A Guide to Help Ace a SeaWorld San Diego Visit

# Seaside Resorts

# Entertainment

# Amusement Parks

# San Diego

TripBlog

Sep 20, 2019

Catalogue

What you need to know about SeaWorld, San Diego
Planning your trip
What to take with you
Some essential tips
SeaWorld’s best attractions
Animal experiences
Shows for the whole family
Roller coasters and Rides
Where to stay around SeaWorld San Diego
Where to eat

Show More

The SeaWorld San Diego is a theme park centred on marine life featuring world-renowned shows, close- up marine animal encounters and an opportunity to interact with animals and learn about them and their environments. The park features multiple shows, 16 rides, animal tours, and interactive exhibits where you can get to see and touch a number of animals which you otherwise don’t have an opportunity to interact with. While the theme park is primarily centred on interactions with sea life, it has something to offer for everybody who visits. Make sure you catch one of the many entertaining shows involving seals, dolphins, and even killer whales. Thrill-seekers can have a fun time going on many of the rides and roller coasters in the park. The one thing most people realize after their visit to Seaworld San Diego is that it’s a place that’s a world leader in animal care, rescue missions, conservation and research. Anyone wanting to experience the best of what the park has to offer should plan on staying for a whole day or plan a two-day visit to experience all the exhibits, shows and rides.

A Guide to Help Ace a SeaWorld San Diego Visit

SeaWorld San Diego started as a marine zoological park in 1964 along Mission Bay, and today it is as much as a theme park as it is a marine park. It's animal exhibits, awe-inspiring shows, aquariums and personal encounters with marine life offers much to see and do when a visit is properly planned. The park features well known marine animals such as orcas, dolphins and sea lions that are involved in live shows that captivate the audience with carefully orchestrated tricks they perform with their trainers. Explorer’s Reef which is an interactive experience, allows visitors to immerse their hands in the water and touch many of the marine animals in it. If that’s not cool enough, then try the Beluga Interaction Program which allows visitors to touch and feed the friendly Beluga whales. Being home to hundreds of aquatic animals and even Penguins, Seaworld San Diego is an incredible place to experience everything marine. Despite criticism about the captivity of animals, the park has done much in terms of educating the visitors about the fragility of ocean environments and its conservation efforts. SeaWorld also has an animal rescue and rehabilitation program that has helped thousands of injured animals over the years.

Summer is the park’s busiest season when all of the shows, rides, and attractions are open to the public. It is also the hottest time of the year to visit, therefore plan to visit in some of the cooler months if you hate crowds and the searing summer heat. That being said, one of the best times to visit Seaworld San Diego is during spring or fall where you can avoid the summer heat and crowd and also the rainy weather of the winter. A winter visit always carries the chance of unpredictable weather and the possibility of show cancellations. Thankfully SeaWorld San Diego offers Sunny Day tickets for free for those who couldn’t fully enjoy their visit due to rain.

With plenty of things to explore in the park, you will need a whole day to experience all the amazing things the park has to offer. Hard-core fans of animals and theme parks can do well if they take advantage of the VIP tours to cover all the shows and take all the rides-adding an extra day is great idea to experience everything. The park offers annual passes for frequent visitors while one-time visitors can cover the whole park in two days. Ideally, book your tickets ahead of time online so you can avail discounts and make reservations for animal encounters.

Several of the rides have height restrictions, and the website page has all the information on it. Rides can be booked based on what your children are or aren’t allowed to try. Strollers, wheelchairs, and ECVs can also be rented ahead of time online.

While Seaworld San Diego is open throughout the year their operating hours for the public vary based on the time of the year and the day of the week. Therefore be sure to check with their schedule to time your visit. They usually open at 10 am on regular days, and 9 am on select days.

Travel light. Since you’re going to be in the park all day long, drop all the things you won’t need at home, including the lighter load in your wallet. If you’ve been to water parks you would know how useful it is to wear clothing and footwear that are either quick drying or water-resistant, Seaworld San Diego is no different. You will get splashed at some point on a ride or during a show. Comfortable shoes and light trousers that don’t go any lower than your calves are ideal.
If you wish to experience the“splash zones”at the whale or the dolphin shows, ensure you take a Ziploc bag to secure all your electronic items as you will get soaked. A waterproof action camera is perfect for capturing the best moments in the park or secure your regular camera in the plastic bag along with your other valuables.
You’ll need plenty of waterproof sunscreen, hats and a pair of sunglasses throughout the year as you’ll spend lots of time in the sun. For the evenings take extra-warm clothing even during the summers.
Take an extra set of clothes if you’re travelling with kids. They will most likely get wet at some point.

The bulk of the crowd moves into the park around mid-day, therefore get there as close to the opening time as possible for a more crowd-free experience.
Schedule your activities around the shows as it’s the best way to get to know most about the animals. If you’re lucky, you can be front in line to watch the sharks and rays being fed. Get a map at the information centre to get to know the show timings and navigate your way easily.
Plan to watch the outdoor shows in the morning before the sun gets high and the heat becomes a bit much to bear. Sitting in the splash zone in the midday sun is an experience in itself but it’s not for all. You can plan to watch the indoor attractions around midday where it’s cool and your damp clothes will keep you cooler.
Watch out for the‘splash zones’at shows and rides. The front seats of rides such as Journey of Atlantis and Shipwrecked Rapids get soaked. Most of the shows are full most of the times therefore you will either have to get there earlier to get the best seat or make a reservation. The seats at the splash zones are colour-coded, however one look at the place can tell you how far the water gets.
Eat a good breakfast before you arrive. You will need all the calories to keep you running all day, and even if your lunch isn’t very fulfilling you won’t get too tired and miss out on the fun. Although food isn’t allowed, you can bring in water bottles as you will need to stay hydrated.
If you arrive early at the shows, you can get treated to some extra fun from the pre-show antics by performers such as Clyde and Seamore the sea lions. If you aren’t sure that you might like a show, pick one of the back seats so you can exit discretely.
Getting your hand stamped is a good way to come and leave the park quickly as you please.
Purchasing a quick queue pass is a good idea during the busy season, such as summers and holidays. It gives you front line access to many of the rides.

Seaworld San Diego has much to offer for tourists of all kinds of interests, and if you were under the impression that it’s mostly for kids, you'd be surprised at how much fun it is for the whole family. Between close up animal encounters, amazing shows, and thrilling rides, SeaWorld San Diego is a delight for everyone.

SeaWorld, San Diego, is well known for its animal encounters where you get up close and personal with marine animals that you cannot even hope of getting close to in the wild. Numerous aquariums, pools and open tanks house thousands of species of ocean life ranging from corals, fish, eels, octopuses, turtles, sharks, sea lions, and killer whales. Right at the beginning the journey starts at Explorer’s Reef, which allows you to touch the fishes, sharks, and rays that live in the shallow pool. Some of the other top attractions include:

Shark Encounter: This experience begins with watching the sharks from above the tank and getting a bird’s eye view followed by a view from inside as you enter a tunnel that goes through the tank. As you move through the aquarium, you get breathtaking panoramic views of the surrounding shark-filled water.
Beluga Interaction Program: This slightly pricey encounter gets you close to the super friendly and adorable Beluga whales. You will be allowed to touch and feed these whales and learn about them from a whole new perspective. It’s often quoted as the most favourite encounter by all.
Otter Outlook: Otters are among the most playful of all animals and this encounter will treat you to Otters as they frolic and play in the clear blue water of the tank. If you are present when they feed these adorable creatures, you can also get a short presentation on their behaviour by the trainers.
Orca underwater viewing: You will get to see the full glory of these majestic creatures of the sea.While they are known as killer whales, they are mostly gentle and playful with people, and you get to learn all about them.
Ocean Explorer Animals: This aquarium encounter brings you close to some of the strangest creatures in the ocean such as the spider crabs, giant octopus, California moray eels,and more.

SeaWorld San Diego is committed to the conservation of animals and ecosystems and helping with the rehabilitation of injured wild animals. The best way to send a message out to families about the importance of conservation is through family-centred entertainment shows. Here are the top ones:

Orca Encounter: You will get to see the amazing power and speed of these gentle giants and how well they can be trained to perform tricks along with their trainers. This is one of the best shows at the park that is centred on the behaviour, size, and strength of the killer whales.
Dolphin Days: Probably the most adorable show in the park, the Dolphin Days showcases the intelligence and fun-loving nature of dolphins along with their acrobatic prowess. Watch as the dolphin trainers take then through some incredible series of well-rehearsed stunts.
Sea Lion Live: The most hilarious show in the sea world, this one involves Clyde and Seamore the sea lion duo who enact parodies of popular shows along with O.P. the otter.
Cirque Electrique: This summer-only show is a dazzling display of performers with LED suits in the night.

Although SeaWorld is popular for its animal attractions, it has evolved into a broader entertainment complex with the inclusion of roller coasters and thrilling rides to suit a broader range of visitors. The park features roller coasters for the thrill-seekers and raft rides for those who seek something calmer. Here are the top rides at SeaWorld:

Electric Eel: The Electric Eel is the fastest and the highest roller coaster in all of San Diego. The ride takes you through a 150 ft drop at speeds exceeding 60 miles an hour leaving you gasping for breath. Then it goes into a series of inverted loops and a heartline roll.
Skytower: This one gives you the most spectacular panoramic views of the surrounding city and the ocean up to a hundred miles in every direction.
Tidal Twister: This thrilling new addition in 2019 features two trains running from opposite ends on a figure-8 track. At the intersection, they do a dynamic roll at 30 miles an hour for an exhilarating collision effect.
Manta: Named after the Manta-Ray of the ocean, this roller coaster has a max speed of 43 miles per hour. Its track also includes a 54-foot drop underground for an interesting effect.
Journey to Atlantis: This ride involves based boat segments and the familiar ups and downs of a roller coaster. Since it also features splashdown landings, those in the front seats are sure to get wet.

Seaworld San Diego is located at 500 Sea World Drive on the south end of Mission Bay. Although you can easily make your way to the park from any hotel in San Diego, if you’re looking for places with hotels closest to the park, these are your best options:

Mission Bay: This place north of the park about 5 minutes away is close to the water and has a number of great hotels and resorts with world-class amenities.
Pacific Beach: This area north of Mission Bay has some good hotels on the Mission Boulevard.
Old Town: Less than 10-minute drive to the southeast of seaworld, this part of the city has a number of moderately priced hotels that are located close to restaurants and shopping centres.
Hotel Circle: If you’re looking for the lowest priced hotels that are close to the restaurants, this is where you need to head to. It is just of I-8, east of SeaWorld.

If you want to bring your own food, you will have to head to the picnic area close to the entrance to enjoy it as food is not permitted inside. However, a special experience called Dine with Shamu is available on advanced reservation which offers an intimate dining experience with SeaWorld’s family of killer whales. You will sit on the poolside and have a choice of menu that locally sourced and organic. For food outside the park, here are some good options:

Mission Cafe: Great place for breakfast with a Mexican touch.
Phil’s BBQ: The go-to place for some classic American barbecue food.
Devine Pastabilities: A great place to relax, grab a beer, and get some carb-loaded food.
JV’s Mexican Food: A place for Californian surf and turf with a touch of Mexican.

To sum it up, SeaWorld is a place not only for animal lovers but also thrill-seekers and family vacationers. If San Diego is in your travel itinerary, you can get cheap deals on flight tickets combines with discount hotels for big savings in our tour packages. For the best experience of Seaworld San Diego, book with us early and enjoy your travel and visit at low prices.

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