We have all noticed that the cost of visiting any Orlando area theme park has skyrocketed over the past couple of years.
Due to the fact that Disney World is the most popular park and why most are visiting Orlando they have taken the wrath of most for the cost just to enter the park. But one park has flown under the radar on the cost to visit and that is SeaWorld in Orlando.
At one point, SeaWorld was one of the least expensive parks to visit. It offered a “break” from the large crowds and high prices of both Disney World and Universal. It was a nice park to visit and view different forms of sea life and how SeaWorld help rehabilitate those animals so that they may be released back into the wild.
SeaWorld’s biggest draw used to be their Orca show where Killer Whales performed with trainers and if you sat in the first 10-15 rows, you were going to get soaked. This show no longer exists and instead, the park is trying to become a destination for rollercoasters.
Prices to enter the park have increased astronomically over the past 10 years.
Let’s break down the cost for visiting SeaWorld Orlando for one day/one park and compare it to both Universal and Disney World.
| Cost | SeaWorld Orlando | Universal Orlando | Disney World |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parking | $30.00 | $30.00 | $25.00 (free for hotel guests) |
| 1 Day Admission | $124.00 | $109.00 (1 park) | $109.00 (1 park) |
| Express Pass/Front of the line | $29.99 | $79.99 | $15.00 |
| Total | $183.99 | $218.99 | $149.00 |
Amazing that Disney takes the most grief for raising prices, but when looking at costs for one day/one park… Disney is actually the cheapest.
I had wanted to include the cost of food in the parks, but SeaWorld does not publish prices on their menus as Universal and Disney World do.
Keep in mind that there are a lot variables to take into account. If the “Express Pass” is not bought at Universal Studios (Universal, $79 is a bit ridiculous for this feature.), then SeaWorld would be the most expensive of the three parks.
So is SeaWorld worth the ticket price? In my opinion… no. If looking at all the options with Universal Studios two parks and Disney World’s four parks, there are better options and more choice for your money.
No matter how you look at it, going to any of the theme parks in Orlando is very expensive. There are ways to lower the costs depending on the number of days and the time of the year in which you visit. My opinion is still that SeaWorld in Orlando is currently not worth the price.