Hello SeaWorld!

[mousermerf]

Ok...

I have not gone to SeaWorld in like.. years. Atleast 7, possibly 10.

So, any advice out there? We're going this Thursday on a fluke because a friend gave us tickets. We even scored a cheap room at the gaylord palm via priceline.

Any suggestions?

 

[CatLady]

I haven't been in the park to see the holiday schedule, and my contact at SW just left for the day... but some general advice... You have to schedule your day around the shows.

Three shows not to miss:
Clyde & Seamore (sea lion show, very corny but funny)
Blue Horizons (dolphins and whales and a lot of Cirque du Soleil type acrobatics - not worth it in heavy winds because they abbreviate most of the show)
Shamu Adventure (you know you want to see him - recent construction has meant less shows daily, but I think they are going to have a full complement of shows for the holiday season)

Things not to forget:
Beer! At the back of the park, there is a restaurant that also has free beer samples. A less conspicuious room behind the main beer sample room has the better stuff.

Things I suggest trying:
Check with the desk up front about some of the behind the tours available. The arctic tour is my favorite, where you get to meet a penguin up close and personal. I understand that the Predators tour just got pulled for the remainder of the year.

They are also doing fireworks at 9:00 pm right now. I assume these are the Mystify show, but I have only heard them, not seen them. Mystify is entertaining, but not Disney-level.

 

[CAPTAIN HOOK]

Enjoy the educational features of the park and remember, SW is not just a theme park - its about sea life conservation as well.

 

[TTATraveler]

I just went to SeaWorld last year after not being there in 16 years and enjoyed it very much. I really didn't remember much about SeaWorld so it was like visiting a new park.

Be sure to see the Seamore and Clyde show and Shamu. The dolphin and sealion/seal exhibits are pretty cool. Journey to Atlantis was fun, you may get wet though.

Be sure to take lots of pictures. SeaWorld is a neat place to visit.

 

[Hakunamatata]

Ok...

I have not gone to SeaWorld in like.. years. Atleast 7, possibly 10.

So, any advice out there? We're going this Thursday on a fluke because a friend gave us tickets. We even scored a cheap room at the gaylord palm via priceline.

Any suggestions?

Be sure and throw large volumes of alka seltzer in the water tanks. Management really appreciates it.

 

[mkt]

FREE BEER

 

[mousermerf]

There's free beer?

I thought they stopped doing that - cool beans.

It's all fish though.. i think i'll have fun, but i'm so afraid the same thing will happen that happened at the FL Aquarium and the last zoo i went to...

I used to want to be a marine biologist and i wanted to study brittle stars - yeah, what sane kid wants to do that? But i digress - each time i goto a place with lots of fish i spend just a few mins pointing out to whomever is with me the various names of all the fish, before inevitably a child asks me about a fish and i tell them about the fishies' entire life and ecosystem. Eventually i realize i dont work there, get bored, and i've seen everything but brittle stars in 2 hours.

Does SeaWorld have brittle stars?

 

[crazydaveh]

Oh there is beer, and plenty of it!

Be sure to stop by the new Brew Master's Club to try beer and food together! It's free and in the beer house. You may have to sign up for a time. It's new and it's the thing that took over Beer School.

As others have stated, be sure to hit Clyde and Seamore, Shamu, and Blue Horizons.

If you can get on a behind the scenes tour, do it! Pet a penguin! Watch out for projectile ________ though!

Be sure to go to Wild Arctic. It's a cheese simulator to the arctic, but seeing the polar bears, beluga whales, and walrus doing their thing is awesome!

Oh, the coaster is awesome too!

Remember, SeaWorld isn't about magic... it's about the animals. It's a different type of thrill. Also, hang out around Shamu Stadium between shows and around the underwater viewing areas to see new Baby Shamu! Born five weeks ago!

 

[CatLady]

Does SeaWorld have brittle stars?

Unfortunately, they have some, but they are not in public view right now. They were previously seen at the Tide Pool and the Coral Reef exhibits, which have been closed for over a year. Discovery Cove has a tide pool that now exhibits some of those creatures, but I didn't see brittle stars when I was there a couple weeks ago.

I got confirmation last night that there are very few Shamu shows right now, and the powers that be have declined to add more to accommodate capacity. If you want to see that show, arrive early, because so does everyone else in the park!

 

[crazydaveh]

I got confirmation last night that there are very few Shamu shows right now, and the powers that be have declined to add more to accommodate capacity. If you want to see that show, arrive early, because so does everyone else in the park!

There were four regular Shamu shows today with a 9 PM Shamu Rocks America show tonight making five total shows for the day. This is similar to a busy summer holiday show. The lighter show load will resume next week when the tourists go home and back to school and work.

This schedule should remain in place all week/weekend.

 

[mousermerf]

Any worries about reaching capacity? I'm tempted to arrive early, but i'm under the weather

 

[Pongo]

Even though you're there right now, I hope you get a chance to see Pets Ahoy! It's a funny show. Pretty amazing too.

 

[CatLady]

merf, I heard the SeaWorld fireworks off in the distance a few minutes ago and thought of your trip today. How was it?

 

[mousermerf]

I'm watching the fireworks from my room facing WDW at the gaylord palm right now!!!

The room has a PC in it!

 

[mousermerf]

Also - didn't spend too long at SeaWorld - saw Odyssea, penguins and sharks - the sharks had a 30min wait jsut to get inside, then we called it a day.

I know, horrible, but i did also see the clydesdales and stop by the hospitality house - was gonna say hi to dave but it was crazy. Couldn't find a person to ask, hehe

Epcot fireworks are about to start - gonna go watych them from the windows at the end of the hallway, a better view!

 

[lunalovegoddess]

The last time I was there was back in Oct. when my mom and aunt came down for a visit. The one-day pass gets you a second day free, so plan which shows you would like to see when you get there and save the rest for the second day. My advice if you would like to enjoy a truly unique experience is to sign up for Dine With Shamu. They serve a buffet-style meal right next to one of the orca pools. During the meal you can watch the whales up close and the trainers will put on a mini-show for participants. Last year I did it for my birthday and it was incredible, since I, like you, wanted to be a marine biologist. I had worked for the New England Aquarium at the Sea Lion shows, so I understood how they train the animals.
On a different trip, we signed up for the Adventure Express Tour:
<table border="0" cellpadding="2" width="480"> <tbody><tr><td colspan="2" valign="top">[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]TOUR DESCRIPTION[/FONT]</td> </tr> <tr> <td colspan="2" valign="top"> [FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]SeaWorld's First-Class Tour[/FONT]
</td> </tr> <tr> <td valign="top" width="10">[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]• [/FONT]</td> <td valign="top">[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Front-of-the-line access for Kraken®, Journey to Atlantis® and Wild Arctic®[/FONT]</td> </tr> <tr> <td valign="top" width="10">[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]•[/FONT]</td> <td valign="top">[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Reserved seating at two select shows including The Shamu Adventure®[/FONT]</td> </tr> <tr> <td valign="top" width="10">[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]•[/FONT]</td> <td valign="top">[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Venture behind-the-scenes to touch a penguin[/FONT]</td> </tr> <tr> <td valign="top" width="10">[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]•[/FONT]</td> <td valign="top">[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Feed dolphins, sea lions, and stingrays[/FONT]</td> </tr> <tr> <td valign="top" width="10">[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]•[/FONT]</td> <td valign="top">[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Enjoy a freshly prepared lunch[/FONT]</td></tr></tbody> </table> (from the SeaWorld website)

 

[lunalovegoddess]

One of the best place to eat at Sea World: Shark's Underwater Grill.
See below: