Tiff's Deals - NOLA and National Savings: Review: Sea World ~ San Antonio, Texas {Day 1

SEA WORLD San Antonio

On a recent trip to Texas, my family and I spent the day at SeaWorld in San Antonio, Texas and thought I would share our experiences with you! We had a great time exploring all that Sea World has to offer - and I share the SAVINGS and DEALS I discovered with you too!

SHOWS

Note: Most shows/exhibits have more options in the morning/early afternoon!
Arrive 15-30 minutes early to get a good seat!

Azul - This show has it all! Dolphins - Beluga Whales - Acrobatics - Water Divers - and a side comedy show to keep you laughing! I definitely would put this on your list of MUST SEE shows while visiting Sea World!

Clyde and Seamore's Sea Lion High - A cheesy "Saved by the Bell" type school environment that kept the kids laughing with silly Sea Lion (and performer) tricks - the Crossing Guard before the show was hilarious so make sure to get their early for the extra bonus pre-show entertainment!
Hydro Power 2.0 Ski Experience - This show was filled with racing boats, skiers doing flips and tricks, and other fun watersports! And if you sit in the "wrong" spot you can get SPLASHED by the Jet Skis!

Shamu's Celebration - This show is the last show of the evening and allows you to see the amazing tricks the Killer Whales can do! It was a perfect end to our day at Sea World and truly is one show not to miss!

There are also Animal Exhibits throughout the park without show times - so stop in and check out the Flamingos, Sea Lions, Penguins and more!

RIDES/AMUSEMENTS

Note: There are height requirements for most of these rides, so check first!

Sesame Street Bay of Play - not just for the kids, but lots of Water Play (so bring your bathing suits!) Large playground area. A few amusement park type rides too - a carousel, a mini Vertical drop, Ferris Wheel - all kid friendly and not intense!

Shamu Express - mini Roller Coaster for kids! Not intense - goes around twice...no big dips or drops...and they take your picture! Perfect for little ones to get a roller coaster experience on their level!

Journey to Atlantis - A straight roller coaster like ride up - straight up - then backwards down a few humps - and then back down with a serious SPLASH at the end! My 8 year old and I rode in the FRONT row, which kept us from getting as wet on the way down - so although I am not a fan of the front row, this had a perk for once!

Rio Loco - Mild, white water rafting - great family ride (seats 6) - I was warned that Someone usually gets SOAKED, but not everyone gets wet...Guess what? That person was ME! Yep! Niagara Falls waterfall just for me - soaked from head to toe! So don't bring your phone on this one!
Steel Eel - 15 foot vertical drop roller coaster...I admit, I just watched this one...great for those adventurist types!
The Great White - 360 degree flips - loops - corkscrews - it's a serious roller coaster! Again...I watched and that was enough of an adventure for me!

DINING PLAN

The Sea World Dining Plan is the way to go! For the low cost of $31.99 for an adult and $18.99 for a child (ages 3-9) you get UNLIMITED food the entire day! Each trip through the line includes (1) entree, (1) side item or dessert, and (1) drink. A few times we weren't hungry, just thirsty and would go through the line just to get a drink! So that cost is really all you have to pay for the ENTIRE DAY! Any food items with a red dot next to them on the menu are included on the Dining Plan - so it is super easy to navigate!

As we spent half of our day at Aquatica (SeaWorld's water park located next door - FYI the Dining Plan works there too!) I didn't get to try all the restaurants in Sea World, but here is what I did try:

Rosita's Cafe: Located in Sesame Street's Bay of Play - this is a BUFFET style restaurant and includes all the PIZZA, PASTA, and SALAD you could possibly want! My kids couldn't wait to eat at this restaurant and even posed for pictures outside showing what they wanted to eat:)

So at a cost of about $60 had we paid for this one meal - the dining plan was the WAY to go
for my Family of (5) as the cost of this ONE meal was about HALF the cost of our Dining

plan bands for the ENTIRE day - and we definitely had more than two meals:)
Shamu's Smokehouse: Just about anything barbeque: Brisket, Chicken, Ribs, Pulled Pork, and more! Looking at cost, the Spare Ribs Plate cost $13.49 each (for a family of 5 our total would have been over $60 on this meal alone) but remember with the Dining Plan it's already included and paid for (and your drink/sides too)

Harbor Market: Just about everything! Asian fried rice dishes, burgers, Texas Fried Chicken, and lots of Salad choices!

THINGS I LEARNED

You can pay for Admission Tickets - Dining Plan - and even Parking in advance online here - I HIGHLY recommend doing this as it saved us time and money (parking was reduced $3 for online prepayment of $17 instead of $20 at the gate)

We spent the morning at Aquatica, and lockers are available at both locations, but the Aquatica lockers close early. So if you plan to go to Aquatica and then Sea World in 1-day (like we did) then make sure you get a locker in Sea World...Small sized Lockers were $18 (with $10 refunded at end of day = $8 total) and a small size locker could hold FOUR backpacks! So lots of room!
You can get a waterproof band that holds your barcode in lieu of carrying cash or credit cards with you...You are most likely to get WET at some point during the day so this was just a great convenience - and it was FREE to use this option! I simply opened an account at customer service- received (2) bands - and paid for things with the band all day - and at the end of the day picked up whatever cash we had not spent! You can get bands outside by the Lockers (or inside Sea World or Aquatica) so if the lines are long by the lockers, consider going in first!

Get the Sea World Phone App! It's FREE and makes it so easy to navigate the park...Even with the printed map I was confused because the property is SO BIG! Using the App, I was able to pinpoint where I was headed (red dot) and my current location (blue dot). So when I started walking I knew instantly if I was headed in the right or wrong direction! When you arrive in the parking lot, open the app and save your parking spot location so you can find your car later! Plus the app included Upcoming Showtimes so you don't miss anything and it's easy to find all the info!

Lines seemed to be reduced DRAMATICALLY toward the end of the day. For instance, we literally walked right up to Journey into Atlantis about an hour and a half before the park closed!
Many in the park see the last Shamu Experience show of the day (an hour before the park closes) If thrill rides are for you, I suggest skipping this show and taking advantage of little to no lines on the Roller Coasters - We split up into two groups and met back at the lockers after the show
Shamu Express (and most rollercoasters) did not allow ANY loose articles including a purse - lockers are available as well as free cubbies, but we had to split up to ride this ride as I didn't want to leave my purse behind (It was a crossbody purse - so just know they don't allow them)

This is us soaking WET from Head to Toe!

We didn't wear bathing suits and I regretted that as I got soaked on Rio Loco - it's a great way to cool off, but wet clothes, socks, and tennis shoes don't feel that great:( Luckily I had clothes and flip flops in the locker so I was able to change so be prepared...and leave the white t-shirts at home too!

Keep your phone in the locker for the water rides - I also purchased a water resistant pouch on site (for about $8) - or you can purchase one in advance and bring to the park with you.

If you stay until the park closes, expect a line for locker and cash wristband refunds.
Remember to use the phone app, so you can find your car when you leave!

HOW TO SAVE MONEY

Check for ticket deals online: Sea World has special offers for limited times/dates HERE - also if you purchase tickets online in advance you save 15%!
At time of publication, Groupon currently has a 54% off deal with restricted travel dates.
SAVE (San Antonio Vacation Experience) had discounted ticket rate offers as well (this is a great free phone app to add during your vacation as well) - currently it is 20% and a 2nd day FREE! (I highly recommend this ticket option if you plan to go to Sea World's Aquatica Water park as well - more info on my Aquatica experiences here!)
The Dining Plan is definitely the way to feed your family ALL Day and not have to stress over the cost - and as long as you eat at least 2 meals at the park you are already saving money - We ate 4-5 meals/snack meals as we stayed from 10am-10pm so keep that in mind!
Some hotels have free shuttles to Sea World, which would save on parking cost and walking so check to see if your hotel offers this option...if not, pay for parking online for the reduced price!
Active Military/Veterans - Sea World San Antonio offers FREE admission to you and your family to both Sea World and Aquatica Water Park - more info on this program here!