Summer is rapidly approaching, which means it is time to undoubtedly make the trip down to Orlando or SoCal, depending on which coast you live on. This will ultimately lead most people to the age old question: Disney or SeaWorld? I know what you’re thinking: “Disney, duh.” “Didn’t Shamu kill a lady?” “SeaWorld is evil, they cage animals.” Well, I have news for you. 1. Disney is expensive. 2. Yes, a whale killed a lady. But I read somewhere that people died from eating Tide Pods, so you really aren’t safe anywhere. 3. Do you have pets? Same thing. So I am here to just let you know why SeaWorld is a totally viable option for vacation-seekers. Because we all know you are going to go to Disney, regardless.
We have done both Disney World and SeaWorld with our daughter. After the last few years I am adamant that SeaWorld is the far superior option, both for your kid’s enjoyment and your own sanity. To begin with, SeaWorld obviously took a hit after the whole Blackfish fiasco. And by fiasco I mean when a killer whale pulled a trainer into the water and viciously drowned her. SeaWorld has had a history of not being so sensitive about it’s animals needs and treating them more as carnival attractions. However, in recent years new ownership has focused on altering the vision of the park, turning it into more of an educational venue. Instead of Shamu and workers riding on top of dolphins and doing the equivalent of Stupid Pet Tricks, the animals are now presented in a more relaxed setting, with the biggest change coming to the orca shows where audiences learn about their hunting habits and communication abilities, among other things. Not once does a trainer get in the water with them and parade about with them. I originally thought there was no way people would want to just sit and watch a NatGeo episode on Killer Whales at an amusement park, but, well, I was wrong.
Now don’t get me wrong. I am not a super big “free all the animals” guy. I would sit there and eat a BBQ whale burger while watching them. But it is nice to see that SeaWorld is making a serious effort to treat their animals with respect and care, as well as teaching patrons about them.
While the educational impact is noticeable, another change going on at SeaWorld is the increase in amusement park-style rides. The addition of roller coasters in recent years gives guests options other than looking at potential future dinner entrees. There are several at the San Diego park, with more possibly on the way. Rides are why people go to amusement parks. Animals are cool as shit, but honestly, SeaWorld has always just been an over-sized aquarium. If people are going to take the trip down from NorCal or Seattle, or from New England on the East Coast, then they are going to want some thrills. Disney has always offered this. Universal Studios has always had rides. Now SeaWorld is putting an emphasis on it.
So the park has made improvements on many fronts (the food still sucks). But what sets it apart from the likes of Disney? Well, right now SeaWorld is generally devoid of people. Sure people visit. But not at the level of Disney or Universal. From the time you get to the parking kiosk to when you get into the park, it’s probably about 10 minutes, 15 max. Try going to Magic Kingdom. That shit takes about 1.5 hours. Getting around the park with a toddler is so smooth at SeaWorld. My wife waited in line for a brand new roller coaster that had opened about one week earlier. At Disney the wait would be about 3 freakin’ months. Her wait time on a Friday afternoon was literally 5 minutes. The kid didn’t even have time to have a melt down once she realized she had gone on it without her. This is the best part of SeaWorld: being able to do everything without the claustrophobic feeling of Disney. My daughter loves just breaking free of her stroller and running up to new animal exhibits and saying hi to the animals. At Disney, she didn’t even want to get out of her stroller there were so many people.
SeaWorld is also cheap. Last Christmas the wife and I purchased year passes. They cost pretty much the same as a single day pass, except there was a 10 dollar add-on in order to access the park as much as we want until the end of THIS year. It also includes free parking and 10% off at the gift shop. And we can each bring one guest with us for free one time. That’s a helluva deal. So for 200$ and some change, we can do the park as much as we want for a year. And since our daughter won’t be three until later in the year, she is still free as well. Compare that to Disney. Go ahead, compare it. I’ll wait for you to finish carrying the 1. It’s a lot. For just one day. And you can’t even do Disney in 1 day. And guess what? Your 2 year old kid is going to be terrified to meet some college student dressed up as Goofy. But they’ll love seeing a real dolphin, and close enough too that they can actually touch them. Just try touching Mickey. Chances are your kid will end up in a headlock with security.
Experience. To me, the experience at SeaWorld is more real. Disney is fantasy and make believe. But SeaWorld is interacting with live animals, seeing their massiveness, their subtlety, their beauty, in a way you can’t get on television. Having a two-year old walk right up to the window as an orca whale is swimming by is astounding, and almost always elicits an astonished reaction of “Whoaaaa”. They get to see something real and learn how it operates in a pseudo-natural environment. I mean, short of going on a whale watching expedition off the coast of Washington or hanging out in Antarctica, this is the best setting where kids can co-mingle with animals from all over the oceans. Disney has Crush and Squirt T-shirts, but Sea World has live sea turtles that blow your mind with their size and power as they push through the water. That’s just cool. Plus, just look at that featured photo for this post. That alone was worth the price of admission.
Bottom line is this: We all know you are going to do Disney. And hey, go ahead and do it. You may never get another chance to take the family there. For some people it really only is a “Once in a lifetime experience”. Alls I’m saying is, don’t forget about SeaWorld, the little amusement park that could. You will be impressed, and ultimately happy that you went there. It’s worth the trip. Cheers.
P.S. If anybody at SeaWorld is reading this, yes, I would love free passes for next year! Cheers again!
