SeaWorld San Diego is one of the premier attractions in San Diego and a must-do for any visit to Southern California. The marine park offers incredible views of sea life and other animals through up-close and even hands-on encounters, shows and exhibits. Alongside the animals, there are some incredible attractions that can make it hard to decide what to do first. With a little planning and these tips, you can maximize your time at SeaWorld San Diego.

Our Top Tips to Maximize Your Time at SeaWorld San Diego

1. Buy your tickets in advance.

You will save money and time if you purchase your tickets in advance, since you can find great discounts and you won't have to stand in line at Will Call.

2. Pick the best times to visit. 

The summer months and days around major holidays are when SeaWorld San Diego is busiest. Basically, whenever kids are out of school you can expect major crowds. But this is also when SeaWorld's park hours are the longest, and there are more shows and more showtimes, so you have to decide whether you want to visit with fewer crowds or fewer shows.

3. Consider purchasing Quick Queue and Quick Queue Premier if you are visiting during the busiest times. 

Quick Queue allows you unlimited single-day access to the express entrances at Journey to Atlantis, Wild Arctic, Shipwreck Rapids, Bayside Sky Ride and Manta. Some Quick Queue options also include one-time express access to Electric Eel (be sure to read the fine print if this is important to you — you can also purchase a single-use entry to just Electric Eel). Quick Queue Premier includes all of the benefits of Quick Queue PLUS reserved seating at most SeaWorld shows, including Orca Encounter, Dolphin Amphitheater, Pets Rule! and Sea Lion & Otter Amphitheater. This is the easiest way to maximize your time at SeaWorld San Diego. If shows are more important to you than rides, you can purchase reserved seating for just shows and presentations.

4. Eat breakfast before you get to the park.

You'll save time and money if you fuel up before you head to the park. While there are great dining options at SeaWorld San Diego, we think your money is better saved for lunch.

5. Arrive ahead of park opening. 

That old saying "the early frog gets the fly" is especially true at SeaWorld San Diego. We're not sure if it's just San Diego's laid-back vibes, but the crowds really start building around lunchtime. Therefore, arriving just before park opening gives you plenty of touring time. We like to get a jump on the rides, animal encounters and exhibits at this time. Personally, we like to tour the park counter-clockwise, visiting Journey to Atlantis, Wild Arctic and the penguin exhibits first since they are closer to the park entrance and then head to the other side of the park.

6. Prepare for the water rides. 

Bring along inexpensive ponchos so that you can ride the water rides without a drenching (unless you want to get wet). This is especially helpful if you decide to ride Journey to Atlantis first thing! You can decide when you get to the shows whether you want to sit in the splash zone or stay dry. Know that you're also liable to get a good soaking on Shipwreck Rapids, although the name should be a good giveaway!

7. Bring your own water. 

Water bottles and baby food are the only food and drink items that SeaWorld San Diego allows you to bring into the park. Coolers, straws and glass containers are also prohibited within the park, although guests are welcome to leave those in cars and use the picnic areas near the park entrance plaza. SeaWorld's official policy on guests with medical diets and baby formula is to seek a park representative for assistance before entering.

8. Eat lunch at off-peak times. 

Especially during the busiest times of the year, you will maximize your time at SeaWorld San Diego if you eat lunch earlier or later than the standard lunch hour.

9. Visit Sesame Street Bay of Play in the afternoon.

Sesame Street Bay of Play is full of pint-sized rides that are perfect for toddlers and young children. Lines don't get as long for these attractions as they do for the bigger rides, and we suggest coming back to them since they are close to the park exit. Children must be 42 inches to ride by themselves.

10. Consider purchasing a Quick Queue Junior Pass.

If you are interested in skipping the lines with little ones who are not tall enough for the big thrill rides, you can get an inexpensive Quick Queue Junior Pass for rides the tadpoles will love in the Sesame Street Bay of Play.

11. Research height requirements in advance.

You don’t want to get your tadpoles hyped for a ride only to have them turned away because they aren’t tall enough or because you cannot accompany them due to a baby in your arms. Know the height restrictions in advance so you can schedule rides that meet your family’s interests and needs. Some rides require a supervising companion who is at least 14 years old or do not allow a hand-held infant.

Here are the height requirements for each attraction at SeaWorld San Diego:

• Abby's Sea Star Spin - 42" (107 cm) or accompanied by a supervisor. No hand-held infants.
• Aqua Scout - 36" (91 cm) or accompanied by a supervisor.
• Bayside Skyride - 56" (142 cm) or accompanied by a supervisor.
• Electric Eel - 54" (137 cm) or taller.
• Elmo's Flying Fish - 48" (122 cm) or accompanied by a supervisor. No hand-held infants.
• Journey to Atlantis - 42" (107 cm) or taller. Guests between 42" (107 cm) and 48" (122 cm) in height must be accompanied by a supervisor.
• Manta® - 48" (122 cm) or taller.
• Octarock - 31" (79 cm) or taller.
• Oscar's Rocking Eel - 42" (107 cm) or accompanied by a supervisor. No hand-held infants.
• Riptide Rescue - 45" (114 cm) or taller. Guests between 45" (114 cm) and 50" (127 cm) must be accompanied by a supervisor.
• Sea Dragon Drop - 36" (91 cm) or accompanied by a supervisor.
• Shipwreck Rapids - 42" (107 cm) or taller. Guests between 42" (107 cm) and 48" (122 cm) in height must be accompanied by a supervisor.
• Skytower - 48" (122 cm) or accompanied by a supervisor.
• Tentacle Twirl - 40" (106 cm) or taller.
• Wild Arctic® - 42" (107 cm) or taller.

12. Check the park map for character meet-and-greet times and more. 

All of the park's character encounter times are listed on the park map. The park map also lists open and close times for the rides, restaurants and shows. The SeaWorld Discovery Guide is the official app. It has the park map and show schedules, as well.

13. Schedule your day around the shows. 

You can do this before you leave home by checking the date on the calendar to see the show schedule a week or so ahead of your visit. Plan to arrive at least 20 minutes ahead of the shows (and even earlier during peak times) to get seats in the best viewing area. In between the shows, we ride the rides and experience the animal encounters. (Tad and Lily both especially love Dolphin Days and Pets Rule!)

14. Take advantage of festivals and special events.

If any special events are taking place during your visit, you can attend them for a nice bonus in addition to all of the regularly-scheduled shows and activities. In February, you can experience Lunar New Year celebrations with Chinese Acrobats and Asian-inspired culinary delights. During certain weekends in spring, you can enjoy unique flavors from around the world at the Seven Seas Craft Beer & Food Festival. In early May, join the festival for Viva la Musica with Latin music and cuisine. End your night with a bang with fireworks Memorial Day weekend and on the Fourth of July. During summer nights, you can immerse yourself in family-friendly, exotic worlds of music and light for Electric Ocean. Catch the Sesame Street Party Parade on summer weekends. Dress the tadpoles up in costumes and prepare to trick-or-treat park-wide at the Halloween Spooktacular during select weekends in the fall. Then, come Thanksgiving through early January, you can join Rudolph and friends for a Christmas event with games, photo ops, decorations, festive foods and drinks, live shows and a visit with the big guy himself — Santa!

15. Book a tour or animal interaction program.

There are a lot of shows, rides and animal interaction opportunities that come included in your park ticket, but if you really want to get up close and personal with some of the animals, you can book toadally special encounters for an additional fee. These tours are sure to make lasting, hoppy memories for your tadpoles. If you are early risers, you can take a Family Adventure Tour to meet some dolphins and bat rays before the park even opens — getting an extra early start is a great way to maximize your time at SeaWorld San Diego! Some of the animals you can meet up close, or maybe even feed, on other tours include penguins, flamingos, belugas and walruses, dolphins, seals and sea lions, orcas or sea otters. You can even dine with the orcas during breakfast or dinner!

Now you are set to maximize your time at SeaWorld San Diego! The only thing better than visiting SeaWorld is getting a great deal on SeaWorld San Diego tickets. Hop over to check out the deals on SeaWorld San Diego tickets from Undercover Tourist, including tickets with all-day dining. If you have a few days to spend in San Diego, you might consider a Go San Diego Multi Attraction Pass, which includes Sea World admission and other major attractions like the San Diego Zoo, LEGOLAND and many more!

Related: Tips for Taking Toddlers and Children to SeaWorld San Diego

Related: When to Visit San Diego

Keep hopping!