Here in Southern California we have many theme parks to choose from, depending upon what kinds of entertainment we prefer and how much we are prepared to spend. SeaWorld San Diego offers much to see and do, with special themed entertainment to celebrate holidays and special events, and does so at such an affordable price that we can visit again and again.
I’ve been an annual holder for several years. The price of my annual was in the ballpark of what another major SoCal theme park charges for a single day, and SeaWorld San Diego adds valuable bonuses for holders throughout the year. For example, my holder bonuses this year included several $10 discount “SeaCoupons,” a free (salmon) entrée at one of the park’s restaurants, a ride Quick Queue, a sea otter feeding tray, invitations to special presentations, a SeaWorld 60th anniversary Coca Cola fanny pack and samples of Coke products, a free guest ticket and more. Coming in November (also free for holders) will be the annual, exclusive SeaWorld Christmas ornament.
One of my favorite holidays to celebrate at SeaWorld San Diego is Halloween. I especially appreciate that much of the special Halloween entertainment is included in the basic price of ission or at a very modest additional charge.
In addition to the year-round marine life exhibits and entertainment, this year on select days in the weeks leading up to Halloween (Sept. 27 to Nov. 2), the “SeaWorld Spooktacular” included a variety of new pirate-y themed activities.
I especially enjoyed the live musical performances by the Pirate Sea Shanty Band. Performing at various times throughout the day, this roving group of talented musicians delighted audiences by singing a variety of sea shanty songs, in a style that brought to my mind The Irish Rovers. Iwatched their performance as I relaxed at a waterfront park overlooking San Diego’s Mission Bay.
Kids delighted in a pirate treasure hunt, trick-or-treating for candy at a number of candy stations throughout the SeaWorld, and meeting a mermaid.
At “Story Time with the Captain,” two animatronic skeleton pirates — Captain Sweet Tooth and First Mate Peggy – entertained junior pirates with a “tale worth telling” (interspersed with repeated exclamations of “aaargh”) — a story about their quest to find the largest treasure troveof candy the world has ever seen, locked away by the infamous Queen Esmeralda, and heavily guarded on the Isle of Licorice (licorice, “the devils candy”).
Inside the Mission Bay Theater, O.P. Otter’s Spooktacular Surprise was a live Halloween party performed on-stage, in song and dance, by O.P. Otter and his SeaWorld character friends.
Intended for a mature audience, SeaWorld San Diego went all-out to create their separately ticketed, annual Howl-O-Scream nighttime event, transforming “the once peaceful SeaWorld San Diego into a sinister, spine-chilling playground of terror” with “five angry hauntsthrough seven scare zones and six vile vignettes,” a live stage show and roller coaster rides.“Fiendishly delicious cocktails, beer and spirits” were available from six themed bars and speakeasies.
SeaWorld San Diego is much more than an entertainment-focused theme park. They tell us that “for more than 60 years SeaWorld has advanced the conservation of marine life in and outside its parks through science, education, and exceptional animal care that is Humane Certified byAmerican Humane and accredited by the Alliance of Marine Mammal Parks and Aquariums and the Association of Zoos and Aquariums. SeaWorld is one of the largest marine animal rescue organizations in the world, helping more than 41,000 animals to date.”
For example, on Oct. 8 “SeaWorld San Diego successfully returned two rescued sea turtles to the ocean. After initial rescues from rescue organizations in the Pacific Northwest, each turtle received a private flight to SeaWorld San Diego by Turtles Fly Too, a non-profit that facilitates the use of general aviation to transport endangered species. After receiving extensive care and rehabilitation by the SeaWorld San Diego Rescue Team, the Olive Ridley Sea Turtle and Loggerhead Sea Turtle, both listed and protected under the Endangered Species Act, were ready to be returned home.”
For more information about SeaWorld San Diego, including events, visit www.SeaWorld.com/san-diego.
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Copyright © 2024 by Jan Wagner – AutoMatters & More #859
