SeaWorld 90's shows vs now?

[Matthewmon]

I went to sea world with my family in the 90's I think it was 1996. The shows were AMAZING! Now I have my own family and was excited to take my wife and 11 year old son to sea world for the first time this year when we go to universal studios. Yesterday I started to do research and was disappointed to see that now trainers cannot even get in the water with the whales and so the shows aren't as good? Is the dolphins show as good as it was in the 90's or has it been changed in a negative way also? We would be visiting sea world just for the shows and are interested in entertainment not really education. If the dolphins show is still as good I guess I will take them...although if the dolphins show and Clyde are the only 2 great shows maybe we should just do a 3rd day at universal? Thanks for any current info you can provide.

 

[MakoMania]

I went to sea world with my family in the 90's I think it was 1996. The shows were AMAZING! Now I have my own family and was excited to take my wife and 11 year old son to sea world for the first time this year when we go to universal studios. Yesterday I started to do research and was disappointed to see that now trainers cannot even get in the water with the whales and so the shows aren't as good? Is the dolphins show as good as it was in the 90's or has it been changed in a negative way also? We would be visiting sea world just for the shows and are interested in entertainment not really education. If the dolphins show is still as good I guess I will take them...although if the dolphins show and Clyde are the only 2 great shows maybe we should just do a 3rd day at universal? Thanks for any current info you can provide.

The current Dolphin show is called Dolphin Days, and contains breif educational sections combined with lots of entertaining high energy behaviours from the Dolphins themselves-it's a great show.

The current Killer Whale show One Ocean is also fantastic. Whilst the trainers can no longer enter the water with the Killer Whales, the show still contains lots of high energy breaches, flips and lots of whale & trainer interaction.

There are also many new rides and exhibits at the park that you will not have seen in the 90s. Well worth a visit

 

[cwgator]

If you're able to go over the Summer when the Electric Ocean event is going on, they have different nighttime versions of all the shows that are much better than their daytime counterparts. They are much more entertaining. One day at SW during that time is definitely worth it. It's Select Nights May 24th-Sept 1. Typically they are Fri-Sun only the first few weeks and the last few weeks. It's nightly usually Mid June-1st through the 1st or 2nd week of August (depending on the local school calendar). They should have the dates up soon.

Besides the special Night time versions of the shows, there's a dance party in Bayside Stadium with an excellect fireworks and pyro finale called Ignite.

You can check this page for more information about last year's event (which carries over this year, and may have even more surpirises):
SeaWorld Electric Ocean – SeaWorld Nighttime Event | SeaWorld Orlando

Also if you or your children are into coasters, the best ones in Orlando are at SeaWorld (IMO).

 

[GAcoaster]

Honestly the shows are more or less the same (there are only so many behaviors marine mammals can do), it's really just the show structure and music that changes. Trainers aren't allowed in the water with the orcas now, but all the other shows they are in the water.

 

[Matthewmon]

If I choose to go in late 2020 instead of late 2019 will they still have the orca show? I read a couple years ago they were planning to stop them in 2019?

 

[Brian G.]

If I choose to go in late 2020 instead of late 2019 will they still have the orca show? I read a couple years ago they were planning to stop them in 2019?

They'll stop doing tricks and stuff - but they'll still be around to visit. They'll focus on the animal, itself instead of splash zones with flips.

 

[Matthewmon]

That means I have to take my family this year even though i read they may have a new family coaster in 2020.

 

[MakoMania]

The whales will still be there. They will still jump, spin and splash, it's just that the music and dancing will be gone.

The new Orca Encounter in San Diego includes almost all of the same whale behaviors from One Ocean.

 

[Arjy]

The current Dolphin show is called Dolphin Days, and contains breif educational sections combined with lots of entertaining high energy behaviours from the Dolphins themselves-it's a great show.

The current Killer Whale show One Ocean is also fantastic. Whilst the trainers can no longer enter the water with the Killer Whales, the show still contains lots of high energy breaches, flips and lots of whale & trainer interaction.

There are also many new rides and exhibits at the park that you will not have seen in the 90s. Well worth a visit

Utter nonsense.

The show's are a shadow of what they once were.

 

[MakoMania]

Utter nonsense.

The show's are a shadow of what they once were.

Considering I've visited the parks every year for as long as I can remember and I've worked with the zoo department for work experience, I know what I'm on about.

Most people agree Believe was the best Killer Whale show, however that wasn't present during the 90s. One Ocean is better than the Shamu Adventure which preceeded believe. Other than the post-2010 waterwork limitations, the high energy behaviors in the shows (bow, front flip, side breach, fluke splash, alien, kicker, stage slide etc...) are exactly the same as in the 90s.

Dolphin Days is very different from Blue Horizons, different people prefer different things. I happen to prefer Dolphin Days because you get more time actually watching the Dolphins rather than watching acrobats, but I can see why someone would prefer Blue Horizons. Dolphin Days it is almost identical to the dolphin shows of the 90s though. (Which is the comparison being made in this topic).

 

[Chicagoshannon]

The ski show is gone but the other 3 shows are still there plus more rides. It's still a great place to visit!

 

[Matthewmon]

Looked at YouTube videos and 2 of the roller coasters were the only two rides that interested me. Didn't look like any of the less thrilling rides were good.