SeaWorld San Antonio Discussion Thread

[Hilltopper39]

Every single park in the country could have a Screamin Swing ride and I'd be okay with it. Hopefully SeaWorld got a package deal with this one and are going to go ahead and slap on down in Tampa, Orlando, and San Diego in the future.

[VegasBaby]

1 hour ago, Hilltopper39 said:

Every single park in the country could have a Screamin Swing ride and I'd be okay with it. Hopefully SeaWorld got a package deal with this one and are going to go ahead and slap on down in Tampa, Orlando, and San Diego in the future.

I couldn't agree more, every park should have a Screaming Swing and a Giant Pendulum.

[bert425]

On 4/24/2021 at 6:49 PM, cfc said:

I'd like to ride Steel Eel someday, as I have a soft spot for those Morgan Hypers.

Rode it last night for the 1st time. . . LOVED it.  

SO much airtime, especially in the back car.

tho I think it would be even better if  those seats had a little cushion (overheard from the row in front of me on one of the airtime hills "this is gonna hurt when we land"). . .LOL

[bert425]

ThemePark Review got invited to SeaWorld San Antonio's kick-off event for Howl-O-Scream last night (the event starts in full tonight at the park), and i was able to attend to report back on the scares and fun they are offering up this year!



This year marks the 20th Anniversary of Howl-O-Scream and SeaWorld San Antonio has gone all out for this year - making it the biggest Halloween event in Texas - and also the scariest.

This year the Event features 5 Houses (1 new), 7 Terror-Tories (3 new), and 5 bars (that serve along with lots of options, some specialty drinks for Howl-O-Scream).   The event is certainly geared towards those who are older, and the bars do offer non-alcoholic versions of the frozen drinks. . but as it doesn't take place until the evenings, there's still plenty for families to do at the park thruout the day!

The area that hosts Howl-O-Scream proper is just beyond Sesame Street Bay of Play  - you pass thru the Howl-O-Scream pillars, and you can follow the path all around the lagoon - with the houses, Terror-Tories (scarezones), and Bars spread along the way.  Making this a really large, and pretty immersive event.

 

Before you get to the main Howl-O-Scream entrance tho, there are some fun kid-friendly options to enjoy in the Sesame Street area, including some "not so scary" displays:

and this *amazing* Cornfield Hay Maze SWSA has created just for the Howl-O-Scream event.  
Perfect for the kiddos:

 

But once you pass thru the "gates" into the main Howl-O-scream area?  the frights get a bit more extreme:


the New Terror-Tories scare zones include Prey-Ground & SINdustry District, as well as the Swamp at Blackwater Bayou.

-- but for this kickoff event, SWSA was shining the spotlight only on the new for this year Swamp at Blackwater Bayou Terror-Tory that features the brand new House: the Swamp at Blackwater Bayou, as well as a large bar/entertainment option, and Steel Eel.



let's pass thru the gates and have some fun:

they rolled out the "Black Carpet" for us:

Trying to put on an "Imma not gonna be skared" face. . . .

 

but yes, some of the things in this section just terrified me.  the least of which was the Live Snake (on the tree) you could touch and take pictures with (part of Seaworld's Conservation and Teaching policies). . but nope. . I just took the picture

They had some really great Cajun food options out for us (and the humidity made it a perfect match for the Swamp theme) - I was really impressed by this stunning Ice Sculpture:

and I got to meet/say hello to Ray from SeaWorld San Antonio (who is also a member here at TPR) who filled me in on the event happenings and how excited he was for Howl-O-Scream to be kicking off today:

 

The scare actors were out in full force, and staying in character.   As the sun began to set, it got creepier and they got me to jump a few times as they snuck up on me here and there during the event:

The Lone Star Lakeside Bar has been remade into:  Liquid Voodoo Bar:

and here's a sampling of the Howl-O-Scream special menu
(note: both frozen drinks can be served without the alcohol for those under 21 if they wish to partake)

 

The new house didn't open until 8pm:

but this really fun option opened right at 7:

Yes, during Howl-O-Scream, you get to ride the Coaster (s) with Monsters!
this sounded amazing, so headed there to try it out (after sampling the special drinks and a nibble or two of the Cajun snacks)

it really makes for some great pictures!      (in the full event, I believe every coaster will have the option to ride with monsters)

 

it was nice and dark by this point, so after an announcement, some voodoo curses, and fireworks?  the Swamp at Blackwater Bayou opened for us:

Not gonna post any pics from inside the House, because you should experience it yourself, but I must say that it's very well done:  not only are there trees/swamp, and voodoo witchdoctors inside, but there's also a decaying/decrepit mansion that houses all kinds of ghouls and monsters - who may (or may not) jump out at you from (well) hidden spaces.

It's a great effort and a fine addition to the Howl-O-Scream houses.

and it's incredible that the houses are all free with admission (although there is an option that one could purchase a "skip the line" pass for the houses if one so chooses, I was told).

back out into the main walkway, and more of the Monsters had come out and about as it got darker:

 

this young lady was an attendee who was there with her uncle and was having a great time!

 

All in All, this is a great event, and I plan on going back to enjoy the full Howl-O-Scream event in the next couple of weeks - it runs Fri/Sat/Sun (with one Mon tossed in) from 9/17-10/31

So Scary, So Freaky, and So Much Fun.

SeaWorld San Antonio has really knocked it out of the park with this event.  

Recommended.

[bert425]

oh, and they gave me some of my favorite Swag at the event too.. love it:

 

[SharkTums]

I love the idea of "Riding with Monsters" on the coasters!  Really fun! Thanks Bert!

[cfc]

Good report, Bert--thanks. It's always interesting to see how different parks in the chain do Howl-o-Scream. I'm looking forward to HOS in Orlando next month. Williamsburg should try the "ride with monsters" thing, too.

[bert425]

Spent Saturday at SeaWorld SanAntonio with a group of folks from Thrill Seekers United for quite the fun event (which included a Fear Pass to get into all 5 houses on the day before Halloween - yes the lines were L-O-N-G so thank goodness for that. . . as well as a surprise up-close look at Tidal Surge construction).

it was really my "true" 1st time to experience the park, and I had a blast.

Full trip report (and my day today at SFFT coming up in the near future) with LOTS of pics (:P) . . but I wanted to share this pic now, as sometimes?  I manage to get a beautiful pic.

no filters used, just my iPhone 11, and some good timing on my part:

 

[bert425]

I've started my Holiday Lights weekend in San Antonio trip report over in my "bert goes to Texas theme parks" thread.

starting off with the ACE event at SeaWorld.       I did all the rides, a couple of backstage tours of coasters, most of the shows, and had a great time.
 

https://themeparkreview.com/forum/topic/45697-bert-goes-to-texas-theme-parks-mega-thread/page/8/#comment-1907121

 

[bert425]

if, like me, you dislike the "paper" Season Passes that SWSA typically hands out?

they posted this important update to their FB account today:
 

 

 

since I was going to be in San Antonio today for a visit to Fiesta Texas anyways, I decided to stop first at SW for a couple of hours and take advantage, since they just started offering this today.

it was easy/peasy to swap out my paper pass for this hard plastic card, and the pictures really don't do it justice.

it's pretty stunning:

 

 

so if your pass is from SWSA? 

 

you have ~2 weeks to get to the park to update to this for free!

[bert425]

Theme Park Review got invited to attend the VIP launch event for SeaWorld San Antonio's newest ride, Tidal Surge - which officially opens to the General Public this Saturday 3/5/22.

I was honored to be able to attend on TPRs behalf last night and report back, as SWSA *really* knows how to throw a party!


Arriving at SWSA for check in - the main entrance at SWSA is always so beautiful

 

Well, look who's here!  

SFFT Park President Jeffrey Siebert, who attended the launch party with his son and others from SFFT.

it's always so great for Parks close to each other to support each other in this way!
(and behind us is a peek at the new Riptide Racer in Aquatica - also opening 3/5/22)

we were shuttled from the front gate back to the Tidal Surge ride area, and greeted with quite the set up.

is that a Red Carpet there?

why yes it is.  

there were many costumed characters roaming and interacting that we could chat with and pose with.  The outfits were really impressive too.

As noted, SWSA really throws fantastic launch events. . let's take a look at the food that was out at the party:

Beautiful Ice Sculpture surrounded by the most amazing Shrimp  (and off to the side charcuterie / cheese options)

 

a flatbread station with multiple options thruout the party

a Quesadilla station also with multiple options

and such an incredible desert spread that even I wasn't able to try all of them

SeaWorld San Antonio also opened up one of the shops alongside the party, to show off (and make available for us to buy) the initial Tidal Surge merchandise
(these shirts are SO soft. . . I'm gonna have to buy another of em!).

and then Chuck from SeaWorld got up on the stage and welcomed us all and thanked us for coming.   He told us all about the stats for the new ride (and the opening of Riptide Racer at Aquatica).

Tidal Surge is not just the tallest Screaming Swing in Texas, or in the United States.  It's the tallest in the world!  

Congrats on SWSA for this record breaking ride that's going to be a big draw, I think, as it's really fun (and terrifying) at the same time!

We headed over to check out the ride, on this beautiful night.

Here it is in action at the apex of the swing:

and wow, does it look incredible up close!
(tho was told that the intention is to keep it darker, and that the special lighting was really just for the event.   It looks so good tho, I really do hope they consider keeping some of the spotlights on it)

the Test Seat has now arrived, and I love that it has a Red Light/Green Light to indicate if someone can meet the restraint requirements.

 

As of yesterday, Tidal Surge also now has "cubbies" installed on either side of the ride pad, so folks can store small items
(tho there are also lockers going to be installed in the near future for those with bigger items to store)

the ride cycled for a bit, allowing many of the attendees to enjoy the awesome feelings of weightlessness - both airtime and hang-time on the swings.  
And let me tell you, in the seats facing the station at the Apex when you're staring straight down into the lake, it's both trilling and terrifying at the same time.  Although it's a different experience in the seats facing out towards the lake, as you swinging "stupid fast" towards Steel Eel, and at the height of the swing staring straight down at the queue building!

after about 45 minutes tho, Tidal Surge stopped cycling for a bit. . because . . Fireworks!

 

after the impressive Fireworks spectacular (many in SWSA Blue/White color combination. . tho most of the ones I captured don't seem to be in those colors. . LOL), 
the DJ's started pumping the music, Tidal Surge starting thrilling more riders, and the Firedancers came out to entertain.

the DJs got the folks dancing - spurred on by the SWSA costumed folks - and soon there were quite a few folks out enjoying the dance floor.

I even managed to get a stealth pic of Chuck moving to Nikki Minaj towards the end of the night.

far too soon, it was time for me to head back to Austin, but I had a wonderful time.

Tidal Surge is sure to be a big hit for SWSA, and I urge y'all to make the trip out to San Antonio Texas to #ridethetide !

Official POV from Seaworld San Antonio:

 

 

 

[VegasBaby]

Great report Bert, I plan on getting a SeaWorld Platinum pass this year and hitting all the new rides.  I've never been to SWSA, so I'm looking forward to making my first visit to the park!

[bert425]

one more pic of Riptide Racer I snapped from the main gates.

 

and the specialty cocktail. . can't remember what it was called (Liquid .. something). . but it was fizzy, and green and SO good)

[bert425]

updated party post to add Official POV of the ride at the end of it.

[TopThrill182]

Thanks for the report! Swinging out over the lake seems pretty awesome.

Two questions from someone who’s only ever ridden SkyHawk:

1. Am I seeing correctly that there aren’t seatbelts?
2. What are those things embedded in the ground under each arm?

[bert425]

10 hours ago, TopThrill182 said:

Thanks for the report! Swinging out over the lake seems pretty awesome.

Two questions from someone who’s only ever ridden SkyHawk:

1. Am I seeing correctly that there aren’t seatbelts?
2. What are those things embedded in the ground under each arm?

The Seat Belt is on the end of the restraint. .it comes down and then clicks into the latch on the side.  Tho it does seem really to be more of an afterthought. . perhaps to make riders feel a little safer.

you can see it better in this pic from Saturday at the Passport to Thrills preview (I just pulled the restraint down for the picture, but not clicked in yet):

 

as to the things embedded in the ground?

those are the magnets that slide back and forth to engage on the arms and slow them down at the end of the ride - so it comes to a full stop very quickly.

by comparison, on one ride (just after the above pic, actually), the ride faulted out during the cycle (bad reading from an empty seat) and the magnets did not engage. .and we slowly swung back and forth a good 60 seconds before coming to a complete stop. . . everyone got off a little green. .LOL

But when it works properly, the magnets bring the arms to a stop pretty quickly.  and it's kind of cool to see the magnets slide back and forth as the arms approach.

[thrillseeker4552]

^Very cool about the magnets! I didn't know that.

This looks like a wonderful addition to the park. Screamin' Swings are fantastic flat rides (and high capacity) and I firmly believe they are an excellent addition to any park.

[TopThrill182]

^^ Yeah, super interesting, thank you!

[bert425]

So yesterday, I went up to SeaWorld San Antonio to enjoy the 1st weekend of Seven Seas Food Festival.

had a really good time, although dealing with some Med interaction issues, that made me take it pretty slow when moving between Food Stands (resulting in one loop around the lagoon taking ~5 hours to stop at each stand), and tho it was a GORGEOUS day, the ride I did the most was "Bench"

Here's how the day went. . and please keep in mind that I didn't try anything from Hawaii, Japan, Italy, or Greece (yet. . was just too full!  So those will get tried, along with my favorites from Saturday, when I'm back in 2 weeks to help celebrate Great White's Birthday).

let's take a look at the Seven Seas Food Festival at SeaWorld San Antonio!

Lovely drive from Austin to San Antonio today. . . SW is a bit further than SFFT for me, so it takes ~1:40 to get there from my house.
but I arrived just before opening to a bit of a back up at the parking gates, and a LOT of cars in the lot already.    Luckily, because my Season Pass has a hard time reading, the gentleman at the parking booth apologized for the extended wait, and gave me an Up Close Parking pass.    I'll take it, even tho a day at SWSA involves a lot of walking anyways - it's a big park!

hmmm. . . doesn't look too busy just before opening.

oh. . .  on the OTHER side of the main arch.

yeah. . .   Luckily it turned out the vast majority of these folks were either heading to Aquatica, or were going into the SW side for some sort of cheer competition that was taking place at one of the large auditoriums.

so it meant that we had lovely weather, and really short lines for both the food, and the rides (tho as noted, I skipped pretty much all rides due to concern about my BP being low)

Once the main gates opened, the lines moved fast tho, and before long was at the main Welcome booth - where i decided to wait in the short line to pick up my Seven Seas Food Festival Badge - which would have been WAY quicker, if both registers were only selling that.  However, the registers also were selling meal plan. .and almost everyone in front of me were large groups buying meal plan for the day, and unlimited Drink Cups.    So . . yeah, that took a while.  

On the website it notes you can pick up your prebought Seven Seas badge at any booth. . but I only saw one other booth (Korea) that actually had them available, so I was glad I waited here to pick mine up.
To be fair, it's the 1st weekend. . I'm sure as it progresses, more booths will have the lanyards/badges available for pickup.

one thing I noticed as well. . many folks were paying cash for the daily meal plan.   So SWSA is still a cash *and* credit park.

once i had my lanyard/punch badge, I headed to Mexico. . where I was meeting up with several folks from the "local" / Texas Based: Thrill Seekers United Group.

and my Friend Amy, who had helped organize the casual meet up to tour the world of food, wanted to start at Mexico (I suspect for the Margaritas :p)

Unfortunately for me, alcohol is a no-no for me at he moment.  But everyone that tried the drinks said they were excellent at every booth.

here's the offerings at Mexico:

these are the Baja Grilled Shrimp Street Tacos.

the shrimp were great, as was the tortilla, but I found the red cabbage way too dry. . I think the fix for that would be to either add more of that Aioli, or toss it in a vinaigrette - or a quick pickle - would have made it better, I think.  But it was good.

the top are the Chicken Tacos (which I was told were good) and below are the Sopapillas - which I tried one of and were really great.  Just sweet enough with the brown sugar & honey, and pillowy soft.

this is the Deep Fried Elote - which I was told I must try when I go back (so I will). . it looks great.

and below is the Braised Beef taco, which got the comment to "pick off the jalepeno, as they are super spicy"

While waiting for some to get Margaritas (with edible flavored straws!), I peeked over a construction fence.  

what in the world is THIS??  . . .hmmm. . . . we discussed among ourselves, and we think we know exactly what this foundation is for.  . but wont' say in public, as we wouldn't want to ruin the park's big 2023 announcement!

then it was onward to France!

this is the Chocolate Cherries & Cream on the left, and the Caramel Apple on the right.

I'm not an apple fan, but was told it was good.   The Chocolate Cherry is excellent, but a little bit too sweet for my tastes (tho others with us loved it)

the winner of the day for me:  the savory Turkey, Mushroom, Spinach and Swiss Crepe.

this thing was AMAZING. . .I could have had several more of them.   Favorite thing I tasted today, and highly recommended.

oh looks. . some of the Countries have entertainment, and some of them have Photo Ops set up.

how fun. . I'm in a Seurat painting!  (A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte)

Seurat, knew a lot, about dots

While sitting eating the crepes, we got a lovely view of Steel Eel & Wave Breaker across the lagoon. . look at that Lovely Weather!   It got a little warm, but beautiful.

(tho by now I was really feeling "off" and knew I wasn't going to be riding anything "extreme" today)

 

Sad that Tidal Surge had very little line, but no way could I chance a ride on it.

So I focused on the food, and visiting with friends - which were the main reasons I had come today anyways.

onwards to Germany!

this is the Beer Braised Bratwurst with Caramelized onions.

the Bratwurst itself was very good.  The onions simply didnt' have enough to counteract the amount of mustard on this thing, and therefore couldn't really taste them.
but the real sad part was the pretzel bun just was not good. . it tasted a bit stale.  

Top is the Braised Beef Spaetzle, and bottom is the Beer Cheese (without the Onions)
the folks who got this said it was "ok" but it doesn't look like a "must try" to me, which is a shame.

and this is the Apple Strudel - which I was told was fantastic, and the best offering on the Germany menu (didn't try, as I don't like apples).

It's a shame the food isn't as great as I expected, because the German Beirgarten area is fantastic, and was among my favorite "areas" for the festival.

Great photo ops

 

we made our way over to Greece next.

i was so full. . I knew what I wanted to try here, but my stomach insisted I take a break..LOL 
So Lamb slider for SURE on my next visit.

 

the Baklava looked SO good.

as did that Lamb Slider!  and it smelled absolutely wonderful.
(the drink behind it is the Sparking St. Tropez cocktail. .that everyone who tried it raved about.

Here's the Gyro (also on my to try list. . as was the Shawarma, which no one in our group tried yesterday.. so basically, next time in the park?   Greece gets a lot of my punches!)

the "entertainment" over here is the living statue. . she was wonderful!

and repositioned herself for pictures. .  . I love this stuff.

I was a bit worn out here, so I rode some Bench: the Ride, while folks went back to Italy (tucked back by Tidal Surge) to sample some deserts (they also offer Flatbreads)

so I don't have a picture of that menu, but will get it next time.  I really wanted to try the Caramel Chocolate Chip Cannoli, but i was simply too full.. so again, next time!

This is the Tiramisu Gelato (told it was very good)

and the Frozen Peach Bellini coctail

here I am enjoying "bench" and you can kinda see Italy behind me

some in the group I was hanging with wanted to go on some rides, since the lines were really light today. . so I found another bench and enjoyed the surroundings.

 

 

Texas Stingray was a walk on?  on a Saturday?  

and stupid blood pressure.. . I was afraid to ride.

 

 

 

most of the group split off with the kiddos to go to the Splash Pad area in Sesame Street. . so I went with Juan and Erika to head to the next booth around the lagoon:  Jamaica:

Juan got the Curried Chicken Street Patty, and said it wasn't too impressive.

I got the Spicy Beef Street Patty, and the Rum Raisin Ice cream.

the filling in the spicy beef is incredible. . flavorful and SO good. . but it's severely let down by the bland (and cakey) dough around it.   If this had some kind of sauce drizzled over it, I think this would be greatly improved.      But as it is, I'd recommend it for the insides only, but otherwise skip.

NOT to be missed, however?   The Rum Raisin Ice Cream.

SO, SO good.

The photo op at Jamaica is adorable!

I only wish I had a cocktail in my hand instead of Powerade.

tho I couldn't do any intense rides, Juan, Erika and I decided to ride Rio Loco. . . 

I always bring along plastic bags for important stuff to go into on Water rides. . and I put my phone/keys/wallet in that. . but Juan wanted to get a locker.

the timing was iffy, as the ride was a walk on. . until a Show let out, and EVERYONE headed here. . luckily Juan got back after only 30 or so folks caused a 5-10 minute wait.

Turned out it was worth the effort for him (and Erika's phone too) as the Waterfalls on Rio Loco were on.

freezing cold water, dumped directly onto most of the raft - tho I lucked out and only got "moist"   

For them tho?  it was like being directly under a full blast shower. . . so here's the "after" pic

 

To help dry off, we strolled over to Korea to check out the Menu there.

the Galbi sounds really good, and is on my list to try. . but the *must get* here is the Black Sesame Ice Cream

it's very "peanut butter-y" tasting, with a really pleasant after-taste of nuttiness from the sesame.    Recommended.

This booth too, has a lovely background for photos.

we were SO full. . . but multiple things offered at Japan really had my interest, and I was gonna get something and force it down.

in particular, the Tuna Tataki (that's in the pic at the top of the menu) really sounds amazing.   And those we saw carrying it?  it looks as good as it does in the picture.

I'm also a sucker for Gyoza. . .

but yeah. . the Japan booth had the longest lines of any we saw all day (it was probably a 15 - 20 minute wait) and as we weren't super hungry anyways?  the wait convinced us to keep moving along.

Japan is across from Penguin Encounter, and they have some very nice decorations up here.

Unfortunately we just missed the Taiko Drummers.. so they are on my list to see next time as well.
(we would have hung around and waited, but it was getting close to 4pm by now, and SFFT was calling. .and we still had 2 more booths to stop at!)

They even have a Cherry Blossom photo op set up in Japan.  

lovely.

this one is so odd. . . as the rest are all Countries. . but "Hawaii" gets their own Food Stop.  
Still.. can't argue with the food choices available as pretty much all of it sounded amazing.

and I absolutely LOVE that for an extra $5, you can get your cocktail in a Pineapple!

Here's the Salmon Poke Bowl, and the Tuna Poke Bowls (from a nice guy who called me "Bro", as in "Sure thing Bro!" when I asked if I could take a picture of his order). . . somewhat appropriate for Hawaii I thought. LOL

And the others got the Pina Colada Sorbet. . . which I tried, and must say, it was really impressive.   Tart and coconut-y.

the Hawaii stop has Totem Poles, lots of thatching. .

and, of course, Surfboards.

"Bro"

as we waddled towards the last booth (actually first booth, we did it backwards by starting at the Mexico booth which is last on the map). . we knew that some of us just had to try the Empanadas.
 

LOL. . Brazil is a food truck. .. but it WORKS!  it fits in the area so well.. so Kudos to SWSA for that choice here.

This is the Frozen Blackberry Acai and it was also a strong winner. . . tart, and not too sweet, with just the right amount of sour "punch" from the berries.

a wonderful palate cleanser. .

and I got the Spicy Beef Empanada with Chimichurri sauce

flakey, with a wonderful filling. . .it blew the similar presented (but different tasting) street version from Jamaica.

SO good, and the Chimichurri was just the perfect amount of spicy/sweet to make a perfect bite every time.    I'm eager to try the Chicken & Spinach versions.

the Brazil area (where the children's hay maze was for Howl O Scream) is perfectly decorated, with the shady trees wrapped in traditional colors

a very "Carnivale!" photo op. .

and a show! - that I didn't notice any signage for, but while sitting and eating, they just came out and started performing.

Now, were they up to EPCOT level of traditional Brazilian performance?   Not necessarily. .but they crooned a good 4-5 songs (including "Girl from Ipanema" and  interacted with the guests in the area. . including starting up a dance party for the final song.

even coming to join us at our table while singing

all in all, it was a fantastic day, even tho I hadn't been feeling 100% (tho the food and hydration helped, and I remained perky for much of it).

Highly recommended to check out if you're in San Antonio. . .  you'll want to try so many things!

in summary:

by FAR my favorite 3 of what I tried today (and keep in mind, I didn't try anything from Hawaii, Japan, Italy, or Greece (yet. . was just too full!):

1) Savory Turkey, Mushroom, Spinach & Swiss Crepe in France

2) the Beef Empanada from Brazil

3) the Rum Raisin Ice Cream from Jamaica

. . .but also good and I'll try again:

the Black Sesame Ice Cream from Korea, the Aciai Berry Sorbet at Brazil, the Pina Colada Sorbet from Hawaii, & the Soppapillas in Mexico.

[ilyf15]

please , no selfie !!!

[bert425]

^ absolutely no idea what you are talking about.

[Texasbest2015]

I'm ready for #bigproject2023

 

[chschris1]

Hey all! I am planning a trip with my sister to San Antonio and we will be going to Seaworld San Antonio on Friday April 1. 
 

I was going ahead and buying tickets, parking, and seven seas badge but I was curious if it’s necessary to buy quick que unlimited for this day.

We plan to arrive after opening a few hours to avoid the rush into the park. With that said…I was curious if any of you veterans of this park have any insight as to what lines are like on a Friday in early April. Looks like the weather will be nice. 
 

Any and all suggestions are welcomed! 

[bert425]

9 minutes ago, chschris1 said:

Hey all! I am planning a trip with my sister to San Antonio and we will be going to Seaworld San Antonio on Friday April 1. 
 

I was going ahead and buying tickets, parking, and seven seas badge but I was curious if it’s necessary to buy quick que unlimited for this day.

We plan to arrive after opening a few hours to avoid the rush into the park. With that said…I was curious if any of you veterans of this park have any insight as to what lines are like on a Friday in early April. Looks like the weather will be nice. 
 

Any and all suggestions are welcomed! 

Wait to take a look at crowd levels at the actual rides before deciding on Quick Queue - you can always purchase in park if you need it.
the only two major rides you'll most likely need QQ for are Wave Breaker (it's a family launch coaster, and as really the only "family coaster" it will get really long lines. . . and Rio Loco whitewater raft ride (especially if it's a hot day).    But if you time hitting those rides for when there are major shows going on (the Beluga show, or the Orca show), the lines really die down then.

but you might need QQ for those two in particular if you really wanna ride them (Rio Loco *will* soak you.. so either bring a large plastic bag to put your phone/keys/wallet in? or pay for a locker (across from the Entrance).

I would be there AT open.. don't wait a few hours. . as the majority of people that go into the park at open?  will be there for Aquatica - ESPECIALLY if it's a warmer day.  
AND, if the lines to get in are too long and you don't want to wait?  The Discovery Cove area is to the left of Aquatica (across from the main SeaWorld gates) - and that area opens earlier than the park, so you can go there and see the Dolphins and the large Shark exhibits while waiting for the entrance to the actual park itself to open.

SWSA doesn't have all that many rides:  4 coasters (5 if you count the kiddie in Sesame Street land), 3 flats (which are all near each other), and 2 water rides (Rio Loco and Journey to Atlantis - which is basically a Chute the Shoots, but has a fun short "backwards" section).     The Sesame Street area has a few more rides, but most all are kiddie (tho I always ride the Carousel there).

it's a BIG park, with a lot of space, so expect to do a lot of walking.    

most of the food for Seven Seas is good to great. . see my review above

 

 

oh. .and Parking has gotten CRAZY (it's $30 a car now at SeaWorld. . $40 for Up close).  so I highly recommend that while you're at the park you upgrade to a Season Pass if you are planning to come back during the next year (SWSA is a year round park).   It's only ~$20 to upgrade to a Standard Season Pass on the day of your visit from your day ticket (there's a booth just inside the main gate that can help out there). .just make sure your pass INCLUDES parking (most of them do).

[rachelmadcow]

seems strange that one of the stops is the gulf of mexico which is literally right there...im sure you can get better more authentic mexican food literally anywhere in SanAntonio. That's not a comment on Sea World but a compliment on the top tier nature of Texan Mexican food. 

Seems like a strange choice and doesn't really feel 'exotic'. 

 

Don't get me wrong I came here just to look at the offerings bc I love when they do this. My family and myself have all enjoyed Busch Gardens and SWO's food festivals. 

 

Now that I think about it... 

 

Sea World should double down and make these food festivals year round with different themes alternating maybe 4 times a year.