Planning a Trip

Getting to SeaWorld by Car

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.

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 (tel. 800/221-1339). The schedule allows about 7 hours at Busch Gardens. The service is free if you have a FlexTicket.

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 Attractions section of Orlando 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 (tel. 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.

Hours

The park is usually open from 9am to 6pm and sometimes later, 365 days a year. Call tel. 800/327-2424 or 407/351-3600 for more information.

Making Your Visit More Enjoyable

Planning Your Visit

Get information before you leave by writing to SeaWorld Guest Services at 7007 SeaWorld Dr., Orlando, FL 32801, or call tel. 407/351-3600.

Online -- Official SeaWorld information is available at www.seaworldorlando.com. The Orlando Sentinel newspaper produces OrlandoSentinel.com -- it features a Theme Park Rangers and Tourism Central blog as well as an array of local coverage. You can get a ton of information from the Orlando/Orange County Convention & Visitors Bureau website, www.orlandoinfo.com. Additional information, much of which aimed at the family set, can be found at www.travel-insights.com.

Choose Age-Appropriate Activities

Because it has few thrill rides, SeaWorld has few restrictions, but you may want to check out the special tour programs offered through the education department. SeaWorld lives up to its reputation for making education fun. The Behind the Scenes Tour offers a 90-minute glimpse into how SeaWorld cares for the animals it rescues (manatees and sea turtles in particular). The cost is $30 for adults, $20 for children 3 to 9, plus park admission. The Dolphin Spotlight Tour takes you backstage at the whale and dolphin stadium and behind the scenes at Dolphin Cove for an hour-long tour, where you'll find out just what it takes to train and care for the park's bottlenose dolphins. The Penguin Spotlight Tour takes you backstage at the Penguin Encounter (the cost for either spotlight tour is $50 for adults, $40 for children 3-9, plus park admission). Call tel. 407/363-2380 for information or tel. 800/406-2244 for reservations.

Budget Your Time

SeaWorld has a leisurely pace, in part because its biggest attractions are up-close encounters with the animals. Don't be in a rush (you won't have to hurry everywhere for a change). This park can easily be enjoyed in a day. Its layout, lush landscaping, and many outdoor exhibits give it an open feel. Because of the large capacity and walk-through nature of many of the attractions, crowds generally aren't a concern except at Journey to Atlantis, Kraken, and Manta. You also need to be in Shamu Stadium in plenty of time for the show. Wild Arctic, at times, can draw a sizable crowd, but the lines here don't come close to reaching Disney's proportions, so relax. Isn't that what a vacation is supposed to be about?