We’re back with an update from SeaWorld San Diego! The park is busy preparing three new attractions to debut this summer. But to keep you entertained right now, the ever popular Seven Seas Food Festival is delighting guests and filling tummies. Word is also breaking that the park is giving up its nightly summer fireworks. Let’s dive in!
Fireworks Give Way to Electric Ocean
The park will unveil a new nighttime event this summer to replace the Summer Nights event that has been featured for many years. Along with it, the nightly fireworks will be replaced with bioluminescent-like lighting, festive music, area entertainment and even a dance party. But fireworks will make a return for three day holiday weekends.
Here’s how SeaWorld describes Electric Ocean:
Surf beyond your expectations as the sea comes alive at night and dive into Electric Ocean, SeaWorld’s all-new summer nighttime celebration! Electric Ocean is an outrageous festival of lights, music, and life that’s as vibrant as the sea itself. Give yourself permission to voyage into exotic underwater worlds that come alive as the sun sets with brilliant energy, electrifying dance music, and dazzling light. Join live performers inspired by playful sea creatures at the party along the shore where world-class DJ’s transform the night into an all-ages club beneath the waves.
Guests will also find a new nighttime show this summer called Cirque Electrique. The new entertainment offering features overhead laser lights, acrobats and live musicians.
Seven Seas Food Festival
The Seven Seas Food Festival has returned! This incredibly popular event treats guests to different flavors from around the world in different kiosks and areas around the park. Here are the flavors you can try this year:
- Pretzel Flavors
- Bacon Lovers
- Hard Rolled Sushi & Sake Flavors
- French Flavors
- Mediterranean Flavors
- Tuscan Flavors
- Caribbean Flavors
- South American Flavors
- Nuevo Baja Flavors
- Asian Street Food Flavors
- Island Fusion Flavors
- Pacific Rim Flavors
- Coca-Cola Flavors
In addition to these flavors, the festival hosts more than 80 craft beers as well as more than a dozen wine selections from California to try.
Punch cards are available and make it easier to enjoy the festival at a reasonable price.
- 10 Food or Drink Options Punch Card – $45.00
- 5 Food or Drink Options Punch Card – $25.00
- Wine Sampler Punch Card – $15.00
The Food Festival runs only on weekends until the end of April. Read MiceChat’s Seven Seas Food Festival Review HERE.
Ocean Explorer
The newest land at SeaWorld – Ocean Explorer – is barreling ahead towards an opening this summer. The photos below do cast some doubt on that schedule as there still appears to be a long way to go.
Here’s the concept art:
And here’s what the area currently looks like:
The main attraction of the new land is a family dark ride called Submarine Quest. SeaWorld posted the following photo featuring the arrival of one of the ride vehicles for the attraction.
Also in the new land is the Tentacle Twirl spinner.
And here’s a promo video:
Orca Encounter
Last month, SeaWorld unveiled “All Day Orca Play” – which the park describes as …
Be ready to see killer whales as you’ve never seen them before. Starting March 18, All Day Orca Play will provide SeaWorld guests with unprecedented access to killer whales through a full day of events and activities that deliver exclusive encounters with these majestic animals.All Day Orca Play will provide a non-stop series of events and programs that will introduce guests to each whale and their unique personalities. Look forward to:
- Live chats with behaviorists and educators
- An in-depth look at SeaWorld’s killer whale family and their behaviorists
- Comprehensive insider knowledge about the park’s killer whales
If you have ever had questions about killer whales, All Day Orca Play is here to answer them. Come learn about these awe-inspiring mammals with an experience only SeaWorld could provide.
All Day Orca Play is in addition to the temporary Killer Whale Presentations being held in a makeshift stadium built on top of the temporarily closed Shamu Underwater viewing area. But as the park moves further away from off season, the bleacher setup can’t handle the bigger crowds the park has been getting, and it definitely won’t be able to accommodate the crowds the park will receive this summer!
So how’s the new Orca Encounter coming along? The structure to hold the gorgeous new set and infinity screen seems nearly complete and it is MASSIVE. Here’s some concept art for how it might all look when done.
We are not sure what the park is planning to do with the viewing areas on the sides, however we can report that the roofs at the front parts of the areas have been taken out and it does seem like they are being slowly deconstructed. Unlike Ocean Explorer, this project seems like it actually could open in early summer along with the new summer event – Electric Ocean.
New Ticket Pricing
SeaWorld has announced new ticket offers for guests to purchase online only, not available at the park.
- $55 Weekday Ticket gets you admission to the park Monday – Friday from now until June 16, 2017
- $69 Any Time Ticket is valid any day of the week from now until June 11, 2017
- $73 Summer Any Day Ticket is valid from June 17 – September 30, 2017
Tickets at the park start at $93.00 (adult) and $87.00 (child, ages 3-9). Guests can also purchase a Fun Card, which works as a season pass getting you in the park until December 30, 2017, for the same price as a one day adult ticket. This pass has two blackout dates – Memorial Day and New Years Eve – and does not include parking, but is an incredible deal for those interested in visiting the park more than once this year.
That does it for this update! Are you planning on heading to the Seven Seas Food Festival? Share your thoughts on the ambitious construction schedule for Ocean Explorer. Do you think they’ll be able to open for summer?
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