Can SeaWorld Orlando ever decide what type of theme park it wants to be?

Over the years, SeaWorld Orlando has struggled to find its place in the Orlando theme park world. Can SeaWorld find finally find its niche?

When people visit Orlando, Florida, theme parks are popular destinations. From pixie dust to magical wands, the young and old enjoy these experiences. Tucked in that tourist area is SeaWorld Orlando. But some people tend to skip over this theme park — why do people dismiss it?

SeaWorld Orlando offers a combination of thrilling rides and animal encounters. On first glance, that combination should bring in lots of guests. Looking specifically at the theme park rides, these experiences are some of the most thrilling in the Orlando area.

SeaWorld’s Manta roller coaster lets you get a taste of the manta ray experience. Photo by Cristine Struble.

Still, these thrill rides don’t have the same wait times as other theme park counterparts. Even on busy days, the waits are generally reasonable. Manta may have 45-minute waits or longer, but its immersive queue experience makes the wait seem less long. At other Orlando theme parks, a similar high thrill ride wait would be definitely over the hour mark.

If the thrill seekers aren’t looking to SeaWorld Orlando as their go-to park, could nature lovers fill the turnstiles?

Certain documentaries and reports have hurt the company. That particular controversy overshadows the many positive aspects of the SeaWorld conservation programs. Still, a visit to SeaWorld can be an educational one.

For example, walking through the shark exhibit can show the importance of sharks to the eco-system. Sure, Jaws is scary and no one wants to encounter a shark in the ocean, but sharks are an important part of a healthy ocean. Without that animal, the ocean would suffer an eco-imbalance.

Sea lions in their habitat at SeaWorld Orlando. Photo by Cristine Struble.

Even just walking around the sea lion and sea otter area can be fun. Sure, kids enjoy feeding the animals, but a chat with staff can be informative. Many kids love to ask questions, and these team members are often quite patient and willing to answer all those questions. Wouldn’t it be nice for a kid to be inspired to do better by marine life?

While theme park guests primarily see the shows and other spectacles, SeaWorld helps the Florida wildlife beyond the theme park gates. SeaWorld scientists have helped to save manatees, sea turtles and more.

Who couldn’t help but say “aww” when the SeaWorld scientists found a way to give an injured penguin a wetsuit when its feathers were damaged? Unfortunately, all the positive, important animal conservation efforts are often overshadowed by controversy.

Going into the summer theme park season, SeaWorld Orlando looks to expand its thrill rides with a huge water ride, Infinity Falls. Tapped to be some of the biggest, most thrilling family inclusive experience, it begs the question if the new ride will bring more guests.

Even looking at this ride, the theme park tries to balance the animal encounters with thrills. The ride will feature live animals throughout the experience. Because of its rainforest/tropical theme, it will have live snakes throughout the experience.

Will the use of live animals help or hurt the ride? That situation remains to be seen.

Can SeaWorld Orlando find its niche in the Orlando theme park world? That answer is not clear yet.

For anyone visiting the Orlando area, don’t just dismiss this theme park without at least giving it a look. It might offer a bigger impression than you would have expected.

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