Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
294
star of the park along with his expanding family, which includes baby whales. The pace
is much more laid-back than at either Universal or Disney, and it's a good way to break
up a long week trudging through the other parks. Close encounters at feeding pools are
among the real attractions (so be sure to budget a few extra dollars to buy fishy handouts
for the sea lions and dolphins, who make begging an art form).
SeaWorld manages a few thrills and chills.
Journey to Atlantis
is a high-tech water
ride similar to Splash Mountain at Disney's Magic Kingdom.
Kraken
is a floorless roller
coaster that sports seven inversions, much like coasters such as Montu and Kumba at
SeaWorld's sister, Busch Gardens in Tampa (p. 350). And at press time,
Manta,
the park's
most ambitious (and expensive) thrill ride to date, had just splashed onto the SeaWorld
scene. But this park doesn't try to compete with the wonders of WDW or Universal.
Instead it lets you discover the crushed-velvet texture of a stingray or the song of seals.
ESSENTIALS
GETTING TO SEAWORLD BY CAR
The marine park is south of Orlando and Uni-
versal, north of Disney. From I-4, take exit 72, Beachline (previously the Bee Line)
Expressway/Hwy. 528, and follow the signs.
PARKING
Parking costs $12 for cars, light trucks, and vans; $20 for preferred parking
closer to the park entrance. The lots aren't huge, and most folks can walk to the entrance.
Trams also run. Note the location of your car. SeaWorld characters such as Wally Walrus
mark sections, but at the end of a long day it's easy to forget where you parked.
TICKET PRICES
A
1-day ticket
costs $74.95 for adults, $64.95 for children 3 to 9, plus
6.5% sales tax. The park's online ticketing system allows you to go to its website,
www.
seaworld.com
, buy your ticket over the Internet, print it out, and take the printout right
to the turnstiles.
Note:
SeaWorld sometimes offers free days, discounted pricing, and other
money-saving promotions, so be sure to check online for the most up-to-date offers.
See the beginning of this chapter for information on the
FlexTicket,
a multiday ticket that
provides admission to SeaWorld, Universal Orlando, Wet 'n Wild, and Busch Gardens.
SeaWorld's
VIP Tour
($125 adults, $100 kids 3-9,
plus mandatory park admission
) is
a 7-hour guided excursion that includes front-of-the-line access to Journey to Atlantis,
Kraken, Manta, and Wild Arctic; reserved seating at the shows; lunch at Shamu Stadium
(Dine with Shamu); and a chance to touch or feed penguins, dolphins, stingrays, and sea
lions (
&
800/327-2424
). It's one of only two ways (the other is the park's new seasonal
Quick Queue
pass—starting at $29.99—which is similar to Universal's fee-based
Express Pass program) to dodge park lines, though these usually aren't as long as Disney's
or Universal's.
7
Tips
Shuttle Service
SeaWorld and Busch Gardens in Tampa, both owned by Anheuser-Busch, have a
shuttle service that offers $10 round-trip tickets to get you from Orlando to
Tampa and back. The 1
1
/
2
- to 2-hour each-way shuttle runs daily and has five
pickup locations in Orlando, including at Universal and on I-Drive (
&
800/221-
1339
). The schedule allows about 7 hours at Busch Gardens. The service is free if
you have a FlexTicket.
