Heading to Sea World next summer with a six year old

[preschoolmom]

that ADORES animals...

She desperately wants to feed and pet a dolphin. Is there an age limit/height requirement to feed/pet the dolphins?

I haven't been to Sea World in 20+ years. I think our whole family will enjoy it.

Please, what else do we need to know? How to attack the park? (Okay, that is the commando in me - I think it is genetic, LOL, my parents were park commandos back in the day, too).

We'll be a group of seven - 4 adults, two six year olds and a seven year old.

Thanks for any thoughts/tips/advice!

[preschoolmom]

Oh, and what do we feed the dolphins? Little fish?

[CKBear]

There are no age/height restrictions to feed the dolphins but you'll probably ahve to lift up the little ones so they can reach. The pool wall is probably about 3 ft tall and it's about a foot down to the water. You feed them fish, some sort of herring or something, they are good size 6-8 inches long.

I would say check show times as early as you can and decide which shows are most important to you. I'd arrive at least 30 minutes before the shows start, but depending on crowd levels you might need to arrive earlier.

My nephew's, 8, favorite restaurant at Sea World right now is the Sharks Grill, it's TS so it could take an hour or more out of the day but the food has always been good and the couple times we've eaten there they've seated us right next to the shark tank which the kids thought was great.

Have fun!

[preschoolmom]

Thank you so much for your reply!

[MissionMouse]

OP, you should look for deals on SW tickets as you can usually find some type of dicount or deal. I would also recommend visiting their site under their schedule section and review their show offerings. Just realize the schedule on line is subject to changes, but it pays to have a general show plan to ensure you see what you are interested in seeing...especially if you are only doing one day.

Some shows are offered only a few times a day. Others overlap with most shows lasting 30 minutes. Plan on arriving 20-30 minutes early, if it is important to secure a seat up close. Don't forget to also consider walking times too. If you want to do anything special like Dine with Shamu you should make reservations as soon as you know you want to attend, since tables are assigned in the order of the reservation date.

[preschoolmom]

Thanks, MissionMouse! I'm actually hoping to get a great deal on tickets - (our trip is still pretty far off) - but if we can get a two days for one type deal, we'll definitely do two days!

It seems like (from reading here) that Sea World is changing ownership? So I imagine all bets are off for June right now.

[MissionMouse]

I would definitely monitor to see what happens, but if you have not been in twenty years I would recommend you make plans to visit SW. I do not perceive things would make changes to downgrade the experience. AB items, logos etc would disappear, but SW parks are very nice. The company currently being referenced also manages Universal Studios...