Who's been to Sea World...

[Soupermom]

I posted the following on the Sea World board, but there doesn't seem to be much action over there; I was hoping someone here might have some suggestions....TIA!


Greetings all! I'm a newbie to this section of the DISboards and I've been trying to read through all of the information. I've even visited the SeaWorld website, but now I"m just overwhelmed. Could someone answer a few general questions please? TIA

Is there a planning video/info packet you can request from SeaWorld, like WDW?

Did I read correctly that you can go one day, and then return the next day for free? Does it have to be the very next day, or can it be a few days later?

Discovery Cove tickets include admission to SeaWorld? Is that correct? Is it just for a day, or do I keep reading something about 7 days? Do these seven days have to be within a certain time frame, or do they never expire? (Yeah, right.)

I"ve been as a child, but hope to take my DH, DD11, and DS8 next spring bread while we visit WDW. How much time do you need to "do" SeaWorld these days?

We have SW Rapid Rewards and are AAA members...is SW the best deal? What about the free next day? Discovery Cove?

Is there a place in SW where you can feed/pet/have photo taken with dolphins etc? (I'm guessing we won't be able to afford DC!)

THANKS so much for all of the help I know I'll receive!!!!

 

[FayeW]

We loved SeaWorld! Shark Encounter alone was worth the price of admission! You do get a second day free, must be used within 7 days. The DC admission includes 7 consecutive days at SW. Depending on what time of year you go, you could do most of it in one day, but 2 days is probably ideal. You can feed and pet the dolphins and the stingrays. They sell small packs of fish to feed them, but only at certain times. You can touch the stingrays anytime, but the dolphins are really only interested in interacting if you've got some food for them. We had a great time!

 

[Chip126]

I can help with some of your questions!

I do not think that they have a planning video, but I do believe that you can request information either from their phone number or on their website.

As far as going one day and getting the next day free - Yes, you can go one day, purchase your tickets, take them to a special "next day free" window. They will take your picture and give you another ticket. You can then use this ticket once within the next seven days.

I do not have any information on Discovery Cove - I have never done that.

There is a place to feed and pet the dolphins. It is awesome! There is someone there that does take "random" pictures and then if you are one of the people that had their picture taken you can purchase them.

Seaworld can be done in a day, but the last time we did it in 2003, we took advantage of the next day free offer. It worked out great because we were able to take our time the first day and then the next day we went back we were able to see everything that we missed and then do our favorites again.

I hope I was able to help with a few of your questions......good luck in your decision!

 

[dixipixi]

Hi! Just thought I would try and answer some of your questions. As far as I know, there isn't any SW planning packet to order. They do have some good info on their website. It seems like the last time we were there we overheard some people talking about getting in 2 days for the price of 1. We've never used that option, so I don't know exactly how it works. We have always bought the Orlando Flex Ticket which has worked out to be a really great deal for us. But we always do Universal and Wet N Wild also. Last time we even got to visit Busch Gardens!

DC admission does include 7 days admission to SW, but it has to be used within the same week. We have found that it could take a full day to do SW for first timers or anyone interested in seeing everything there. On our last couple of trips, we have went to SW over a couple of evenings. We tend to visit our favorite exhibits and anything new and catch the evening Shamu show along with the fireworks.

I absolutely LOVE SW! It is one of my favorites. It seems more relaxing than any of the others and I like the idea that I can go for the afternoon or evening and still feel like I got my money's worth.

There is an area by the dolphin pool where you can feed them. There are scheduled periods throughout the day for the feedings. I have some wonderful photos we have taken there. At times I have seen photographers from SW there also taking pictures you could buy. A couple of times, there wasn't anyone. So bring your own camera just in case!

Hope this helps!

 

[striker3636]

Well.... I can answer a couple... The deal with the second day is that once you buy your admission ticket and go inside the main gate there is a booth off to the left where you present your entry ticket, and they'll take your picture and issue you a photo ticket that allows you to return once within a seven day period for free. Doesnt have to be a consecutive day, you go any day within the seven day window. The other option is that I believe they have an entry ticket which is $5 more than a base ticket which is essentially an annual pass, should you wish to go more than twice or are planning a return trip to Florida inside of a year.

Re: the dolphins, they have a large dolphin holding area that allows feeding and photographing... every couple of hours the concession opens there and for $4 you can buy a tray (or as many as you like) that holds three fish. The concession has a limited amount of fish, and once it's gone the feeding is done until the next scheduled one to avoid overfeeding, so if its busy, the lineup happens early for the fish as there is potential to run out. The dolphins will pretty much ignore you until you buy some fish, then you have their full attention for a short period of time as they come for your fish. You should be able to have a short interaction and touch with the dolphin for each fish if you're lucky, and if you can get someone standing by with a camera you should be able to get some shots... see here: http://www.pbase.com/striker3636/image/40514837 for an idea of what to expect there.
They also have feeding areas for sea lions and stingrays.
I've never done Discovery Cove so can't comment. Re: the amount of time, you can see pretty much all of it in one full day, but there's always stuff we want to do again and end up going back for the second free day in 5-7 days after doing Disney for a while. We always go in January-February when crowds are lowest so we've never had to deal with crowds or line-ups, if you're going in March Break and end up standing in lines, you may need the second day just to get around to everything. You may choose to pass on day #2 if you think youve seen it all on day 1 and are limited in your vacation time.

 

[JoannaOhio]

We went to SeaWorld on Christmas Day 2000, and it didn't feel crowded at all. We're going to Florida in December this year, and we plan to do all our Disney visits between Dec. 19th & 23rd, then go to SeaWorld on the 24th - and probably back again for our 2nd day free on the 30th. (Two in our party will be on a cruise Dec. 25-29.)

 

[Aidensmom]

You can do the whole park in one day if you skip a couple of the shows, but I would definately recommend 2 days. We are Florida residents, and we get AP's to a different theme park each year: We had AP's to Sea World two years ago, and I really miss it, it is a great park. You can get a "Fun Card" which entitles you to unlimited visits through the end of the year for about $10 more than a one-day ticket, so if you want to spend more than 2 days, this is definately the way to go. If you want to pet the dolphins, you are definately going to have to feed them too, or stand right next to someone who is feeding them. First thing when you get to the park, check what time the food goes on sale and be one of the first people in line to get it so you can be one of the first to the dolphin pool. It gets extremely crowded and it is hard to get up to the pool. I would also recomment you go to lunch (it is cheaper than dinner) at Sharks Underwater Grill. It is a full service restaurant with wonderful food where one whole wall of the restaurant is a huge shark tank from the Shark Encounter attraction. In the morning, walk up to the restaurant and make reservations for a tank-side table. If you eat at an off-hour, such as 11:00 am, it is easiest to get a tank-side table. You can find just about all the information you need about the park at www.seaworld.com.

 

[Soupermom]

Thanks for all of the wonderful information. I will definately put 2 days into my plan for our trip next year! The photos were great and very helpful...any other suggestions anyone?

 

[Soupermom]

My SIL said they had "dinner with Shamu"..can anyone tell me about this and other dining options...costs involved? Thanks!

 

[pammypooh]

Just returned last weekend. We did Discovery Cove and Seaworld. We felt DC was one of the best things that we have done as a family. It was totally worth the money. Very relaxing and enjoyable. We did the dolphin swim as well, and it was fun. We just really enjoyed the atmosphere, no rushing, no lines, everything was at your own pace. The time we had to keep was our assigned dolphin swim. We visited Seaworld the day before DC and saw almost everything that we wanted to. An extra day would have been nice, but I just didn't plan for it. Maybe next time.

Pam

 

[DVCTiff]

Thanks so much for the info everyone. We're doing DC in May and before I read this thread I thought we only got entrance to SW free once within 7 days - not seven consecutive days of entrance! Now I'm sorry I didn't extend our trip! Knowing this, we may go one evening before spending all day there the next day. Now that I know we can get in twice!!!

 

[DianeV]

I highly recommend the animal show (the one with dogs etc) Its much better then the Animal Planet one at Universal. They use adopted animals and they are adorable