Need Touring Plan Help from the Experts

[diskids2]

Hi everyone,

We will be taking our first trip to Seaworld in July and we will have only one day to tour.

My family members are all adult/teens....50, 47, 23, 19, 15. We all like thrill rides. We will be going to US and IOA on other days (spending 4 nights at the RPR) as well as 5 days at WDW (at the Dolphin).

I really need some planning help. I know that we will want to do the thrill rides, but feeding and spending time with the dolphins is the most important. Second to that will be the shows and after that the thrill rides. Basically we are going to Seaworld for the animals and the rides are secondary (at least this time around!)

I would consider the Dolphin spotlight tour, Quick Queue and anything else you think would help us.

We will be taking the shuttle from the RPR back and forth....I also don't have any idea of the times these run as of yet.....

I would also consider the VIP tour...but we really don't have any desire to do Dine with Shamu...mostly because my kids are EXTREMELY PICKY EATERS...to the point where they make even their loving mother want to scream! They prefer the Mickey mac and cheese so yes, I let them go to the restaurants they want while DH and I go to V&A, Le Cellier...you get the point. Anyway I digress...just wanted to explain why.

Any thoughts or ideas would be great!

 

[SandrA9810]

Actually, the food served at Dine with Shamu is very child friendly. They serve a large buffet with lots of stuff to choose from.
If you check the topic sea world menu, I made a post of all the menus and current prices, except at Seafire Inn cause it's always closed off for the Luau.

There's feedings at the dolphins, sea lions/seals, and sting rays. And as well, there's a penguin talk at 2pm every day. (as to how I got my picture in my sig).

Per person, the VIP tour really isn't bad price considering....
45$ for dinner
21$ for fish food - there's a discount if you buy 5 trays of food at stingrays and sea lions, and of course you can share your trays to save a little bit. But at the dolphins, it's 7$ per person to even enter the feeding area.
14$ for quick queu, but as we get into summer months, the price can go up to like 30$ or something high like that.
And then you've got some one cool to hang out with for the entire day. From what I understand, there's a few "breaks" from the guide, so you'll still have a chance to do something you want to.

 

[kathy884]

FYI: I realize that with all the great Orlando theme parks you'll be hitting you'll just be doing one day at Sea World, but I did want to mention, that just by going to the Customer Service desk with any one day ticket, you can get a second day free. I'm mentioning this just in case you fall in love with this park and want to forgo one day at one of the other theme parks and come back here instead. We love all of the theme parks in the Orlando area, but this one is our very favorite, and we usually do two days here. You won't see absoultely everything in one day, as this is a park to savor and enjoy. Please note that you can hit all the major attractions in Sea World in one day, so your one day plan will work just fine.

We usually get to Sea World at rope drop. My first suggestion is to immediately pick up a show schedule. You can see show schedules online too, but I always pick one up at entry into the park just in case things have changed. For a first activity, I'd recommend one of two things for you. You might want to go to Dolphin Cove right away and feed the dolphins, as they are most active in the morning. What we usually do, though, is go on the two roller coasters first -- Manta (the newest one first) and then Kracken as lines for these get long later in the day and you can walk right on in the morning.

After our thrill rides we plan the rest of the day around the show schedule and visit the animal exhibits between shows. I would recommend that you plan your day from there around 1) An Orca show (Believe or Shamu Rocks), 2) A Sea Lion show (Clyde and Semour or Sea Lions tonight), and 3) Blue Horizons (the Dolphin show). These are the headliner shows -- not to be missed. I recommend getting to the show venues 20 minutes before the show if possible, for good seats. At the Sea Lion show too there is a mime there before the show that is quite entertaining, and we always go there early to watch him interacting with audience members coming into the show. Each show lasts about 25 minutes.

In between shows visit animal venues that are nearby any time that is convienent with one exception. One really great animal venue is the Wild Artic, near Shamu Stadium (the Orca stadium). Go to this anytime EXCEPT right after an Orca show when this place will be a mod scene. This exhibit starts with a simulation ride and then you go into the Wild Artic animal exhibits. We like the simulation ride, but sometimes just see the movie in the handicapped line to get though more quickly. It doesn't usually work out for us on timing, but when we can, we go to the Wild Artic during one of the Shamu (Orca) shows -- almost no line at all then.

Doing a second day allows us to see additonal shows without feeling like we're just running from show to show. We usually just go for three shows a day (We do four if there are evening park hours). This seems perfect. My kids really love Pets Ahoy -- an animal show with little dogs, etc. With a second day we throw that in, but we skip this if we only have one day. And we just can't get enough of Shamu, with a second day if both are being offered we see both the Believe show and the Shamu Rocks show. Also there is a second version of the Sea Lion show called "Sea Lions Tonight" that we just love. It's so funny -- Here Sea World makes fun of all their other shows. It's typically just offered in the evening and only in the summers. With two days we can get in both Shamu Rocks and this show. With one day we have to choose one or the other.

Have a great time! We think Sea World is well worth visiting.

 

[kathy884]

Dine with Shamu is a one hour dinner with a buffet and a half hour talk with an Orca trainer. One of the Orcas also comes in and does a few activities in a little pool right next to the dining venue. This is not a replacment for seeing an Orca show (a must do), but is an addtional activity. There is a special buffet table set up for kids who are picky eaters with mararoni and cheese, hot dogs, pasta just buttered or red sauce, chicken nuggets (you get the picture). There are very plain vegtables like corn too. Plain fruit is available on another table too. And for kids that are picky dessert eaters -- there are black and white M and Ms. For my picky son who likes very plain foods, there were certainly things he would eat here.

The food is good, but not great. If you come to this experience, assume you are doing it to see Shamu up close and hear more information about working with the Orcas from a trainer, rather than coming to this for a fine dining experience. You'll have plenty of decent food to eat and won't go away hungry, but this is not a fine dining experience in any way, shape, or form.

I feel your pain about kids that are picky eaters. My husband is a foodie (would love Disney Signature resturants) and my son who is is 14 still eats the food from the little kid table at buffets like Dine with Shamu, likes plain vegtables, and forgoes other desserts for black and white M&Ms.

 

[kathy884]

One other tip too -- Summer Saturdays are extremely crowded at Sea World (lots of nearby season passholders, who are off during the weekends and go to the park). I would avoid this day for your visit. I only went on a summer Saturday once and found crowds heavier than at Christmas, 20 minute lines to purchase bottled water, and for the first time ever went to a show venue 15 minutes before the show started twice and couldn't get in. I wouldn't hesitate to go to the park over Christmas, but you won't see me there on a summer Saturday again.

 

[RabFlmom]

Contrary to PP who said you should choose between Clyde and Seamore and the night time Sea Lions tonite show and the Believe and the night time Shamu rocks. You should try to see the daytime shows and then stay for the nite time shows. They are totally different and both well worth seeing. Actually going to Sea LIon's tonight wighout going to the day time shows, you might not get the humor of the night shows.

But definitely check the schedule for the day and plan when you get to the park. What is posted on line may or may not be correct depending on what is happening (problems, larger crowds than expected etc because they may add shows etc) My advice would be to head to the dolphin feeding first thing when you walk in the gate at 9AM because they interact more during the first feeding. Then head to Manta and the other rides.

 

[SandrA9810]

I've never had an issue getting from Sea Lions Tonite to Shamu Rocks. Both shows are really fun to watch. It is a bit of a hussle to get to the other side of the park though.

Wild artic is like star tours, so if you have some one that doesn't like star tours, avoid wild artic cause it's worse. The "walking" version, just places you in a room with a bench seating, and you watch the same movie without being jerked around. The thing with wait time is, there's only two rooms for the walking version, and there's 4 simulators (but line depends on how many they have running).

 

[triton45]

Just a note - Dine with Shamu is cancelled until further notice

 

[kathy884]

FYI: Dine with Shamu is expected to resume this coming week. Here's a link to the article where I got this information and a copy of that section of the article. We've been keeping up on this, as we have "Dine with Shamu" reservations for March 16th.

Link:
http://www.examiner.com/x-2200-Orla...vised-killer-whale-show-to-resume-on-Saturday

Copied from Article:
"Atchison said the Dine With Shamu program will resume some time next week."

 

[diskids2]

Thanks for the great information! Do you think, since we are going in the summer, that the quick queue would be a good idea....I will get it if it's worth the money.....5 people times the cost pssible $30 .... $150?

I am going to look at the menu's and see about the buffet....I'll check back in later.

 

[triton45]

FYI: Dine with Shamu is expected to resume this coming week. Here's a link to the article where I got this information and a copy of that section of the article. We've been keeping up on this, as we have "Dine with Shamu" reservations for March 16th.

Thanks for the article. I will have to call next week to see if I can schedule.