Sea World is great daytrip from Anna Maria Island

Sea World is a great full day activity for Anna Maria Island visitors.  In addition, United Kingdom visitors typically hit Orlando for about 3-5 days then come to Anna Maria Island for a week long REAL vacation.

Sea World is just a short drive from Anna Maria Island.  If you can get the family up and ready to leave by 8:00 AM you should reach Sea World

by 9:30 AM and walking through the front gates of Sea World, Orlando by 10 AM.  We like to leave a little earlier and stop at the Denny’s just across the street from Sea World for a strong breakfast to start our day.  It starts us off on the right foot after the quick 1.5 hour ride to Orlando and seems to help the kids calm down since they can see the entryway to Sea World just across the street.  Most parking in Orlando is NOT free and Sea World charges to park.

Sea World has a ton of stuff to do for all ages.  They have an amusement park outfitted with a roller coaster that any adult would love.  Tea Cups for those of you that have strong stomachs, swing rides, twirling rides, you name it.  Of course Sea World is not as large as a stand alone amusement park but it has plenty to get you past your roller coaster “fix.”   Sea World also has the classic water log ride and you can see a portion of the ride in the video shown below.

SeaWorld also has a pretty large children play area.  Huge climbing nets will keep your children playing for hours and nearby is a water play area if they get bored of nets or other play areas.

Of course we cannot forget the shows.  The biggest show of all, “Shamu” will not disappoint.  Plenty of jumps, dives, and splashes.  Another great show is a dolphin show where more than 5 dolphins jump in unison all throughout the water.  A high diving show lets your children watch as parrots buzz by just over your heads as well divers dressed in costumes dive into water from about 30-40 feet above.   One last show which is great for kids.  The Sea Otter show is filled with blunders, clean jokes, and a few animals that perform tricks that even the toughest critic will be impressed with.

There are lots of sea life to view at Sea World.  There is a great penguin exhibit where you see a great variety of penguins.  There is sea life tunnel where sharks and other sea life swim throughout the tunnel overhead.  The tunnel provides plenty of Oohs and aaahs.  After one of the shows there is a neat spot where the floor below is made of glass and right above is a glass ceiling both outfitted with plenty of sea life.  Children love to run around and chase the fish in the floor.

Be sure to bring your sun screen, some cash, and a little patience and Sea World will offer a life time of family memories.  For more great Orlando things to do be sure to visit our Orlando Activities pages.

SeaWorld Orlando
7007 SeaWorld Drive,
Orlando, FL, 32821
888 800-5447

Sea World is just under 2 hours from Anna Maria, Florida

Sea World offers a great mix of entertainment for children.  Just 1.5 – 2 hours drive away from Anna Maria Island it offers a great full day get away.  Jump in the car as early as convenient for your family and just two hours away you can be in Orlando soaking up the Florida Sun getting entertained by some of the Worlds best shows.

Sea world is a great mixed amusement park for the entire family.  Teenagers love the roller coasters, water log ride, and who does not love a tunnel aquarium?  Younger children love the wild sea lion, Dolphin, and Shamu show.  Adults love it all and the best moments of all are watching the smiles on your family faces.

Directions from Anna Maria Island to Seaworld are very simple and can be found below.  It is best to go straight to Sea World and use parking at the park itself.  Parking runs about $15 and it is well wroth it to walk from your car to the park.  One trick if you are hungry as you arrive is to stop by Denny’s for a quick breakfast.  You can see the Sea World main entrance sign from the Denny’s parking lot on International Drive.
View Larger Map

The Dolphin show is great for younger children.   Dolphins, divers, parrots, and plenty of other entertainment during the show makes the 1/2 hr great fun for the entire family.

The Shamu show is great fun for all.  There is nothing like watching thousands of pounds of sea life jumping 15-20 feet into the air.  There are only two shows per day and strongly suggest making the first show.  The last show of the day ends when the park closes so you are caught up with alot of people leaving the show and the park all at the same time.

Sea World has a great area for children.  A huge net area to climb, pint size amusement rides, and water cannons, everything to make the smaller children of the family happy.

New mandatory Electronic System Travel Authorization for foreign travelers

Last year Congress enacted legislation to expand the U.S. Visa Waiver Program (VWP). The new law required that the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) develop an Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) to gather biographic information from nationals of the soon-to-be 34 VWP countries traveling to the U.S. in advance of their visit.

ESTA will become mandatory for all VWP travelers beginning January 12, 2009. Information required through ESTA mirrors the data travelers already submit through the I-94W paper form currently filled out upon arrival at a U.S. port of entry; however, it simplifies the process by allowing visitors to complete the form online prior to arrival.

Question and Answers about the program

The following countries are currently part of the Electronic System Travel Authorization program…

Andorra	France	Luxembourg	Singapore
Austria	Germany	Monaco	Slovenia
Australia	Iceland	Netherlands	Spain
Belgium	Ireland	New Zealand	Sweden
Brunei	Italy	Norway	Switzerland
Denmark	Japan	Portugal	United Kingdom
Finland	Liechtenstein	San Marino

Travel to Anna Maria Island

If you need to fly to the area the main choices are the Tampa Airport  or Sarasota Bradenton International airport. The Tampa airport is about 1.25 hrs drive from Anna Maria Island while Sarasota Bradenton International is an estimated 45 minutes from Anna Maria.  Some less conventional airports to fly into are the St Petersburg/Clearwater airport which is about the same distance as the Tampa Airport.  For international flights another alternative is to fly into one of two Orlando airports.  Normally Orlando offers some very competitive airfare and the one way car trip takes about 2 hours in light traffic.  

Click the link for more information on transportation services to Anna Maria Island from the Tampa International Airport or Sarasota/Bradenton Airports.

Traveling to Anna Maria Island by vehicle is always an alternative.  See below for estimated mileage from a few major North American cities…

Montreal, Quebec – 1550 Miles  :  Toronto, Ontario – 1400 Miles
Milwaukee, WI – 1300 Miles       :  Chicago, IL – 1220 Miles
Syracuse, NY – 1325 Miles          :  New York, NY – 1175 Miles
Boston, MA – 1420 Miles             :  Pittsburgh, PA – 1075 Miles
Orlando, FL – 122 Miles               :  Atlanta, GA - 500 Miles

Information on Wireless Internet Hot-Spots on Anna Maria Island