Various Seaworld Questions!!

[WDW_lover_in_SC]

No but really my girlfriend and I are going to SeaWorld because she's never been and I haven't been in so long I can't really remember going! We're Disney people to the core and we realize that SW will be different...but just how much different will it be? So heres some of my main concerns with SW! Thanks in advance for the help!

1) Does SW allow bags inside for us to carry our wallets and drinks and stuff? We usually wear gym clothes basically so it will be comfortable for us! But even when we dress normally we still like to carry a bag so we don't have to waste money on snacks and drinks and have a place to keep our purchases safe!

2) If they do allow bags when youre on a ride like Kraken and Manta do they have cubbies that you can put your bags in like some parks do or are you basically responsible for finding your own way to keep the bag safe?

3) Is SW a all day park? We don't want to miss anything at all. We want to see all the shows ride all the rides and even see the fireworks if they're still doing them September 27th-Oct 1st. (not sure which day we're going there) If we wanted to do it all would we have to be at the gates at opening?

4) Are there anythings that couples have fun doing there? Like say eating at the restaurant with the sharks swimming around you? Is that hard to get into? Should I make a reservation? I always like to surprise her like last time we ate at Crystal Palace in the Magic Kingdom. Is there anywhere like that at SW?

Again guys thanks for the help! If you have any general tips please also include them! We want to love SW just like we love Disney!

 

[Thumper_Man]

No but really my girlfriend and I are going to SeaWorld because she's never been and I haven't been in so long I can't really remember going! We're Disney people to the core and we realize that SW will be different...but just how much different will it be? So heres some of my main concerns with SW! Thanks in advance for the help!

1) Does SW allow bags inside for us to carry our wallets and drinks and stuff? We usually wear gym clothes basically so it will be comfortable for us! But even when we dress normally we still like to carry a bag so we don't have to waste money on snacks and drinks and have a place to keep our purchases safe!

Yes, you may bring a bag with you to the park. Like at Disney, it will be searched before you go into the park. As far as wasting money on snacks and stuff, unfortunately you will have to. SW doesn't allow outside food or drinks. Click HERE for food and beverage policy.

2) If they do allow bags when youre on a ride like Kraken and Manta do they have cubbies that you can put your bags in like some parks do or are you basically responsible for finding your own way to keep the bag safe?

Yes. There are lockers you can use. If I remember they charge you to use the lockers though. I want to say they were $1. There is no time limit though, so you can use it as long as you wish.

3) Is SW a all day park? We don't want to miss anything at all. We want to see all the shows ride all the rides and even see the fireworks if they're still doing them September 27th-Oct 1st. (not sure which day we're going there) If we wanted to do it all would we have to be at the gates at opening?

Yes. SW is an all day park and yes I would be there when the gates open.

4) Are there anythings that couples have fun doing there? Like say eating at the restaurant with the sharks swimming around you? Is that hard to get into? Should I make a reservation? I always like to surprise her like last time we ate at Crystal Palace in the Magic Kingdom. Is there anywhere like that at SW?

Even though we've never done any of the dining, we have do some of the Exclusive Park Experiences, like getting an up close tour of the dolphins. Those are always fun and educational.

Again guys thanks for the help! If you have any general tips please also include them! We want to love SW just like we love Disney!

One suggestion I can make is to look at SW site before you go. See what time the show times are and make a plan for the day you want to go. Sometimes the show times can be pretty close together and tend to fill up quickly since there are only so many per day. Plan to be in the general area of the show you want to see. See the exhibits close by and try to line up about 30 minutes or so, before the show starts. I think this more or less when they let people in. SW can easily be an all day park by the time you see all the exhibits and ride the rides (some more than once).

If you want to save on food and snacks, you can take advantage of the all day dining deal. It's $30 per adult, but really does save you money in the long run. When DW and I went last year, we went with some other family members. A meal for 5 people was close to $100. If you plan it right, you can do an early lunch and late dinner.

Another suggestion, and this was our favorite is to get the quick queue tickets. Looking at the website, I noticed they now offer 2. An all day and a one time access. When we went last year, it was just the all day and wasn't as expensive as it is now. For us it was well worth it. I can't tell you how many times they came in handy. Lines for Manta, JtA and Kraken can get pretty long and often times you can spend an hour waiting in line. With these tickets, I think we landed up riding each ride at least 2 times (4 on Manta).

These are some of the best suggestions I can offer at the moment. If you want to know more, just send me a pm and I will tell more about our experiences and how we did things.

 

[chiamarie]

No but really my girlfriend and I are going to SeaWorld because she's never been and I haven't been in so long I can't really remember going! We're Disney people to the core and we realize that SW will be different...but just how much different will it be? So heres some of my main concerns with SW! Thanks in advance for the help!



1) Does SW allow bags inside for us to carry our wallets and drinks and stuff? We usually wear gym clothes basically so it will be comfortable for us! But even when we dress normally we still like to carry a bag so we don't have to waste money on snacks and drinks and have a place to keep our purchases safe!


Yes, you can take bags in! Just no straws or plastic lids or ballons; just like DAK...for the safety of the animals!

2) If they do allow bags when youre on a ride like Kraken and Manta do they have cubbies that you can put your bags in like some parks do or are you basically responsible for finding your own way to keep the bag safe?


No, you're not allowed to bring bags in. SW is probably the worst park about bags and rides. There are lockers that I think are .50 or .75 to rent at all of the ride entrances. The employees at the beginning of the lines will tell you have to leave it with a non rider, or rent a locker.

3) Is SW a all day park? We don't want to miss anything at all. We want to see all the shows ride all the rides and even see the fireworks if they're still doing them September 27th-Oct 1st. (not sure which day we're going there) If we wanted to do it all would we have to be at the gates at opening?



Everyone's opinions will differ, but I think it's an all day park. There are 4 big rides (Manta, Kraken, Journey to Atlantis, and WIld Arctic), 3 main shows that will take an hour each to see (half hour before the show to get good seats, half hour to watch the show) as well as several animal exhibits to see.There are also backstage tours and special animal tours to get more up close with the animals.

4) Are there anythings that couples have fun doing there? Like say eating at the restaurant with the sharks swimming around you? Is that hard to get into? Should I make a reservation? I always like to surprise her like last time we ate at Crystal Palace in the Magic Kingdom. Is there anywhere like that at SW?

Sounds like you've already done your research...Sharks Underwater Grill is currently the only sit down resturant open. They will be opening Dine With Shamu at somepoint, but it's still unknown as to when. If you want to eat at Sharks, then yes, book a reservation! If you want to do something extra special, I suggest looking into some of the animal tours they offer. There is a behind the scens where you get to see the back stage animal rescue areas, pet a shark, pet a penguin, and see the back stage of some of wild arctic I believe. You can also pay to have a private interaction with Beluga Whales, or take a tour to see Penguins/Puffins; or a Dolphin tour.

Again guys thanks for the help! If you have any general tips please also include them! We want to love SW just like we love Disney!

All in all, it sounds like you've already done your research! Some suggestions would be, to plan your days around the show times. And be there first thing in the AM if you want to feed the dolphins, its the best time, and least crowded. Just as a heads up, I don't believe there are any fireworks shows until christmas time again. They are only open until 6pm (except for Spooktacular, the weekends in October when Halloween Festivities are going on, then I think they're open til 7 or 8). Just go with an open mind and a more relaxed pace. Just think of it more as a Zoo or Aquarium (because, really, thats what it is) rather than a Theme Park.

 

[WDW_lover_in_SC]

Thanks so much for both of your tips! We've decided that going with the meal plan will be a lot cheaper than not since we cant bring certain things in! Also we won't have to bring a bag we've decided to wait until the end to shop! (Which sucks I just bought a bag with a cooler haha but we can use that in the MK when we go)