SeaWorld San Antonio, Texas

The shows at Sea World San Antonio are absolutely amazing! But, if you need a break from all the shows or you just need to kill some time while waiting for a show time, you can always hop on one of the awesome rides.

• Journey to Atlantis is a water ride and a roller coaster in one thrilling adventure. You ride in a 16 passenger boat, which climbs a 100 foot tower. You are then given a moment to enjoy the view as you rotate around before dropping backwards into a camelback. You then turn around once more and finally plunge into a lake.


• Rio Loco is a white water adventure ride. You ride the rapids in a large round boat. It's a great way to cool off on a hot day.


• Texas Splashdown is the tallest and longest flume ride in the state of Texas, and that's saying something since Six Flags Arlington has two flume rides. You ride in a 4 passenger boat that looks like a log. It has 2 drops that are 5 stories high.


• The Shamu Express is a family friendly coaster. It is a great ride for a child's first coaster adventure or for anyone who shrinks away from the big rides.


• The Great White was the first inverted coaster in Texas. Your feet dangle as you go upside down 5 times through various loops and corkscrews at speeds reaching nearly 50 miles per hour!


• The Steel Eel was one of the very first hyper coasters. You start out with a 15 story drop that propels you at 65 miles per hour! You then go through a series of camelbacks without slowing down, which creates a lot of air time. This is one of the most exciting coasters I've ever ridden. I had to catch my sunglasses as they hovered over my head!

The Lost Lagoon is the water park found within Sea World. It is included with general admission to the park.

• The Wave Wash Pool is a zero entry wave pool that looks like you're at the beach. There are shady spots as well as prime sunbathing spots around the pool where you can relax while the kids have fun in the waves.
  
  
• Castaway Cruisin' is a gentle man made river that you ride tubes down. It's a great way to relax, cool off, and rest your tired feet.
  
  
• Buckaroo Mountain has 4 water slides. One is a fully enclosed tube slide that's pitch black.
  
  
• Splash Attach is a 3 story interactive fun house that is full of various ways to get wet and stay cool.
  
  
• Sky Tubin' is a water slide that you ride in family sized tubes. It takes you through a series of slopes, rapids, and pools.


• The Activity Pool is great fun for the little ones. There are lots of things for little hands to explore.


• Lil' Gators Lagoon is a special place for toddlers and babies. It's nice and shallow and has many different things for them to do.


• SideWinders is a thrilling multi-flume slide. You ride down with a partner in a double tube.

Many families go to SeaWorld and spend most of their time on the rides and at the water park and feel like they got their money's worth, but I go to SeaWorld for the shows. The shows are spectacular! Some are funny, some are inspirational, but all of them are entertaining.

• Pirates 4-D is a 3-D movie starring Leslie Nealson with a few 4-D surprises. If you've never been to a 4-D movie I want spoil the fun by giving any secrets away. I'll just say it's great fun for the whole family and since it's in an air conditioned building, it's a smart choice to see it during the hottest part of the day.
  
  
• The Cannery Row Caper is a must see if you have small children. It's a comedy show that feature a very special sea lion named Clyde. The stunts that Clyde can do are truly amazing.
  
  
• Rockin' Ski Party is a water ski show that is fun for the whole family. It's conveniently located in the middle of the park, so it's a great show to catch immediately before any other show you're wanting to see. The ski show is fast-paced, full of daredevil stunts, and all set to rock and roll music.


• Waggin' Tails is a fun animal show that stars animals that were rescued from pet shelters.


• Viva is a spectacular show! It features high dive acts, acrobats, and synchronized swimmers with Beluga Whales and White Tailed Dolphins. It's like a Cirque experience in the water. It truly is a must see.


• Believe is the amazing Shamu show. It's set to inspirational music that leaves you with a great feeling after the show. It's an exciting and entertaining show. Don't sit in the first 20 rows unless you want to get soaked by Shamu's powerful splashes!

In addition to the rides, water park, and shows there are also many attractions at SeaWorld.

• Flamingo Cove is located near the Shamu Theater. Stop by and say hi to the flamingos.
  
  
• Alligator Alley is a small lake filled with American Alligators and colorful koi fish.


• Clydesdale Hamlet provides you with the opportunity to go into a shaded stable to view the world famous Anheuser-Busch Clydesdale horses.


• Aviary Habitats give you the chance to go inside and feed exotic birds.


• Penguin Encounter has over 200 penguins. Once a day a caretaker comes out and talks about the penguins in an educational encounter for the kids.


• Seal and Sea Lion Community is a neat place where you can observe and feed seals and sea lions.


• Sharks and The Coral Reef is a huge indoor aquarium where you can go and observe sharks and animals found in the coral reef.


• The Anheuser-Busch Hospitality House is a great place to go to cool off and get out of the sun for a bit. It's an air-conditioned building with tables and chairs. Each guest 21 ages and over is given two tokens that are each good for a sample of draft beer.


• Dolphin Cove is my favorite attraction in SeaWorld. Here you can go and feed the dolphins and touch them as they swim by.

SeaWorld is an amazing place. If I lived closer to San Antonio I'd have a season pass and take the kids there at least weekly. But, I live too far away to do that, so SeaWorld ends up being a special treat we do every year or two.

If you've never been, it will take you by surprise how much you'll want to see and do. It's not like going to a theme park where you can easily accomplish everything you want to do in a day. The trick to getting the most out of SeaWorld is to get organized.

SeaWorld offers great packages. You can buy a one day admission ticket, or for a bit more you can get a 2 day pass. It might be worth your while to get the 2 day pass so you will be able to do and experience all that the park has to offer.

The first thing you need to do as soon as you walk in the gates is get a map and a list of the shows and show times. You will need to plan which shows you want to see and look at the map when choosing show times. Plan which shows you want to see and when by where they are located. For example, it's great to see the Shamu show around lunch or dinner time since there are many eating places conveniently located by the Shamu Theater.

I learned the importance of planning out your day after my first trip to SeaWorld. I missed two shows that I wanted to see because I was on the wrong side of the park and couldn't get there on time. Also, neat experiences like feeding the dolphins and the seals are only offered once or twice a day, so be sure to check the schedule on things that you want to do.

The Shark aquarium, penguins, rides, and water park are available all day long. So, be sure you catch the shows you want to see when they are offered.