THEME PARK ITINERARIES
SeaWorld San Diego
Sea World San Diego is a great option for families with its combination of animal exhibits, rides, and shows. The park typically opens at 10am and closes between 5-10pm depending on the day.
There are two touring plan options below depending on the ages of your kids. Both of these will:
- Save you a lot of time not waiting in lines
- Get you to all the great shows
- Help you do the park in a fun and efficient way that minimizes crisscrossing the park
- Doesn’t require buying expensive skip-the-line passes!
All times listed are approximate and are there to help you plan, but crowds and weather can vary and rides can shut down, so be prepared with a plan but also ready to be flexible.
Download the SeaWorld app to use the interactive map.
Compare ticket costs and look for deals on the SeaWorld website’s deals page and Undercover Tourist.
Buy date-specific tickets to save on cost.
You can add an all-day dining deal to your ticket if you’d like but think about your group’s eating habits to calculate if it’s a good deal for you.
If you plan on doing multiple attractions in San Diego, consider buying a CityPass that includes SeaWorld and other attractions like the San Diego Zoo for a lower cost then buying individual tickets.
- Wear comfortable clothing that matches the weather, which could mean dressing in layers.
- Wear clothing that can dry quickly because the water rides are a lot of fun!
- Wear shoes you can walk all day in AND ideally can get wet and dry quickly.
- If it’s going to be hot, think about what clothing will be best if you get sweaty. And bring an anti-chafing stick if you have any parts that tend to chafe.
- If you have kids age 5 or under, I would bring a stroller or rent one when you get there.
- Bring a backpack, cross-shoulder bag, or fanny pack to carry essentials.
- Inside your bag have sunscreen, medicines, an external phone charger, band aids, phones, and anything else that is essential for the day. Don’t overpack!
- Wear sunglasses and/or hats on sunny days.
- Pack ponchos if there’s a chance of rain or if you want to ride water rides or sit in animal show splash zones without getting fully soaked.
Touring Plan for Families with Older Kids and Teens
This plan is for people with kids over 48″ in height that want to do both thrill rides and animal shows. If you have some kids over 48″ and some under, you can talk to ride attendants about swapping adults so one adult can ride with the older kids while another is with the smaller kid(s), then swap without having to wait in line again.
Arrive at the park 20 minutes before opening time so you can get through security and ticket-checking before the park opens.
Be ready to head to the right when you walk into the park and walk quickly to Arctic Rescue.
Head to Arctic Rescue, this is the newest ride in the park and gets the longest lines. This is straddle roller coaster with a 48″ height requirement and tops speeds of 40mph. It has no big drops, no loops, but 3 fun accelerated starts and it’s a great family coaster.
What you do in the evening will depend on how long the park is open and if there are fireworks or any special events going on that you would like to enjoy. Check the app for hours and schedules.
This is a thrilling dive roller coaster that is the tallest and fastest coaster in California. It has a 52″ height requirement.
Walk through the Wild Arctic exhibit to see beluga whales. These are one of the most playful and intelligent species and are so fun to watch! They like interacting with humans and may even interact with you through the underwater viewing windows. Don’t miss these amazing animals!
Walk through the penguin exhibit to see and hear multiple types of playful penguins!
The food is quite good for theme park food! Options include ribs, BBQ chicken, chicken salad, wrap, and kids meals with chicken nuggets and mac n cheese. View Menu >
Arrive between 12:40-45 for the 1pm Dolphin Show. All seating is outdoors and the first section of seats close to the tank are in a splash zone and the dolphins DO purposefully splash these areas!
Check out the sloths exhibit located right outside the Dolphin Amphitheater.
The new kids area called Rescue Jr. has a few kid rides, a splash area, a play area to climb through and more. Even if your kids are older, they may want to check out this area for a bit. Just keep an eye on time. The kid rides can take up more time then you think. If your kids enjoy this area you could come back later in the evening for more.
If you have kids/teens over 54″ who want to ride Electric Eel, and other kids who can’t or don’t want to ride, you can split up and let the shorter kids play here while the bigger kids do the coaster.
This is a thrilling launch coaster that launches you both forward and backward through loops, an inverted roll, and a 150-foot drop. It has a 54″ height requirement.
Head up to the Shark Encounter and Turtle Reef building. This is a great exhibit and includes a shark tunnel where you can watch sharks swim all around you!
Right outside the Sharks and Turtles building is this classic spinning ride that is more fun than it looks! The ride has pretty low capacity so keep an eye on the line and the time to make sure you can get to the sea lion show on time.
The Sea Lion Show combines education and fun! It is very entertaining to watch these adorable and smart creatures!
A family rollercoaster with a 48″ height requirement and a fun multi-media launch!
Check out the rays at Bat Ray Shallows. You can pay an extra fee to feed them!
Take a few minutes to check out the playful dolphins at Dolphin Point.
This is a lovely show focused on education and conservation. It features demonstrations of natural behaviors, a huge screen that brings the story to life, and has a great musical score.
This is not the same Orca show you may have watched as a kid. It is much less focused on tricks and having trainers swim with the whales. SeaWorld no longer breeds orcas and the orcas in their care now are the last generation and will not be replaced as they die off.
A fun location to dine serving burgers, chicken, salmon, ribs, pizza, wraps, salads, and more!
View Menu >
This is a classic white water raft ride where you sit in a circle and bump and spin through the rapids and water features. It is fun, but you will get wet!
Skip this one if you don’t like getting wet or you can wear a poncho. If you’re wearing athletic shoes, try taking them off and placing them under your poncho in your lap, or at the very least put your feet up on the bar in the middle.
Why now? This ride is set later in the day in this itinerary because it is low capacity and often gets a long line during the heat of the day.
The Bayside Skyride is a slow-moving gondola that gives you incredible views of the Mission Bay area and is a great way to see the sunset!
What you do in the evening will depend on how long the park is open and if there are fireworks or any special events going on that you would like to enjoy. Check the app for hours and schedules.
Touring Plan for Families with Younger Children
This touring plan prioritizes kid rides and animal shows and does not include thrill rides. If you have some people in your group that want to ride some of the thrill rides, you may need to divide and conquer. One adult can be with kids in a kids play area while another rides a roller coaster.
Arrive at the park 20 minutes before opening time so you can get through security and ticket-checking before the park opens.
Be ready to head to the right when you walk into the park and walk quickly to Arctic Rescue.
What you do in the evening will depend on how long the park is open and if there are fireworks or any special events going on that you would like to enjoy. Check the app for hours and schedules.
The new kids area called Rescue Jr. has a few kid rides, a splash area, a play area to climb through, and more.
This area will get crowded and kid rides are low-capacity so do some of the kid rides first, then let kids play in the play areas.
Walk through the Wild Arctic exhibit to see beluga whales. These are one of the most playful and intelligent species and are so fun to watch! They like interacting with humans and may even interact with you through the underwater viewing windows. Don’t miss these amazing animals!
Walk through the penguin exhibit to see and hear multiple types of playful penguins!
The food is quite good for theme park food! Options include ribs, BBQ chicken, chicken salad, wrap, and kids meals with chicken nuggets and mac n cheese. View Menu >
Arrive between 12:40-45 for the 1pm Dolphin Show. All seating is outdoors and the first section of seats close to the tank are in a splash zone and the dolphins DO purposefully splash these areas!
Check out the sloths exhibit located right outside the Dolphin Amphitheater.
Head up to the Shark Encounter and Turtle Reef building. This is a great exhibit and includes a shark tunnel where you can watch sharks swim all around you!
Right outside the Sharks and Turtles building is this classic spinning ride that is more fun than it looks! The ride has pretty low capacity so keep an eye on the line and the time to make sure you can get to the sea lion show on time.
Check out the playful sea lions at Sea Lion Point.
Take a few minutes to check out the playful dolphins at Dolphin Point.
Ride to the top of the SkyTower to enjoy incredible 360 degree views of up to 100 miles. You’ll see Mission Bay, the Pacific ocean, and the downtown San Diego skyline.
The Sea Lion Show combines education and fun! It is very entertaining to watch these adorable and smart creatures!
Check out the rays at Bat Ray Shallows. You can pay an extra fee to feed them!
This is a classic white water raft ride where you sit in a circle and bump and spin through the rapids and water features. It is fun, but you will get wet!
Skip this one if you don’t like getting wet or you can wear a poncho. If you’re wearing athletic shoes, try taking them off and placing them under your poncho in your lap, or at the very least put your feet up on the bar in the middle.
Why now? This ride is set later in the day in this itinerary because it is low capacity and often gets a long line during the heat of the day.
This is a lovely show focused on education and conservation. It features demonstrations of natural behaviors, a huge screen that brings the story to life, and has a great musical score.
This is not the same Orca show you may have watched as a kid. It is much less focused on tricks and having trainers swim with the whales. SeaWorld no longer breeds orcas and the orcas in their care now are the last generation and will not be replaced as they die off.
A fun location to dine serving burgers, chicken, salmon, ribs, pizza, wraps, salads, and more!
View Menu >
The Bayside Skyride is a slow-moving gondola that gives you incredible views of the Mission Bay area and is a great way to see the sunset!
What you do in the evening will depend on how long the park is open and if there are fireworks or any special events going on that you would like to enjoy. Check the app for hours and schedules.
