My family has had the privilege of being Sea World annual pass holders for the past year. We have thoroughly enjoyed everything that the park has to offer. The animals, rides, and shows are all very well done! I highly recommend going to Sea World if you are ever in Orlando. I also feel like Sea World is the BEST option for young children. It is not as crowded as Disney and they can participate in almost everything. Not to mention there is a lot less waiting in lines because of the many shows and animals to view. I also love the educational aspect of going to Sea World. My Little One has really learned a lot about the different marine animals and is always excited to visit them! I have put together a list of some of the things that we learned this year that made our days more enjoyable!
1. Go directly to the penguins. Do not pass Go. Do not collect $200. The penguin ride in the Antarctica section of Sea World is the most popular ride in the entire park. If you do not go to it when the park first opens you will be waiting between 30 minutes to over an hour to see the penguins. The only way to see the penguin exhibit (which is REALLY AWESOME!) is to ride "Antarctica Empire of the Penguin". If you get to the park early and head straight to the penguin ride you should be able to walk onto the ride with practically no wait time.
2. Don't let a sleeping child keep you from seeing the shows! There is specific seating for parents with sleeping children in strollers at the very top of the stadium seating for the Sea Lion and Dolphin shows. There is also seating in the Shamu show but it is pretty close to the splash zone! You are not allowed to bring strollers into the stadium unless your child is sleeping. I have even been asked to lift up my daughter's blanket to prove that she is asleep. The sleeping child seats are not the best seats in the house but it is nice to be able to sit down and enjoy a show without having to wake up your toddler!
3. Use the baby center! It is located in Happy Harbor (the section dedicated to young children) and is very helpful. There is a room for breast feeding, which is quiet and clean. There is also a room with real changing tables, this is much nicer then having to fight a sea of people to use the changing tables in the bathrooms. There are also some baby toys and a T.V. so this is a good spot to take a break if your kids are getting overheated. Located inside is a bathroom for adults or older kids to use while you take care of your baby. I like to come in here to change my Little One into her swimsuit before going to the splash pad. The best feature is the microwave! Why buy a $7 popcorn when you can pop your own? I have seen people heat up easy macaroni and cheese and hot pockets for a quick, cheap lunch! The baby center is never crowded and is super convenient.
4. If you are going to eat at the Antarctica quick serve restaurant then you need to know about the indoor seating. This is our favorite location to eat if we are going to be purchasing a meal at the park. The problem is when you exit the cashier you are presented with a large amount of outdoor seating, some of which are covered. However there is a building in the far left corner of the seating area that is even better. It is indoors and air conditioned...very important on a hot day in Orlando. For some reason there are not any signs indicating that there is seating inside and they usually don't' have any doors propped open. Most people do not realize that this building is for guests to sit and enjoy their meal. Most of the time we eat here there are only one or two other families in here. It is very big and spacious (great for bringing in a stroller), there are high chairs, a condiment station and did I mention the air conditioning!
5. To save time skip the line and the outdated Arctic video by going through the gift shop to enter the beluga and walrus viewing. I have never had anyone say anything to me when I have done this. Besides the sign says "No Re-Entry" not "No First Time Entry"! The best part of entering this way is you can keep your stroller with you, meaning you can see the animals (indoor!) even if your child is sleeping. I normally would not disobey signs but for this part of the park there is normally plenty of room at the animal viewing and I don't feel like the stroller is getting in anyone's way. Several times (in the off season) we are the only ones down in the viewing to begin with!