There’s just something so magical about bringing your kids on vacation. The joy, the excitement, the fun things to explore and see. It’s nice to go on vacation and break out of the boring everyday life of todo lists, and work, and errands.
Don’t get me wrong, my kids still have bad days at theme parks and on vacation, so don’t assume you’ll get some picture perfect instagram vacation (newflash, they aren’t real!) but I can assure you that your kids will love seaworld!
If you haven’t considered Seaworld before now, you should take a look at 10 reasons the kids will love a trip there.
Character meet and greets
My kids are still pretty young, so the idea that they can meet one of their favorite characters is very exciting for them. And I’d be lying if I said that meeting characters wasn’t fun for adults too! You can meet many ‘no name’ characters at seaworld and have very personal and fun interactions with them.
We’ve also gotten the chance to meet Cookie Monster and Elmo in Sesame Place. Just like at Disney World and Universal, many of the masked characters do not talk. And it’s the same at Seaworld.
While Elmo and CoOkie Monster don’t talk, they do sign autographs and they are so cute with the kids. It was a total blast seeing them!
Option to do a lot more with lower lines (it’s how Disney was 10 years ago)
Not sure if you went to Disney World about 10 years ago, or back in the 90s. I remember this because I was born and raised in Central Florida, but back then, the lines were nowhere near as long.
I remember getting mad if the lines were longer than 30 minutes and now that’s the norm at some of the larger parks.
Thankfully, Seaworld isn’t quite like that. The roller coasters do get some longer lines on weekends (they do have their own skip the line option like the other parks ) but most everything else is a very short wait!
From the animal encounters, to the rides, to the shows. Most of your waiting will be sitting down and in the shade. It’s a very pleasant experience.
Sesame Place Play Area
Seaworld is lots of fun , but unlike other parks, they actually goes out of their way to cater to the younger crowd with Sesame Place.
If you have kids younger than 8 (or those with development differences) you’ll thoroughly enjoy going to the Sesame place playground so that they can let off some steam.
It is a Godsend to parents that need a break, and kids that just want to be kids.
They can run around and play on the fake grass, and the easily accessible play areas. Plus the baby care center is right there, so you can tend to the littlest ones while your bigger kids get a break to run and play!
Nobody likes to be cooped up in the stroller all day, and thanks to this play area, they have somewhere just for them.
Bonus! On those hot days, Sesame Place also has a splash pad. This is by far the most extensive splash pad I have seen inside a theme park- the kids freaking love t. I’m not the biggest fan because then I have to change them, but in the summer months (which is like half the year) it’s wonderful for keeping them cool and not as scary as the splash zone at the shows.
Lots of Easy Food and drinks
Did I mention that lines for food are also very small? Seaworld has a crazy amount of eateries (crazy, as in awesome!) so you won’t have to get stuck waiting in 30 minute lines for a burger and fries.
They’ve got drink areas set up all over the park (with the freestyle machines) and you can purchase a souvenir cup to get refills (something that many other parks won’t do) Which is AWESOME!
You won’t have any problems keeping your kids hydrated and fed- which really helps prevent the meltdowns and tantrums.
The Pets Ahoy Petting Area
One of our absolute favorite shows is the Pets Ahoy show, where the rescued and adopted pets get to showcase many of their talents. It is SO unbelievably CUTE.
It’s perfect to grab a seat in the A/C and enjoy these rescue pets in these low key skits.
Best part, at the end of the show, you can meet some of the wonderful pets, and talk to their trainers! They’ll announce that you can come to the stage as you exit so you can meet the stars of the show. It totally warms my heart because they talk about how great these animals are and that we all need to check our shelters before getting an animal.
The Sea lion show
This show is hilarioussssss and my kids eat it up. Other people love it too- it’s very popular. The ‘stage’ is set up outside with seating around a very large pool. The seals get to be silly and slippery as they slide around (don’t try to say that three times fast)
If you only have time for one show, this is the one I recommend! Full of dad jokes and cute songs, this is a great one for the whole family to get involved in.
Getting to go BRRR with the penguins
No matter if you like rides or your height, you can step into the artic and meet the penguins up close and personal! We go to this area. Every. Single. Time. It’s cute, it’s quick, it’s informative AND you get to cool off on hot days.
Part of this is a Ride (so you can see it when you exit the ride) BUT you can also access it without riding- so we end up going a few times every trip.
Feeding the Animals
My kids are total animal lovers, and we want them to have a deep respect and appreciation for nature.
Thankfully, Seaworld has a spots where you can purchase food to share with the animals, and you can learn more about their eating habits and feeding patterns. What may seem slimy and gross (like fish baskets) is actually super fun for the kids. They love to feed the seals the most as they race around their home and show off for a treat.
Seaworld changes themes frequently
We do a lot of theme parks with the kids and it gets kinda boring seeing the same stuff.
That’s one of the things we love most about Seaworld. They are constantly changing themes throughout the year. From Holiday Festivities, to celebrations for the spring and summer, its a blast to go and experience something new.
Kid sized rides
Many of the theme parks have rides for kids and those that can’t ride roller coasters, but it does require some research.
Good News!
At Sesame Place, every ride you see is available for preschoolers and up to ride. And that’s really cool, because you can tell your kid to pick a ride, without worrying about height requirements and dealing with disappointment. Plus, there are many rides in sesame place that have zero height requirements and are fun for the whole family to ride (and did I mention low wait times!)
Conclusion
Do my kids love all the theme parks? Yes. They have wanderlust in their heart. But when you press them, they will always say they want to see the animals and ride the rides. The only place we can do that in Orlando is Seaworld, and with it being a low stress park, it’s one of our favorite places to go!