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.
Family Friendly Rides & Attractions at SeaWorld Orlando
- Sesame Street Land
- Turtle Trek
- Orca Encounter
- Dolphin Adventures
- Sea Lion & Otter Spotlight
- Dolphin Cove & Dolphin Nursery
- Stingray Lagoon & Feeding
- Shark Encounter
- SkyTower
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
Turtle Trek
TurtleTrek is a very unique attraction at SeaWorld Orlando where the guests start off by viewing huge aquariums of turtles, manatee and a host of other creatures from the sea.
The main part of the attraction is located within a 360 degree dome projection theater where guests will follow the trials and tribulations of “Naya”, a baby sea turtle. This seven minute 3D show is a wonderful experience that shows the trials of life as a sea turtle.
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.
Sea Lion & Otter Spotlight
Guests learn about the lives of California sea lions and Asian small-clawed otters in the Sea Lion and Otter Spotlight. This funny and campy show is both educational & entertaining. Offered multiple times a day, this is one of the most enjoyable shows at SeaWorld Orlando.
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.
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.
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.
Other Attractions for Kids
For those kids that are bit more of a daring, the following attractions provide a bit of “thrills” while still maintaining a family-friendly theme.
Infinity Falls
Infinity Falls is one of the newest additions to the SeaWorld Orlando line up of rides and attractions. It is an exhilarating a five-minute river raft ride that features a 40 foot drop (the tallest for water ride) after a ride through white water rapids.
What’s amazing is that you get to the top of the drop by elevator – yes, your entire raft is elevated and it is a really cool experience. Plan on getting wet when riding this attraction.
Journey to Atlantis
Journey to Atlantis is a hybrid water ride and roller coaster. Riders board an 8-person boat and sail off to find the the lost City of Atlantis.
After climbing to the top of the temple for a 60-foot drop which is the best part of the entire ride. Plan to get soaked as you splash down right in from of the temple for all to see.
During the final part of the attraction, riders enjoy a short roller coaster blast into another pool of water.
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 $150.00 per night to more than $350.00 per night depending on the time a year. There is a $30 per day resort fee plus a 6% resort tax on top of a 6.5% sales tax. It is an Official SeaWorld Hotel which provides guests a number of SeaWorld benefits including guaranteed admission and complimentary parking at SeaWorld, dining and merchandise discounts and complimentary access to the SeaWorld Rescue Tour.
The Residence Inn Orlando SeaWorld
The Residence Inn Orlando SeaWorld is less than a mile from the front gate. This hotel features family-sized apartment-style suites with kitchens and is one of the more affordable hotels in the SeaWorld area. Features include complimentary breakfast, 24-hour fitness center, resort pool with hot tub, barbeque grills and a sports court.
Hotel rates range from around $125 per night to more than $250 per night depending on the room type and the date of the stay. There are no resort fees but there is a daily parking charge of $15.oo to go along with the resort and sales tax.
The Residence Inn is also a Official SeaWorld Hotel so guests receive a number of theme park benefits along with their stay.
