The Ultimate SeaWorld Food Guide

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Heading out to a SeaWorld location and trying to navigate the food scene there? This food guide to SeaWorld should be the ticket you need.

A quick information run down; if you’re unfamiliar, SeaWorld (California, Florida, and Texas) and Busch Gardens (Florida and Texas) are owned by the same parent company – United Parks & Resort (formerly SeaWorld Entertainment). They also own the properties of Adventure Island, Sesame Place (California and Pennsylvania), Discovery Cove, Aquatica (Florida and Texas), and Water Country USA (Virginia).

And to be frank, this guide could potentially cover all of these parks with ease as they all offer the same dining plans. However, this guide will cover SeaWorld with some inferences to Busch Gardens and other properties, but they won’t be nearly as in-depth.

Once those guides come out I will make sure to link it here for ease of access.

As such, this post will cover the passes, any dining packages offered, and any insider tips and tricks that should enable you to have a smoother experience regarding food at these parks. To my international readers, please be aware that any numbers you see here do not include tax.

Note: Before we get into this meat of this, this guide will have information based on the Florida locations, so if there is some variation when it comes to other locations, please let me know in the comments so I can make the proper adjustments. Thank you!

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Benefits of a SeaWorld Annual Pass

Before I talk about the benefits of the annual pass, let’s cover the difference between the season pass and the annual pass first.

The season pass (or “fun card”) is only for the current seasonal year. If you were to buy your tickets in July, they’re only good until the end of the calendar year.

However, the annual pass is good for 12 full months regardless of when you buy your ticket, which can be beneficial if you’re looking to travel to more than one park across the next 365 days (which is very economical for this site considering all things).

The SeaWorld Annual Pass has four tiers – Bronze, Silver, Gold, and Platinum. Even if you were to go for the lowest tier you’d still be afforded a lot of perks than a regular guest ticket, so I’m always pro-annual pass as long as you’re going the minimum amount of times necessary to pay for it.

From unlimited visits to free parking to discounts on food, annual passes really are a no-brainer. Let’s hop into this –

At the start of writing this, SeaWorld was running a sale that gave upward of 45% off annual passes depending on the park in question. SeaWorld mentioned that their Fourth of July sale is their best sale of the year, so that could be really helpful if you’re looking to save money next time around.

• Orlando: up to 35%
• San Diego: up to 40%
• San Antonio: up to 45%

Throughout the year, SeaWorld and its other properties hold sales each with different discounts. If it is to be believed that the July 4th sale is the best sale of the year, compare these savings to what’s currently available to see if it’s worth your while to purchase or wait another sales cycle.

One other perk of being a passholder? A coming soon ride becomes available to passholders in stages prior to opening day. With the recent opening of Penguin Trek at SeaWorld Orlando, Platinum passholders were the first to ride, then the queue opened to Gold, and then to Silver.

Note: the pass does not include admission to Discovery Cove, however they do offer ticket discounts.

Regular Ticket Prices

For comparison sake, I think it’s important that we run over the general pricing for day tickets (adult pricing).

Across parks, tickets either come as single-day or multi-day tickets. Single day tickets range between $94.99 and $289.97 with add-ons built-in (or not) with multi-day tickets (2 and 3 days) ranging from $104.99 to $374.96.

Single day tickets come in dated or any-day form depending on your flexibility.

However, at the Orlando location there is a ticket that grants you access to four parks (SeaWorld Orlando, Aquatica Orlando, Busch Gardens Tampa Bay, and Adventure Island) with free parking for 14 consecutive days. It comes at a meaty price tag of $400.00.

There also happens to be a San Diego 3-for-1 ticket that grants access to SeaWorld San Diego, San Diego Zoo, and the San Diego Zoo Safari Park as well. That ticket costs $190.00 for an adult.

And that’s all I’ll mention as anymore and it will further complicate this guide, which is what I don’t want.

Fun Card

This card allows for unlimited visits either to SeaWorld (Orlando and San Diego) or to both SeaWorld and Aquatica (Orlando only) until the end of a calendar year. There are blockout dates! Prices range from $99.99 to $119.99 for the Orlando location and $99.99 for the San Diego location.

SeaWorld Bronze

This pass is only available at the Orlando location and is best for those who want to go almost any day they’d like (there are blockout dates), but don’t care for any other perks, and looking for the cheapest option.

Silver Annual Pass

Gold Annual Pass

Platinum Annual Pass

Pros and Cons of the SeaWorld Annual Pass

So, you’ve now gotten a good idea of what to expect from buying an annual pass, but what are the pros and cons of buying one?

Cons: While you can get the pass anytime during the year, they run sales often and a better deal may come up after you buy your pass, so just be aware, alert, and buy when your wallet can handle the charge. Aside from that, if you’re a big animal rights activist, or just plain ‘ole don’t like the violent history of SeaWorld it can be a tough pill to swallow buying this pass (hi, it’s me).

Unlike their competition they offer no state resident pass deal.

If you’re coming for a few days, it may not be worth it for you to buy and if you are eligible look into the Military tickets if you are of active or retired duty to save money by getting a free ticket or up to 50% off tickets.

Pros: Multiple sales giving you freedom of choice to buy the pass at a later date without paying full price and it comes in cheaper than buying a Universal or Disney annual pass. You save on food and merchandise with the Silver, Gold, and Platinum passes.

Overview of the SeaWorld All-Day Dining Meal Plan

SeaWorld has one dining plan and that’s the All-Day Dining Plan. It was once upon a time that they had multiples, but they have since pared it down to where day guests and passholders all have access to the same dining plan.

It is what it is.

And it’s a dining plan that is worth the paper you pay for it.

There are tons of resources on this meal plan, so I won’t go over it in too much detail at this time, but the overall gist is that the plan restarts every 90 minutes for each category of food you grab, except for drinks which are every 15 minutes at participating locations.

At SeaWorld Orlando those locations are: Voyager’s Smokehouse, Waterway Grill, Expedition Café, Lakeside Grill, Altitude Burgers, Panini Shore Café, Captain Pete’s Island Hot Dogs, and Seafire Grill.

The plan comes with one entrée, one snack or dessert, and one non-alcoholic beverage every 90 minutes starting at $49.99 for adults and $29.99 for children. Honestly, it’s a steal considering how much things cost at the park.

By Experience Kissimmee: SeaWorld’s All-Day Dining Plan: Is It Worth It?

Research and Prep Before You Go

SeaWorld has entered the digital age with a free application available to anyone wishing to use it.

With options to view park schedule, animal experiences, shows and presentations, and dining options, the app is almost a one-stop shop for anyone looking to be fully immersed, prepped, and ready for a day out at SeaWorld.

Mobile ordering is a big thing in the park, sometimes giving you mobile-exclusive offerings, so if you’ve not downloaded the app, I think you ought to! Not only is it great for all of what has already been mentioned, but your digital annual pass is stored in this app.

Speaking of which, there are two main locations to find your pass, let’s discuss them.

IMPORTANT: SeaWorld is officially a cashless park. You can find ATMs around the park that allow you to convert cash to card. Be aware though that after 92 consecutive days of non-use, the card issuer will charge $3.95 per month until depleted.

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SeaWorld Food Menu Prices 2024

Click on the image below to be taken to the available menu lists where I have been to recently. Out of the three available parks, I have only been to the Orlando location at this time with the menus being updated in June 2024. Enjoy!

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Frequently Asked Questions

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Dining Options at SeaWorld

There are plenty of dining options across all SeaWorld locations and they offer everything from classic American foods like hot dogs, pizza, burgers, and of course, chicken nuggets. But there’s a lot more that is offered at their parks, but we’ll hone in on what kinds of options you’ll find rather than menus.

The typical options are two main categories: snack stands/kiosks and quick service locations. They have sprinkled in some full-service restaurants, but they aren’t as prominent as their larger competitors (i.e., Disney and Universal). Their parks also serve beverages such as fountain drinks, coffee and tea, and beer, wine, and cocktails.

Even though this is a SeaWorld guide, I want there to be some reference across other properties: there are 13 options at Aquatica Orlando, 26 options at SeaWorld Orlando, and 31 options at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay.

Snack Stands / Kiosks

These locations give you an opportunity for a small snack break in the middle of your day through items like popcorn, churros, cotton candy, and drinks that can include alcohol.

Some locations are:

Bubble’s Boba Bar

Dippin’ Dots

Coaster Coffee Express

Quick Service

Mainly with outdoor eating locations, there are plenty of indoor options to try if you need a moment inside with some air conditioning. These locations are the fast food mecca’s and somme restaurants give you the ability to mobile order so you’re not standing in a long line waiting to order.

Some locations are:

Dockside Pizza Co.

Captain Pete’s Island Hot Dogs

Voyager’s Smokehouse

Full-Service Restaurants

A sit-down opportunity in air conditioned bliss, you can find yourself dining among animals.

Just like a regular restaurant, full-service will have waitstaff to help you manage the delivery of your food and your service. There is an expectation of a tip like it’s a normal environment.

Locations:

Sharks Underwater Grill and Bar

Kid-Friendly Dining at SeaWorld

Outside of the normal hot dogs, pizza, and chicken nuggets, there are plenty of items for kids to be head over heels about when it comes to SeaWorld, Busch Gardens, Sesame Place, etc.

While the options I’ll lay out may not be on the kids menu, these are options that can either be shared among two small children or given to an older child who will waste little food.

Basing this on Florida SeaWorld properties, there are Dippin’ Dots available for the little one looking for ice cream at all parks, boneless chicken wings at Papa’s Cantina in Aquatica, Uncrustables and Mozzarella Sticks at Zagora Café and BBQ Ribs at Zambia Smokehouse both available at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay.

There’s also a Kids Caesar Salad available at Expedition Café and the Lakeside Loaded Fries at Lakeside Grill both available at SeaWorld Orlando.

So, even though there may not be something on the actual kids menu of establishments, there are still many options that kids can choose from. And if you’re got a picky eater, check out the menus we currently have on the site to help them navigate options beforehand.

Local Flavors and International Cuisine at SeaWorld

There are some instances of local and international flavors at the SeaWorld properties. Most of them will appear during festivals like Viva la Música, the Food and Wine Festival, and Mardi Gras for starters.

But there are restaurants that do have international cuisine! For example there’s Treetop Kitchen in Busch Gardens Tampa Bay that offers Latin and African-inspired dishes, Zambia Smokehouse (also at BGTB) that is all about Southern BBQ, and Waterway Grill and Bar at SeaWorld Orlando that has Latin-Hispanic influences.

So, yeah, while these dishes won’t be authentic in any way, you can get a taste of somewhere that isn’t close to home.

SeaWorld Dining and Insider Tips

The three parks of SeaWorld – Orlando (Florida), San Antonio (Texas), and San Diego (California) – all have dining. It is after all why you’ve been reading through this post in the first place, to try and navigate through it.

Before you go though, I’d like to run over some tips and tricks to making your dining more enjoyable wherever you are.

1 – If you plan to spend your entire day at the park, I implore you to grab the All-Day Dining Plan. The amount of money that you will save is enormous, especially when you’re able to use it every 90 minutes! If you’re getting lunch, supper, and dinner, with the average pricing going for $15-20 a pop for an entree, you save without thinking.

2 – There are mobile-exclusive food offers. You’ll sometimes find bundles, specials, what-have-yous in the app that can either help you save more money (if you’re going the pay-as-you-go way) or give you more food options.

3 – At some locations there are Happy Hours (at Orlando, there’s a Happy Hour Wednesday) for buy one get one free beers between certain hours. Check into your park and see what they offer.

4 – Try to eat on the off-peak hours of the day. Restaurants open at 11 PM, but most people are going to head to lunch from 12 PM to 2 PM. Any time before or after that are great, but after 6 PM for dinner options as well. This can vary depending on the season. During the summer when the sun is hotter than ever people will retreat indoors to cool off so it may not always work out as well, but usually it does!

5 – They tack on a surcharge of 5% on your order if you’re not using the Dining Plan, which I think is absolute insanity considering how expensive the food already is.

6 – You will be asked to leave a tip. You can do so if you want to, but I’m of the opinion that unless you’re waiting on a table in a full-service restaurant I’m not doing that. Plus, what SeaWorld is doing is pretty scummy if you were to click the link provided, so fight that if you’d like.

Typically in my guides I will say, “Eat outside of the park if you can!” But based on SeaWorld Orlando? I wouldn’t dare go out into that hot concrete jungle to eat out there.

It’s simply not worth the blood, sweat, and tears to trek out there to save money, so I say this with my whole chest (regretfully), but buy the dining plan and use it for two people at a time. Since it can be used every 90 minutes use it to the advantage and eat on and off.

And if you need to know the food policies surrounding the SeaWorld properties, I’ve got you.

SeaWorld Events and Festivals

SeaWorld hosts a plethora of events and festivals throughout their many parks. This guide will outline their major festivals (yes, this will include non-SeaWorld specific parks), but you can check the festival guides on our website to find out what others exist at present (they have dozens of events happening annually across all of their parks, so check it out for real!).

As a note, I have never been to any of these events; because of this I will be adding in other resources to help you navigate these festivals.

Spooktacular and Howl-O-Scream

The Halloween events of Spooktacular and Howl-O-Scream are popular ways to get through the spooky season at SeaWorld and Busch Gardens locations.

For the kids, there’s Spooktacular, a family-friendly event filled with daytime trick-or-treating where all guests are allowed to wear costumes and meet their favorite Sesame Street characters with a dance party, participate in fun crafts, and other activities. This event is included in the price of admission, however …

There’s Howl-O-Scream an adult-focused Halloween event after hours that children are not encouraged to attend and was recently voted as the best theme park Halloween event in 2023 by USA Today.

With five haunted houses, seven scare zones, and five themed bars, this separately ticketed event will have all the intensities that come with a Halloween event (violence, gore, and blood).

At both events there are seasonal treats available for purchase.

By Orlando Informer: Complete Guide to Halloween Spooktacular at SeaWorld Orlando • Complete Guide to Howl-O-Scream at SeaWorld Orlando

The Count’s Halloween Spooktacular

Over at Sesame Place, they host their own Halloween event, The Count’s Halloween Spooktacular.

Akin to Spooktacular at SeaWorld and Busch Gardens, this event is a family-friendly event filled with Sesame Street characters dressed in their Halloween best ready to host dance parties, fun activities, and of course, trick-or-treating!

This event is included in the price of your admission.

By Attractions Magazine: Guide to The Count’s Halloween Spooktacular 2023 at Sesame Place Philadelphia

Christmas Celebration (SeaWorld) and Christmas Town (Busch Gardens)

Included with your park admission, SeaWorld transforms into a winter wonderland with lights galore for their Christmas Celebration. If you’re not in a place with snow, you’ll find snow flurries abound, live shows, ice skating, and of course limited seasonal treats and character meet and greets with Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer and other iconic Christmas friends.

There is a Sesame Street Christmas Breakfast if you’re looking for something fun for the little ones as well.

Over at Busch Gardens, their Christmas event takes the form of Christmas Town. From shopping to special limited-edition foods and lots of entertainment like Christmas on Ice, there’s a whole lot to do inside of this highly decorated and brightly lit event.

Admission to Christmas Town is included in your park ticket.

By Orlando Informer: SeaWorld’s Christmas Celebration: Complete Guide and Overview • Busch Gardens Christmas Town: Complete Guide and Overview

A Very Furry Christmas Celebration

A perfect place to take the kids during the festive season, Sesame Place’s A Very Furry Christmas Celebration has shows, parades, and dance parties to give your family an opportunity to really enjoy themselves in one place.

With seasonal treats available this event even showcases a 24-foot tall Christmas tree to say woooooow over and over again. And if you can’t be there early but want to make the most of your time check out for extended hours days.

The link below isn’t a guide, more of a review from a parent’s viewpoint which I think could be incredibly helpful and worthwhile.

By What Lara Wrote: A Very Furry Christmas and What’s New at Sesame Place Philadelphia

Seven Seas Food Festival (SeaWorld) and Food & Wine Festival (Busch Gardens)

I’d be remiss if I didn’t point out their food-centered festivals – Seven Seas Food Festival at SeaWorld and the Food & Wine Festival at Busch Gardens.

Inherently the same, these annual events focus on global food, beer, wine, and live entertainment that you wouldn’t see at any of their locations any other time. During these events, they offer sample food lanyards (choices of 10, 15, or 18 appetizer-sized dishes) that allow you to buy food and drinks at a discounted rate compared to those who don’t buy the lanyard.

They really go all out with this event with a VIP Tour that grants you an 18-dish sample lanyard, unlimited priority access to attractions, and reserved seats during the evening’s live concerts.

By Orlando Informer: Complete Guide to Seven Seas Food Festival at SeaWorld Orlando • Busch Gardens Food & Wine Festival – Complete Insider’s Guide

Mardi Gras

The parks host a Mardi Gras festival to celebrate all of New Orleans in all its raucous glory. And the best part? It’s included in your ticket, no need to buy anything extra.

While there are food booths available they are only open during the weekends, however the live shows, parades, and “Bead Balcony” are sure to help ease your tummy for a little while until then.

By Orlando Informer: Busch Gardens Mardi Gras: Complete Guide and Overview

Enjoy Your Time at SeaWorld!

There’s a lot to SeaWorld and if you’re not careful, you can be taken for a ride, but I am hopeful that this guide aids you as you venture into any of their locations. There will be variances among each of them, however, as Orlando is their most involved one I figured it was best to use them as not only have I been there, but it is widely visited.

If there is anything that needs correcting please let me know in the comments.

And if you haven’t as of yet, please follow us on our other social media channels (YouTube, Instagram & Tik Tok – @themeparkbites) to stay up to date on food reviews. Thank you for allowing us to be your tasty theme park companion!