Are you dreaming of getting up close and personal with dolphins, sharks, and sea turtles?
Or perhaps you just want to scream your lungs out on a thrilling roller coaster?
Look no further than SeaWorld Orlando, the ultimate destination for marine animal lovers and adrenaline junkies alike.
But before you pack your bags and head to the Sunshine State, let’s dive into the nitty-gritty of how much a trip to SeaWorld Orlando might cost you.
In this updated SeaWorld Orlando trip planning guide, I’ll was you step by step to truly figure out how much it’ll cost to go to SeaWorld.
And as a baseline, I’ll use a family of 4 (two adults and two kids) as an example throughout.
Jump to:
Total Cost (to save you some time)
This is how much a trip for a family of four should cost on average to SeaWorld Orlando with park tickets, food, transportation, and add-ons.
Single Day Trip: A single day trip to SeaWorld Orlando for a family of four will cost around $690 which includes tickets, parking, and one meal with snack.
Two Parks, One Night Trip: A one-night trip to both SeaWorlds Orlando and Aquatica for a family of four will cost around $1,238 for 2-park pickets, one meal at the park, and one night at an Official Partner Hotel (such as the Renaissance Orlando at SeaWorld).
Staying at Disney but visiting SeaWorld: A day trip to SeaWorld Orlando from Disney World property for a family of four will cost around $697 which includes tickets, roundtrip Uber/Lyft, food, and one meal.
So how much does it really cost to go to SeaWorld Orlando?
Let’s break down your total vacation costs by category. For this example, I will use 2 adults and 2 children above the age of 3 to factor in the costs for park tickets, food, add-ons, transportation, and even hotels.
Park Tickets
SeaWorld Orlando is always running some sort of ticket promotion, so these ticket prices may be inaccurate at the time of this writing. That said, I’ll use the standard gate prices to factor in the total costs.
SeaWorld also uses dynamic pricing on some tickets meaning the prices will fluctuate based on the time of the year or even day of the week.
Here’s how much tickets cost for SeaWorld Orlando (for ages 3+):
Single-Day Ticket
With this ticket, you must select the day that you want to visit.
- Ticket Only starts at $134.99
- Ticket + All Day Dining starts at $184.98
SeaWorld and Aquatica Two Park Ticket
- Ticket Only starts at $197.99
- Ticket + All Day Dining starts at $297.97
SeaWorld Any Day Ticket
With this ticket, you can get one visa on any date within 6 months of purchase. This is the only single park ticket that doesn’t use dynamic pricing.
- Ticket Only costs $132.99
- Ticket + All Day Dining costs $177.99
Three Park Ticket
This ticket gives you access to SeaWorld Orlando, Aquatica Orlando, Busch Gardens Tampa Bay and Adventure Island.
- Ticket Only costs $214.99
- Ticket + All Day Dining costs $364.96
Four Parks: Unlimited Visits + Free Parking
This ticket gives you unlimited access to all four Florida Parks for 14 consecutive days and free parking.
- Ticket costs $269.99 per person.
Discounts: ALWAYS check SeaWorld Orlando’s website to see if they are running any deals or promotions. For example, they just recently had a spring sale where tickets only cost $66 as compared to $134.99. Insanity.
Annual Passes are also available. Honestly, the only way purchasing an annual pass is worth the cost is if you plan on visiting SeaWorld Orlando for at least 2 days throughout the next 12 months.
The cheapest annual pass with unlimited admission, no blockout dates, and free parking is her Silver Annual Pass which costs $249 per person. It’s actually quite a bargain, especially since it comes with free parking.
SeaWorld Add-Ons and Upgrades
SeaWorld offers a few upgrades and add-ons to help enhance your visit.
Here are the most popular options currently available:
- Reserved Seating and Quick Queue Unlimited: Reserved seats at their shows and presentations, plus unlimited front of the line access to their most popular rides. Prices start at $19.99 per person and can reach as high as $99.99.
- All-Day Dining Deal: Eat and drink as often as you like once every 90 minutes at participating restaurants. You’ll receive one beverage, one entree, and one side or dessert. This add-on costs $49.99 for adults and $24.99 for children ages 3-9.
- Parking: If your pass or ticket doesn’t include parking, you can purchase pre-paid parking online. Prices starts at $30 for general parking. For a complete breakdown, you can check out our parking guide.
- Dolphin Encounter: A 15-minute training session where you get to touch a dolphin. Prices start at $29 and reach as high as $69 per person.
- Ultimate VIP Tour: A guided, private group tour that incudes front of the line access to rides, VIP seating at shows, animal interactions, finds dining and more. Prices start at $600 and can go as high as $700. A minimum of 2 guests is required.
If time is important to you, and you’re going during a weekend or a busy time of the year, then purchasing the Quick Queue Unlimited is a must. Yes, it will be expensive, but you’ll for sure be able to get the most out of your precious time and money.
Shows
All of the shows and animal encounters are free at SeaWorld.
The three shows included with your ticket are:
- Dolphin Adventures
- Orca Encounter
- Sea Lion and Otter Spotlight
You can however add an upgrade to your ticket to get priority viewing/seating for the day for a nominal fee that starts at $14.99 per person per day.
Rides and Attractions
Most of the rides, attractions, and roller coasters are included with the price of admission to SeaWorld.
The only attractions that require an additional fee are the Flamingo Paddle Boats and the Sky Tower.
The attractions at Sesame Street Land are also free. This is a great area to find attractions with zero or low height requirements.
Food and Drinks
Food and drinks at SeaWorld are expensive. Even more expensive than Disney World.
On average, you’ll need to budget around $22 per person per meal and $8 per person for snacks.
You honestly won’t need to eat more than one meal here so one is always sufficient.
Unfortunately, I’m not a huge fan of the food options at SeaWorld so you shouldn’t expect to be blown away.
Parking
SeaWorld Parking prices varies based on the time of the year and day of the week.
There are three parking options at SeaWorld Orlando:
- General Parking = $30 – $35 per vehicle
- Preferred Parking = $45 – $55 per vehicle
- VIP Parking = $60 – $70 per vehicle
Guest with disabilities can park in designated parking spots (the same as Preferred) for $25 per vehicle. There is also courtesy wheelchairs that guests can use from the parking lot to the wheelchair rental location.
Transportation
If you don’t have a car or won’t be parking it at SeaWorld, there are two great options to get to and from the park:
- Uber or Lyft
- Taxi
I could care less about taxis so I won’t talk about those because ride-sharing is superior.
The cost using Uber or Lyft to get to and from SeaWorld Orlando varies depending on where you’re coming from.
From Universal Orlando, you can expect to pay around $17 to $19 each way.
From Disney World property, you can expect to pay around $17 to $26 each way.
And from the heart of International Drive (I-Drive) near Top Golf and ICON Park, you can expect to pay around $9 to $12 each way.
Hotels and Resorts
Correct me if I’m wrong, but I personally feel that no one really takes a vacation to Orlando strictly to visit SeaWorld. With its close proximity to Universal Orlando and Disney World, I believe that if you are visiting SeaWorld, you are probably staying near Disney or Universal.
That said, for the rare occurrence that you actually might only be visiting SeaWorld, here’s how much a room near the park will typically cost you.
Plus, by staying at an Official Hotel Partner, you’ll receive benefits that you won’t receive if you stay elsewhere:
- Complimentary access to SeaWorld Rescue Tour
- Shuttle to SeaWorld, Aquatica, and Discovery Cove
- 10% off dining at SeaWorld, Aquatica, and Discovery Cove
- 20% off merchandise purchase of $50 or more at SeaWorld, Aquatica, and Discovery Cove
- Priority entry to SeaWorld
Here are all of the Official Partner Hotels and their average nightly rates:
- Renaissance Orlando at SeaWorld = $206 per night
- DoubleTree by Hilton at Orlando SeaWorld = $118 per night
- Fairfield Inn and Suites Orlando at SeaWorld = $138 per night
- Hilton Garden Inn Orlando at SeaWorld = $102 per night
- Holiday Inn Express and Suites Orlando SeaWorld = $95 per night
- Spring Hill Suites Orlando at SeaWorld = $93 per night
- TownePlace Suites Orlando at SeaWorld = $114 per night
- Hampton Inn and Suites at SeaWorld = $88 per night
- Staybridge Suites Orlando at SeaWorld = $134 per night
- Residence Inn Orlando at SeaWorld = $97 per night
- Hilton Grand Vacations at SeaWorld = $119 per night
You can either book through SeaWorld’s website or a travel agent.
Renaissance is by far the closest to the park and is the nicest SeaWorld property, in my opinion.
Saving Money at SeaWorld Orlando
Unlike all the hacks and strategies that you can use to save money at Disney World, when it comes to SeaWorld Orlando, it can get a little tricky.
The number one advice I can give you is to always check for any ongoing deals and promotions on SeaWorld Orlando’s official website. There you’ll find all of their current deals that can save you a ton of money.
For example, for the spring of 2023 after Easter, they offered a spectacular sale where tickets only cost $66 per person as compared to $134.99. Insane!
SeaWorld Orlando also offers complimentary access to both Florida-based teachers (K-12) as well as active duty and veteran military personnel and as many as three dependents.
Florida teachers can receive unlimited admission for a certain amount of time in the year as long as they verify their employment through ID.me
Military veterans and active duty personnel along with three dependents can also receive a free one-day ticket as long as they verify their status on GOVX ID. You can also receive discounted admission to Discovery Cove too.
Final Thoughts
Visiting SeaWorld in Florida can be an incredible experience for sea animal lovers and adventure seekers alike.
However, the tickets prices and additional expenses an upgrades can add up quickly.
That’s why it’s important to plan ahead and budget accordingly to make the most of your time at the park without breaking the bank.
With a little research and smart planning, you can enjoy all the wonders that SeaWorld Orlando has to offer without sacrificing your finances.
So, pack your bags, grab your sunscreen, and get ready for a day of unforgettable memories at SeaWorld in Florida!
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