A New 2005 Adventure – Sharks, Killer Whales, Dolphins, Penguins and Polar Bears!
Written: Jan 24 '05 (Updated Mar 09 '05)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Fun for all ages, new shows and activities
Cons: Mostly outdoor park, hard to get to the shows on time, admission prices.
The Bottom Line: A theme park worth seeing for families who enjoy aquatic animals.
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| xyzwyatt's Full Review: Sea World Florida |
Sea World is constantly changing so if you haven’t been in awhile be prepared for a new adventure. Every year new shows are added and old skits are replaced with new ones. The park offers animal exhibits, entertaining shows, side entertainment, and theme rides.
There are a lot of expensive and extravagant sea animals such as sharks, killer whales, dolphins, penguins, polar bears, and manatees at Sea World. Each species has an exhibit strategically placed in the park. The exhibits are realistic to their environment, trainers are highly qualified, and the shows have been fine tuned for a smooth presentation.
The animals are very impressive. They have been trained to do the most amazing tricks and each show is different. Animals enjoy diversity in the routines so to keep the animals interested they perform different tricks. I have found that sometimes the animals do a better job performing than the humans do!
Shows
Shamu
Shamu is the main attraction at Sea World. There is one AM show called “Shamu Adventure” and a nighttime show called “Shamu Rocks America”. This is a very awesome performance by the killer whales. The stadium is outside surrounded by a huge pool where the entertainers and whales perform. Seats fill up quickly for these two shows so plan on arriving 20-30 minutes before show time for good seats. There is a huge screen where they play a message from Jack Hanna. The crowd can play a game along with Jack Hanna while the stadium is filling up.
Odyssea
Odyssea is in an air conditioned theater with metal bench seating. Arriving to this show early enables you to get the best seats which are up front. There is a really funny mime that arrives before the show starts for entertainment. The room will become pitch dark which may be frightening for young children. This is a 30 minute presentation by some very talented individuals who perform unbelievable acrobatic and gymnastic stunts. The presentation has lights, music, detailed costumes, and many vibrant props.
Key West Dolphin Fest
Key West is still in the making, shows will begin in the summer of 2005. Sea World has a huge amount of dolphins so I’m eager to see what stunts they come up with. I imagine this show will be fantastic! This is a good example of how the park changes every year.
Pets Ahoy!
This is a 25 minute indoor theater show that you will see animals such as dogs, cats, rats, and a pig that perform funny skits. These animals were previously from an animal rescue center which makes it that much more amazing!
Clyde and Seamore
Clyde and Seamore is my daughter’s favorite show. The stadium is outside and the prop is one huge ship. A sea lion, otter, and walrus put on a funny skit with the trainers.
Seeing the Shows
It is important to get a map at the beginning of your day and plan which shows you will see. Each show only runs a couple times during the day and are strategically overlapped so you have to plan in order to see them all. We have left the park many times disappointed because we did not get to see the shows we wanted to see. I would recommend allotting 15 minutes to walk to the performance and an additional 15 minutes to find a seat before the show starts.
The park monitors the weather closely and whenever there is lightning detected all outdoor performances are put on hold. We have sat in bleachers for 30-40 minutes several times waiting for the Shamu show that was eventually canceled because of the lightning alert. Frustrating, but a fact so don’t hold your breath if they put a show on hold.
Rides
There may not be many rides at Sea World but the ones they have are state of the art. Both of these rides typically have an enormous wait but they are two of the best rides in Orlando.
Kraken is a roller coaster named appropriately after an enormous sea monster. It is the tallest, longest, and only floorless roller coaster in Orlando. The ride lasts 3 1/2 minutes and travels to speeds up to 65 miles an hour. This ride is free with admission and although the wait is extremely long may be worth the wait for thrill seekers!
The other major ride at Sea World is called Journey to Atlantis which is a scary roller coaster ride with a 60 foot drop. This is a plume ride so you will get wet.
The Wild Arctic is considered a ride I guess. The ride is a preliminary introduction to the Polar Bear exhibit. The individual can experience the simulation through flying in a helicopter or walking.
Unlike the other rides that are free, the Sky Tower charges a small fee to ride. The individual will sit in the capsule and rise 400 feet. The capsule slowly rotates while a pre-recorded narrator describes what you are looking at. We love the view from the sky tower.
Paddle boats that are in the shape of a flamingo is also available for rental.
Animal Habitats
Dolphin Nursery
This is where you would find baby dolphins swimming in shallow water depending on how many babies they have at the time. A Sea World trainer is available to answer any questions about the dolphins.
Dolphin Cove
This is an outdoor exhibit where you can see, touch, and feed dolphins up close. You can buy dolphin food from the dolphin stand and feed it to the dolphins during their feeding time. If you stick your hand in the water sometimes a dolphin will come up and touch your hand. A Sea World trainer is also available at this location to tell about the dolphins and answer questions.
Stingray Lagoon
This is an outside exhibit that has many stingrays that everyone is able to touch. The Sea World trainer gives information about the stingrays over the microphone.
Pacific Point Reserve
This is an outdoor exhibit where sea lions and harbor seals show you what they know. These creatures have a funny
Turtle Lagoon
This exhibit is done with a beach-like setting and you can see the turtles both in and out of water.
Manatee Rescue
There is an outside viewing area to see the manatee exhibit or enter to see the habitat below water. There are some interesting facts to be learned about this endangered specie.
Wild Arctic
After seeing the helicopter ride you can walk trough the polar bear exhibit. This is a long exhibit so we prefer doing this when it is raining outside or during the heat of the day since it the most air conditioned exhibit.
Shark Encounter
The shark encounter is really impressive because you go through a tunnel surrounded by water. There are many sharks and other scary fish in the tank. Sometimes there will be someone diving with the sharks. There is a lot of interesting information on sharks in the exhibit.
Penguin Encounter
This is an indoor exhibit with four different types of penguins. You’ll learn a lot about each kind and see them in their recreated arctic environment.
Clydesdale Hamlet
Sea World is an Anheuser-Busch theme park which means there’s beer involved! You can check out the Clydesdale horses in the barn after your session at beer school.
Festivities
Sea world has been adding lots of extra entertainment to the park all free (except for the food) with the price of admission.
BBQ Fest
Every year Sea World has a BBQ Fest. This year the dates for this celebration are February 26-27th and also March 5-6th 2005. The festival includes live performers such as singers and square dancers. Barbecued food can be purchased ala carte in the common areas which is rather inexpensive and quite tasty. If you are really hungry you can go to the BBQ smorgasbord which requires a ticket to get in. The smorgasbord is all you can eat but was a bit more expensive especially for the kids which must also pay even if the kids don’t plan on eating.
July 4th
The Forth of July is a very busy time at Sea World. They have an evening fireworks show around the lake. We’ve seen the fireworks show a couple of times and although spectacular it is a very hot time of year and visibility is sometimes difficult with the amount of people that are there.
October Spooktacular
If you are going to be in town in October I would highly recommend the Sea World Spooktacular event. Children are able to wear their costumes and get some good candy at the trick or treat booths that are set up around the park. Keep in mind that Florida is very hot in October even in the evening so long sleeve costumes are not advised. If you prefer to skip the costume you can still participate. The candy bags are handed out at the first booth and takes about an hour to make your way around all of the booths and visiting the Sea World characters that are dressed up in their costumes. The Sea World cast has absolutely phenomenal costumes and each year they are different. The park is also decorated in festive decorations that only a creative mind could dream up. There are many photo areas set up through the park during this seasonal event that you put your face up to with a funny body painted below.
Christmas in the Park
Christmas at the park is celebrated from November 26th – January 2nd. The park is decorated in the holiday theme at Christmas time. We went on Christmas day last year and really enjoyed it; the weather is absolutely perfect that time of year. You might see the Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra or the Mystify which is the parks closing fireworks finale.
Got Kids?
If you have kids that need strollers it is wise to bring your own otherwise a hard plastic one can be rented from the park.
Food choices are slim and expensive for kids. Having snacks and juice boxes available for the kids would be a good way to kill time while waiting for the shows to start. Our kids usually get a bucket of popcorn which with a handy lid and handle. There is a candy and ice cream shop if they were extra good.
This park is not as fun for kids as parents would like to believe. Waiting is very difficult for children. The day will involve a lot of lines to stand in, long waits while sitting, and lots of walking in the heat. You’ll see lots of fussy kids at the park, not just mine!
Shamu’s Happy Harbor is a hit with the kids. It is a great big playground for children of all ages with many things to do such as nets to climb, water to play in, and activities to explore.
Park Food
We think that Sea World has the most expensive and worst tasting food for a theme park in Orlando. However, if you are there all day you have to eat. If you drink a lot I would recommend the refillable collector cups and the refillable coffee mugs. You are able to bring your own water bottles in you prefer.
One of the interesting places to eat at is Sharks Underwater Grill. If you want a glass of wine and relax this is the place to go. This is a fancy restaurant with a close view of the shark tank with more than 50 sharks swimming in it. Stop by the restaurant at 10AM to make reservations; don’t wait if you really have your heart set on eating there. Reserved seating is required. This restaurant specializes in seafood.
Another interesting dining experience is the Dine With Shamu buffet. It is a $35 per person and $18 for children ages 3-9 yeas old. Gratuity of 6.25% is also expected. This dining experience is in addition to the park admission. This is in a restricted area that only dinner guests and the trainers are allowed. Although this sounds interesting, the price does not so we have not been. Reservations must be made to dine with Shamu, the number to call is 1-800-327-2420.
If you want something fast there are fast-food items around the park with food like BBQ, Shrimp Willaboy (a personal favorite), and an assortment of sandwiches, salads, chicken, seafood, and desserts. There are lots of different cuisines to choose from. The kid's meals come in a cute plastic whale carrying case.
Admission
The new 2005 ticket prices are $59.75 tax for adults and $48.00 tax for a child age 3-9 years old. Children under 3 are free. Parking is $8.00-$10.00. A dog kennel is also available for a small fee.
If you would like to save time I would recommend the ETicket Voucher system which allows you to buy your ticket online then skip the purchasing line at the park. There are no additional fees to use this feature. To redeem you go to the automated ticket voucher booth and it gives you the admission ticket.
Park Hours
The park is open every day including all holidays. Ticket sales and gates open at 9AM but the park doesn’t start entertaining the guests until 10AM. The park closes at different hours throughout the week. The hours of operation can be found at http://www.seaworld.com/seaworld/fla/pi_hours_month.aspx
In the summer it gets dusk around 7PM or later and is dark around 5PM in the winter. In my opinion you might as well go home when dusk sets in because there aren’t many lights in the park which makes it hard to see, the shows are all over, and the animals are all asleep. Starting early in the morning is the best way to see the animals at their best.
Ages 50 and over
Those ages 50 and over will be rewarded with $8 off of their tickets on Tuesday. They also will have a symposium, seminars and special events designed for you on Tuesdays. I’m not eligible for such an offer but is worth nosing into if you are. They are now in cahoots with AARP so you can enjoy $5 off every day if you are a member of that organization.
Florida Residents
As a Florida resident we chose the 2-year pass. The pass gets you free parking and unlimited access to the park as well as discounts on food and merchandise. The trip in the sky tower is also free for passholders. We chose the EZ Pay option which means you pay each month. I was under the impression this would be paid in a year but it is over a two year period. Two years is a really long time so to be quite honest if I did it again I would just pay for it upfront. The EZ Pass requires calling and canceling the membership after the obligation has been completed otherwise they will renew your membership monthly. Upgrading your pass renews your obligation for another year. The fine print is pretty important so be sure to read it.
Overall
Our family finds Sea World to be the least entertaining theme park in Orlando. Our kids sometimes whine that they don’t want to go to Sea World because they are not extremely interested in animals. We avoid the park on Saturdays because it's just too packed to enjoy. I think dining at the park is more expensive than it's worth. And I also think the park stops the shows too early in the day.
On the positive side, the park is in a very relaxing environment and families can enjoy things together. I think the Sea World grounds are the most beautiful and well-maintained of the Orlando theme parks. I find the employees to be helpful and respectful. I think any age can enjoy a day at Sea World. We see a lot of the over 50 crowd which seem to appreciate the park the most. There is a lot of beauty both with the animals and the landscaping that can only be seen with a patient eye. There is a lot to enjoy at Sea World with majestic animals that you can't find anywhere else.
Other Things around Orlando:
Amusements
Universal Islands of Adventure, Universal Studios, Cypress Gardens Adventure Park
Indoor Entertainment
Orlando Science Museum, The Florida Aquarium
Malls/Shopping Areas
The Mall at Millenia, The Florida Mall, Universal CityWalk
State Parks
Lake Louisa State Park
Best Food
Universal Margaritaville at CityWalk, Hard Rock Cafe at Citywalk, NBA City at Citywalk, Seasons 52, New York Pizza Deli, Jungle Jim's, Bajama Breeze
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
xyzwyatt
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Location: Nashville, TN
Reviews written: 542
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