San Antonio, Texas
San Antonio, Texas is located about 3 hours west of Houston and about an hour and a half southwest of Austin, if driving by car. It is amazing how many things there are to do in this beautiful, historic, and family-friendly city!
Some of the more popular attractions we have experienced in San Antonio are:
- The Alamo, one the most famous Texas landmarks
- Louis Tussaud’s Waxworks Wax Museum
- Tower of the Americas
- Ripley’s Believe It or Not!
- Cruising and dining along the San Antonio Riverwalk
- Six Flags Fiesta Texas
- SeaWorld San Antonio
- Wildlife Safari
Accommodations
Our favorite hotel has been the very gorgeous but kid friendly La Cantera luxury resort. This resort offers childcare, a small arcade, and a pool especially for kids. La Cantera has regular daily and special holiday schedules of children and family activities. But this is a post for another time! In this post, I will be focusing on the amazing adventures we had at SeaWorld.
SeaWorld
While we have always enjoyed our time doing various things in San Antonio, SeaWorld San Antonio is by far our family’s most favorite place to go to in the city. Families typically have dreams about traveling to some of the more well-known theme parks in California or Florida, however, the budget and amount of planning required for those can sometimes be too overwhelming. Not to mention the increase in crowds the parks are starting to experience, evening during off peak times.
SeaWorld San Antonio provides great fun and education for the entire family year-round for fraction of the cost and time required for the other well-known parks. I often refer to the park as laid back, especially for the parents with babies and toddlers. As parents, we have just as much fun as the kids. However, the time spent at the park does not feel overly exhausting, especially if you schedule it right. We prefer at least two days to visit the park. The park has beautiful landscaping and plenty of trees for shade. You can choose to relax in the shade of the huge trees or get as much sun as you need as you stroll from one activity to the next.
Our family has been visiting the park for the last seven years. The first trip to SeaWorld was for my daughter’s 3rd birthday. Our most recent visit was for her 10th birthday, which falls around their Halloween celebrations. The park is very intentional about the themes and activities it selects for each holiday, as well as the summer season. We try to visit the park all year round. Since we hold the Annual Pass, we can take advantage of the unique seasonal experiences and cooler temps in the fall, winter, and early spring. Though Texas can be hot on any given day, the park is really enjoyable during those times. The fireworks are also very exciting during the summer months after the boating shows.
Tip: Pay attention to the schedule for the Halloween-themed activities. During the day, the park is still quite friendly. However, as it nears dusk, the cast members dress up in scary costumes and pop out to scare you. We didn’t last very long before deciding to leave this trip. It was scary and there were tears, but ultimately fun since we often reminisce about it. If you like this sort of thing, then it is very well done and you will have fun.
What’s New at SeaWorld?
While there have been changes and upgrades to the park, shows, and experiences over the years, the quality of education and fun that families experience has not stopped. After passing the security checkpoint, you will pick up a map with all of the current activities and showtimes. It is a good idea to get a couple of them, as you will continually refer to this document a lot.
You will also notice that right after the security checkpoint that SeaWorld San Antonio is actually divided into three sections; Discovery Cove, SeaWorld, and the water park Aquatica. A ticket is required for SeaWorld and Aquatica, but not for Discovery Cove. Discovery Cove is where you check in for any animal interaction experience. You can also view dolphins in their habitat from above and below, as well as view other marine life, including a variety of sharks and fish, in the aquarium building.
Animal Shows
The animal shows at SeaWorld are spectacular! If you arrive to the park early enough in the day, you could actually see all of the shows in one day. However, we like to take our time and mix in the other activities with shows over a two day visit. It’s a good idea to arrive 20 minutes prior to the show starting time so that you can secure your strollers in the designated area and pick out the seats you like best. There are splash zones in the Beluga Whale/Dolphin and Sea Lion stadiums that offer much-needed relief on a hot day.
The Orca breeding program and Shamu show at SeaWorld San Antonio have come to an end. We were able to attend one of the new behind-the-scenes training events to learn more about the habitat and behavior of the remaining Orcas. The Sea Lion and Otter show is always fun, since the animals interact with the trainers in a skit-like fashion. We also love the Pets Ahoy show, which includes all types of non-marine animals, many of which are rescues.
Animal Interactions
Our favorite thing to do at SeaWorld is to interact with the animals and the trainers. Our 10-year- old is very interested in all things related to marine life and animal behavior. The rest of the family has gotten interested as well, so we all have a great time learning. For additional fees, members of our family have been able to participate in up close and personal animal experiences, like swimming with dolphins and sea lions. After speaking with a trainer who was feeding the otters, we were invited to come behind the scenes to meet Leon the Sea Lion and other trainers. This was a nice perk that we were not expecting!
Don’t be afraid to ask questions about the trainer’s careers and the animals they take care of. You will most likely see a trainer monitoring the dolphin pool or feeding the sea otters.
Tip: Sign up for the SeaWorld San Antonio email list so that you can be notified about special ticket and annual pass pricing, events, and Black Friday specials for the animal experiences. The deals are really great. Pay close attention to the benefits that each of the passes provide, so that you can make the best choice for your family.
When you are not scheduled for an animal interaction or going to see a show, families can take a nice stroll around the park to visit the various exhibits where animals can be seen at any time. These viewing experiences; fish and sharks in the aquarium, alligators and turtles, penguins, dolphins, seals, sea lions, otters, and pink flamingos are all included in the cost of admission.
Sesame Street Bay of Play
For the youngest family members, we highly recommend the Sesame Street Bay of Play in addition to everything else SeaWorld offers. Young children and toddlers can enjoy meeting and dancing with Sesame Street characters. Here you will find various rides, carnival games, and a jungle gym over a splash pad. Dance parties and parades with the characters are always fun. Many families love that the playground nestled in the shade! For the older children and adults, there is a good variety of roller coasters and water rides. There are also some traditional carnival and arcade games.
Where to Eat
SeaWorld offers a multitude of food and drink options, including healthy choices. Outside snacks and drink are allowed if they are within the guideline for the park. This helps our family to save a few dollars on snacks. There are various dining options that can provide better savings for your family, so take the time to explore those prior to visiting.
So?
We are looking forward to returning to SeaWorld San Antonio around Spring Break when the new Sea Turtle Habitat and new rides open. It will also be our first time visiting Aquatica, SeaWorld San Antonio’s exclusive waterpark, where we will be also be able to interact with stingrays.
