Can you REALLY walk to Sea World?

[MoSoccerMom]

We will be staying at the Sea World Renaissance. I know it says that the park is "right across the street," but does that mean you can ACTUALLY walk there? About how long is the walk? Could you walk to Aquatica as well? Thanks!

 

[DVCLiz]

We will be staying at the Sea World Renaissance. I know it says that the park is "right across the street," but does that mean you can ACTUALLY walk there? About how long is the walk? Could you walk to Aquatica as well? Thanks!

I think that's where we stayed a couple of summers ago, and yes, you can walk it. If I remember correctly, you come out of the lobby and walk through the valet parking area, down a sidewalk, across a street, and you are literally in the Sea World parking lot. OK, remember that it is a BIG parking lot!!!! Imagine if you are going to Target or Wal Mart and you park in the farthest corner of the lot, then walk all the way through it to the front door. In the morning it was easy because the lot was empty - when we left in the afternoon it was full of cars and we had to be a little more careful!!!!

It's one of those kinds of things where you think, "Gee, I can see it from the front door of the hotel, so even if it's a little bit of a walk (I think it took us about 5 minutes or so) it would be ridiculous to take a cab to something that is literally across the street!"

I don't think you can walk to Aquatica, though - I really don't have a sense of where it is in relation to Sea World but I think you'll need some transportation.

 

[spiceycat]

I though it was part of SW?

yes you can walk - but DVCliz is right - it is a BIG parking lot.

but a hint for going back - see what the parking spaces closest to you are when you walk in the park - then get on the tram and ask them to take you to that section...

 

[Jason71]

I don't think you can walk to Aquatica, though - I really don't have a sense of where it is in relation to Sea World but I think you'll need some transportation.

It isn't as much a question of distance as much as there just aren't any sidewalks along Sea Harbor Drive--kind of dangerous to walk it, especially with kids. You might get lucky and catch a tram over from the main SW entrance--if they're running it that day. Or you could catch the fake "trolley" which is stopping at AQ now.

 

[spiceycat]

looks like Aquatica is off International Drive - definitely not walking area.

also looks like it is very, very close to Marriott's Grande Vista?

http://aquaticabyseaworld.com/Site/HowToGetHere.aspx

 

[Detailor]

looks like Aquatica is off International Drive - definitely not walking area.

also looks like it is very, very close to Marriott's Grande Vista?

http://aquaticabyseaworld.com/Site/HowToGetHere.aspx

It's on the same side of I Drive as Grande Vista but I wouldn't call it close. Aquatica is situated between Central Florida Parkway and SR 528 - not a walk that I'd take from Grande Vista. But we have walked from Marriott's Cypress Harbour to Sea World - that's walkable from there but a long walk.

Dick Taylor

 

[spiceycat]

It's on the same side of I Drive as Grande Vista but I wouldn't call it close. Aquatica is situated between Central Florida Parkway and SR 528 - not a walk that I'd take from Grande Vista. But we have walked from Marriott's Cypress Harbour to Sea World - that's walkable from there but a long walk.

Dick Taylor

it looks it not quite to 528 - so the only road would be Central Florida Parkway - it has a traffic light and crosswalk - so would think you would be fine. why don't you think so?

 

[Jason71]

it looks it not quite to 528 - so the only road would be Central Florida Parkway - it has a traffic light and crosswalk - so would think you would be fine. why don't you think so?

I see people walk from Cyprus Harbor to SW occasionally, but it's not that short a walk (especially if you have to walk up to Westwood Blvd from one of the back buildings), and again, no sidewalks on Sea Harbor once you cross Central Florida Parkway. Would be a very long walk to AQ (the entrance to AQ is on the opposite side from I-Drive). I might try it, but if it is hot out or I had small kids, probably worth spendng $1 per person for the trolley.

 

[Detailor]

it looks it not quite to 528 - so the only road would be Central Florida Parkway - it has a traffic light and crosswalk - so would think you would be fine. why don't you think so?

While it probably isn't a longer walk from GV to Aquatica than it is from CH to Sea World, I think that the nature of the budy traffic along I Drive would make the walk quite unpleasant and I think that there's no sidewalk along that stretch. And then there's the traffic moving in and out of the little shopping center and the gas station near the intersection. I know that there's a traffic light at the CFP/I Drive intersection but, until you mentioned it, I didn't know that there was a crosswalk across CFP on the Grande Vista/Aquatica side of the street and I wonder if there's any reason for it other than to get from one side of CFP to the other.
I think that GV to Aquatica would be a much more difficult walk than the walk from CH to Sea World, where the traffic is much lighter and you can use the sidewalks for almost all of the trip.

Dick Taylor

 

[Grumpy23]

If you look at this satellite image map, it should be focused in on your hotel. If you drag your screen to the right, you can see it is right next to the parking lot (and yes it is big). It might be a little walk to the actual entrance to the park but technically, yes, it is right across the street.

http://maps.live.com/default.aspx?v...0&scene=3933004&phx=0&phy=0&phscl=1&encType=1

 

[4havingfun]

I think you can walk to SW, but agreeing with other posters don't know if I would try Aquatica. We stayed at the Hawthorn on Westwood Blvd a few years ago and walked over to SW for three consecutive days. Believe the kids were 8 at the time and they made it with little whining, and crossing I-Drive was not as bad as I thought it would have been right in front of SW at a crosswalk.

 

[Jason71]

While it probably isn't a longer walk from GV to Aquatica than it is from CH to Sea World, I think that the nature of the budy traffic along I Drive would make the walk quite unpleasant and I think that there's no sidewalk along that stretch. And then there's the traffic moving in and out of the little shopping center and the gas station near the intersection. I know that there's a traffic light at the CFP/I Drive intersection but, until you mentioned it, I didn't know that there was a crosswalk across CFP on the Grande Vista/Aquatica side of the street and I wonder if there's any reason for it other than to get from one side of CFP to the other.
I think that GV to Aquatica would be a much more difficult walk than the walk from CH to Sea World, where the traffic is much lighter and you can use the sidewalks for almost all of the trip.

Dick Taylor

While I totally agree, I would add that the stretch of I-Drive between CFP and AQ is fairly long (it flies by at 40 mph, but try traveling it in bumper-to-bumper traffic some time) and also has no sidewalks. Just not a pedestrian-friendly road. I can't help but think that one of the reasons for building AQ's entrance gate so far back was to discourage people from trying to walk over from SW, thereby keeping them off I-Drive.

 

[spiceycat]

http://maps.live.com/default.aspx?v...0&scene=3933004&phx=0&phy=0&phscl=1&encType=1

thank you - was looking for a more current map than Google has!
thanks!

 

[Grumpy23]

thank you - was looking for a more current map than Google has!
thanks!

You're welcome. I've become quite the Orlando stalker, thanks to that website

 

[MoSoccerMom]

Thanks everyone!