Taking 4-Year-old to Sea World

You've gotten some great advice, but I wanted to add one more. My kids (4, 2 and 9 mo.) loved the "Dine with Shamu". It costs extra and you have to reserve ahead of time, but my big kids are still talking about it almost 2 yrs. later. Have fun!

We went in November and my daughter was 2 1/2 and my son 9 months. We took a stroller for my 9 month old but not my 2 year old. I ended up renting her a little stroller because she got tired of walking so I do suggest taking a stroller. I did take snacks in for the kids and their cups with water/juice in them. All this fit in my diaper bag though. I bet if you look on their webpage you could find their policies on food. Enjoy!

I didn't read other responses so you may have heard these suggestions before. They do not allow food or even bottles of water, which we had stopped at Subway before and brought water. My son has food allergies so I snuck it in. I hate to break rules, but come on, even Disneyland allows outside food. It was easy, just put it in the bottom of a backpack. Most of the people working at the concession stands didn't speak English well, so I'm glad I snuck it in. When I asked if something had milk, I could tell they didn't know what I was saying, but they still said no milk.

stacie,

We took my 5 year old last summer for 2 days and thought these were the highlights:

-Feeding the dolphins - go early and check feeding times at the entrance.
-kiddie amusement park rides. Go early to beat some lines
-Shamu show - plan to get wet if you sit close
-Rio Loco water ride - Plan to get wet.
- penguin display
-Log Ride -- this is "big time" for a 4-year old but still fun.
-We visited the Hyatt Hill Country resort for dinner one night and enjoyed strolling around. My daughter really enjoyed a $25 pony ride there - near the playground.

The dolphin/beluga whale show was closed last year when we went but this is probably nice.

SKIP the bigger amusement park rides. Even if your 4 year old is tall enough, they are too scary for that age.
SKIP the movies. We thought it was a waste of precious time. Why live in virtual reality with so much fun stuff to do and see in real life.
SKIP the water park unless you have more time. Also, they breed bacteria.
SKIP the expensive interactive add-ons for this age. If you have extra money to spend, visit the dolphins again the second day. This is very interactive.
We did the seal show which was fun, but it is not as impressive as whales and dolphins, so budget your time accordingly.

Practical stuff:
-Don't overdo it, or you run the risk of ruining the memories.
-Bring extra clothes for you child and have a plan for yourself if you get wet on Rio Loco.
-Wear sandals or crocs with no socks.
-Food IS allowed in the park. We brought all our own food and bought nothing there. This saved money and did not obligate us to wait on long lines or eat lots of junk food. Security rummaged through my cooler and said "yum! looks good".
-Go early, do stuff in the morning, break for lunch, do one or two things after lunch and call it a day.
-Take your stroller or wagon, if nothing else to cart your stuff.

Have fun!

We just went over Spring Break for the first time with my 7 1/2 year and just-turned-five year old. We went for 3 days and figured out the timing for us - get there 30 minutes before gates open and your parking won't be terrible (still a long walk, but doable). The kids had energy each day for 1 show, 1 other activity (feeding dolphins, walk through aquarium/shark house, penguin house), and playtime at the huge playground and splash area. The playground can be a little stressful because it is huge and it is easy to lose sight of your child - you have to either follow your child through or have a kid you know will be willing and able to come back to you - may not work with a 4 year old. There is a large sand play area underneath the play area that is contained though. Very little seating or shade for parents here, unfortunately. For shows -get there 30 minutes to an hour ahead of the show and wait outside the gate - have snacks and maybe some books or small games ready for the wait time. You can take snacks in, but nothing in glass and they say the snacks have to be individually wrapped (not just a huge box of goldfish, I guess) and for some reason the web site says you can not take in sandwiches (?!). We took boxes of individually wrapped granola bars, fruit snacks, and peanut butter cracker sandwiches. For srinks I took empty sports bottles (so we didn't have to carry heavy liquids all day)and those crystal lite flavor packets you add to bottles of water - then you can just fill up at a water fountain but not necessarily have to drink water, but not pay the insane park drink prices. We bought no food or drinks while we were there. For tickets, I don't know if they might still be offering the Fun Pass - pay for a day, get unlimited visits for the rest of the season. The difference between this and a season pass is it does not cover parking or get you a discount at concessions or gift shops. So what we did was get one season pass for me - that got us the free parking ($15 a day other wise) and discounts on the few items we bought in the park - everybody else got a Fun Pass which was about $30 less (the cost of 2 days' parking - we went for three, so got one free day of parking plus 10% off in the gift shop). TAKE SUNSCREEN! We didn't and paid way too much in the gift shop for some after I got sunburned. Let's see.... oh, the 4-D pirate movie is funny, but my kids were stressed the whole time because they thought water would shoot out of the nozzles in the seat in front of us (they warn you that you might get wet) - the nozzles only shot a little air, and we only got a little sprinkled from above. But my 5 year old was so worried through the whole show he enjoyed none of it. He found some of the 3-D a little nerve-wracking too (mainly when it looked like the cannon was shooting at us).

Okay, too much info? (: Hope some of it helped! Oh, there is a McDonald's right near the entrance too, but no playland there. Rudy's Barbecue is at the same intersection - good stuff!

Good luck! Have a blast!!!!!

We just went 2 weeks ago. Spent only 1 day, but my 4 year old had a BLAST! We all wore swimsuits and not our best shirt/shorts since all the rides you get SOAKED. Don't bother fixing hair just pull back b/c w/ humidity in SA and getting wet at every ride is waste of your time. When you get there go first to the dolphin tank to the left. Buy a tray of fish for $5 and then you can actually feed the dolphins. Even when you are done with your fish (as long as not too crowded) don't wash your hands yet b/c the dolphins will still smell the fish on your hand and will come close to you (we washed and they never came near us again). He still talks about how fun it was! Watch your times for shows. If your 4yo is tall enough, then ride the rides during show times so your wait is hardly anything (we walked right on 2 rides b/c of this - course wasn't summer yet either). If you are going to do the water park (which was his FAVORITE!) then go early enough in day b/c there is a limit of people allowed in - not a problem b/c no crowd when we went, but hear it fills early in summer!) One drawback to water park is get a locker and they are $12 (actually $7 but they charge you $5 deposit and if turn key back in when leave get $5 back but in merchandise/food gift card....) We didn't do stroller would just time shows so could sit and rest (and get snack for him). I had umbrella stroller in car JIC and one of us could have hiked out to get it if needed. We used a backpack and had a raincoat for him in it w/ snacks hidden underneath and a bottle of water (I used 3 different ones [color/top different] so we would know which one was whose)freeze them in hotel and they stayed pretty cold til later in day. They will let you refill them in restaurant or water fountain. We ate late lunch (weren't planning on eating there) but only choice for kids is chicken fingers/fries/drink/in shamu plastic container almost same price as adult all almost $8 each (no drink inc w/ adult). He loved the sea lion and shamu show best so don't miss those for sure! The snacks have to be individual sized and not too many. Can't bring "food" in to park and no straws! (see website has list of what can bring). They were checking EVERYONE'S bags/purses/strollers when we went and didn't let some in until they got rid of their stash. And they fingerprint you so takes forever to get in. I hear about it every day how much he enjoyed it! There is a McDs and Bill Miller BBQ near entrance can eat at too - or can pack lunch and tailgate in parking lot also just get marked so can re-enter. Have a great time!

I have only been one time ever and it was this spring. We loved it! I did take our stroller and was glad that I did-- my girls are 4 & 5.5 years. If for nothing else, it was a safe way to get across the parking lot, especially at the end of a tired day. We loved buying nectar to feed the birds-- but if you don't like the idea of birds landing on you, skip this! I found it quite fun! It was our favorite "feeding" experience as it was truly the most interactive. Have lots of fun!!
A.

I have a 4 year old and a 2 year old, and we go to Sea World all the time as my husband's sister lives in San Antonio. Your 4 year old will absolutlely LOVE Sea World. I would recommend a stroller ... even if she doesn't use it much (which she likely won't), it's great for storing everything. You'll definitely need sunscreen and a hat. I would also recommend that you pack snacks and even lunch as food isn't cheap there. My 4 year old is big enough this year to ride some of the rides, too, so that makes it even more fun. All the rides and shows are free once you're in the park, but you'll have to purchase the fish to feed the dolphins and sea lions (if you want to do that). If you do bring your stroller, be prepared that you can't bring it into the shows, but you get your important stuff out, and just leave it parked with the hundred other strollers parked outside the shows. We also do this and have never had any problems. Oh, and wear your swimsuits under your clothes. Hope this helps you out. You guys have fun!

We went over spring break with friends and took our 6 year old and 2 1/2 year old. It was a blast!

-buy tickets online.
-reserve stroller online
-get there when the park opens. People were already lined up when we got their 30 min. after it opened.
-parking is $15 or you can pay an extra $5 to be in the first 5 rows...WORTH THE $20!!!! At the end of the day when you are pooped and only have to walk a few more steps to the car :>.
-We went to the shamu show first before picking up our stroller so we didn't have to worry about parking it while we were watching the show.
-After the Shamu show, let everyone leave. We sat kinda high up since we had younger kids with..we didn't want them screaming when they got splashed. But after the show we walked down to the tank and the whales swam right up to the window. It was the neatest experience to be so close to them :). I can send you pictures if you want. That was my favorite part of the whole day!
-you can bring water bottles in the park but not in excess.
-I WOULD PACK A LUNCH IN THE CAR! They allow you to leave the park. Our friends did lunch in the car and we thought it would be more fun to eat at the park. Boy were we wrong!!! I seriously stood 1 1/2 hrs. in line waiting for food and it was the same lines everywhere. And it was even past the lunch hour!
-I had my daughter wear her swimsuit and put a cover up on over it since I knew she was going to get wet. They have splash down ride that you can stand close to and get SOAKED! FUn times!
-FYI-they make you walk thru the gift shop to leave the park. Boy aren't they smart! lol.

Thats about all I can think of for now. The strollers are neat because they look like a whale and I was always paranoid someone would steal ours (that we owned) if we brought it in and were at a show so that's why we rented.

Send me a message if you have any other questions and I'd be happy to help :).

K.

Hi Stacie,

We took our DD to Sea World when she was almost 4. It was one of the BEST experiencces of her life. She's almost 8 now and still talks about it. Of course we took lots of pics and video so that helps her remember!
I would say a definite YES to the stroller. There's LOTS of walking to do there and a 4 year old will get restless. Yes you are allowed drinks and snacks so the stroller will come in handy with lugging around snacks as well. There's not really much to say but have fun and make sure to watch the dolphin and whale shows. They have maps for the park and time schedules for the show they'll give you at the door. There's also times throughout the day you can take her to feed the dolphins and you get to be very upclose with them and they'll come and take the fish right out of your hand. It's so amazing! Well, take lots of pics and bring lots of water bottles and sunscreen. It will be a great time your family never forget! : )
Take care!

i grew up in florida, so we went to seaworld a lot! i would definatally take the stroller or a wagon. you can rent some there, but can be rather dirty. yes, you can bring in some drinks and snacks for little ones. dont think you can bring a cooler so just bring a cup for the little one and snacks in baggies. they wont let you bring a lot in but they seem to be understanding for little ones.
bring lots of sunscreen, wet wipes, hat, a washcloth with ice (this is good to put on neck and head if you get hot.
hope this helps!

Hi Stacie, you are going to have an amazing time!! I wish we had spent 2 days instead of 1... we used our first day to watch all the shows available, I wanted another day just to wander around and to visit the water park area.

I do remember taking several bottles of water, snacks, and hats in the bottom area of the stroller, I don't know if they were allowed or just unnoticed. My other suggestion is just to make sure you don't miss feeding the dolphins...5 years later this is still what my kids talk about the most. I made them a scrap book of our whole trip which includes tickets, pictures, postcards, etc. The book automatically falls open to the dolphin page now lol.

I'm sure you can take snakes for her. also take a small rain coat, she will get very wet at the whale tank.

One thing I do remember from two years ago when we last went was that they dont want you to bring in any juice boxes with the little straws attached or even the Capri Sun kids drinks. I think they told us the straws were a chocking hazard for the animals. Have fun!!!

We took our son when he was 2 and then again when he was 3. I suggest you take your own stroller. You can bring food/drinks in, but there is a restriction on how much. It's easier to get by with stuff for your child though. Food inside takes FOREVER to get and it's not worth the money. I suggest you bring a cooler of lunch stuff and leave it in the car. You can go to the car to eat. Park in the premium parking...it's worth the extra money! Go online to see when shows start, and plan your day around that. THe Beluga whale show gets very crowded, same for Shamu.
HAVE FUN!

You will have so much fun...We took my twins, now 4, there last year...Definitely bring a stroller!! And LOTS of snacks..The food there was horrible and really overpriced. Lots of sunscreen too. Feeding the dolphins was fun and so were the shamu shows. We actually did dinner with shamu and the kids loved it. They got to see him close up and I will admit the food was amazing at that! The water park was really fun too. The boys loved the wave pool area.
Have fun...When you buy your tickets (we bought ours online before we went) do a google search and I'll bet you'll find some good coupon codes. We found a couple last year for 2 day tickets for the price of one and another one for $$ off of the dinner with shamu. : )

I don't know if anyone has mentioned the water park. But I suggest that if you are planning to do the waterpark - you do it the first part of the day (when it opens) before it gets crowded. If you wait until the afternoon, the lines are sometimes really long just to get in! You can also just wear your swim suit uner a T-shirt & shorts all day if you want to. That way you can get wet anytime just to cool off. We plan to go this summer too - I can't wait!

Have fun.

You're going to have a blast! The water-park area should be open by then, so make sure to pack your swim suits and sunscreen. I'd go in regular cloths and change there so you don't rashes walking around in your bathing suites.

Rent a 2 kid stroller there. That way you'll have more room in your car. They're not too expensive and are really convenient.

You can't take your food in, but they do have tables outside the parking lot. Pack a lunch, leave it in your car and eat at the tables when you get hungry.

Make sure to get to the Shamou show 30 or 45 minutes early. The seats fill up REALLY fast! Also, we did dinner with Shamou last time. Took my two (3 and 4.5yrs). They had a blast. It's a little pricy, but you get a private showing with the whales and trainers. It's absolutely amazing!

Have fun!
T.

We took my daughter a couple of years ago. It was great fun. She didn't want to leave the water play ground at the front and got soaked - twice. Just a note on the food - there was a bakery to the left of the entrance fountain when we got there. Muffins, good coffee, etc that were not terribly expensive. We ate what we bought there, some popcorn and snacks we brought, then picked up some food when we left the park. The lines were CRAZY to try and get some food.

Ohh, we love Sea world!! Yes, take a good stoller! It helps to have somewhere to put the stuff that you are carrying even when she wants to walk. And yes, you can actually take in food and drinks. We were told one water bottle per person, and then snacks that were in individual packages. So we had things like cheese and crackers, chips, nuts, fruit snacks..you name it:) No juice boxes though. And, one other thing we did was bought the refillable drink cups when we got there on day one, and then we refilled them at a gas station on the way in on day 2. (Not with soda, but something like lemonade worked well:) Be sure you pay to feed the dolphins, that is still our favorite part!! And, of course, head to the water park if you can. We got a locker and packed a change of clothes for everyone in there so we did not have to carry everything around. Oh, I am a bit jealous, have a super time!! you will love it! ~A.~

Stacie, sounds like you got some great advice...thanks for asking the question. I will use some of it too! When we went, I was very glad we took our umbrella stroller and not a big stroller. One, I was afraid our big expensive stroller would disappear because there are literally hundreds of them--the suggestion to tie something on to quickly recognize yours was a great idea. Two, you will want something small to easily maneuver through the crowds. Have the whole family put on suncreen before you even go in the gate so you don't take a chance on forgetting. I think the advice about not trying to see everything in one day is a good one--it is very tiring to try to do it all in one day. We never really got to do many rides or the water park as we were focused on the shows most of the time. Our son's favorite were feeding the dolpins and the shamu show. He would have loved the water park, but I wasn't really prepared--be sure you have water clothes with you. Take antibacterial hand cleanser and wet wipes in case you need it. Oh, and we actually stayed at the Hyatt Hill Country--the lazy river is a lot of fun and relaxing after crazy days at Sea World. Have a great time!

hi, when my son was four we had season passes so we drove to san antonio alot. your child should wear swimming clothes both days. the children section has a wonderful little water area. the park doesn't let you take in food but we bought a few snacks and took a cooler with food and left it in the car. leaving the park so the child can "rest" helps make your day a little easier. Take hats, sunglasses and sunscreen and towels. the water park provides life jackets. the first thing you need to do when you get there is go to the area that will put a color-coded paper bracelet on and will write down your phone number in case child gets lost. then go to the water park, first thing because that part of the park is only allowed to admit a number of people and it fills up fast. during the day the line waiting to get in is long, long, long. take water shoes for this park. DEFINITELY TAKE A STROLLER. it gets hot there, but have fun, we always did. if you don't mind getting wet sit on the front pews at the shows- you will get soaked. at the sea lion show you can get your family picture taken with the lion but you'll have to find out what the times are. have fun, get wet and stay cool. when you get to the parking area find a tree to park under so if you do decide to eat at your car the shade will help keep you cooler. we thought the food at the park was expensive. have fun W. d.

Lots of walking at Sea World. Lots.
Extra change of clothes and a small towel. We were splashed on at the Killer Whale show. (VERY COLD water)
Sunscreen, hats, sunglasses. Don't forget to use sunscreen on your feet and ears!

We stopped at the matinee theater show on the way out - too cool.

Have fun!

I'm not sure which Sea World you are visiting but, the one in San Antonio is amazing! This one has a water park, so a change of clothes is a really good idea. Get the locker and store your stuff, or leave it in the car for a change before going home. No matter what, bring sunscreen. It is really exoensive on site. They won't let you bring any little straws in due to chocking errors. Have fun!

I would definitely suggest that you spend at least two days there, if possible. It is impossible to see everything and play at the water park in just one day. Most people go to the shows in the morning and then the water park in the afternoon, so it might be less crowded to water park in the morning and shows in the afternoon. This is assuming that you can get your child to leave the water park. This would not work for my kids.

The nice thing about Sea World is they have a "show" before the show. Don't be afraid to get to the shows at least 10-15 minutes before show time to get a good seat. My kids enjoyed the pre-shows almost as much as the actual show. At one of the shows, a clown repair man was going around trying to fix a water leak and shot water everywhere. Really funny!

My kids were often antsy after a couple of shows and just wanted to play in the water, so I tried to time giving them a snack or treat during a show. Once the show started they were enthralled, but getting them to go from show to show was a bit difficult at times. There is one part of the kiddie area that has water shooting up from the ground. My boys would have played there all day, if I let them. So it is best to steer clear of these places until after you have seen several shows.

We went on a Monday and were surprised that it did not seem to be very crowded. Don't know if this is typical or just a fluke. Definitely avoid a weekend if possible.

Take a change of clothes...maybe her swim suit. There is an area the kids can play in the water that is just perfect for that age. It is in the area where the kiddie rides are.

Don't forget swimsuits and towels. There are a lot of water things for the kids to get wet in.

Hi Stacie,
Our family had a season pass last year and went several times with our 2 and 4 year old.
I would bring a stroller as theirs are kind of wobbly/heavy and can be yucky. They really don't like for you to bring in food or drinks which is a drag but we did manage to get in some sippy cups and one time we brought in some of those crust free PB J's in my husband's short pockets for them to eat. We did bring food and left it in the van to eat in the parking lot since there is really not a place outside of the park to sit and eat at. The food there is pricey like any other place. ")
I would also recommend that you put something like a colorful scarf on the stroller to help spot your stroller after a show since there will be plenty others there too. Also bring a big bag to throw all of your "important" stuff in to bring in with you at the shows. Bring swim suits, towels (If you'll let the get wet) sunscreen and a small first aid kit just in case. Don't forget hats.
I also would suggest that when you start in the park, go the other way than the crowd entering the park. You can beat some of the crowds that away and get better views at looking at the critters and shows. Hope you have a great time with your family. If you have any questions send me a message and I'll try and help you out.
C.