour symposiums on a variety of topics such as
health, horticulture and animal training.
Every Tuesday, AARP members receive an $8 discount off
admission to SeaWorld. Every other day of the week, AARP
members receive $5 off park admission.
FOR MORE INFORMATION
For general park information, call (800) 327-2424, or visit
SeaWorld.com
WALT DISNEY WORLD VACATIONS