What Are the Most Underrated Attractions at SeaWorld® Orlando?
SeaWorld® Orlando discount tickets can make it affordable for you to spend multiple days at the park, allowing you to fully enjoy the vast array of rides, shows, and exhibits. This is especially true in the summer when the longer days and warm weather allow longer operating hours and more shows.
Some of the park’s best attractions are easy to overlook, though. Even if you’re a fan of thrill rides and flashy shows, check out these more understated attractions for a new kind of entertainment. You’ll be especially glad you know about these on hot days when the popular rides’ lines are long! Pay special attention to the educational exhibits, like the Manatee Rehabilitation Center and Pelican Preserve, as these are central to SeaWorld®’s core mission.
Pets Ahoy
This hilarious year-round show is great for animal lovers of all ages. Acrobatic cats, jump-roping dogs, swooping birds, and friendly human trainers team up for an endearing and funny performance. The animals’ stunts are usually easy to see, even if you don’t get prime seating near the front. Make sure to pay attention to what’s going on above you, as sometimes the animals venture onto overhead walkways!
The free show is only about 25 minutes, so it’s great for families with small children who can’t sit still for too long. Older visitors will also find it to be a nice break from the summer heat.
Jewel of the Sea Aquarium
Right next to the Journey to Atlantis ride is a gorgeous aquarium that features dozens of jellyfish. While Jewel of the Sea doesn’t take long to explore, it provides a good chance to get out of the sun and crowds. Even small children will be entranced by the jellyfish as they swish around their habitat.
Plus, the beautifully-lit interior is surprisingly romantic. Parents can take a moment to relax and enjoy watching the jellyfish while their older children ride Journey to Atlantis or another nearby ride.
Wild Arctic
This flight simulator is truly one of SeaWorld® Orlando’s hidden gems. Swoop over icy scenery in a jet-helicopter and witness walruses and beluga whales in a virtual version of their natural habitats. The motion simulator itself provides a smooth ride that shouldn’t be a problem for most guests who meet the 42” height requirement.
Bonus: this ride is indoors, and gives you a chance to get out of the sun for a while. It’s well worth it, even if the lines are a little long. After the ride, check out the Wild Arctic habitat, which gives you an up-close look at the beluga whales and walruses.
Sea Lion High: The New Class
Sea lions may not be SeaWorld® Orlando’s most famous residents, but they still put on a great show. This outdoor performance is great for hot summer days since the sea lions splash enough to get you wet if you sit in the marked “Splash Zone” seats. If you’re not up for getting wet, you can still watch the sea lions as they jump, swim, slide, and interact with their trainers.
Like any good show, the trainers are almost as charismatic as the animals and can keep even the smallest of guests entertained. (Teenagers and adults will probably appreciate the actors’ jokes about high school life!) The 25-minute show is interactive, so if you’re lucky, you’ll get to see the sea lions very up close.
Turtle Trek
This exhibit has a 360° theater that provides a truly immersive experience for turtle fans. There’s also a strong educational component to the show, too, making it an important watch for fans who care about the environment.
Since this attraction doesn’t have any moving parts or thrill factor, it often gets overlooked. Like any indoor exhibit, though, it provides a great break from the sun while giving viewers a stunning and thought-provoking view of sea life.
Pelican Preserve
SeaWorld® Orlando takes its role in wildlife preservation seriously, and visitors can see the results of that labor at Pelican Preserve. The pelicans living there have permanent injuries that keep them from ever returning to their natural habitat.
Luckily, they can live happy lives while their caretakers educate visitors on the importance of caring for the environment. Visitors can learn how to help prevent injuries to pelicans and other wildlife. This attraction doesn’t take long to experience, but it’s important for visitors of all ages.
Manatee Rehabilitation Area
Like Pelican Preserve, the Manatee Rehabilitation Area focuses on providing a safe environment for wounded and orphaned animals to recover. Manatee lovers will find a lot to love here, since there are videos showing manatees’ paths to recovery and steps humans can take to prevent further harm to sea creatures. While you can’t touch the manatees in this area, they are still fairly active and will come up to the surface often.
Most other areas of SeaWorld® Orlando’s rehabilitation center are only viewable as part of a separate tour that costs extra. The Manatee Rehabilitation Area was just opened to park guests in March 2016, so make sure to take advantage of your complimentary access to this area.
Penguins Up-Close Tour
SeaWorld® Orlando offers two different small-group tours for penguin fans. One is the Penguin Encounters tour, which allows visitors to visit and pet warm-weather penguins. The other is the Penguins Up-Close experience, part of which takes place in a chilly Antarctic penguin habitat. Penguins Up-Close is colder but longer, providing guests with a 45-minute educational tour of the penguin habitat.
All of the behind-the-scenes tours are worth it for serious animal lovers, but the Penguins Up-Close tour is especially underrated because of its length and slightly smaller group size. It’s the perfect birthday or Christmas gift for penguin lovers.
Stingray Lagoon
Don’t be scared – these stingrays are soft and safe to touch! This exhibit allows you to touch the stingrays for free, or purchase food for them for a small fee. Since stingrays aren’t as cute as dolphins and penguins, this area of the park is sometimes overlooked.
Since stingrays can be up to five feet across, their silhouette can be a little intimidating for small children. Teens and adults will almost certainly love the chance to meet these animals, though. There are usually at least 120 stingrays present in this exhibit, so you shouldn’t have to wait long for a chance to touch one.
Dolphin Nursery
SeaWorld® Orlando sometimes has baby dolphins, and you can often find them and their mothers in the Dolphin Nursery area. The babies and their mothers might not always be out for visitors to see, but the Nursery’s convenient location right near the entrance to the park means it’s easy to drop by and check when you arrive. Look for the enclosure to the left of the Manta roller coaster after you enter the park.
Up-Close Dining at Shamu® Stadium
A sit-down meal may sound like a hassle, but SeaWorld® Orlando makes it easy to make a reservation in advance. Children and adults alike will enjoy learning about pilot whales while watching them play. The restaurant’s buffet-style setup means that even picky eaters should have no problem eating their fill, and the reasonable price tag will keep parents happy.
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