SeaWorld? Dinner Shows?

[mapa2smjn]

We are looking for a few non disney ideas for the days we don't have park tickets.
My parents were interested in SeaWorld...but I am not convinced it is worth the $60 ticket! My husband is afraid it will just be a souped up aquarium and we would have been better off doing something else.
We are taking my parents and our 4 kids..dd15,ds13,ds10,ds7.
We were also considering a dinnershow. Again, are they worth the cost? Is the food any good? Any favorites you can recommend?

Thanks
K

 

[powellrj]

my kids love seaworld ( check out my sig pictures!!). On our trip last month, we had a day left on seaworld tickets and a day left on Disney tickets and the kids (9 dd and 14 ds) picked seaworld! You get to feed and touch with many of the exhibits and they have shows and 2 thrill type rides. Check out the seaworld page and see what discounts are still available because they did have a 2nd day free promo, a free lunch promo and several % off promos.

We are not really a dinner show type family, we have been to them over the years, but nobody is really thrilled about them so we don't do them. Check around there are lots of coupons available for these if you are interested.

 

[Amyrlin]

I have got tickets for Dolly Partons Dixie Stampede and Medieval Knights as they sounded the best. A friend went to the Arabian Knights dinner show and said it was OK as long as you were going to see the horses, otherwise she found it rather boring and that children got bored, whereas she said Medieval Knights kept the children happy with the cheering for their knight.

However, this is word of mouth, and not personal opinion.

 

[Heather Smith]

My kids (5 and 7) love Sea World and we never go to Orlando without going there. We have Busch platinum passes so the cost is already covered for us.

We went to the Shamu dinner show and the kids had a great time because you get to see the whales close up, and the trainers are there talking about how they train the animals.

The food was edible, but not that great. You are definately just paying for the experience.

I'm sure though that there are also a lot of kids who would not enjoy this park as there are only two rides.

 

[ozarkmom]

Out of everything we did in Orlando my family overall enjoyed Sea World the most. There is so much to see and the shows are great. As far as rides we loved Journey to Atlantis and the Wild Arctic. I don't like coasters but my daughter thought Kraken was awesome. If they had a couple more rides this park would be perfect.

 

[Heather Smith]

Another thought - you said your parents will be with you as well. My parents go to Orlando with us a lot and this is by far their favorite. They enjoy the shows and the more relaxed atmosphere.

Don't forget the free beer at the hospitality center!

 

[Debbie Jean]

My kids (5 and 7) love Sea World and we never go to Orlando without going there. We have Busch platinum passes so the cost is already covered for us.

We went to the Shamu dinner show and the kids had a great time because you get to see the whales close up, and the trainers are there talking about how they train the animals.

The food was edible, but not that great. You are definately just paying for the experience.

I'm sure though that there are also a lot of kids who would not enjoy this park as there are only two rides.

We are also great fans of Seaworld! There are only a few rides but lots of great shows... Shamu, the Dolphins, Pets Ahoy (our new fav! ), waterskiing. We also love petting the sting rays and the Clydesdales and going through the shark tank. We've done the Dining with Shamu event and as you say, the food is nothing special...it's all about the whale!

When we were there in June, we took advantage of the buy 1 get 2 days offer... a great buy!

 

[isla bonita]

My mom took my 2 sons and my neice to Sea World and they all loved it. There is something there for everyone. They loved the coaster Kraken, they loved the show and they ate with Shamu and they totally loved it. My family who went are not big food critics. As long as they had a great time they didn't notice the food. Ages were between 64-8.

 

[lovemygoofy]

It's just my dh and I with no kids so I don't even know if I should chime in but here goes. We love SeaWorld. There are great shows and fun rides and honestly it is more laid back to us. You can do a ride then do a show so you aren't just constantly standing in lines but actually enjoying the day.

We loved Dixie Stampeded. The story line is North v. South that has trick riders and dancing and singing with some great visual props. The food has to be eaten with your hands. You are served individual game hens with potato that are seasoned, a corn on the cob, some soup and roll and a apple pie for dessert. You drink out of a mason jar. I didn't think that was a big deal but boy you should have seen my Yankee dh who looked like he had never even seen a mason jar.

Sometimes you can get deals buying dinner shows and other attraction tickets together. Have a great vacation.

 

[figgy4me]

Us, also -- two adults.............
My DH LOVES SeaWorld. We do not go to Florida without going - usually two days. You pay for one day and get a second free. You sign up for the free day as soon as you get into the park. We use these as our "catch your breath" days. The pace is slower and we enjoy all the shows and watching the dolphins in the feeding area. And with the free day, you can do what you please and catch the rest another day. I believe Kraken is the only coaster I know that does not jerk my neck.

And go to mousesavers.com to learn how to save 20% on tickets. You will need to check how many admissions it is good for. You might have to get a card for your parents also.

 

[Mortimer]

We did Mystery Dinner Theater (it is at the Grosvenor Hotel near Downtown Disney). It was a blast for all ages. Some of the humor was abit above kids heads, but the cast got the kids involved with the show. It is a 'who dun it'. Kids assisted 'Shirly Holmes' (Sherlock Holmes sister or wife - cant remember now).

Food was good. It is a buffet. When you go up to the buffet, the person next to you, may be a cast member - so listen to what they say for hints!

I wondered about the Luau at Sea World - has anyone been?

Kate

 

[becca011906]

Wow, lots of good thoughs on sea world. We went last year for the first time with our almost 4 y/o and 20 month old and i was pregnant we didnt' think it was worth the $, and wish we would have just spent the time in disney. we can see most of that stuff at our zoo or the living seas in epcot, maybe i was missing something but just wasn't our thing i guess and i love dolphine and my dh is big into saltwater fish (we have saltwater aquairum)... JMO though!

As for the dinner shows me and dh love them we've been to medevil times and dolly parten show and loved them both! the food was great at both and very very filling as in no need for lunch the day of the show! we decided that we weren't going this time around since we have younger kids but i think your kids would prolly like it. If you can buget for it i say it's a fun night out!

 

[MKCP5]

We LOVE Seaworld. Check their website because I was just on and they have some great delas right now--including use your ticket one day and reuse as much as you want within the next 7 days. Great deal. Fun, relaxed laid back park. Beautiful shows. We did the dinner w/ shamu last year. It was okay but I wouldn't do it again. The food was very mediocre but Shamu was cool up close. GO! Have fun!!