Visitors Guide to SeaWorld Orlando

SeaWorld Orlando

SeaWorld Orlando opened December 15, 1973 and today is America's 10th most-visited theme park, but ranking first behind the Disney and Universal parks. In recent years, the park has added seasonal food and music festivals as it looks to boost repeat attendance from locals.

Ticket Icon Looking for discount tickets? Get SeaWorld Orlando tickets

Our recommendations below come from our ongoing survey of Theme Park Insider readers. Vote here to take part in our surveys and submit your picks for top attractions.

New for 2025

An un-named Arctic-themed flying theater ride is scheduled to open sometime in the spring.

What to Do

Roller Coasters

  1. Mako
    A 4,760-foot Bolliger & Mabillard hyper coaster with a 200-foot drop and top speed of 73 mph. Height requirement: 54 inches
  2. Manta
    A 3,359-foot Bolliger & Mabillard flying coaster with a 113-foot drop and top speed of 56 mph and four inversions. Height requirement: 54 inches
  3. Pipeline: The Surf Coaster
    Next-generation Bolliger & Mabillard stand-up coaster, with a 110-foot height and top speed of 60 mph. Minimum height: 54 inches. Maximum height: 78 inches.
  4. Kraken
    A 4,177-foot Bolliger & Mabillard floorless coaster with a 144-foot drop and a top speed of 65 mph and seven inversions. Height requirement: 54 inches
  5. Ice Breaker
    A Premier Rides Sky Rocket that reaches 93 feet and 52 mph on 1,900 feet of track. Height requirement: 54 inches
  6. Penguin Trek
    Two-launch Bolliger & Mabillard family coaster, themed to Antarctica and featuring the park's penguin habitat at its exit. Height requirement: 42 inches
  7. Journey to Atlantis
    A dark ride built around a Mack Rides water coaster. Height requirement: 42 inches
    Journey to Atlantis

Other Attractions

  • Infinity Falls
    Intamin river rapids ride with an elevator lift and 40-foot drop.
  • Sesame Street Land
    SeaWorld's children's area offers a collection of kiddie rides including Super Grover's Box Car Derby, a Zierer Force children's coaster.
  • Sky Tower
    SeaWorld's iconic observation tower

Animal Displays

SeaWorld Orlando's "animal connections" include the Orca Encounter, Dolphin Adventures, and Sea Lion & Otter Spotlight presentations and the Dolphin Cove, Jewel of the Sea Aquarium (tropical fish), Manatee Rehabilitation Area, Manta Aquarium, Pacific Point Preserve (sea lions), Shark Encounter, Stingray Lagoon, and Wild Arctic (walrus and beluga whales) animal habitats.

Where to Eat

SeaWorld offers an All-Day Dining Deal that allows you one entree, one side OR dessert, and one regular sized non-alcoholic beverage at participating restaurants once per 90 minutes in the park, until park close. You can get a discount on All-Day Dining by buying your park tickets in advance. Participating restaurants are:

  • Altitude Burger
  • Captain Pete's Island Hot Dogs
  • Expedition Cafe
  • Lakeside Grill
  • Panini Shore Cafe
  • Seafire Grill
  • Voyager's Smokehouse
  • Waterway Grill

The other major restaurant in the park is the table-service Sharks Underwater Grill and Bar, which offers - as the name implies - underwater views of the park's shark habitat along with steaks, chicken, and seafood entrees.

Buy Tickets

Park Map

SeaWorld Orlando is located off Interstate 4, just south of the 528 Beachline Expressway - in between the Walt Disney World and Universal Orlando resorts.

Strategy

SeaWorld is becoming more of a locals' park, so weekdays during the school year will be the easiest time to visit. But even on weekends and during holidays, SeaWorld visitors rarely will encounter unreasonable wait times.

If you are here for the coasters and thrill rides, start with Pipeline and work your way around the park from there. You should not need to hop back and forth across the park chasing short waits. On cooler days, save Infinity Falls for the warmth of the afternoon, as you will get soaked on that one.

If you care about the animal presentations, note the show times in the park app and plan your coaster visits around those. Otherwise, SeaWorld's paid Quick Queue line bypass is almost never needed when trying to do all the park's major coasters in one day.