Your Guide to SeaWorld Orlando

Sea World Orlando is an adventurous park for kids of all ages and adults.  We planned a day here on our most recent trip to Universal Orlando and learned a few tricks while we were here.  Last time we visited Sea World, the kids were all younger, so none of the roller coasters were really an option.  This time, we spent some time exploring the huge coasters for the thrill-seekers (there are several new ones) and hitting as many shows as we could.  It took us a little bit to get our bearings at the park.  We didn’t do a great job of planning ahead and I highly recommend doing that if possible.  You will be thankful once you get to the park.  I wrote down my easy tips for going into your day with the best possible success!

Tips for Planning Your Day at Sea World

📱 download the app
🎟️ buy your tickets online thru the app ahead of time (saves you time once you get to the park) – Be sure to check deals if you are a FL resident.
🎟️  arrive early if you want to beat most of the crowds.  We didn’t get there until around noon and the park was already crowded plus we had to wait in line to buy tickets because we didn’t buy them ahead of time.
💨 purchase the fast passes if you are going to do roller coasters 🎢 Read them carefully because they have two types of fast passes to choose from.  One that includes the new rides Pipeline and Penguin Trek and one that does not.
🐋 go to orca show
🐬 go to dolphin show
🦭 sea lion show
🎆 check for the evening shows if you plan to stay late
Rent a stroller if you have young kids and didn’t bring your own.  The girls rode in the stroller most of the day through Sea World.

Try to look at the schedule before you get to the park if you can to get an idea when all the shows at the park are happening.  This trip, we were only able to fit in the dolphin show and the orca show.  We have been to the sea lion show in the past, and it’s a really cute show too. The shows can get really crowded, so try to plan to arrive early if possible.

For the smaller kids, there is plenty to do.  You can hit up all the shows and they also have a Sesame Street section at the park for the little kids.  They have a small coaster, a train, and a couple little rides.  From there, they can walk around to see and learn about more animals through exhibits around the park.

This trip we had smaller and bigger kids which meant it was a little more divide and conquer to keep everyone happy.  My eleven year old son wanted to ride more of the roller coasters while the girls were happy doing more of the younger kid activities.

So we decided to only buy Quick Queue passes for the two of us that wanted to do the roller coasters.  You can read more about those below.

Quick Queue Unlimited

Quick Queue : This pass allows the unlimited front-of-the-line access to the most popular attractions at SeaWorld Orlando including Mako, Manta, Kraken, Antarctica: Empire of the Penguin, Infinity Falls, and Journey to Atlantis.

We made the decision to purchase TWO of the Quick Queue Unlimited passes. One for me and one for my oldest son as we were the ones who would get the most use out of the passes so we could hop on the thrill rides without waiting.

Not only was it a perk for us not to have to wait in line, it was also beneficial to the rest of our party so they weren’t waiting as long for us to ride the rides either!

Dining

They have options throughout the whole park that are quick service; but if you want to sit in some air condition and enjoy a nice meal at the park, I recommend the Sharks Underwater Grill.  This place was so cool with a built-in aquarium and a really nice menu.  I wish we had planned ahead and dined here.  It would have been a nice place to rest our legs for a bit and regroup.   You can book reservations through the app if you can plan ahead or they do allow walk-ins if they have availability.

Sea World Rollercoasters

The surprising thing to me at Sea World is how many large roller coasters they have.  My group was mostly a little too young or scared to ride most of the big coasters, but I did get my son to ride the new Ice Breaker ride and Pipeline with me.  They were both amazing!! They also have a new ride called Penguin Trek which is a great coaster for beginner to intermediate riders.

Ice Breaker

Ice Breaker is one of the newest rollercoaster at Sea World has the steepest vertical drop in Florida! (48″ height requirement)

Pipeline

This thriller roller coaster opened last year in Summer 2023 and is a surf-coaster model with a surfboard shaped vehicles.  We rode this and it’s a crazy feeling riding this coaster standing up.

Mako

Mako is Orlando’s tallest and fastest roller coaster and is the hands-down favorite ride for my thrill-seekers. It’s considered to be the best ride at SeaWorld!  We were too scared to ride it which I am a little bummed about.

Kraken

Kraken is Orlando’s only floorless steel coaster and was said to the the second largest floorless coaster in the world back in 2000.

Manta

Manta Roller Coaster is the only flying coaster of its kind in Florida.

54″ is the required height for the above rollercoasters at the park.

Journey to Atlantis

This is a great family friendly ride at Sea World that offers one fun big drop and includes riders 42″ in height.

Infiniti Falls

Sadly this water ride was closed while we were at the park.  It looked like a fun white water rafting adventure.  The height requirement is also 42″.

Penguin Trek

This is the newest ride at Sea World and just opened in July of 2024.  It was a really cool coaster and exhibit.  I rode this one with Molly (who is 5 and 42″ tall).  You can expect a long line with this one and be sure to have the Quick Queue pass that includes Penguin Trek and Pipeline.

Exhibits and Animal Experiences

Sea World has exhibits throughout the park to walk and see how these animals live and many that were rescued and are taken care of by Sea World.  Sea World is home to over 200 hundred species and is the place to learn about their natural behaviors, habitats and conservation efforts.

Reminders for your trip to Sea World

• Download the app before you go
• Buy your tickets online thru the app ahead of time (saves you time once you get to the park) – Be sure to check deals if you are a FL resident.
• Check the show times for the dolphin show, orca show and sea lion show and see what times work best if you want to hit all three.
• Arrive early to the park if you want to beat most of the crowds. If not, it’s okay if you buy the Quick Queue passes.
• Purchase the quick queue passes if you are going to do roller coasters.  Read them carefully because they have two types of fast passes to choose from.  One that includes the new rides Pipeline and Penguin Trek and one that does not.
• Try to relax and have fun!

Hopefully this is helpful.  If we are missing any tips, leave them in the comments below.