15 Reasons to Love SeaWorld

This year marks SeaWorld’s 50th Celebration. I’ve been going since I was a little girl and love being able to share my love of the ocean and marine life with my kids. SeaWorld is so close to Arizona that it can easily be a weekend trip any time of the year! So, I’m sharing with y’all my 15 reasons to love SeaWorld!

1. Explorer’s Reef is now open! Dive hand’s first into this new hands-on exhibit is located as you first enter SeaWorld through the main gate.  The new front of the park makes entering the park magical and almost jaw dropping. You are greeted with an attraction the second you enter and the kids (and adults too) are amazed and it’s almost hard to pull them away. The plants and structures were created to look like you are in a coral reef. Plus the kids are busy touching all sorts of sea life while the parents figure out the plan for the day.

Shark eggs (yes you can see the baby sharks swimming in the eggs) & Cleaner Fish

2. The Clyde & Seymour Show is just as funny as it has ever been. They change is up every year and it is always a riot. And the show this year is fantastic! A walk down a musical memory lane as well as a couple spoofs on current television shows.

3. The Sesame Street play area for young kids is a must visit if the kids are getting restless. The kids loved the rope course and play area. It totally helped them burn off some of that energy from sitting and watching the shows. We didn’t do any of the kids rides, but they do look like a ton of fun!

4. The updated dolphin show with acrobats was exciting and unique. They also added some birds to the show as well. It was a bit eclectic, but very entertaining.

5. If you have food allergies, you will be happy to know they have paid special attention to their menu and I had no issues with my allergy friendly dining. Want to read more about it… check out my post Allergy Friendly Dining at SeaWorld.

6. Dining with Shamu…while it’s not a new attraction, the food offerings have been updated and they offer a lot more fresh and healthy options. Yes, even if you have food allergies you can enjoy dining with Shamu.

7. There are several roller coasters and rides. The newest ride, the Manta, is in the middle of the park and wraps around the ray petting area.

8. The dolphin interaction options! You can have a one on one with a trainer and a dolphin or you can swim with the dolphins. It’s recommended to get your reservations early (even before you arrive) to ensure they don’t run out of space. And yes…these will fill up quickly.

9. One of our favorite features are the self-serve snacks and drinks. It’s kind of like a 7-11 or QT where you walk up and make your own drink and grab your own snacks. Not waiting in long lines to order your treats. Just grab them and pay. There are several of these located throughout the park in addition to the regular carts and restaurants.

10. The puffins! My kids might be only ones more excited to see the puffins than the penguins, but they are super cute. One of our favorite cereals is Puffins, so after reading the box several times over the last couple years, they were excited to see one of their favorite animals in person.

11. SeaWorld has created an awesome free app for smartphones. There is a QR code as you enter the park to get it or just look it up in your app store before you go. It shows you where you are in the park, nearby exhibits, show times, and more. We thought it was one of the better amusement park apps out there. iTunes or Android

12. The last time we were at SeaWorld, we took our daughter on a behind the scenes tour. They have several to pick from and you can register when you first enter the park. The tours offer a look at some of the activites that go on behind the scenes. Like the Animal Spotlight Tours.

13. SeaWorld is big into conservation efforts. They use earth friendly products, recycle, rescue animals, and more! Read more about their efforts.

14. As a frugal mom, I’m always looking for a way to save a little money…especially on vacation. So I love cheap refills! If you buy one of the big souvenir cups you can refill them all season long for only $.99. Same with the popcorn bins….you can get them refilled at a greatly discounted price. What was also nice, is that you could fill them up with ice at the self-serve areas and then grab some water at the drinking fountain. Nice cold ice water!

15. Theme park dining is usually pretty pricy and SeaWorld isn’t much different, although, they do have an affordable all-day dining plan. Plan ahead because you can only eat at certain places with the plan, but it’s worth it if you will be staying all day.

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Disclaimer: SeaWorld invited my family to the Explorer’s Reef blogger event for my other blog (Around My Family Table). I was not required to write about it here, but I had too much to share and wanted to make sure y’all knew about all the cool new happenings at SeaWorld.