Book SeaWorld - Orlando, FL Tickets Arrival Date:    Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec   1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 Days: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 Adults: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 > 20 Children: 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 > 20 On the next page, we will show you which days this activity is available during your stay and allow you to finish booking your tickets.

By Mandy Phillips

Plan to spend at least an entire day - and maybe more - at SeaWorld Orlando to enjoy all of the animal attractions, shows, rides, and shopping! When we arrived at the park, I was delighted with the ease of using these convenient pre-printed tickets. Instead of standing in the long lines at the box office (and they were probably the longest I saw anywhere in Orlando), I got to head straight to the park entrance and use the "Turnstile Ready" tickets immediately, which made getting into the park easy and fast! (Also, keep in mind that these tickets can be used unlimited times for up to seven days of a visit - just take the ticket to Guest Services, and you'll get an unlimited pass for seven days so you can spread out the SeaWorld fun!).

Upon entering the park, we walked along several shops and the Guest Services Desk. If you're planning on any additional experiences at SeaWorld, this is the first place to stop. We made a visit here as my friend Andy was very strongly considering taking a dive with sharks, and saw that the Dine with Shamu buffet dinner and experience was already sold out for the day.

After that, we took a look at the huge turtles at Turtle Point before heading over to Stingray Lagoon. I actually found this to be a lot of fun, where, for $4, you can buy a little tray of food (dead minnows!) to feed the stingrays. To watch those guys circling around their tank was kind of amazing, and I really got a new understanding for the kind of animal they are. I'm actually a bit of a fan of stingrays now, so I highly recommend Stingray Lagoon! Just on the other side of Stingray Lagoon is Dolphin Cove, where these playful critters spend most of their time. Right next to their home is the Whale & Dolphin Theater, where the Blue Horizons show is held. Be sure to grab a times guide when you first arrive at the park, as most of the shows take place three or four times a day.

Alligators and manatees are located near the Whale & Dolphin Theatre, and the big rides - including Kraken (the BIG roller coaster) and Journey to Atlantis (a water coaster) are in the back corner. The next spot we stopped at was my very favorite - the Penguin Encounter. A horizontal conveyor belt runs in front of the huge glass window into this wintry habitat, where several species of penguins live. Penguins are my favorite animal, and among them, Chinstrap penguins are my favorites, so I was quite excited to see them at the Penguin Encounter. There were also King penguins, Rockhoppers, and several others. It was amazing to watch them awkwardly waddling about on the rocks before sliding into the water where they become graceful in underwater "flight."

The Sea Lion and Otter Stadium is located near the Penguin Encounter, and is where the hilarious and delightful Clyde & Seamore (a couple of crazy performing sea lions) entertain audiences. Kids and adults alike will love Clyde & Seamore, so definitely try to work that show in to your day. Next door to that is the Shark Encounter, which features all kinds of fish that typically have a bad rap - including moray eels, barracuda, and more. This walk through aquarium showcases some fish I've never even heard of - including the Leafy Sea Dragon, which is an amazing seahorse-type fish with "leaves" to help it blend into the foliage on the ocean floor. Finally, we walked through the huge tunnel where several different types of sharks swam over, alongside, and around. There were several large Great White Sharks, which seemed to draw the most reaction from other people experiencing the Shark Encounter.

While we did not catch the Odyssea show at the Nautilus Theater located next to the Shark Encounter, we did hear some great comments about it from other SeaWorld visitors. The Anheuser-Busch Hospitality House hosts a free beer tasting at several times during the day, and since there is limited capacity for this experience, advance reservations are available back at the Guest Services desk. There was also some amazing landscaping and photo opportunities in this area of SeaWorld, so be sure to have your cameras ready!

We made our way to Shamu Stadium to catch the new "Believe" show. It was phenomenal! The show makes use of large, moving video screens, music, and other special effects, but the stars of the show are the killer whales. Believe bridges the gap between these enormous, graceful animals and their human counterparts, and watching the interaction between them is something that has to be seen to be "believed." The premise behind the show is very inspiring as well! Oh, and if you want to get wet, head down when you enter the stadium - Shamu won't disappoint you. If dry is the way to go, though, you'll definitely want to head up!

Shamu Stadium is surrounded on one side by an entire area devoted just for kids, and there are plenty of tot-sized rides, splashy fountains, games, and snack areas. (I got a frozen smoothie from Coconut Cove Snacks there - and wow!). The Wild Arctic attraction is located in the same area. The attraction starts with a simulation ride that makes you feel as though you're flying in a helicopter over the icy arctic on your way to a polar bear research facility. The simulator was great, and when the helicopter runs into trouble, you definitely feel right in the action (so much, in fact, that the sunglasses on my head flew off and onto the guy behind me!). When we exited the simulator, we headed into the "research facility" where a polar bear habitat and walruses were located. The habitats were designed much like an Arctic research facility might be, which was an impressive touch. As a side note, if the motion simulator is not for you but you still want to see the polar bears, there is a "walking" trek to the research facility. Just keep an eye out for the signs as you enter the line.

Most of the restaurants and shops are located in the middle of the park, and there are plenty to choose from. We headed to Voyager's Wood Fired Pizza, which offered pizza, salads, pastas, and several sides, as well as a huge dining area. It looked to be one of the more popular restaurants that we saw, and the portions were huge. Right by the restaurant was The Oyster's Secret, where you can don swimwear and dive for pearls. While we didn't jump in, there were several people in the diving area, and it actually looked like a lot of fun.

There is an unbelievable amount to see and do at SeaWorld Orlando, and the trick is to check showtimes as soon as you arrive at the park and plan your day out in advance. Showtimes are staggered well, so you should be able to see all of the shows you want while still getting to visit the other attractions. Be sure to leave time to ride the rides, and to shop at the stores at the Waterfront Shops. My experience at SeaWorld was a wonderful one, and anyone who enjoys learning about and experience animals up-close-and-personal could easily spend days exploring the park!