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Tips to enjoy SeaWorld Orlando’s Halloween Spooktacular

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I’ve already written about what a great value the SeaWorld Halloween Spooktacular is, but now I’ve had a chance to experience the 2013 edition and can tell you my original assessment still stands.

Here are a few tips to enjoy the day:

  1. The Spooktacular trail is least busy shortly after opening and again just before the area closes for the day.
  2. You can start at either end of the trail, but most of the treat stations are oriented for easiest access from the front of the park.
  3. Although SeaWorld provides bags for trick-or-treating, you’ll want to have a larger bag to consolidate all your candy into as you enjoy the rest of your day in the park.
  4. There is a lot to do besides just trick or treating. Take time to interact with the characters, decorate a cookie, or stay for the dance party at the end of the night
  5. Dress your kids up in costumes that are appropriate for the weather and bring a camera to capture the memories.

SeaWorld Orlando’s Halloween Spooktacular is included with park admission and runs over the remaining weekends in October.

More photos below the jump and details on a special “jelly belly” event that only runs during the final weekend. Read More »Tips to enjoy SeaWorld Orlando’s Halloween Spooktacular

SeaWorld’s Free Halloween Party Returns

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Only one of the big three parks in Orlando offers a Halloween party that’s free with the price of admission. The family friendly Halloween Spooktacular is full of spooky fun. During this daytime event, families will be immersed in an underwater “fantasea” filled with trick-or-treating, dancing with sea fairies and pumpkin fish and sea-themed arts and crafts. My family and I enjoy the party-like atmosphere as much as the bigger pay events at the other parks in town.

SeaWorld’s Halloween Spooktacular takes place weekends in October: 5-6, 12-13, 19-20 and 26-27, from 12 to 8 p.m., leaving the littlest of trick-or-treaters wide-eyed for all of the fun-filled activities. When you’re there, make sure you take advantage of this social media promotion, you could end up with some cool VIP treats.

Spooktacular Highlights below the jump:

Read More »SeaWorld’s Free Halloween Party Returns

Voices of SeaWorld Video Series Launches

SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment has had a bit of a rough stretch recently. They had to report lower attendance numbers vs their competitors in Orlando (resulting in a drop in profits) and have had to content with a one-sided documentary that has helped stoke the… Read More »Voices of SeaWorld Video Series Launches

Discovery Cove Voted #1 Park in the World

TripAdvisor’s Travelers’ Choice Awards recently voted SeaWorld Orlando’s Discovery Cove as the #1 theme park in the World. Definitely well deserved. Here’s Discover Cove’s Vice President Stewart Clark justifiably crowing a bit and sharing some fan memories: We visited Discovery Cove in May and wrote… Read More »Discovery Cove Voted #1 Park in the World

‘Blackfish’ an Eye-Opening Look at Orca Captivity

Editor’s Note: I have not been presented the opportunity to view Blackfish and urge you to consider both sides of the argument before drawing any conclusions. A good place to start is this NY Times article on SeaWorld Park’s and Entertainment‘s response to the movie and what it sees as distortions of the facts and message. I want to thank Mike Bastoli for continuing to post here on the blog; even when I’m not 100% comfortable with his topics, I’m glad I can provide a forum for his ideas.

Blackfish_SeaWorld_TilikumFirst of all, I’d like to thank John for giving me the opportunity to comment on Blackfish here. Even though we are of different opinions on whether orcas—killer whales—should continue to be kept in captivity at SeaWorld and places like it, we both agree that everyone should have an opportunity to evaluate the facts and make up their own mind on the issue. Really, we are the jury.

Blackfish begins with a black screen and a terrifying 911 call: “A whale has eaten one of the trainers,” the voice on the phone tells the dispatcher. That call was made on February 24, 2010, moments after SeaWorld Orlando trainer Dawn Brancheau was killed by Tilikum, a 12,000-pound male orca who had taken human life twice before.

Read More »‘Blackfish’ an Eye-Opening Look at Orca Captivity

SeaWorld Releases Four Rescued Manatees

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Asaka, Braille, Nitty and Pipsqueak, four female sub-adult manatees, were happily released into the warm waters of Eddy Creek on Thursday July 18, 2013 by SeaWorld Orlando’s Rescue Team. Three of these manatees were rescued in December of 2012 after being trapped in a mosquito embankment in the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge and suffering from mild cold stress. The fourth manatee, Asaka, was rescued this past March due to buoyancy issues.

After spending months at SeaWorld Orlando being rehabilitated all four manatees, ranging in weight between 400lbs to 775lbs, were declared healthy and ready to return to their natural habitat. Each manatee was weighed and measured before being released. They were also fitted with a tag so that the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission can track their movement and progress. The release was bittersweet for those who had the pleasure to work with these magnificent creatures, happy to see the animals swim away and start to thrive on their own but sad to see them go.

Read More »SeaWorld Releases Four Rescued Manatees

Penguin One joins fleet of SeaWorld themed Southwest Airline Planes

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For 25 years Shamu One has flown through the sky bringing joy to airplane passengers everywhere knowing their journey to SeaWorld begins at their home airport. It’s a relatively small thing, but it brings a lot of joy.

Today Southwest Airlines and SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment celebrated 25 years of partnership with the unveiling of the airline’s newest specialty aircraft, Penguin One —- a Boeing 737-700 co-branded with images of one of SeaWorld’s iconic animals — penguins.

Read More »Penguin One joins fleet of SeaWorld themed Southwest Airline Planes

Cup That Cares Introduces New Conservation Minded Program at SeaWorld Orlando

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One of the hidden treasures of the new Antarctica opening at SeaWorld Orlando is a conservation-minded program that let’s you interact with Coca-Cola freestyle machines in the area to see how big an impact your drink refills are making on the environment. The Cup That Cares – a reusable cup initiative – encourages guests to help the planet one refill at a time in a cup they create themselves when visiting the realm.

SeaWorld also collaborated with Coca-Cola to create a new custom coca-cola flavor served up only at Antarctica – South Pole Chill. I had a number of cups and enjoyed the light vanilla flavor served without any of the dyes that add color to normal colas.

Here’s a quick video introduction to the Cup That Cares program:

The new Cup That Cares engages guests in a personalized manner to reuse materials and reduce their carbon footprint. An RFID chip embedded in each Cup That Cares interacts with software at Coca-Cola Freestyle dispensers to calculate and tell guests how they are being more environmentally responsible by choosing to reuse.

Plus, SeaWorld will donate $1 from each Cup That Cares purchase to the SeaWorld & Busch Gardens® Conservation Fund, a not-for-profit foundation that helps protect wildlife around the world. Read More »Cup That Cares Introduces New Conservation Minded Program at SeaWorld Orlando