For those of you looking to visit Florida in the near future, SeaWorld has to be high up on the agenda.
It is a lot more relaxed than the busy theme parks dotted throughout Florida but is something not to be missed.
SeaWorld is known as the premier marine adventure park in the United States ... Read review
The Days Inn Convention Center is located a quarter of a mile from the Convention Center ... more
and one mile from SeaWorld. The hotel is on International Drive between Disney and Universal Orlando. The hotel offers complimentary parking, laundry facilities, a business center, Internet access and newspapers in the lobby. The Days Inn offers a full service restaurant, serving an array of fare, and there are additional dining options in the surrounding area. Leisure amenities include an outdoor swimming pool and children's playground. The Days Inn Convention Center features 220 guestrooms with two double beds and can accommodate a maximum of four guests. Room amenities include coffeemakers, direct dial telephones with voicemail and cable television.
Information: :Price is per double room per night and may vary depending on date booked...
Location. Set on 27 acres of lush Florida landscape, the Renaissance Orlando Resort at ... more
SeaWorld is centrally located in Orlando across the street from SeaWorld and Discovery Cove. The hotel provides guests with unique opportunities to swim with dolphins, feed tropical birds and explore reefs and grottos at the adjacent Discovery Cove adventure park. The hotel is one mile from the Orange County Convention Center and 11 miles from Orlando International Airport. Hotel Features. Complimentary glasses of champagne welcome guests as they marvel at the lobby's oceanic décor consisting of flat screen LCD panels featuring exotic sea life. Delectable dining can be found at MIST Sushi and Spirits Bar, at Boardwalk Sports Bar, and in Tradewinds Restaurant where three meals are served daily. A full service Starbucks coffee is located on the lobby level. Poolside fare, smoothies and cocktails are available at the Palms Pool Bar&Grill. Forty eight meeting rooms offer 185,000 square feet of space for business meetings and other functions. An on site business center, event catering and complimentary wireless Internet access are all available. A 24 hour fitness center is stocked with exercise bikes, treadmills, elliptical machines and free weights. The recreational area features an outdoor pool, two spa tubs, playground and tennis, volleyball and basketball courts. The Shamu Game Room delights younger guests, while a nearby 18 hole championship golf course is a golf lover's dream. Guestrooms. The resort's 781 guestrooms feature 32 inch flat screen televisions, luxury bedding, mirrored closet doors and high speed Internet access. Bathrooms contain dual vanities. Amenities include video game consoles, safes and desks. Refrigerators and turndown service are available upon request. Expert Tip. Guests receive preferred tee times at the 18 hole Marriott Grande Pines Golf Course, on
Information: :Price is per double room per night and may vary depending on date booked...
Location. Set on 27 acres of lush Florida landscape, the Renaissance Orlando Resort at ... more
SeaWorld is centrally located in Orlando across the street from SeaWorld and Discovery Cove. The hotel provides guests with unique opportunities to swim with dolphins, feed tropical birds and explore reefs and grottos at the adjacent Discovery Cove adventure park. The hotel is one mile from the Orange County Convention Center and 11 miles from Orlando International Airport. Hotel Features. Complimentary glasses of champagne welcome guests as they marvel at the lobby's oceanic décor consisting of flat screen LCD panels featuring exotic sea life. Delectable dining can be found at MIST Sushi and Spirits Bar, at Boardwalk Sports Bar, and in Tradewinds Restaurant where three meals are served daily. A full service Starbucks coffee is located on the lobby level. Poolside fare, smoothies and cocktails are available at the Palms Pool Bar&Grill. Forty eight meeting rooms offer 185,000 square feet of space for business meetings and other functions. An on site business center, event catering and complimentary wireless Internet access are all available. A 24 hour fitness center is stocked with exercise bikes, treadmills, elliptical machines and free weights. The recreational area features an outdoor pool, two spa tubs, playground and tennis, volleyball and basketball courts. The Shamu Game Room delights younger guests, while a nearby 18 hole championship golf course is a golf lover's dream. Guestrooms. The resort's 781 guestrooms feature 32 inch flat screen televisions, luxury bedding, mirrored closet doors and high speed Internet access. Bathrooms contain dual vanities. Amenities include video game consoles, safes and desks. Refrigerators and turndown service are available upon request. Expert Tip. Guests receive preferred tee times at the 18 hole Marriott Grande Pines Golf Course, on
Information: :Price is per double room per night and may vary depending on date booked...
The Days Inn Convention Center is located a quarter of a mile from the Convention Center ... more
and one mile from SeaWorld. The hotel is on International Drive between Disney and Universal Orlando. The hotel offers complimentary parking, laundry facilities, a business center, Internet access and newspapers in the lobby. The Days Inn offers a full service restaurant, serving an array of fare, and there are additional dining options in the surrounding area. Leisure amenities include an outdoor swimming pool and children's playground. The Days Inn Convention Center features 220 guestrooms with two double beds and can accommodate a maximum of four guests. Room amenities include coffeemakers, direct dial telephones with voicemail and cable television.
Information: :Price is per double room per night and may vary depending on date booked...
The Hilton Garden Inn SeaWorld in Orlando, Fla., is located across from SeaWorld and just ... more
a 15 minute drive from Orlando International Airport. This hotel features a signature pavilion area, providing a relaxing sitting area with television, casual style restaurant/lounge and Pavilion Pantry. Guestrooms perks include a hospitality center including microwave, refrigerator, and coffeemaker with complimentary coffee and tea, which are refreshed daily. There are 223 spacious guestrooms full of thoughtful amenities, friendly service and a relaxed atmosphere. There is also a self service guest laundry facility. Each guestroom accommodates the business traveler with a two line phone with voice mail, data ports, large work desk and ergonomic chairs. On site dining is available at the Great American Grill serving breakfast, lunch, dinner and evening cocktails. There is also a 24 hour complimentary business center, an outdoor pool with Jacuzzi and a fitness room. Pavilion Pantry offers sundries, beverages, microwavable foods, and snack items. Guestrooms also offer in room pay per view movies, Sony PlayStation and WebTV. The Hilton Garden Inn is minutes from fine dining, shopping and entertainment venues.
Information: :Price is per double room per night and may vary depending on date booked...
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Advantages: Great Shows, plenty to see Disadvantages: Can't do it all in one day
...and takes place in the Sea Lion and Otter Stadium not far from the Kraken ride.
This is a great show for both adults and children as the storyline is easy to follow, with Sea lions and Walruses making the story real a fantastic show that lasts for approximately 20 minutes, but watch out for the mime at the beginning if you walk past him he will have the crowd laughing at you!!!!
Show times 10am, 11.30am, 12.45pm, 2.45pm, 4.45pm, 7.30pm ...of fish to feed the sea lions, and you would think they never get fed the noises they make, but beware of the birds as they can be quite vicious so try not to get too close.
$4 for one tray of fish, $7 for 2 trays or $10 for 4 trays. Definitely worth doing as this is such a great interactive experience you may never get the opportunity to do it again.
Dolphin Exhibit was my favorite part of the day but I think you have to go ... more
For those of you looking to visit Florida in the near future, SeaWorld has to be high up on the agenda. It is a lot more relaxed than the busy theme parks dotted throughout Florida but is something not to be missed.
SeaWorld is known as the premier marine adventure park in the United States with 200 acres of World Class shows, thrilling rides and animal encounters and after two visits in a two week holiday, I can completely agree!!
SeaWorld is owned by Anheuser-Busch Inc, Busch Entertainment Corporation, the company's family entertainment subsidiary, is one of the largest adventure park operators in the United States. Its parks are located throughout the country.Anheuser-Busch Adventure Parks own and operate nine parks across America including SeaWorld in Orlando, Florida, Discovery Cove in Orlando, Florida, Busch Gardens in Tampa Bay, Florida, Adventure Island in Tampa Bay, Florida, SeaWorld in San Diego, California, Busch Gardens in Williamsburg, Virginia, Water Country USA in Williamsburg, Virginia, SeaWorld in San Antonio, Texas and Sesame Place in Langhorne, Pennsylvania.
>>>Directions<<< SeaWorld is located at the Intersection of Interstate 4 and Florida 528 just 10 minutes from Downtown Orlando. It is signposted well and is easy to access. We were staying at the Comfort Inn hotel which provided a shuttle bus each day which was just a 15 minute journey from the hotel. If you are staying on International Drive the I-Trolley operates a route to Seaworld reguarly and is fairly low in cost to catch.
<<<Opening Hours>>> SeaWorld is open from 9am daily all year round, summer holidays do have extended opening hours and you may want to plan at least two visits to your trip to get maximum value for money.
>>>Tickets<<< Tickets can be purchased on the gate. Adults aged 10 and over $61.95 Children aged between 3-9 $49.95 Children under the age of 2 Free The day tickets can be exchanged for a SeaWorld Anytime pass which is valid for a further 6 days at SeaWorld so you could infact return for the cost of a one day ticket.
Discounts are available for guests with disabilities, senior citizens, military personnel and AAA members.
We pre-purchased our tickets in the UK from Keith Prowse Tickets for the cost of £115, this was a 5 park Orlando Flexi ticket which allowed us access to Universal, Busch Gardens, Islands of Adventure, SeaWorld and Wet'n'Wild this was valid for he full 14 days of our trip so well worth the money as we were allowed to visit the parks as many times as we wanted.
The queues are fairly long at SeaWorld but once you are in and have listened to the American National Anthem you are free to access the park.
*****************************TOP TIP********************************** Once you enter the park, grab a park map and decide on the order of the shows that you want to go and see as they are all superb and extremely popular. If you want to arrange to have one of the character dining options always pre-book, we tried to make a reservation on the day that we arrived and it was fully booked. Toll free numbers are listed on the site so take them with you when you travel to the states so that you can make reservations if you wish.
<<<<The Rides>>>> SeaWorld is more about the shows and animals rather than providing thrilling rides but they do still manage to offer one mind blowing ride called Kraken.
Kraken is the tallest, fastest, longest and only 'floorless' coaster in Orlando reaching speeds of almost 65 mph, rising to nearly 150 feet before plummeting through a network of underground tunnels... on your way to Kraken's lair 3 ½ minutes later this really feels as if the ride is never going to end and boy are you glad to get off at the end, this really gets your adrenalin pumping and the view is amazing at the front so get their first and be at the front as you don't want to miss this ride. The ride does have a minimum height requirement of 54 inches and you are not allowed to take any loose items on the ride, and if you have flip flops on like I did make sure you remove them before you take off!
Journey to Atlantis is the ultimate adventure ride, where you'll be tossed and dropped by unseen mystical forces. This was a real let down for both Mark and I as our carriage was letting water in right up to our knees so it was not a thrilling ride at all, however it does have some of the steepest drops and just when you think it is all over there is a surprise right at the end! 42" is the minimum height requirement for this ride.
Wild Arctic Take a simulator jet copter ride across the arctic, or alternatively you can choose to watch the video then exit into the Arctic and see real Polar Bears, walruses, harbour seals and beluga whales this really is an experience, however if you want to board the jet copter make sure you meet the minimum height requirements of 42".
All of the rides can be fitted in-between the shows which start from 10am.
>>>The Shows<<< Clyde and Seamore take Pirate Island is the first show to begin and takes place in the Sea Lion and Otter Stadium not far from the Kraken ride. This is a great show for both adults and children as the storyline is easy to follow, with Sea lions and Walruses making the story real a fantastic show that lasts for approximately 20 minutes, but watch out for the mime at the beginning if you walk past him he will have the crowd laughing at you!!!! Show times 10am, 11.30am, 12.45pm, 2.45pm, 4.45pm, 7.30pm
Pets Ahoy is on 10.45am and is a show for the children with dogs, birds, cats and pigs bring the stage to life, this is a great show with cats walking the tightrope above your heads and when the show is over and you are told that they are all from rescue homes it makes the show that bit more special! Show times 10.45am, 12.15pm, 1.45pm, 3.15pm, 5pm located in the Seaport Theatre.
Blue Horizons was my favourite show and is great as the picures show below. Dolphins, birds and performers bring the story to life of a young girl who dreamt of swimming like the Dolphin, watch as the performers surf with the dolphins make terrifying dives and are propelled through the water by the wonderful performing dolphins to music as beautiful birds fly above. Show times 11am, 12.30pm, 2.15pm, 3.45pm, 5.15pm definitely a show not to be missed, but makes sure you sit clear of the splash zone as you will get wet when the cheeky dolphins splash you during the show.
The Shamu adventure is claimed to be the most popular show and lasts 20 minutes, held in the Shamu Stadium and Shamu entertains the crowd. I was not too impressed with this show and much preferred the Blue Horizons Show.
>>>Attractions<<<
As well as the shows and rides there are still plenty more things to do at SeaWorld and below are my favourites.
Penguin Encounter is fantastic, the music always and still makes me chuckle as you enter. There is an moving walkway which runs parallel with the Penguin Encounter where they live in real snow!! Snow falls from the ceiling and laugh as the penguins stand underneath dive in and out of the water.
Pacific Point Preserve is fantastic you can purchase trays of fish to feed the sea lions, and you would think they never get fed the noises they make, but beware of the birds as they can be quite vicious so try not to get too close. $4 for one tray of fish, $7 for 2 trays or $10 for 4 trays. Definitely worth doing as this is such a great interactive experience you may never get the opportunity to do it again.
Dolphin Exhibit was my favorite part of the day but I think you have to go in the morning when the dolphins are ready to interact. You are allowed to put you hands palm down into the water and keep them flat and still and the dolphins will swim towards you and you get the opportunity to interact and touch them, this was worth the wait as you can see from the picture how close I got and as I had never been so close to a dolphin before it was a really special moment.
Manatee Rescue is where you can view the rescued manatees which a rather strange looking creature but fascinating all the same, watch the 3 minute video on the Manatee Rescue programme that SeaWorld operate and then follow on to watch them under sea level.
Shark encounter was probably Mark's favourite as he has this thing for killer animals?!?! Outside ou can feed the sharks and stingrays which are swimming about, before going to the underground viewing area where hammerhead sharks among others swim freely above you in the reinforced glass tunnel with beautiful tropical fish.
Now one for the lager drinkers, as some of you may or may not know the Anheuser-Busch company produce popular American beers such as Budweiser and in SeaWorld they have a hospitality tent where the beer is FREE!!! Provided you are over the age of 21 years.
This is the area where you will also get to see the famous Budweiser Donkey and the famous Clydesdale Hamlet and even have your photograph taken with them and there was even one called Kelly!!
<><>Dining<><> There are plenty of places to grab a snack or a meal at SeaWorld including Dining experiences however we did not take full advantage of these services as we just lived on snacks in the day! Cypress Bakery was our pit stop in the morning with pastries and cakes and coffee and was the only place open first thing so if we hadn't had breakfast we needed something! I grabbed a rice krispie cake which was just under $3 and mark grabbed a large piece of cake which was just under $4 which wasn't too bad.
Cypress Bakery offeres smoothies, coffees, baked pastries, muffins and cakes
Polar Parlour offers hand-dipped ice cream and sundaes
Sweet Sailin offers fudge and lots of other sweet treats and is my kind of shop!
Seafire Inn offers burgers and stir-fries
Voyagers Wood Fire Pizza is one of the most popular destinations for lunch and can get extremely busy offering pizza, salads, wraps and chicken dishes
The Sandbar offers hot dogs and light snacks
Spice Mill offers sandwiches and steak products
Sharks Underwater grill is a premier full service restaurant that offers fantastic seafood products, but was out of our budget on this trip!
The Deli offers fresh sandwiches and would of suited me down to the ground
Mango Joe's Café offers chicken products and fish salads
Dine with Shamu, now this was something I did want to do but it was fully booked, this is a buffet meal and reservations are required.
Smoky Creek Grill offers BBQ products at reasonable prices
Captain Petes Island Eats is again more fast food but ideal if you are on a budget and like hotdogs!!
<<<<Information>>>> Strollers are available for higher at the Guest Services area however it is asked that they are parked in designated stroller park areas.
You can also hire wheelchairs and mobile scooters at guest services should they be required.
There are plenty of toilets located at SeaWorld and there is also a nursing area available for mothers located near the penguin encounter and Shamu's Happy Harbour Station.
Also located in SeaWorld is the Sky Tower but this is an additional charge and to be honest if you went on Kraken you get the same views a bit faster but for free!!
SeaWorld is a great place for children and adults and I thoroughly enjoyed it and can't wait to go back again for more!!!
Advantages: Interact with animals, great shows Disadvantages: Cost
...a bit apprehensive about visiting Sea World. So many people had said to me about how cruel it is to keep animals in captivity.
Having visited Sea World in Orlando, my mind has been changed. I am convinced that these animals are happy to be there, although I did feel that some of the enclosures were a little small. Sea World rescue animals, and are keen to inform the general public on caring for animals, and our ecosystem. So, here is my opinion ... ...Where is it?
Sea World is easy to find. It is located near downtown Orlando at the intersection of Interstate 4 (I4) and the Bee Line Expressway. The park opens at 9am, and closing hours depend on the time of year.
Car Parking
Well, on this holiday we were quite lucky. Being with my brother in law who is disabled, we parked our van in a disabled parking space which is right opposite the entrance. Car parking cost $8, whether you are disabled or ...
Testarossa 23.01.2005
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Sea World, Orlando
Advantages: plenty to do and see, some great experiences to be had i.e feeding the dolphins, Disadvantages: none
...first going to write about Sea World. Out of all the things we did this was my favourite day of them all.
If you are planning a trip to Orlando, Florida it is worth booking some of your trips in advanced to save time and money when you get there. You can buy the Orlando 4 or 5 park flexi ticket which includes Sea World, Wet n Wild, Universal Studios, Universal Islands of adventure and Busch Gardens. Anyway back to Sea World.
Sea World opens from ... ...day is yours. At Sea World you get the opportunity to see Seals, Otters, Stingray, Dolphins, Killer Whales, Manatees and Penguins. There are also a couple of rides to go on, plenty of shops and resturants around too. First we went straight to the rides and my family went on the Kraken, which is Florida's longest rollercoaster. I gave this a miss though and watched. Don't like them. Then we went on the journey to Atlantis which is a boat ride which ...
coolchanty 08.07.2002
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Sea World, Orlando
Advantages: Great Rides, Pleasent staff, cheap souvenirs, clean, great day out Disadvantages: none!
...a world famous theme park, Sea World Orlando. Sea World is not like what a lot of people think... a few killer whales and an aquarium, it is actually nothing near that bad ! Sea World is a great day out for both people individually or in a group. My experience of Sea World was great, the attractions were excellent, the staff were friendly, it was hot and it was only days till Christmas... AND I was in FLORIDA! So getting onto the subject of the park ... ...glorious sunshine, I was at Sea World Orlando! At arriving we obviously had to park the car. Unlike MGM Studios, the previous day, we had to pay a parking fee. This was a tiny disappointing, but it didn’t bother me because I wasn’t paying! The whole day’s parking fee cost $7.00 (which is just under £5). Amazingly the car park was meters from the park so we didn’t have to go far. We paid for our tickets, which cost $51.95 (£32.27) for adults and $42.95 ...
sav90 18.08.2003
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Sea World, Orlando
Advantages: educational and entertaining Disadvantages: expensive admission and food
...of the creatures from the sea and are famed for their Killer Whale shows. They are displayed in many tanks and pools for your to interact and even touch the fish and mammals.
Ok, so how accessible is it?
Very. It is just a mile from International Drive and the same distance from the I4. These are 2 of Orlando's most famous and busiest roads. It is some 10 miles from Orlando Airport and can be seen from some distance thanks to the Seaword Sky Tower ... ...London.
It is well signposted and easy to find.
Car parking?
Well, you are going to pay $9 just to park here. Pay an extra buck and you can park in the "preferred parking" zone. This is right outside the gates and saves walking miles to get to the entrance. However, the amount of walking you will do inside, it really does not matter.
Initial impressions. The lighthouse and rocks at the main gate with the water running around and the sealife in ...
andycharger 20.11.2002
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Sea World, Orlando
Advantages: Appeals to all - young and old! Disadvantages: you dont wana leave!!
Having been to sea world throughout my life a good 7 times I can quite safely say that it is an incredible experience and a amazing place for the whole family to visit! Im 18 and have loved it since I was a baby, my 4 year old brother is impossible to please and has the attention span on a gnat and yet went 3 times and wanted to go again! It really does appeal to the whole family!
The newest dolphin show; blue horizons is worth the admission fee ... ...breathtaking dolphin show keeps everyone in the audience captivated! Shamu Rocks and Believe are amazing Killer whale shows, where without a doubt you get soaked! We sat at the front and came out looking like we'de been for a swim, but it just completes the experience (as long as your cameras are well out the way!)
Clyde and Seamore take pirate island, is a hilarious show starring two Californian Sealions and this show like all the others will keep ...
Lauren11111 28.11.2007
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Sea World, Orlando
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Advantages: Really close to SeaWorld. Great value for money. Disadvantages: Couldn't find any.
The Hilton Garden Inn is right next to SeaWorld, one of the best theme parks in Orlando. So close in fact that you can roll out of bed and walk to the park. Excellent for getting there before the crowds do.
The accomodations are very nice although slightly outdated. Much better than a lot of hotels I've stayed in over the years. The rooms didn't smell of mothballs and stale sweat - probably because of the Hilton commitment to high quality. I felt the the Hilton provides great value for money. It was hard to find another hotel in the area that was a reasonable price for a decent standard of hotel. With the beautiful Florida sunshine, a great pool, a restaurant, minimart and fitness room you don't even need to go off site for a relaxing time.
However, if you want to see the sites and visit the theme parks and malls the Hilton is ...
Advantages: Amazing wildlife and shows Disadvantages: Long journey depending on where your staying
Loro Parque is probably the best attraction on the Canary Island of Tenerife. Although the journey via coach from Puerto de Santiago took a tiring 3 and a bit hours to Puerto de la Cruz, it was well worth it. I would strongly recommend watching all of the shows around the park such as the sealions, whales, dolphins and the parrots. The dolphin and whale shows were amazing and I must admit that they topped those of SeaWorld, Orlando, Florida. Loro Parque meaning "Parrot Park" in Spanish lives up to the name as the park is based around the hundreds of different parrots they own. If you are on holiday to Tenerife, do not hesistate to visit this park. With animals ranging from penguins to tigers to gorillas, it truly is somewhere to visit as it is a brilliant place for families, couples, groups of friends or even by yourself. Do not miss ...
Advantages: Location, location, location Disadvantages: Not really a family hotel
We stayed at this hotel on our honeymoon in August... so would have expected there to have been lots of children as it is situated on International Drive:
*12 minutes from Orlando International Airport
* 5 minutes to SeaWorld Adventure Park and Universal Orlando Resort
* 10 minutes to Walt Disney World® Resort
* 15 minutes from Orlando Downtown
=Rooms=
Our room was very large & clean with all of the amenaties that you would expect. Unfortunately the aircon was really noisy!!!
=Getting about=
There is an iride trolley stop right outside the hotel which will take you to seaworld & up and down international drive!
If you speak with the concierge they will point you in the correct direction to book free shuttles to other theme parks!
= Hotel Restaurants=
We had a meal one night in the a la carte Everglades ...
