We recently spent a day at SeaWorld San Diego and quickly realized the park has continued to evolve from what we remember, but not in a good way.

Purchasing tickets to SeaWorld San Diego

Before talking about ways to purchase tickets with cash, I do want to call out that the absolute cheapest way to go to SeaWorld is to be a veteran. Generally in the spring and the fall, they offer a promotion for all veterans to get free admission for themselves and three others. On top of that, they could get an extra six tickets at 50% off. If you know a veteran, this might be the most cost-effective way to visit.

Now, for the rest of us, SeaWorld San Diego claims to sell regular admission for a massive $126.99/person (or $186.98/person with all-day dining). However, they appear to have frequent “sales” that offer a discount off that max price.

Also giving credence to this not being the true price, you could also get a Fun Card, which gives access to SeaWorld San Diego for a whole year. The regular price of this ($126.99) is allegedly the same price as a regular day. Why buy a single day when you can get a whole year for free for no extra cost? You’d think there would be some price differentiation here.

In our case, we bought a single-day ticket for $55/person over the summer directly from SeaWorld San Diego. You could sometimes find cheaper tickets through third parties, but in our case, it was surprisingly less expensive to just book it direct. Remember, you can book tickets through Rakuten to earn some extra points. Something’s better than nothing.

We came here with a big crowd, with kids eager to try out SeaWorld San Diego. While our kids Alex and Char have been to SeaWorld before, it has been so long that they didn’t remember much.

The rides at SeaWorld San Diego

Let’s start off with the rides. This is supposed to be a theme park after all, right? One thing that’s convenient and I wish all theme parks would do is right at the entrance, there is a height check. It tells you all the height requirements up front so your kids have the expectation of what they can and cannot do. It’s nice to set expectations early…

…Except when it doesn’t set expectations correctly (see Manta below).

(On the day we visited, Arctic Rescue, Journey to Atlantis, and Shipwreck Rapids were not operational.)

Tentacle Twirl

Most rides at SeaWorld San Diego are intended for young riders. What is a bit annoying is that the rides are scattered throughout the theme park rather than clustered together. This Tentacle Twirl ride is at least near the new jellyfish exhibit, making it appropriately located, if nothing else. If you have a young rider who doesn’t meet height requirements, you’ll get a front-of-the-line pass that allows you to sit in one of several double chairs.

Sea Dragon Drop

Near the Tentacle Twirl is the Sea Dragon Drop, where you’ll slowly go up and then make small bounces on the way down. It’s a ride that Alex used to enjoy quite a bit as a toddler. But now that the kids are older? Mild enjoyment. Adults are able to ride it despite what they tell their children. (We witnessed one parent trying to tell their child that they can’t go, but then a bystander loudly declared that was a misinformed opinion to the chagrin of the parent.)

Rescue Rafter

This ride used to have Sesame Street theming to it (an Oscar the Grouch ride). But once Sesame Place opened up, this one became an incredibly generic ride that spins and tilts. Despite it not officially listed as a ride that was closed that day, there was no one around it.

Rescue Riders

Another ride that used to have Sesame Street theming (Elmo), this one now became jet skis that can fly. I suppose the more artistic interpretation is that they’re riding the waves, but it’s more entertaining to say they fly. This is an incredibly generic Dumbo-esque ride, but there wasn’t much of a line even in the dead of summer.

Riptide Rescue

We’re now at the third ride that has “Rescue” in its name. Does SeaWorld San Diego not own a thesaurus to change the word to something else like we all did in grade school? This is the most entertaining of the rides for younger kids as you’ll spin a few different ways as you twist in the air. Riptide Rescue felt like it was relatively in the middle of nowhere by the shark exhibit. Lines were longer than listed, but the kids found it worth the wait.

Manta

And now we’re getting into the roller coasters. Manta (conveniently near the manta rays) is a coaster that consistently had the longest lines of any ride during our visit. The kids enjoyed the ride, but with waits that hovered around an hour or more, it’s hard to say it’s worth the wait. There are no loops–but it comes close–and you won’t get too much height off the ground. Just be prepared to wait unless you run here right at park opening.

One other annoyance–the height checker at the beginning of the ride is different than the one at the end. So while one of the kids in our party was fine at the start of the line per an employee, after waiting an hour to get on, that same kid was turned away at the end. That’s extremely frustrating and a complete waste of time for everyone involved. We experienced this before at Universal Studios Hollywood, and the same problem exists here. You’d think they could just implement a wristband system like Tokyo DisneySea does.

Electric Eel

The Electric Eel is not too far away from the Tentacle Twirl, and you’ll see be able to see it from almost all of the park. You’ll be launched up to the top, slowly twist along the rails at the top, then do a loop. And that’s it–it’s an incredibly short ride whose only gimmick is the inversion at the top. Jenn went on this one and it didn’t do much for her. She would agree that it’d be nice if they did something else because it’s otherwise a rather boring ride.

Emperor

While you’re sitting to watch the dolphin show, you can see this one off in the distance. Emperor is the big, bad roller coaster that will loop you around. The kids were too small to go on this one, so we ended up not checking it out. However, there were plenty of oohs and aahs from them as they watched. It does look like the most interesting roller coaster at SeaWorld San Diego, but I always find it annoying to pause before a big drop. I just think of it as a choke point that would be difficult to assist if the ride breaks down. The impending drop does nothing to add to the excitement.

Sky Tower

You’d be foolish to think that all rides at SeaWorld San Diego are free. There are a couple of rides here that cost money, such as Sky Tower that costs $6/rider. It’s frankly stupid that some rides cost money while others do not. The Sky Tower has sometimes been free in the past, sometimes cost money. It’s now back to costing money (unless you have an annual pass, not a fun card). Just make your way over to Knott’s Berry Farm and ride it without paying more than just park admission.

Bayside Skyride

Another ride that costs money, the Bayside Skyride is more or less a spiritual successor to Disneyland’s old skyride (you know, the one that went through the Matterhorn). The problem is this one will cost you $6/rider as well. And rather than showing you interesting views of the theme park, because that would honestly be entertaining, it instead goes over… nothing. Well, not truly nothing–it will go over the beach and water outside the park–but for all intents and purposes, it’s nothing interesting. Why charge money for this?

Play area in SeaWorld Rescue Jr. area

I wouldn’t go so far as to say this area is a true ride (mark it as another use of the word ‘rescue’), but it’s worth spending time here if you have younger children. SeaWorld Rescue Jr. has some play areas but it could use some slides. There’s also an arcade here if the kids want to blow all your spare change.

Breakwater Bounce

The kids enjoyed bouncing at Breakwater Bounce, what could best be described as a large bounce house. Kids will go in waves at a time and then bounce around for a couple of minutes. Shoes aren’t allowed and there is an upper limit to what heights are allowed (sorry, parents). Kids too antsy from waiting in lines? This is a good place to let them release their energy.

Nautical Net Climb

I always enjoyed going up the ropes at Nautical Net Climb. It’s like a huge rope park where you can eventually climb up a rope to get to the bridges up top. Kids will find it fun but might need some assistance climbing the rope. While there is an employee stationed at the top of the ropes, don’t expect that employee to help (that employee seemed to just be on her phone, relaxing in the corner, just telling people it’s a one-way rope). Toddlers can go up, but good luck climbing the rope one-handed while holding your little one. Ask me how I know.

Once up, kids will enjoy the rickety bridges that bounce as everyone runs across them. There is plenty of netting to ensure no one falls.

The sad thing is that all the tunnels are now permanently blocked off. I remember the kids used to love going through these tunnels. Maybe they had problems making sure everyone goes in one direction, but it’s lame that this is now closed off.

An advertisement to pay for a map?

Also, I just wanted to make a quick note that in this area is an advertisement to pay $15 for a scavenger hunt map. A promise of “a special prize” awaits someone who finds all hidden items. But paying $15 for who-knows-what and a map doesn’t strike me as a good deal. Kind of ridiculous when even the Legoland Sea Life Aquarium is doing it for free.

Aquarium exhibits at SeaWorld San Diego

While some of the theme park is rides, be prepared for a number of aquarium exhibits scattered about. There isn’t anything special about these exhibits compared to your average aquarium. As a result, it feels a little more like a space-filler, but it’s hard to say that when so much of the park is a space-filler. We’re not going to talk about most aquarium exhibits, but we will touch on a few.

The Jellyfish Experience

One of the newest exhibits at SeaWorld San Diego is The Jellyfish Experience. There are plenty of–you guessed it–jellyfish inside its walls. You’ll go through different rooms where you’ll see different types of jellyfish and learn a little about them. It’s fine, but not a reason to dedicate a return to SeaWorld to see.

At places inside the experience, it will be hard to take good photos, but kids enjoyed going under the glass tank to see the jellyfish from below.

Wild Arctic

If you need a place to chill off a bit in the summer, go to the Wild Arctic section of the park. Back in the day, they used to have a 3D ride experience here, but that’s been replaced by Arctic Rescue (there’s that word again), a roller coaster that was closed when we were there. But it’s still a nice walk through the area if the ride is closed.

The beluga whales are here, and you can see them up close and personal. We didn’t pay for the interactive experience, but you’ll see you can get close enough to them without paying. On top of the belugas, you can also find manatees, sea otters, and other sea creatures.

Penguin Encounter

We’ve always liked visiting the Penguin Encounter going back to my own childhood. It definitely looks like an exhibit that hasn’t changed much over time. If you come in the summer, it will be very dark inside. During the winter, the penguin living space is well-lit. That’s because they follow the daylight pattern of the Southern Hemisphere.

Once inside, there is a lengthy travelator for you to watch the penguins in their enclosure. The one “pro tip” I can give about this one. If you have a baby who needs to feed or nap, this is a great place to be for moms. There are seats inside if you don’t want to ride the travelator, and those seats are great for moms who need to take care of babies. Jenn used to camp out here with baby Alex quite often.

Cleaner fish

By the entrance is a large cleaner fish display. You know, the thing that costs money when you go to a spa where the fish eat your dead skin. While it’s by the entrance, don’t do this first. This is what you want to do at the end of the day as you wind down. The fish will still be as hungry at the end of the day as they were earlier in the day. I just wish they had more handwashing stations around here.

The food at SeaWorld San Diego

On our most recent visit, we didn’t eat much at SeaWorld San Diego. The biggest reason was the crazy lines everywhere for all restaurants. Thus, we just dined wherever we could that had something quick (like to-go personal pizzas).

There is mobile ordering available, but waits are pretty bad if you do it. On our visit, you had to wait about an hour to pick it up. It works if you can plan ahead but not if your children suddenly say they need to eat now.

One exception that isn’t clear in the app: ordering pineapple whip. If you order pineapple whip from mobile ordering, the website will claim you need to wait a long time to get it. Except that’s not true at all. If you just enter the mobile order line immediately after placing your order and it only contains pineapple whip (or other ice cream), there’s no need to wait. They will give it to you right away.

The reason for the long restaurant lines

Remember the All-Day Dining option you can add on to your park admission? That’s the main reason for the lines. All-Day Dining means you can get another meal (entree, drink, dessert) for free every hour. Ready to overeat? Well, you’ll need to wait in line for the privilege. And lines at every participating restaurant are so long during the summer that it’s not worth it.

Back when Alex was a toddler, we’ve done the All-Day Dining thing before. We would have it only on one ticket (mine). I would then go wait in line right at park opening, get a meal, and then set a timer to go do it again in an hour. You’re not supposed to hand over the food to anyone else, but it’s not enforced and they would have no way of knowing. You start the process early and the constant flow of food would mean no one gets hungry throughout the day.

Now with restaurant lines as long as they were on the day we visited, employing this strategy means one person would almost do nothing other than standing in line all day long. And that would be a waste of money for park admission on top of the All-Day Dining price.

The performances aren’t what they were

Sadly, with all of these shows, there is no shading for guests at all in any of the stadiums. Hope you brought your sunscreen and hats.

Flippers, Facts, and Fun: The Sea Lion Experience

Can I just say that I am very disappointed with what the sea lion performance became? Sea Lions Live used to be a very charming performance where you can watch the sea lions act like detectives to solve a crime. And now? They bastardized the show, keeping the same tricks they used to do but now package it with facts anyone could pick up from a quick Wikipedia visit.

The tricks made more sense before, like walking backwards while uncovering clues. Now, the backwards walk is completely out of place and makes no sense in the context of the informational show. They asked the sea lion a question about what it can do, then it had to walk backwards as it thought of an answer. Umm, OK then.

We found that the sea lions themselves were confused, sometimes not performing any trick and just standing there, puzzled. Let’s be real–they changed this show to convince the audience that they’re not exploiting animals anymore. But by still integrating the same tricks as before in a poorly-conceived presentation, it actually does the opposite. When the discussion has nothing to do with the tricks, it brings to light more that the tricks don’t belong, and makes you think why it’s even needed.

The wit and humor of the old show is gone, exposing a rather boring talk that feels soulless. It’s terrible–don’t even bother watching it.

Orca Encounter

Yes, the Shamu show is long gone and the first to go away after criticism against SeaWorld hit mainstream. We didn’t get a chance to visit it on our most recent visit, but we’ve been here before. When we did come, the Orca Encounter was… boring. It has been unappealing for years now. The stadium is large enough to fit a huge crowd, but it’s best not to bother. Go on a whale watching cruise and see them out in the wild.

Dolphin Adventures

This dolphin show was always one of the more fun reasons to come to SeaWorld San Diego. It is packed with lots of action and flips and you watch plenty of dolphins show off their moves. The skyway area still exists from decades ago when they used to have people dive into the water from above, but had to stop due to safety reasons. Of course, I say this is a fun show, but SeaWorld San Diego now says the ride is closed for retooling. Given what they did to the other performances, I don’t think that’s a good thing.

Hopefully they keep some of the more impressive aspects, like all the dolphins jumping out of the water at the same time.

So let’s talk about Blackfish

I’m not going to shy away from a discussion about Blackfish, a 2013 documentary that completely decimated the viability of a theme park like SeaWorld. It exposed the cruelty of methods used to train captive orcas for shows and performances. It was a powerful piece that set into motion the general concern for all animals kept in captivity, not just orcas.

SeaWorld’s initial response was defensive, downplaying the film and what it was trying to portray. However, when SeaWorld eventually noticed guests were no longer coming to the park in response to the film, SeaWorld needed to adapt or go extinct.

And what happened to SeaWorld? Well, more than a decade after the film’s debut, SeaWorld San Diego is a bit of a mess. You see weird retooling of shows and performances into something that tries to convince guests it’s not exploiting animals anymore. Almost every single ride at the theme park has the word ‘rescue’ in it for a reason–they’re in the business of rescuing animals, not capturing them. And that’s the real reason they’re ignoring the use of a thesaurus.

Final thoughts

In this rush to create a sterile theme park, they went too far. There’s nothing left here that feels unique or worth your money. It just became a regular aquarium that happens to have some generic theme park rides mixed in. The jury is still out on whether SeaWorld will survive in the long run, but I don’t like what it has become. Even our kids came away unimpressed as a whole.

And when a theme park loses interest from kids, doesn’t that say a lot about where those kids will choose to spend their money in the future when they also have kids? Unless we get free tickets from the veterans in our family, we likely won’t be returning.

Suggested reading:

• Review: Manchester Grand Hyatt San Diego
• Hyatt Regency Mission Bay Review: Is It Good for SeaWorld?
• Legoland California: An Excellent Option for Kids