Ultimate Guide to SeaWorld in San Antonio

My daughter and I had a blast during our recent visit to SeaWorld in San Antonio. This was her first time and my first time since I was a kid. It’s definitely changed, not that I remember much from back then. I’ve put together the ultimate guide for visiting SeaWorld in San Antonio and making the most of your day.

Getting to SeaWorld in San Antonio:

SeaWorld is located at 10500 Sea World Dr. San Antonio, TX 7825. Only a 25 minute drive from the Riverwalk!

General parking is $25 and up close parking is $30

Park hours vary depending on the day of the week and time of the year. For accurate times, click HERE.

SeaWorld Map:

Rides at SeaWorld in San Antonio:

Texas Stingray- This is an awesome wooden roller coaster!

Steel Eel Coaster- A steel coaster with a 15 story drop followed by multiple smaller drops. It’s so much fun we rode it 3 times!

Wave Breaker: The Rescue Coaster – This themed experience has you riding a wave runner looking type coaster to go and rescue an sea animal. This was the longest line we experienced, but there are things to read and look at while waiting.

Great White Roller Coaster- This is a floorless coaster that has several loops and spins while going super fast.

Rio Loco- A raft ride on a crazy river that will leave you soaked!

Journey to Atlantis- A boat ride that will plunge you downhill with a huge splash.

Riptide Rescue- A fun spinning ride that whips you around in the air.

Sea Swinger- Another spinning ride that will take you higher and get those butterflies moving in your stomach.

Super Grover’s Box Car Derby- A kid friendly small steel coaster.

Shows at SeaWorld in San Antonio:

Orca Show- A great show to watch and learn about killer whales. The trainers explain why they have the orcas learn and perform certain tricks. Plus they taught us about how we can make an impact on the health of our oceans and why it’s important.

Ocean Discovery- This show is all about the dolphins and beluga whales. One of the beluga whales is a baby that was saved and no longer able to live at sea. It was fun watching the animals interact with the trainers.

Sea Lion High & Sea Lion Tonite- We watched the Sea Lion Tonite and it was funny. They crack jokes while putting on a show with the sea lions.

Sesame Street Party Parade & Sunny Day Celebration- both geared towards the littlest ones in the family with Sesame Street characters. We did not attend these shows.

Hydro Power Extreme- This is an awesome summer nighttime show at SeaWorld in San Antonio! It’s like a rock concert with water skiers and a fireworks show.

Summer Concerts- During the summer weekends, SeaWorld in San Antonio has concerts with great artists! We saw Vanilla Ice! Throw back to the 90’s!

Animal Experiences at SeaWorld in San Antonio:

Highly recommend doing an animal encounter! There are several experiences to choose from with dolphins, penguins, sea lions, or beluga whales. It’s a great way to talk with the trainers and see how they interact with the animals!

For more information on all the different options click HERE.

Ten Tips for Visiting SeaWorld:

1.Buy tickets online ahead of time. Purchasing the tickets online will save you money. They have great deals going on right now! If you plan on going more than twice in a year, I recommend getting the season pass.

2. Plan ahead! When you figure out the date of your visit, check the calendar online for show times and park hours. Have an idea of what shows and rides are must do’s to plan out the day. Download the park map to help with navigation during the visit.

3. If you have younger kids, check their height and see what rides they are able to ride. This can sometimes prevent disappointment if they know ahead of time what they can and can not ride.

4. Go on a weekday. These days are much slower than on weekends and easier to do everything in the park.

5. Dress appropriately. Wear comfortable shoes and clothes that are water friendly if you plan on riding water rides.

6. Get there early! 30 minutes will give you enough time to park, put on sunscreen and get in line for the opening. Very important if trying to do everything in one day.

7. Stay hydrated! Texas summers are no joke! A water bottle is allowed, so make sure to refill it throughout the day. They sell a souvenir cup with free refills all day.

8. All Day Dining Pass- They offer an all day dining pass for $39.99. I’ve heard it’s a great deal because you can get a meal and a drink every 90 minutes! That’s a ton of food. One barbeque sandwich and drink cost me almost $20. SeaWorld does not allow any outside food or beverages other than one water bottle.

9. Arrive early for the shows. For the Orca show I recommend at least 30 minutes. Pay attention to where you sit. There is a splash zone for the shows and more than likely you will get wet sitting there.

10. Visit Aquatica! It’s worth the extra money to swim at this fun water park.

How to do SeaWorld in San Antonio in One Day:

Start early! Be there 30 minutes early to maximize your time.

Spend the first couple of hours riding as many rides as possible.

Ride Wave Breaker first because this line gets to be the longest during the day.

Then ride the Great White coaster, Rio Loco, Texas Stingray and Journey to Atlantis if possible before 12:00

Get there early for the Ocean Discovery show at 12:30.

Grab lunch and ride whatever you weren’t able to earlier.

Watch the Sea Lion show at 3:00

Ride the Steel Eel if you haven’t already.

Make sure to fit in the penguin exhibit at some point during the day

Arrive 30 minutes early for the Orca show at 5:00

Eat dinner and ride your favorite rides again

Arrive 30 minutes early to Hydro Power Extreme Show

Head back to the hotel and pass out 🙂

Dining At SeaWorld:

Harbor Market serves burgers, Teriyaki chicken, orange chicken, pasta, sandwiches and salads.

Pretzel Kitchen serves pretzel dogs and pretzels

Rio Grill serves burgers, chicken sandwiches, chili dogs and salad. This location is temporarily closed.

Rosita’s Cafe serves pizza, pasta and salads.

Smokehouse Grill serves barbecue, mac and cheese and other side items.

Spanky’s serves fries a few different ways.

Lonestar Lakeside Bar- drinks! Frozen and on the rocks

Sweet Treats Bakery serves pastries and cake!

Polar Parlor is where to go fro ice cream

Pizza N More serves pizza, turkey legs, cotton candy and frozen lemonade.

Snack Attack serves funnel cake, soft serve ice cream and fountain drinks.

Dine with an Orca is their signature dining experience however it’s not available currently.

SeaWorld San Antonio Events:

Electric Ocean at SeaWorld- Held during the summer months of June, July and August. The rides and shows stay open later and there is a special fireworks show.

SeaWorld Spooktacular & Howl-O-Scream- Held during September and October. During the day, it’s kid friendly with fun Halloween characters and trick or treating. At night, SeaWorld transforms into a frightening place with scare zones and haunted houses!

Christmas Celebration- Held during November and December. The park turns into a winter wonderland with Santa, Christmas shows and lights.

Should You Visit SeaWorld:

I’ll be completely honest and say that I was not planning on visiting SeaWorld, only the water park Aquatica. I had heard negative things about how the animals were treated and I did not want any part of that.

However when I was offered tickets to SeaWorld, I thought it would be good to see and judge for myself. I’m truly glad I did. We had an amazing experience and really enjoyed our time there.

I went behind the scenes with a beluga whale trainer and it was really eye opening. I could tell that she loved her job and the animals. She mentioned that some shifts start at 5:00 AM to divide up the animal’s meals for the day. They are literally elbow deep in fish! You’ve gotta love your job if you’re willing to do that!

They train the animals to benefit them using positive reinforcement. The animals need exercise physically and mentally. Plus it’s important when they need medical attention. She told me that they give the animals many treats when training them where to go to be weighed or have medical attention. They weigh the animals weekly and have optimal vet care.

Is it an ideal situation? Probably not, but some of these animals are rescues that are not able to be released back into the ocean for whatever reason. Some of them are endangered or their habitat is changing.

I honestly believe that the trainers I met care about the animals deeply and only want to help them. Would I visit SeaWorld again? Absolutely!

Have you been to SeaWorld in San Antonio? Is there anything I missed?

Disclaimer: I was provided admission passes by SeaWorld, however all opinions are my own.

Check out this post: 12 Tips for Visiting Aquatica