5 tips for visiting SeaWorld San Antonio with little ones #KidsTravelTexas #travel #MoreToSea #FamilyTravel

I was provided complimentary park tickets to facilitate this article. All opinions are my own.

 

SeaWorld has always been one of my favorite theme parks ever since I was a kid. I’ve been fascinated by the ocean for years and I love being able to see the magnificent animals of the deep up close and personal through SeaWorld San Antonio, TX! Now that I’m a mother, I feel like SeaWorld San Antonio, TX is a great place to teach my kiddos about our oceans, how important it is to conserve our precious wildlife and give them a chance to learn about ocean life up close. Of course theme parks with little kids can be a test of faith at times, which is why I always follow these 5 simple tips for getting the most out our time at SeaWorld San Antonio, TX!

1- Wear Bathing Suites & Pack Spare Clothes

One of my favorite things about SeaWorld is the fact that they easily combine water fun with thrill rides and amazing shows. Of course this means that you can end up quite wet in a number of locations through out the park so wearing a bathing suit is always a must for my kids. We also bring spare clothing for everyone so if Shamu decides to splash us while watching One Ocean, we have the ability to change out of those wet clothes. I also suggest wearing water-friendly shoes so you aren’t sloshing around in wet sneakers all day. The Sesame Street Bay Of Play area has a large bathroom and even changing areas for families which is nice. The Bay Of Play offers a fun splash pad area and rope climbing obstacle course type pirate ship for kiddos to play on, plus a whole carnival are with games and rides. If you look close enough, you may even spot a Sesame Street friend or two!

2- Bring LOTS of snacks but ditch any straws

SeaWorld is great about allowing guest to bring in food items, snacks and drinks (no alcohol or glass allowed) but one thing they do not allow are straws. If you’re planning on bringing juice boxes into the park, be sure to remove all the straws or the security at the gate will do it for you when they check your items. We found this out the hard way as I packed a whole 12 pack of juice boxes and the poor security guard had to remove them all, OOPS! The straws pose a hazard to the wildlife within the park and if swept away by the wind, may become harmful or ingested and we wouldn’t want that.

3- Go for the souvenir cup and popcorn bucket, get free/$1.99 refills all day

Food in theme parks can be expensive, especially when kids see all the fun snacks to be had. But I do recommend getting their refillable cup and popcorn bucket. The cup is around $9.99 and gets you free soft drink refills the whole day of your visit while the popcorn bucket can be refilled throughout the park for just $1.99. These not only make great reusable souvenirs, they come in very handy for an easy shareable snack and staying cool on hot days at the park. If you save the cup and return back another day, soft drink refills are just .99! 

4- Download the SeaWorld Discovery Guide app for easy day planning

Although park maps are provided, we always manage to loose them or ruin them. The SeaWorld Discovery Guide app is a free app for iOS and Android that lets you plan out your SeaWorld visit, upload your park tickets, add payment info and see showtimes and wait times all in one place. The app is a great resource for any family and easily lets you plan out your SeaWorld fun to make sure you get the most out of the park. The app also lets you take and share photos via social media sites and watch AnimalVision park cams to see what the animals are up to. You can even pre-order food at specific in-park food locations and have it ready for when you get there, skipping the lines and avoiding the stress!

5- Pay attention to ride and show age/height warning signs

SeaWorld offers an amazing variety of rides and shows for both kids and adults, however there are some rides that aren’t meant for little ones. Be sure to check the height requirements for rides and if you aren’t sure if your child will get scared, ask a park attendant about what happens on the ride. Some rides may have dark areas or loud noises that may frighten some kids so it’s always better to make sure then to possibly ruin a great day with a scary ride. Also, splash zones in the One Ocean, Azul and the Pets Ahoy shows will very likely leave you drenched in EXTREMELY cold and salty water. If your little ones don’t want to become wet popsicles, I would suggest avoiding the splash zones. The shows are great from any seat so there’s no worries about not being super close to the action.

Another area to be weary of, is the splash area of the ride, Journey To Atlantis. There is an area down the steps by the ride entrance where you can watch the boats come down the big drop and water will be splashed over the wall. If you have small kids who want to get wet, be VERY AWARE that if they stand in the far corner of the splash area they will be DROWNED with very fast moving water! My kids, 5 and 6 were utterly horrified to find this out the hard way. So just be aware!

Bonus tip: Bring your phone charger

No one wants to miss out on memories because their phone died and left them without a camera. SeaWorld San Antonio offers charging stations for phones and electronics on your way past Azul and near Shamu Stadium!

Have you visited SeaWorld San Antonio lately? Let me know what tips you recommend!