The SeaWorld Orlando Ocean Explorer Tour is a new way for families to get up close to several of the park’s animals in one two-hour VIP experience.
SeaWorld is now promoting its “All-New” Ocean Explorer Tour, a guided experience designed especially for families with children 10 and younger. The tour takes guests around the park for encounters with dolphins, sharks, penguins, and stingrays, with a little Sesame Street fun included along the way. This sounds perfect for families with younger animal lovers. It’s essentially a pu pu platter of experiences, so your little ones don’t have to choose only one.
So, what exactly is this Ocean Explorer Tour?
The Ocean Explorer Tour lasts about two hours and includes several hands-on, up-close experiences throughout SeaWorld Orlando. According to SeaWorld, guests can meet dolphins while learning some of the hand signals trainers use to communicate with them. They’ll also get the chance to touch a small shark, meet some of the park’s warm-weather penguins, and feed and touch stingrays. And animals aren’t the only familiar faces along the way. The tour also includes an interaction with a Sesame Street character. It’s quite a bit to fit into two hours. SeaWorld Orlando already offers a variety of animal tours and encounters, but many focus on one particular species. That’s what makes Ocean Explorer a little different. For younger guests who want to see and do as much as possible, the variety could be a big selling point. Honestly, that’s a pretty solid day when you’re 7.
Although SeaWorld says the tour was designed especially for families with children ages 10 and younger, guests of all ages can participate. That makes this an interesting option beyond just families with small children, especially for anyone who wants a sampling of SeaWorld’s animal experiences without booking several separate encounters. It could also be a good option for families where everyone has a different favorite animal. One kid wants dolphins, another wants sharks, and someone else is determined to see a penguin. Instead of building a day around multiple separate experiences, Ocean Explorer combines several into one scheduled tour. We see regulars and first-time guests really enjoying this.
Now, I bet you want to know how much something like this costs, right? It’s surprisingly affordable for what you seem to get.
The Ocean Explorer Tour currently starts at $99 per person, with pricing and availability varying by selected date.
Admission to SeaWorld Orlando is not included with the tour, so guests will also need valid park admission for the day of their experience.
As with other SeaWorld tours and animal encounters, space can be limited, and experiences are subject to availability.
Do WE think it’s worth it?
Whether $99 per person makes sense will depend on your family, but the two-hour experience packs a lot.
This isn’t just a guided walk around the park. The advertised itinerary includes several interactive components, including feeding stingrays, touching a shark, learning alongside the dolphin trainers, meeting penguins, and interacting with a Sesame Street character. For a child who already loves animals, that could easily become a highlight of a SeaWorld day. It’s also nice to see an animal tour built specifically for younger guests. SeaWorld offers plenty of opportunities to get closer to its animals, but Ocean Explorer combines several of those experiences into something a little more approachable for kids who may not be ready for a more specialized tour – and some of those single-animal tours carry the same price.
SeaWorld is currently taking reservations for the all-new Ocean Explorer Tour, with dates, times, and pricing available through the park’s website.
