Family Friendly Rides & Attractions at SeaWorld Orlando

With the opening of two new coasters in Ice Breaker and Pipeline, SeaWorld Orlando started promoting itself as the “Coaster Capital of Orlando”, trending itself away from it’s former marketing as an animal theme park.

Even though SeaWorld offers an amazing lineup of roller coasters and thrill rides, it still has a significant amount of rides and attractions that are considered to be “family friendly” and more applicable for small kids.  There is even one specific area of the park in Sesame Street Land that is completely designed and themed for kids.

In this article we are going to outline the Family Friendly Rides & Attractions at SeaWorld Orlando.

Sesame Street Land

Sesame Street Land at SeaWorld Orlando officially opened in 2019 in the area formerly known as Shamu’s Happy Harbour. This exciting new land brings the popular children’s television show to life with a number of highly themed rides and attractions as well as interactive play areas and meet-and-greet photo opportunities.  

Along with the rides and attractions, there is also the fun and upbeat “Sesame Street Party Parade” which features some of your favorite characters including in Big Bird and Elmo.

Rides and attractions at Sesame Street Land include:

• Super Grover’s Box Car Derby
• Bird Bird’s Twirl ‘N’ Whirl
• Cookie Drop!
• Elmo’s Choo Choo Train
• Sunny Day Carousel
• Abby’s Flower Tower

Flippers, Facts and Fun: The Sea Lion Experience

“Flippers, Facts and Fun: The Sea Lion Experience” at SeaWorld Orlando is an engaging and educational show that highlights the fascinating lives of California sea lions and Asian small-clawed otters. T

his presentation, which debuted in early June 2024, combines humor and informative content to create an entertaining experience for visitors of all ages. Guests can look forward to seeing sea lions Clyde and Seamore, along with their friends, as they showcase their natural behaviors and unique characteristics.

The show aims to deepen the audience’s understanding of these marine animals through a blend of fun facts and playful interactions.

Orca Encounter

The Orca Encounter first opened in late December 2019  and is SeaWorld’s newest version of the new killer whale experience. This version of the “Shamu Show” is structured as 30-minute educational presentation about the orca’s as the ocean’s most powerful predator.  

According to SeaWorld’s web site, the “Orca Encounter will leave you with a deeper understanding of these magnificent animals and will inspire you to care even more profoundly for the wonders of our natural world”.

Dolphin Adventures

SeaWorld’s current dolphin show is called “Dolphin Adventures” which is a very fun show that runs several times a day.  Several bottlenose dolphins provide plenty of entertainment while the trainers educate the audience on how dolphins survive and thrive.

Dolphin Adventures is one of our favorite shows at SeaWorld Orlando and is a must see attraction for any first time visitor.

Dolphin Cove & Dolphin Nursery

Watch the dolphins swim and play at two separate venues: Dolphin Cove and the Dolphin Nursery.  These attractions are available throughout the day but the best times to visit are when the trainers are interacting or feed the dolphins.

Stingray Lagoon & Feeding

Located in the Key West themed area of SeaWorld Orlando is the Stingray Lagoon & Feeding.  Guests get the chance to not only get up close with stingrays but also to touch and feed them (three feeding trays are $10). 

There are more than 100 rays in this lagoon with several babies that are located in a tank that is separate from the main group.

SkyTower

The SkyTower is one of our favorite attractions at SeaWorld Orlando.  The fully air-conditioned capsule climbs to 400 feet in height and is one the original attractions since the park opened in 1974.  Visitors will enjoy get a birds eye view of SeaWorld and on a clear day you can see as far as Disney’s Magic Kingdom and EPCOT as well as Universal Orlando and downtown Orlando.  

There is a small fee for the Sky Tower but annual passholders are free.

Shark Encounter

Guests will enjoy a walking tour through learn more about Sharks and other marine life in the Shark Encounter.  After visitors first enter the attraction, guests will explore a number of aquarium tanks that hold a variety of marine species.

The best part of the attraction is the shark tank itself.  Guests board a moving walkway which literally passes through a tank containing a number of different sharks.

Where to stay when visiting SeaWorld Orlando?

Local area hotels book up quickly so it is our recommendation that you get your reservations as early as possible.  Crowd levels are typically higher than usual due not only to this special event, but also school holidays as well as “Spring Break”.  And in the spring time there are always large conventions coming to Orlando where many hotels block off rooms for the convention attendees.

If you are planning on consuming a number of adult beverages, we would highly recommend you stay a hotel within walking distance or with a transportation service.

The Renaissance Orlando at SeaWorld

The Renaissance Orlando at SeaWorld is one of our favorite hotels in Orlando and it is our “go to” when we are visiting SeaWorld. The Renaissance is literally across the street from SeaWorld and within walking distance.  The hotel features 781 rooms & suites, a resort style pool with splash pad and water slides (R AQUA ZONE), fitness center, full service spa and extensive dining options.

Nightly rates range from around $250.00 per night to more than $500.00 per night depending on the time a year.