Spooktacular 2013—Starfish “Star” Treatment

We’re huge Spooktacular fans. We usually attend every weekend its held (as you may have read here… or here!). Sometimes TWICE in one weekend. It’s that much fun!

There you’ll see whimsical witches, jazzy jellyfish, exotic creatures from the deep and in the air, and friendly starfish galore! It may be called “Spook”tacular, but there’s nothing spooky about it. It’s lots of not-scary, no-spooking, just plain fun!

Brought back again this year is the very fun Super Starfish of the Day contest! To enter, when you get to the park, post a photo of your kids (or YOU) in costumes at SeaWorld Orlando by noon (weekends only) on their Facebook, Twitter or Instagram pages using the  #SeaWorldSpooktacular hashtag. They announce the winner shortly after 12:15 p.m. on the various outlets. That lucky family then gets Quick Queue passes, all day dining passes for the day, complimentary cookie decorating session at Penelope’s Party Zone, reserved seating at shows, and a complimentary merchandise photo at any location in the park to always remember their Spooktacular day!

New this year is the Spooktacular Dance Party.

Princess Penelope and her undersea friends (including a dancing Shamu in costume and Daisy Dolphin in HER finest!) dance to such favorites as Monster Mash and the popular dance party fave Gangham Style, LOL. My little man did NOT want to leave, even though he told us more than once he was “soooo tired.” Once he got to the party, though, he got a sudden second wind and was rocking out with the gang amid a cloud of bubbles and characters galore. The rockin’ fun kicks off at 7 p.m. and ends at 8:30 p.m. (although the “soooo tired” kicked in for him FINALLY at 8, so we didn’t quite make last call. Ha!).

In the past my little guy had a different costume for every weekend. He’s a little older and this year we’re “saving” the big one for the final weekend and dressing in fall colors or Halloween-type clothing. That’s one of the cool things about trick-or-treating there… you don’t have to have a costume (and you don’t have to be a kid… or even HAVE a kid). Best yet, all this fun is included in regular admission. There are no extra fees to attend any of these events (although you can go to to Count von Count’s Spooktacular Breakfast (with awesome photo opportunities with the characters) for an additional fee of $24 for adults and $14 for children (ages 2-9).

Starry Night, a Jelly Belly® creation by Kristen Cumings

I’m especially excited to watch Jelly Belly® artist in residence Kristen Cumings as she creates a portrait of a rockhopper penguin from thousands of Jelly Belly jelly beans October 26-27 from 12–8 p.m. inside the craft zone (on the last weekend of Spooktacular) as a tribute to the opening of Antarctica: Empire of the Penguins. During that time, kids can decorate a Jelly Bean Spooktacular mural as well!

Today we’ll head over there in time to trick or treat (again) and watch our favorite street performers The Longshoremen. (Showtime for Sunday, October 13 are 2:25 & 3:55.) They

What would SeaWorld Spooktacular be without some Pumpkin Guts!?

perform Along the Shore and do the routine Pumpkin Guts this time of year. It’s one of our favorite parts of the season, as the guys truly crack us up. Check them out if you can, and have a great time on your next visit to SeaWorld Orlando! We’ll be the people sitting in front so close to the pumpkin guts that we have “real” guts on us! (Think of it as an orange SPLASH Zone!)

It’s Not Too Late For Free Child Admission to Dine with Shamu

With each full-paid adult reservation made and used between now and December 25, 2012, you can get a free child’s meal (for kids ages 3 to 9)—a $19 value!.

Our family had a TON of fun watching the whales and the trainers “do their thing” while we dined. And, yes, it was more than eating. It WAS dining! Chef Hector Colon and his staff prepared delicious creations with something for just about every taste. All items served are fresh, seasonable and come from sustainable sources.

Tickets can be purchased on site (if available) or ahead of time online (click here).

Preschoolers are FREE in 2012 at SeaWorld, Orlando and Busch Gardens

Preschoolers can enjoy all of 2012 for Free!

Children age 5 and younger get into SeaWorld AND Busch Gardens for all of 2012 for free! The Preschool Pass is good for unlimited admission with NO blackout dates the entire year. Every special event is included. Every festival. All of it! Click HERE to sign up.

Our resident preschooler is looking forward to the “Just for Kids!” festival featuring concerts by Lazy Town, Max & Ruby, the Doodlebops and Choo Choo Soul, along with plenty of family-friendly fun and activities on Saturdays, Jan. 14 through Feb. 4.

At Busch Gardens, Sesame Street Safari of Fun is ALWAYS a hit. New this year (and on our to do-list: Iceploration, premiering this February.

“Must-see” preschool attractions at SeaWorld Orlando

SeaWorld’s littlest guests can enjoy the wildly popular 4-acre play area, Shamu’s Happy Harbor.  It’s a kid’s dream come true, complete with kid-size rides, a 4-story net climb, and a great place for parents to relax while watching their kids have splashes of fun.  The park’s first family-oriented roller coaster, “Shamu Express” can be found here along with other kiddie rides to explore.

Of course no visit to SeaWorld is complete without being splashed by Shamu!  SeaWorld’s newest killer whale show, “One Ocean,” features majestic whales performing spectacular behaviors, including thrilling high-energy leaps, while educating and inspiring kids and their families to make a difference in this world.  And at “Blue Horizons” kids will be awed by graceful dolphins, false killer whales, a rainbow of exotic birds, and entire cast of divers and aerialists.

Kid-favorite “Pets Ahoy!” will leave children giggling as a menagerie of rescued dogs, cats, birds, rats, skunks, pot-belly pigs, and other animals performing a series of uproarious and amazing skits.

While older kids are flying, gliding and soaring on Manta, younger ones can experience the incredible underwater world of tropical fish and rays in the floor-to-ceiling aquariums.  Manta’s underwater viewing area is home to more than 3,000 species. Kids can even “pop up” in the middle of a small aquarium, surrounding themselves with hundreds of fish for some great photos.

At Dolphin Cove, kids (and parents) can touch and feed dolphins and also go below the surface for an underwater view where they just might see a dolphin blowing a bubble or two!

Plus, SeaWorld features a cozy Baby Care Center located at Shamu’s Happy Harbor with top-of-the-line changing facilities, private feeding rooms and pint-sized potties.  This brightly-colored building gives parents the privacy and comfort of a home-away-from home in the middle of all the fun and is a one-stop shop for baby necessities.

Busch Garden loves kids, too!

Don’t forget this awesome new FREE Preschool Pass also includes Busch Gardens Tampa Bay. Just a short hour’s drive away, in addition to all the  wondrous animal encounters at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay, preschoolers will delight in Sesame Street Safari of Fun, a sunny funny play land, filled with moments that your family can share for the first time — like a first coaster experience aboard Air Grover. And everyday smiles can be repeated time after time —clapping along to original shows, splashing in our expansive water play area and enjoying kid-size rides.

Sign up today!

The Free SeaWorld and Busch Gardens Preschool Pass is an exclusive online offer, available at SeaWorldOrlando.com or BuschGardensTampaBay.com. It is exclusively for Florida residents ages 5 and younger and is valid for unlimited admission – with no blackout dates – through Dec. 31, 2012 at SeaWorld Orlando and Busch Gardens Tampa Bay. The Preschool Pass does not include parking or Premium Passport discounts or benefits.

After registering through either park’s website, registrants can pick up the Preschool Pass for their child by bringing a printed confirmation and a certified copy of the child’s birth certificate to any ticket window at SeaWorld’s or Busch Gardens’ front gate.

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