Seaworld Newbie - pls help

[biggroofy]

We will visit Orlando with DD4 and infant (6-month-old) in March. We will stay in WDW resorts (SSR) but hope to plan a first visit to Seaworld or Universal Studio for a day.

I was browsing http://www.seaworld.com/orlando/default.aspx but a little bit lost. Can someone give me some ideas?

1). How long does it take to travel from WDW to Seaworld? With two children we can't leave resort too early (probably 10:00am) and wanted to be back at resort before 9:00pm. Given such time constraint, does it worth to spend a day in Sea World?

2). Dining - Any suggestions? I looked at http://commerce.4adventure.com/EStore/Scripts/Skins/SWF/DiningBookNow.aspx and did not have any ideas. Are "SeaWorld Orlando's Dine with Shamu" and "SeaWorld Orlando's Backstage at Believe" dinner shows? I am not sure what they are and they only mentioned Seating 1, but not the exact time. Which of these are better for a 4-year-old? Are both buffets?

3). Any must-see shows/rides for DD4? She is our VIP of the trip

4). Is the crowd manageable on a Fri/Sat during March Break?

 

[GrumpyFamilyof5]

I can try to help a little....
:we stayed close to WDW and it only took us 15 minutes to get there!
ur 6 year old was 5 at the time and loved the Shamu show and seeing the penquins and loved the ride Journey to Atlantis. He thought it was so cool to go to Dolphin Cove where he touched a dolphin! And of course the best place for a little one there.....Shamu's Happy Harbor, there a shamu rollar coaster and a big play area, perfect for little ones!!
:in all honesty from past experience, it doesn't matter really where you go in March down there, it's going to be quite crowded, most folks are on spring break. I would just do my best to hit the major rides in the morning. Let the little one play in Happy Harbor so you can have a little wind down time and just decide which shows you want to see and work around those times.
: as far as dining we did not try either of those, we went to the place where Dale Jr. car was(can't remember the name right now) hopefully someone else can. The food there was ok, they have indoor and outdoor seating, just be careful of the birds, they did their best to take our food!!!
Hope some of this helps!

*I remember the place we ate, it is Hospitality Deli, it was pretty decent, they have kids meals, ours came with a blue Shamu lunchbox. I can't remember everything to pick from, but our kids got a hotdog with chips and raisens along with a small drink. Hubby and I split a turkey sandwich(they are decently sized) and it came with potato salad.

 

[dolphingirl47]

I would say Seaworld is definitely worth the trip. Dine with Shamu and Backstage at Believe are buffets in the area that used to be the Shamu Close Up attraction. The food was good and plentiful and there was a separate buffet for kids. I am not sure if I would call it a dinner show, but we got to see a training session, a trainer did a talk about the killer whales and the training methods and we got to ask questions. We enjoyed it, but once is probably enough.
We love the Hospitality Deli. We only traveled with children once and they loved Mango Joe's Cafe and Mama's Kitchen.
Shamu's Happy Harbor is a great place for kids and they have 6 kid sized rides in there now including the Shamu Express roller coaster and a carousel with sea creatures.
I would recommend Pet's Ahoy and maybe Clyde and Seamore as far as shows are concerned. I think both Believe and Blue Horizons are a bit elaborate for a child this young. I would recommend doing the Penguin Encounter, Dolphin Cove, Manatee Rescue, the Dolphin Nursery and Pacific Point. If you are there during the summer months have a look at the Elmo show at the Bayside stadium.

dolphingirl

 

[biggroofy]

Thank you <b>dolphingirl47</b> and <b>GrumpyFamilyof5</b> I guess we will go for Seaworld this time.

Is parking far away @ Seaworld? With grandparents and DD4, I would like to minimize the walk outside Seaworld if possible. Wondering if I should drive from WDW, or hire a towncar.

I guess we will skip the Dine with Shamu and Backstage this time, due to the limited timeframe.

 

[OCEAN LOVE <3]

One parking lot you have to walk and the other (kind of in the back) you take a tram. It is a pretty far walk if you have to park all the way in the last spot in the row, but if you get one of the front spots than its not that bad.

 

[disneynewbee]

Looks like you got most of your answers just wanted to say make sure you take your DD to pet the stingrays and dolphins. My kids could have stood there petting and feeding the stingrays forever and my one dd was 4yo on that trip. That was definately the highlight for them and me.

 

[biggroofy]

Looks like you got most of your answers just wanted to say make sure you take your DD to pet the stingrays and dolphins. My kids could have stood there petting and feeding the stingrays forever and my one dd was 4yo on that trip. That was definately the highlight for them and me.

Thanks again for the replies.

Disneynewbee, where can my DD4 pet the stingrays and dolphins? Is it in Sea World, or it is in Discovery Cove?

 

[wwessing]

I think the poster was talking about SW. You can pet dolphins and stingrays. You should consider purchasing a book titled The Other Orlando by Kelly Monaghan. He has also authored THE book about Universal, which you might consider as well.

Check out www.intrepidtraveler.com. I've got the most current edition of both and highly recommend them. Our family has been planning our Orlando vacation for about 15 months and the books have been invaluable (along with these boards).

 

[calebbo08]

Defentily worth going to SW the ride you need to check out is kraken.the only problam is you must be 54" tall. so i dont no.

 

[Ileana]

You can pay extra for "preferred" parking that literally puts you right to the front of the park entrance

 

[disneynewbee]

Thanks again for the replies.

Disneynewbee, where can my DD4 pet the stingrays and dolphins? Is it in Sea World, or it is in Discovery Cove?

You can do this at Sea World. For the dolphins there are certain hours listed per day and you buy some fish (not expensive) and feed and pet them. You can pet them without paying to feed them but the dolphins only want to come to those with food. The stingrays you can pet and feed all day. We actually enjoyed petting them more than the dolphins. You can pet them plenty without paying to feed them but you have to try feeding them at least once it was great. Have a great trip.