Dive deep and connect with the big blue ocean at SeaWorld® San Diego, where the aquatic world comes alive like nowhere else. Journey with Shamu® in the awe-inspiring show One Ocean, a multisensory celebration that entertains, educates and inspires. Climb aboard Manta – SeaWorld’s first double-launch, multimedia coaster - and fly, twist, and dive like a ray. And of course, the unforgettable, up-close animal interactions are sure to set your curiosity afloat. The sea holds many surprises. Discover them all at SeaWorld San Diego.
The Frog Family follows a general touring plan when we visit SeaWorld® San Diego.
If you are like us and will be traveling with little ones, the attractions are as much of a priority as the shows. We suggest visiting the rides early when crowds are lowest and before the shows begin, usually a couple of hours after park opening. Identify your must-do shows and the times in advance.
For the lowest wait times at SeaWorld® San Diego:
This lush, tropical oasis is SeaWorld’s original park. It pays homage and is themed around sea life and the many animals that make their home in water. While SeaWorld® San Diego has a few thrill rides, it is better known for its exhibits and shows, which feature animals of all types, many of them rescued. Overall, SeaWorld® San Diego offers plenty of entertainment for the whole family, no matter the ages.
We recommend arriving at least 15 minutes ahead of official park opening. Guests are typically allowed early entry but confined to the main park entrance area until official opening. Take advantage of the relatively empty park at opening by riding as many rides and seeing as many exhibits as you can before the shows begin. We suggest touring counter clockwise and hitting Journey to Atlantis, Wild Arctic and Penguin Encounter before crossing over to the other side of the park. Parents of toddlers will want to visit Sesame Street’s Bay of Play, an area of the park featuring a number of smaller-scale amusement park rides, splash pad and a gigantic playscape.
Manta® is a smooth-sailing steel roller coaster, although it doesn’t pack quite the punch as its counterpart at SeaWorld® Orlando. Journey to Atlantis can also be found at Orlando (and San Antonio too). While the rides share names, they are all different. Waits can build in the afternoon for Journey to Atlantis, especially on hot days, so it's best experienced earlier in the day. The Bayside Skyride and Skytower are two of the park’s original attractions, and until 2011, there was an extra charge to ride them. They are both slow-loading, so try to experience them early in the morning or an hour or two before park close for the lowest waits. Both offer spectacular views of the surrounding area and Mission Bay in particular.
While the park is not divided into lands per se, a whole section of the park — Sesame Street Bay of Play — is devoted to the wee set, with rides, splash pads and an enormous netted playscape.
Show times are staggered throughout the day, typically starting in the late morning and ending in the late afternoon. During SeaWorld’s summer nights, the park is open later each night and features additional nighttime animal shows and a fireworks finale. We recommend arriving to shows at least 15 minutes prior to show time for the best seats.
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