Upcoming Sea World Trip... questions...

My family and I will be in Orlando for most of this & next week (Tuesday-Monday). I'm hoping to visit Sea World while I'm down there, and was wondering what to expect from the park. Specifically I'm wondering what kind of atmosphere, crowds, and lines can be expected at the park on any of those given days that we'll be in the area. Also, if there are any hidden gems that we should be sure to hit, I'd be delighted if someone could shine some light on them for me. Thanks in advance,

-BB

Well, there are only three rides, but Wild Artic is a waste of time, so just do the other two. Expect Journey to Atlantis to have the longest lines, and Kraken to hav 1-3 train waits (if you go on a weekday). The only problem is that they rarely run more than one train on Kraken. The crowds should be minimal. The best non-ride attraction is feeding the sea lions, because its fun being chased by the huge birds who want the food. Don't bother going to the shows, unless you really like those types of things. There's a great hospitality center, and thats about it. I'll be there on friday.

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Did you know that 3 out of 4 people make up 75% of the world's total population?- Light travels faster than sound; that's why some people appear bright before they speak.-"Did you know that the hole's only natural enemy is the pile?" -Bart Simpson

Most people go to Sea World just to see the shows. If you leave them out, then you've seriously missed some of the best attractions at the park.

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Six Flags Worlds of Adventure Online
"We find that people don't pay any attention to what's underneath the ride."--SFMM Rep discussing Scream! as quoted in AT

I went to Seaworld in July 4th weekend, its crowded but not as crowded as Disney. We did not go to many acctractions since we went for a half a day, but to the attractions we did go to the lines were not long at all. The line for Kraken (awesome coaster) was so short I could not believe my eyes. I got in line and was on the ride shortly.

The only thing I have to warn you about is that there are not many places to get food. You have to run when you see someone prepared to leave that table otherwise someone else will grab it before you. When I was there,I went to sit down and someone else tried to grab other seats at the table. I practlically had to fight them off.

What about discount tickets? 50$ is a bit steep, so I was wondering where I can find cheaper tickets. The closer the location to Celebration, the better. Thanks again, anyone else with comments and such are still invited to contribute,

-BB

Kraken runs 2 trains a lot of the time. I've gone in September and they have had 2 trains running. If the line gets moderately long they add a train.

You will be going in the summer so I'm sure they will have enough trains going to keep the lines short.

Also, Wild Arctic is good and so are the shows. Find out for yourself, don't let one persons opinion disuade you from trying anything.

I plan on trying everything I possibly can... I'm not one to go there and exclusively ride Kraken all day and miss the rest of the park (though I do hope to push Kraken rides to double digits if the lines are as short as you guys are making them out to be). Anywho, keep em coming... like I said I'm especially interested in cheaper tickets, atmosphere & wait time info. Thanks again,

-BB

I have some coupons I got at my local Wendy's(Miami). I thought they may come in handy for relatives or friends. Each coupon gives you $10 off regular admission to SWO, BGT, or Adventure Island(BGT's water park) for up to 6 people. Single day admission only.

It's also good for a BGT/Adventure Island 3 day combo ticket. If you're going to BGT you could get a combo ticket for BGT/SWO for about $85(one day at each), which would come out to be about the same as if you used the coupon.

Anyway, if you really want the coupons look on the Wendy's site and call one of the Orlando stores. They'll tell you if they have them. I could mail them to your hotel if you can't get them and really need them. I'm not sure if the hotel would forward mail to you, though.

Thanks for the offer, but if it's a problem I think we'll just cruise into a Wendy's and pick up a coupon... they have similar offers at the Pittsburgh Wendy's locations for SFWoA, so I'm familiar with the deal.

Can anyone give me approx. times for the lines on weekdays (& weekends for comparison if possible)?

That's all I can think of at the moment, thanks again, you guys are really quite helpful.

-BB

I'd say 10 min weekday for Kraken. 20 minutes weekend.

JTA should be 30-45 min weekdays, 45-1 hour weekend.

Times can vary greatly depending on the weather. Also, wait times drop dramatically when there is a Shamu show going on. Everyone goes to the show(which holds a LOT of people) and the lines for JTA and Kraken are very much shorter for a while.

I would go to JTA when the park opens and then follow it up with a few rides on Kraken. The rest of the day will be free to see everything else at the park. You can always go back to Kraken and JTA during a Shamu show and get a lot more rides in. Lines shouldn't be bad(less than 15 minutes) all day for Kraken. JTA's line is usually a lot longer.

Wild Arctic can have a line of 25 minutes or more for the simulator side. You can go to the walk-through side and it's much shorter. If you want to do the simulator, or if you want to avoid the lines at all costs, position yourself near the exit of the Shamu show before it ends( about a 20 minute show). When the show ends go to Wild Arctic and there will be no line. Or, do it during a Shamu show.

Hope this helps.

I liked Wild Arctic alot. It was a very effective simulator ride which led to some of the best animal exhibits there. The walruses were fun to watch and I had never seen polar bears so close up before. The beluga whale habitat was very realistic and nicely presented.

I went to Sea World last tuesday, and found 20 minute waits on Kraken, 45 on JTA, and 10 on Wild Arctic (I wouldn't miss it-it was pretty good). I enjoyed my visit except for one aspect...the food! The actual food was good, but we waited a half hour at the brewery deli, and then couldn't find a table. We noticed that almost all fast-food restaurants were like this, so I would recommend sitting down somewhere. Don't miss the Shamu Show or the Key West Dolphin show!

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That 70's Show Rocks, but coasters arre okay too. :)

Thanks much everyone! I'm looking forward to a visit, although plans may get sidelined till next year... we seem to have run into some Mission: Space pre-opening ride tickets... here's hoping both is possible. Thanks again!

-BB