1st time at SW, what to do priorities

[mikewdw]

this will be our 1st trip to SW. my wife is really excited about it. we will be there on a sunday. we only have one day as we go to wdw the next day. what are the must do's and what other tips can you give. we can stay from opening to closing.
thanks,
mikewdw

 

[webray]

You will want to stay from opening to closing...and then you will want to go back for more. Sea World is a wonderful park. The first thing we do is check the feeding times for the animals...especially the dolphins so that I can be sure to be in line for the food. Only a certain amount of food is sold, but it is well worth it to be able to pet/feed the dolphins. (for me anyway).

All of the shows/attractions are excellent at Sea World...be sure to fit the Shamu show in. Also...the big show at the end of the night is very nice...so don't miss that.

You will find the food/souveniers very reasonable at Sea World.
We love the bbq chicken/corn...but there are some new restaurants...the one with the sharks, etc that we haven't tried yet.

The budweiser clydesdale horsers are there...there is also a sanwich type shop back by the barn/beer making show. Free samples of beer also.

Pay attention to the splash zone signs if you are taking expensive camera equipment with you...as you will get soaked. Getting soaked was always a great way to cool down on a hot summer afternoon...you dry off quickly.

Have fun!

 

[mikewdw]

what attractions/shows/rides can (or should) we skip? its just my wife and i. especially what can we skip if time become a factor?
thanks,
mikewdw

 

[vernon]

These are both decent shows, but tend to appeal to kids more than adults so I'd have Pets ahoy and Cirque De La Mer. Of the other shows, IMHO, the whale and dolphin show would be the one I dropped if I absolutely had to miss one ( not sure if they are back to full strength yet as they did take most of the dolphins to DC when that park opened) . With show times it can sometimes be difficult to fit them all in.

 

[mikewdw]

what about the rides?
what is the atlantis ride?
how good is kraken?
thanks,
mikewdw

 

[mikewdw]

any good discounts on tickets? we will only be there 1 day.
thanks,
mikewdw

 

[gschmerl]

Kraken is FANTASTIC!! I loved this coaster. I would recommend going right to the back of the park as soon as it opens and riding Kraken and Atlantis before the lines form. There can be loooooong waits for these rides. Do NOT miss Kraken. I went there first things and rode it a couple times with no wait.
Cirque De La Mer is a great show which had us laughing so hard.
The Shamu show is a don't miss. Get a map and show schedule when you enter the park. Head back for Kraken and work around the times of the shows you want to see.

 

[Cindy B]

Atlantis ride.. is very interesting with with some suprise twists/endings!


First you are loaded on a boat, and you are set to be in a "classic dark boat ride"... a la Splash Mountain . There is a neat story (if you can understand it with the noise..sometimes the audio is not adjusted correctly..)... and then you basically go down a hill... get a little wet.. and then... you hear.. leaving so soon, I think not.. you think the ride is over, and there is a fun little twist in the end....

My family loved that ride!

 

[Verity Chambers]

The Clyde and Seamore show is my very favourite, apart from the main attarctions like Shamu. Get there early! You'll see why! Verity.

 

[Tara8595]

With some careful planning, you can do and see everything in one day if the park is open 9-9 or more (which it is in the summer). When you get in the park, grab a park guide and check the showtimes - see the earliest show on the schedule. Our plans had us doing one show every hour and seeing the nearby attractions in between the shows. Ride the rides either first thing in the morning, or at lunchtime, at the same time as the afternoon dolphin show. Then, everyone will either be eating or at the show. This worked perfectly for us.

By 2pm, we'd seen everything on the left side of the map. Then we checked out the waterfront and made it over to the bayside theater, wild arctic, the shamu show, and the clydesdales, then back to Shamu Rocks America at night. It was a full day, but we didn't miss anything.

I especially recommend Pets Ahoy. It's a really cute show.

Tara

 

[kellymonaghan]

Cirque de la Mer was a great show. It closed in April. It's replacement opens sometime in July I believe.

I agree that the whale-dolphin show is the least compelling of the big animal shows and that Clyde and Seamore is a must-see. Be sure to arrive for C&S more than 15 minutes before showtime to catch the antics of the SeaWorld mime.

You might want to plan on arriving early at the last Shamu show of the day to get a seat down front in the center (not a splash zone) to be up close and personal when Shamu comes out on the lip of the pool.