Today we are checking out the Christmas Celebration at SeaWorld Orlando. With our Disney passes blocked out this weekend, we are headed to SeaWorld with our daughter for the day. And their Christmas Celebration just started!
Planning the Christmas Celebration at SeaWorld
When checking out SeaWorld, we found out their Christmas Celebration starts this weekend. And there are 2 things special about it, the shows and the food. So, we will work our way around the park and check out the shows. They will also have 14 food stations around the park with over 40 seasonal food items and drinks to try. But their Sesame Street breakfast and Dinner with Santa don’t start this weekend, so we’ll stick with the food stations. And the park is open 9:00AM to 10:00PM so we have all day for the celebration. Check out their website for more info at: SeaWorld’s Christmas Celebration | SeaWorld Orlando.
When I went on my boy’s trip in February, Becky took our daughter on a girl’s trip to Orlando. And when she did, they went to SeaWorld. So, after finally getting a free weekend to go to Orlando, we find out our Disney annual passes are blocked out. The new annual passes have different blockout dates, meaning days we can’t use them. But luckily Becky had bought SeaWorld annual passes and this was the perfect time to go back. Unlike Disney, their annual passes are worth it if you go twice. And the best part is it includes a guest ticket for me! Only issue is we left our daughter’s stroller, so we’ll see how well she walks the park.
Dolphin Adventure Show
Since we are really excited about the Christmas shows we look at the show schedule we got when we entered. And the 1st show time is actually for a classic, the Dolphin Adventure. So, we head to the Dolphin Stadium getting there about 10 minutes early. At 10:00AM, they promptly close the gates, so get here early. And a minute later dolphins are jumping!
This show is a must for anyone who has never seen it or anyone that wants to see it again. The trainers put on a show with dolphin acrobatics for 15 minutes and we loved it. Just don’t sit in the front rows unless you want to get wet. After the show we head to Journey to Atlantis but find it’s temporarily closed. So, we decide to do something we’ve never done before, the Sky Tower.
Sky Tower
The iconic 400-foot Sky Tower has been at the park since it opened in the summer of 1974. However, it’s a separate $5 per person for this attraction if you don’t have at least a silver annual pass. But Becky has us covered. We walk around the side of the tower to a ticket window where Becky shows her annual pass. And then we get in the line. We have to wait about 5 minutes and then they let everyone in where we take an elevator to the top.
Once inside we sit on a bench that wraps around the center. In front of us are windows but at first we only see concrete. And then the tower goes even higher until we are above all of SeaWorld. And the tower spins slowly so we can see for miles and miles. We can see the lagoon below us and looking out we see Orlando beyond. It’s really an enjoyable air-conditioned ride that goes around a few times before coming back down. The ride itself is about 5 minutes and the whole experience was about 15. After hitting 2 classics it’s 11:00AM, and we are ready to check out some Christmas Celebration food stations.
Lunch at Voyagers Smokehouse
As we walk pass a couple food stations we notice they aren’t open yet. At “Treat Yo Elf”, it’s still boarded up and we notice a little sign that says 5PM-Close. We didn’t see anything about the hours when researching and nothing on their app. So if they’re only open for dinner, we need to find somewhere for lunch. That’s when we smell smoked meats. It’s coming from Voyagers Smokehouse right across from Sky Tower.
It’s a counter service restaurant where you pick your food and they give it to you on a tray. But you first pick your drinks and I ask for 3 ice waters which are free. We also decide to get a souvenir bottle for $20 that comes with free refills throughout the day. As for food, we order a hot dog with waffle fries kids meal and a chocolate milk. Becky can’t decide so she gets the smokehouse sampler with BBQ chicken, ribs and brisket. I decide on the smoked cherry Coca-Cola BBQ pork loin with potato and corn relish.
Even with our passholder discount, the food here is not cheap so we expect it to be decent. However, our daughter’s hot dog bun is stale and splits by the time we get to our table. So we just cut it up for her to eat, but she says it’s disgusting. So we take a bite and it’s the worst we’ve ever had. Her waffle fries are good however, and we also got her some fruit. Unfortunately our meals are no better. The pork loin portion seems small and it’s cold in the middle. The corn and potatoes are nothing special. Becky’s brisket is overcooked and dry, though the ribs and chicken aren’t bad.
Orca Encounter Show
We ate enough of our lunch to refuel ourselves, so we look for the next show times. We just missed the Elmo’s Christmas Wish Show at 11:30Am as part of their Christmas Celebration. But there’s one show at 12:00PM that we can make. It’s another classic, the Orca Encounter. So, we head across the lagoon to the Orca Stadium.
Similar to the dolphin show, these killer whales jump and splash to the trainer’s commands. Because the whales are bigger, there is a much bigger chance of getting soaked in the front rows. The orcas even use their tail to splash water on people up-close.
One of these majestic whales hangs out by a trainer near us. She brings some kids down to be right in front of the orca. It looks like a cool experience and most likely part of a paid experience. They have a Killer Whale Up-Close Tour for $99 but we’re enjoying the show from our seats. The show lasts almost 30 minutes and it’s a lot of fun. Afterwards we exit and head to Infinity Falls.
Infinity Falls
We know we’ll get wet on Infinity Falls, but there’s only a 5 minute wait and it’s a sunny day. On this ride you get on a raft and float down a river of rapids with a big drop at the end. Usually on these type of rides, you get a little wet and then dry in the Florida Sun an hour later. Unfortunately, that was not the case today.
We get on the ride in about 5 minutes. And not long after the ride starts, a wave of water comes through the side and thoroughly soaks my shoes. When I say soaked, I mean my socks too. I am pissed. Besides a little wet on my side, the rest of me is dry except my shoes and socks. But a minute later we go under a waterfall, not once, but twice. And now all of our upper bodies get drenched. By the time we get to the big drop, it’s like whatever because we’re already soaked head to toe.
The ride itself is only about 5 minutes, but we are ready to get off. And once we do, we walk in our soaked shoes to the exit. At the exit they have large dryers you can pay $6 to dry off for about 5 minutes. We wait our turn and get in one. If anything it warmed us up, but we’re still wet. So, we walk in the Waterway Bar & Grill right behind the dryers to use the restrooms. It’s here we see a sign for the Pass Member Lounge.
Pass Member Lounge, Beers and Sun
Behind the food and bar is the Pass Member Lounge, so we decide to check it out. Becky has to show her pass on her phone and scan it before they let us in. And once in, we enter a large room with tables. We see a couple other families in here but pretty wide open. The only other thing in here is a couple soda machines where we can get more soda. Would rather have water at this point, but we fill up while we’re here. This may be a good place to hang out in the summer to get out of the Sun. But we’re still wet, so we head out after getting our drinks.
On the way outside, we pass the bar that has a good selection of beers. I take our daughter outside while Becky gets a couple. Outside we find an open table in the Sun. Like others here, we take off our shoes and ring out the water from our socks. We then lay them out on the table to see if they will dry.
It’s nice out today, but only in the 70s, so our stuff does not dry fast. But Becky comes out with 2 beers that hit the spot. After about 30 minutes we pack up our stuff. Though my socks are still damp, they are no longer soaked like they were. But I still go to some shops to look for some socks. Unfortunately, I could only find 1 store that had $20 Guy Harvey dress socks. They wouldn’t go with my tennis shoes so, I just keep going hoping my socks will eventually dry.
Face Paint & Games
Still damp, we decide to go back to Journey to Atlantis, the other water ride. It’s now open and the app still shows a 5 minute wait. However, once in the line, we find out it’s a 40 minute wait. For some reason the app is not updating on my phone and killing my battery. Not wanting to wait we exit the line to grab some water and a popcorn bucket. While drinking some water, Becky takes our daughter to get her face painted. Of course it’s some type of rainbow unicorn.
And once done, our daughter wants to play a carnival game around the corner. Becky takes her over to shoot 3 basketballs, but she can’t even get close. This game is for adults or least tall teenagers. Becky also lobs a shot, but after 3 misses they come back and ask me to play. Our daughter really wants one of the huge stuffed animals, so I reluctantly go over there. First shot bounces off the rim, so I take my jacket off to try again. 2nd shot “swoosh”, we win! Our daughter picks the large dog in front and names it after her favorite cartoon dog Bluey.
Windows at the Dolphin Nursery
Excited I won “Bluey”, we head back toward the front to check out SeaWorld’s Christmas Celebration food options. On the way we stop at the unassuming Dolphin Nursery. From the front looking into the water, it’s hard to see anything. But they have side windows where you can see underwater. And Bluey has to see the dolphins.
This is really a great spot to see dolphins up-close. Our daughter could have probably stayed here forever. She even gets me to come down and hang out with her and Bluey. We enjoy seeing so many small dolphins dart around the pool. But after about 10 minutes, we are ready for the Christmas Celebration. So far, we haven’t done any Christmas shows or eaten any Christmas treats, but that’s about to change.
Christmas Celebration Lanyards and Waiting for Santa
Right by the Dolphin Nursery is a booth where you can purchase food sample lanyards. These lanyards allow you to get samples of any of the 40 plus items at the 14 food stations around the park. You can get 5 samples for $45 or 10 for $55. Since Becky is a passholder, they give us 12 samples for the price of 10. We still have about an hour until the food stations open, so we check out some of the other things we can do.
We pass 2 people on stilts dressed up in festive outfits that talk to her about her dog. So we stop to take a picture. And then we see the line for Santa is short, so we check it out. However, once we get inside we see there’s a line, and we can’t see the end. But Becky, our daughter and Bluey wait in line while I wait near the entrance. Just inside I see an outlet to charge my phone and wait here while they go through the line. After about 10 minutes charging my phone, I find out the line lets out at the store down the way.
Thinking they must be close to Santa, I pack up my phone and walk to the store to find where they come out. But no sign of them, so I text Becky. They’ve been in line for 30 minutes and still have 5 families in front of them. So I tell her if she leaves now we can make the show next door. And with a couple minutes before the next show time, we rush to Seaport Theater for Elmo’s Christmas Wish Show.
Elmo’s Christmas Wish Show at Christmas Celebration at SeaWorld
We find enough space in the back for the 4 of us (Bluey takes up a seat). And the show starts at 4:30PM when Elmo comes out and our daughter is so excited. Elmo talks about what he wishes for Christmas and then is joined by his friends, Cookie Monster, Grover, Zoe and Rosita. Then they sing We Wish You a Merry Christmas while dancing. Once the song is over, one of his friends talks about their Christmas wish, and then breaks into another song.
Each character follows suit, singing and dancing to a different song. The choreography is great and we enjoy the songs. They actually have some funny parts and our daughter laughs out loud a few times. And at one point snow flurries come out of the ceiling which builds up to their finale. The show lasts over 15 minutes and we’re glad we saw our 1st Christmas Celebration show, but now it’s dinner time.
Christmas Celebration at SeaWorld Food Stations
After the show, we see the Christmas food stations are already opening – finally!. So we head to the 3rd food station, Treat Yo Elf, to get a bison burger to share. Becky waits in line while I take our daughter to check out the flamingo boat rides. But unfortunately, the boat rentals are closed. We didn’t see anyone riding in the flamingo boats today, but we saw some open seating on the way. So when Becky gets the food we go back to the open seats near Mako.
The burger is full size and comes with a large syringe of cheese sauce. We cut it in half to share. She also got a large pretzel shaped like a Christmas tree for our daughter which could use the cheese sauce. But we are also right next to the 5th food station, Sugarplum Delights. Besides a snowman pretzel, this station has 5 different mixed drinks and a deep-dish sugar cookie. So, after our burger, I get the hot toddy and the Christmas Celebration cookie to share. Both are excellent. The toddy is warm and tasty, and the cookie is yummy with a lot of frosting.
More Christmas Celebration Food Stations
Still hungry, we head to the 6th food station, Festin Feliz, for a prime rib sandwich and another drink. We get the Chai Swizzle which is chai tea with Bailey’s Irish Cream. Sounds good, but it was a small cup filled with ice and then the pre-mixed drink. It was okay, but the prime rib sandwich had little meat and it was tough and hard to eat.
At the 7th station, Holly Jolly Cookies & Cocoa, we get hot chocolate for our daughter in a refillable cup. It’s tasty and the cup is perfect for her. The 8th station, Waffle Wonderland, sounds good so we order the chicken and waffle and monte cristo waffle sandwiches. These are disappointing. The waffles are hard and/or crumbly but the chicken was a large piece and good. After 9 of 12 samples our bellies are full, so we head to Sesame Street Land.
Sesame Street Land
By this time it is already dark and getting colder. So, I give my jacket to Becky, because she wore hers on Infinity Falls and it’s still wet. But night time is when the park is lit up with Christmas lights and more shows. After eating we head to Sesame Street Land, the latest land at SeaWorld. And it’s tailored to smaller children like our daughter. We haven’t ridden any of their rollercoasters today because she’s not tall enough. But all of Sesame Street Land’s rides are just her size. And one she hasn’t done before is Super Grover’s Box Car Derby.
I couldn’t tell the wait time on their app, because my phone completely died this time. And when we get here, there’s a good sized line. Not wanting to wait I leave with Bluey to find a place to charge my phone while they wait to ride. I wind up going into the First Aid Center here in Sesame Street Land. They let me use the outlet in the lobby next to a rocking chair. I’m not going to lie, this place is nice for a break and it’s warm. About 45 minutes later my phone has some charge and we meet back up. And we have 10 minutes until the next Christmas Celebration show.
Winter Wonderland on Ice Show during Christmas Celebration at SeaWorld
Winter Wonderland on Ice is one of the 2 Christmas Celebration shows at night, and the one we want to see. So we head to the Bayside Stadium as fast as we can. As soon as we get to the theatre, it’s already packed so we walk down to find some open seats. Luckily, we find a spot for 4 in the 2nd row on the left side. Bluey hit a few people coming into the row, but she got a seat. Before the show starts, we see a violin player on ice skates. He is the warm-up act, playing a couple Christmas songs until the show is ready to start.
This stadium has an ice rink on the lagoon with the Sea of Trees lit up in the background. Colored water is also shooting up behind the rink as part of the show. And then the skaters come out and do their 1st routine to It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year. There are about a dozen skaters in red and white festive outfits performing a synchronized skating routine. And then they disappear and a lone woman come out and dances and spins around the ice flawlessly.
And then some of the others come back out in different costumes. After their routine another solo skater dressed with antlers performs to Rudolf the Red Nosed Reindeer. He gets a lot of cheers as he spins and jumps to the song. They must do at least a half-dozen costume changes and even more routines. And the finale at the end is spectacular with snow and fireworks as the crowd goes wild. After the show, we head back to some food stations to use up our last few samples.
Back to Sesame Street Land
On the way back to Sesame Street Land, we stop at another Christmas Celebration food station for some more bites. At the Christmas Comforts booth we get The Main event with turkey, stuffing, cranberries and gravy. We also get a Corn Husk Enconchada Tamale. Becky doesn’t like the tamale, but the turkey and accompaniments are tasty. There are some tables next to the booths and Sesame Street Land on the other side.
Once finished, our daughter wants to ride Abby’s Flower Tower ride. Similar to a balloon ride at Peppa Pig Land, this one you go up and spin around in a little “flower”. While Becky and her wait in line to ride, I watch the Sesame Street Christmas Parade.
This parade has every character they have on Sesame Street on different floats. All of the floats are decorated with Christmas lights and other decorations. And all the characters are singing and dancing to the Christmas music as they go down the street. And once all the floats are out, they stop and continue the party. Once the parade is over, we use our last sample to get a hot chocolate on the way to the exit. On the way we pass the Sea of Trees on the lagoon before exiting by 9:30PM.
Christmas Celebration at SeaWorld Summary
We spent 12 hours today experiencing the Christmas Celebration at SeaWorld Orlando. We started with the classic dolphin and orca shows and the Sky Tower ride. And we learned our lesson on Infinity Falls – never again! But winning Bluey was something our daughter will never forget. And she even forgot that we forgot her stroller. She walked the whole park today with Bluey on her back most of the time. Which is good thing because that dog would not have fit in the stroller.
We were disappointed the food stations weren’t open for lunch, and waiting for Santa was a bust. Though the Christmas Celebration at SeaWorld festivities really kicked off at night. The food stations opened and the park lit up everywhere. The food stations at dinner were mostly good with a lot of great options. 12 samples was enough for all of us and worked out perfectly. But, the Christmas shows were awesome. Elmo’s Christmas Wish show was a lot of fun. But the Winter Wonderland on Ice was fantastic! This ice skating show was amazing and we couldn’t believe it was included for free. And we did what we planned today, having a great time at the Christmas Celebration at SeaWorld Orlando!