The Ultimate Guide to Visiting SeaWorld San Diego with Kids

“We received complimentary tickets to SeaWorld San Diego to help us with this review. All opinions are my own.”

Visiting an amusement park with a family can be a really stressful event for Moms. We are always trying to make sure everyone is happy and when you have a big family, that’s really hard sometimes. There are some amusement parks that cater to really young children and some that cater to older kids. And within those theme parks, usually the family has to split up because there are not very many “in-between” rides that everyone likes.

This is why I absolutely LOVE SeaWorld San Diego. This amusement park had the whole family sticking together the whole time. We had so much fun here. And I absolutely loved staying with the big kids this time.

I was so impressed with SeaWorld. I loved their employees. They all seemed to be performers. Even the employees that weren’t out there on stage. I felt like they loved to work there and were excited to see every guest. I felt very welcomed.

There are a lot of things I learned visiting SeaWorld with a big family and I’ll share those tips with you.

Preparing for your visit:

1. Bring a stroller or if you don’t have a small child that requires a stroller, bring a wagon. You are allowed to bring bottled water. You’ll need to bring extra sunblock, a diaper bag, wipes and hand sanitizer. So it’s really nice to have something that will help you tote around all those things. You’ll need to park it with the strollers, but it’s worth it for sure. If you don’t have a stroller to bring, you can rent one there for a fee.

2. Bring water wear or clothing that dries fast and a towel. If you ride every ride and sit in the soak zone, you will get wet. It feels good in the summer, but you don’t want to walk around soaked all day. A towel comes in handy for those little ones who don’t like to stay wet.

3. Bring an extra change of clothing. Depending on how long you plan on staying in the park, you’ll want some dry clothes to change into. This is Southern California and it’s really humid, so it will take a long time for your clothes to dry.

4. Plan your visit around the shows you want to see. The best thing about a visit to SeaWorld is the shows they offer. We loved every one of them and I’m so glad we made the time to see each one. You can check out the schedule of the shows HERE. Make sure you click on they day you will be visiting, because show times differ from day to day. So decide which ones you want to see and then decide which rides you want to run to after the shows. Looking at a map of the park will help you decide what order you will do things in.

5. Buy Tickets in Advance and skip the ticket booth. We bought our extra tickets online while we were in the parking lot. There are so many options for buying tickets. If you visit the park on a weekday you get a special discounted price. If you live close to the park you can buy an annual pass and pay for it monthly. That’s great for big families. Then you don’t have a giant payment right up front. You can buy multi-park passes which includes different combinations with admission to Southern California CityPass, San Diego Zoo, Safari Park, and Universal Studios.

6. Wear sunblock and bring an umbrella or hat. From all the parks we visited on our trip to Southern California, SeaWorld was the one we got our heads burned. My only complaint about SeaWorld is that there is no shade over their stadium seating. So you sweat to death if you are there during the summer. If you have boys with short haircuts, or girls with parts in their hair, you’ll want to cover their heads up with hats or umbrellas. If you want to cool off, be sure to sit in the soak zones at the shows 🙂

While you’re visiting:

1. Take it easy and take breaks. You don’t want to stress out or wear out the kids and make them grumpy. While you are there please take a break when you are getting the signals that they’ve had enough. Grab a drink sit in the shade and take a break. In between the rides and shows break up the day by visiting the many aquariums available. You can also feed the sea lions, or head over and climb the giant rope wall in Sesame Street Bay of Play.

2. Stay hydrated. You don’t want anyone getting sick or over heated, so make sure you are making everyone drink throughout the day.

3. Take note of where the bathrooms are. Self explanatory, especially for those mommies that need to change diapers or help a child who is potty training.

4. Ride the wet rides in the middle of the day. This is so you have time to hopefully dry off before you need to get in the car. It will also be a nice break in the middle of the day to break up the visit. You will need to take time to dry off and/or change. Then you can grab a bite to eat.

5. Eating. If you are planning on eating every meal at the park, it might be worth it for you to buy the “All-Day Dining Pass”. Read more about it HERE. You will love the food they have there. I would suggest eating from the kiosks, not from the Cafe. Find a table with an umbrella or under a shady place. We didn’t notice how many places there were to sit and eat in the shade, so look around and find a good spot. They are kind of spread out around the Shipwreck Reef Cafe. If you want to save money you can also bring a cooler with lunch in it and keep it in the car. You can exit the park and eat at the picnic tables located outside the park.

6. Rides for the big kids. We really loved the rides at SeaWorld. Actually my older kids said that the Manta was their favorite roller coaster from all the parks we visited on our trip. I loved it too. It’s really unique and the seats are the most comfortable of any ride I’ve been on. Journey to Atlantas was one that we didn’t make it too, but I’d have to say this one is for the older kids.

7. Rides for the whole family. I loved the fact that my 4 year old could go on a bunch of rides with us. Our favorite family rides were Shipwreck Rapids, Wild Arctic Ride and Bayside Skyride. It was also fun to go on the Skytower and see the whole park and the beautiful views of the surrounding area.

8. Rides for the littles. Elmo’s Flying Fish is fun because the kids can control how high they go. We also enjoyed Abby’s Sea Star Spin and Oscar’s Rocking Eel. These are fun to take the kids on while the older ones ride the scary rides. But what’s great about SeaWorld is that if you have a little one that makes someone have to stay off a big ride, they can get a pass to skip right to the front of the line to ride after the first group get’s off.

9. Shows. Which ones were our favorites?

     -Killer Whales: Up Close. This was a fun show where the kids learn a lot about Killer Whales and how SeaWorld cares for their Whale Family.

 -One Ocean. This one was my favorite show. I loved watching the Whales spin, jump and splash the audience. It was really fun to see the whale family especially since they have the cutest 2 year old whale.

-Dolphin Days. This show features dolphins and pilot whales and their trainers and it’s a blast! It’s so fun to see the trainers “surfing” on the dolphins back.

 -Sea Lions Live. This show had me laughing really hard. It’s a live-action TV and music spoofs show performed by a sea lion comedy team. You’re family will really enjoy this show.

There are many more shows you can go and see. Check them out HERE. Make sure you arrive about 15 minutes or more early to each show so you can get a seat together. Grab some popcorn and a drink to keep the kids happy while they wait. They usually have a preshow show that is entertaining too. (By the way, buy one of the souvenir cup so you can get $.99 refills all day long, and use them at most of the parks in Southern California).

10. What do I do with my stuff if I don’t have a stroller? All Day Lockers are located near the Reservation Center for a fee. Single use lockers also available for a small fee are located at Sesame Street Bay of Play, the entrance to Journey To Atlantis, the entrance to Shipwreck Rapids and located by Exit turnstiles in the Main Gate Plaza.

11. Do I Pay to Park? Yes. $16 for cars, $21 for RVs and campers, $11 for Motorcycles, and you can pay $21 for Up-Close Parking (When available).

12. What to do if you get lost? Kids like to run and they get distracted easily. It’s easy to lose them in a crowd at a busy park, so make sure you have a plan. Tell them to find someone who works at SeaWorld (point them out to them so they know what they look like and what they wear). Choose a place to meet if they get lost. I also use a black permanent marker to write my child’s name on his arm with my phone number so I can be called if someone finds him.

I hope some of these tips help you and your family as you visit SeaWorld San Diego. What are some tips you have for families visiting SeaWorld? What have been your favorite things to do there?