Is SeaWorld worth the money?

[busy mom]

Considering visiting SeaWorld in January. Is it worth the price of admission? It would cost around $400 for my family of 5.

 

[kydisneyfans]

Discounts are not that difficult to find-we belong to the Southwest Airlines club which gives a 20% discount, and you wouldn't catch me dead in an airplane.

If your family likes animals and enjoys a laid back theme park setting, then it is worth the time and money. If your family is a go go go type and wants to ride thrill rides everyday, then you are wasting your money.

We have not been to Sea World for a few years, but really enjoy the visits when we go.

 

[MinnieForMe]

Absolutely. There are many discounts for SeaWorld plus you can get a second day free at the ticket counter.

I would absolutely say to go. We are heading back to Florida for our yearly April trip and my 4 year old daughter who is princess obsessed said she would skip the princesses to go back to SeaWorld. Keep in mind, we already spent three days there last year because we got a 14 day pass to Busch Gardens/SeaWorld. My kids 12, 8, and 4 adore SeaWorld. It is so much more relaxing than a day at Disney (and we love Disney). I don't know how old your children are but the Happy Harbour is so enjoyable for little ones. They seem to prefer not having to wait in lines. My boys really enjoyed Journey to Atlantis and stayed on it for 10+ rides. The shows are great! If you like coasters, Manta opened last April.

I would also suggest spending the $7.00 per person and feed the dolphins. It is such a great experience if your kids haven't been to Discovery Cove.

Any questions, feel free to ask. We are getting to the point where we feel we know SeaWorld as much as Disney!

 

[NeverlandClub23]

I definitely agree with the PP that discounts are not hard to find to Sea World. We usually do Sea World for a day before hitting Disney when we go to Orlando (we get free passes as my Dad works part-time for BG in Williamsburg). It's a great way to start the trip in a relaxed way. The shows are incredible and the park is landscaped beautifully (just don't compare service to WDW ). If you absolutely couldn't find any discounts, then no I don't think $400 is worth it. It is a beautiful park and the shows and interactive animal things are fun but not worth $400 for a day IMHO.

 

[dougsmom98]

I didn't want to go to Sea World but my parents paid for my family to go. (Yes, it was expensive.) I LOVED it. The major shows - Clyde and Seymore, the Dolphin show, and Shamu were amazing. When we went the kids were 1, 8, 6, and 6. I was afraid that after Disney, Sea World would be boring for them. They loved it too. Our focus was on shows only. We did not do any rides. The shows kept their attention and took up a lot of time. We also fed the dolphins - they do a dolphin feeding right after the park opens and for a few dollars you get a tray of fish and the dolphins come right up to you and take the fish out of your hands. It was pretty cool and worth the few dollars that it cost. We definitely didn't see everything in one day. If we weren't with my parents, we may have gone back the next day. If you look at their site, you will see that the second day is free with any single day ticket purchase. I will have to say that I found Sea World to be one of the hottest parks I have been too. I hate to wear a baseball hat, but I would have killed to have had one in this park and we went in February. I would not do this park in the summer. We have not been back since that visit, but next year we are considering doing a Universal Studios vacation and the flex ticket looks like a decent deal.

 

[semo233]

I don't want to bad mouth Sea World, but we did the entire park in a few hours. If it wasn't added free to our Aquatica tickets, I would have been upset. My DD was 12 at the time and we got there around 4pm. Maybe just not the right time for us. We live within an hour of an aquarium.
Aquatica was awesome by the way! We were there about a week after it opened, so there were not a lot of reviews, but it was great!

 

[puffkin]

My DH and I really enjoyed the park. We saw all the shows and went through all the exhibits. I was 6 months pregnant so we couldn't do the rides but I did enjoy the slower pace of the park. It was a great experience.

Went back with my Mom and DS2 a few years later. My mom did not like the park at all, thought it was a huge waste of money. DS did not seem very interested either, which really surprised me. He did like the Shamu show though.

It is a tough call honestly. I think we may try again when DS is older but will probably leave my mom at home

 

[Shleedogg]

Personally, I'd say no. We went during our Disney trip in Oct 07. MIL and FIL paid for our tickets and we felt really badly that they did.

The whale show and the dolphin show are awesome! But that didn't justify the price of admission for me. We felt like the rest of the stuff you can see in an aquarium. As for the rides. Wow. It's a let down and a bit funny if you've just come from Disney. If you do go and your family does like rides, I'd suggest going before you do Disney.

 

[chskover]

We went to SeaWorld in Florida and loved it, but we were spoiled and went all the time when they were here in Ohio. I sure miss it! We found discounts on line, so it was cheaper.

 

[MEM]

I would say that Seaworld is worth the money to a first-timer. I don't feel its a park I need to visit every time I'm in Orlando, however, and I love all creatures (great and small) The Clyde and Seamore take Pirate Island show is hilarious and while I enjoy seeing Shamu, that story-line needs some work. Since Seaworld was sold recently, I fantasize about it being re-sold to the Disney Company and just imagine what Disney could do with the shows and exhibits there!

 

[MEM]

If you do go and your family does like rides, I'd suggest going before you do Disney.

Great suggestion! I feel the same way about US/IOA.

 

[ShiPooOwner]

SeaWorld is fabulous imo but you just can't compare it fairly with DW, and if you do, it's like comparing apples and oranges. I would also recommend going to SW first before heading to Disney or you MIGHT be disappointed with SW. Having said that, they really each have their own special qualities. I love the shows, especially the Shamu show and Clyde and Seamore. Be sure to get to Clyde and Seamore plenty early so you don't miss the mime. He's hilarious! Not sure if the Clydesdales are still on display but standing next to one and having my picture taken next to this unbelievably humongous horse was thrilling for me. We checked for discounts with Undercover Tourist and they recommended buying tickets directly from SW. We got two day tickets for the price of a child's ticket. Not a huge discount but it was something.

 

[paysensmom]

IF you ever plan to visit San Antonio then do NOT go to the SW in Florida. The one in Florida is such a huge disappointment compared to the one in San Antonio. I was very disappointed when we went to SW in Florida and we are military so it was free! So, if at all possible, I would try to get to the one in San Antonio if you really want to go to SW.

Okay that being said...... if you have never been and will never get to go to San Antonio then I would go! Sea World is a great place, especially if your children love animals!

 

[patsal]

Not to bash seaworld but even with discounts the full day there cost us $500 for a family of 4. We did eat at Sharks though so our TS was expensive. For what amounts to 4 rides and a few shows we didnt think it was really all that great. Smaller kids might get mroe out of it since there is a paly area for them as well. The fireworks felt like a 20 minutes commmercial for seaworld, Atlantis was a long wait and a huge disappointment, the sea life was amazing and beautiful, but if timed right with low crowds it could be completed in half a day, so IMHO sooo not worth it!

 

[mousetravel]

Have you already planned where you're staying? They are having a deal that's Buy 3 Get 2 Free, in which the package includes Sea World and Aquatica or Busch Gardens (your choice) for length of stay. I think you'd come out better as far as the price goes, to go with that package. I am considering it for myself, and adding a day at Disney this year.

 

[digitaldevice]

We did the VIP tour, 3 adults and 1 child. Was not cheap but we had the best time. Got to feed the dolphins, sea lions. Lunch with Shamu was awesome.
Got to skip the lines for the rides. Reserved seating at the shows, up front and center. Will do this again sometime.

 

[Shleedogg]

One more things we enjoyed, the cat show! Cats doing tricks, it was awesome. Some areas, particularly the waiting area for the cat show, were very dingy and seemed run down.

 

[paysensmom]

I noticed someone mentioned Busch Gardens. My husband enjoyed BG much more than Disney! We did have a wonderful time at BG. I would choose BG over SW in a heartbeat!

 

[jessica52877]

We all love Sea World! I grew up near the one in Ohio so grew up going often! We don't go every trip to Disney but love to spend a day at Sea World! The little rides are still fun for DS (he was 6 last time we went) even though he loves huge roller coasters. He loves climbing through the rope thing (ugh) and loves seeing all the animals. None of us are big animal lovers but Sea World is just different and so relaxing.

The penguins are his favorite and I could watch them forever! The food is good (for theme park food) and reasonably priced. Last trip we paid for the extra penguin experience and really enjoyed that. DS is penguin obsessed though so for him to get to pet a real penguin it was the best!

 

[Whistle]

We went to Sea World and Disney this past June. My boys (ages 9 and 11) are asking to return to Sea World more than they are Disney. We spent about 9 hours there, and didn't see nearly enough!