Sea World San Diego for a two year old? Trying to find an all day place in so. cal. for him on our vacation.?

Question

Any experience with young toddlers at Sea World? What is there to do for them? Any lines to wait in? How many fun filled hours would we be spending there? Is it worth the money?

Sea World or San Diego Zoo? (we already ruled out disneyland)

Answer 1

I don't think sea world would be that much fun for a 2 year old, why not disneyland???

Answer 2

honestly I dont know if you can keep a 2 yr old entertained at either place.  How about Lego land?

Answer 3

I have a 2yr old & 4 yr old and we went on vacation last month (they were 1 and 3 then). We went to Sea World in San Antonio and they had a good time. We were there from 10- about 8 and my youngest took a nap for about an hour in the stroller that we rented fr there. She had a good time watching shows the most even though she didn't understand what was going on- they kept her entertained. They also loved the water play area. We fed the dolphins- it was $5 for a small bowl of fish (which they shared) and they both LOVED this... I didn't know if they would so I only got 1 but next time I will buy one for each... it was the hit of the day! My youngest also enjoyed getting a kids meal there for lunch bc it comes in a little lunchbox! They also liked the penguin exhibit (it is air conditioned). It worked out well for my little one so I hope if you choose to do this it will be the same special experience for you. We plan on going again next year- someone suggested getting a 2-day pass so that you can leave and let your child(ren) take a nap/break, they did this and it worked out better for them than trying to do it all in one day and the tickets were only $3-$5 difference.

We had planned to go to the zoo the next day but all of us were wiped out from being in the heat all day; I recommend taking a rag w/ you so that you can wet it to keep your little one cool. Be sure to budget food in bc they don't allow outside food and drink although they did allow 1 bottle of water per person.

Stroller parking didn't bother us and it wasn't much of an inconvienience but we went w/ family so we had 4 other adults in addition to myself and my husband that helped w/ all that kind of stuff.

Good luck to you- enjoy your vacation!

Answer 4

I am glad you ruled out Disneyland! Maybe your 2-year-old would be okay with it but you would be MISERABLE. I went there alone when I was in so. cal. and it was a tiny miserable place stuck in 50s with nothing an adult would want to ride nowadays. I also went to the San Diego Zoo and was surprised how small it was for being such a famous place. How about something built more recently like Knotts Berry Farm (I think its an amusement park). I didn't go to Sea World. In Virgina Beach there is a place where you can pet Stingrays in a shallow pool and walk around looking at fish and walking thru a tiny woods between two buildings and it costs about $15. If there is a place like that then I would like it better than looking at a whale jumping thru a hoop.

Answer 5

Wow I cant believe people are saying 2yo is too young for sea world. We have been taking our boys every year since my oldest was 1. They both love shamu. They have a bunch of shows that will definitely keep a 2 yo entertained. The pet one is really good and the kids get to pet the dogs after the show. Shamu is always a hit and for an extra bonus sit in the soak zone. They also have an arcade area and a play area and a water/splash play area. I would suggest going right when it opens and staying till about 2 or 3 pm. My family thinks it is definitely worth the money. You can sometimes find discounted tickets at costco. We havent taken our boys to the zoo only bc we went their on our honeymoon and thought they kept the animals in too small of areas (we went their after going to the wildlife animal park...also a lot of fun its just north of san diego and cheaper than the zoo)

Answer 6

i myself would do the zoo as they are also learning at the same time as having fun and there are no lines but i believe it is a big place  and lots of animals to learn about

Answer 7

Well, I just took my 2 year old in October and 2 & under are free.Since they have a lot of shows, they can see all of the shows.  Our son, couldn't sit still for very long, so it was hard to keep him calm, even with his favorite toy.  He liked seeing the fish, whales, & sea life there.  We used a stroller at the time, we figured he wouldn't walk the whole time, and we had to use "stroller parking", basically leave the stroller, and then go watch the shows, that was a bummer.  Sea World strollers can be rented for $10 bucks.  If the adults want to ride rides, or see things, you don't want your kids to see (scary things), each adult can go in line together, then when the other gets off, the other can get on.  Anyway, it's exspensive, I think $52 for adults.  If you're willing to pay, and deal with your child, it turned out great for us, in the long run.  Save money by taking in your own water, & maybe your own food in a backpack.  I think you'll be in time for SUMMER Nights at Sea World where they have fireworks and a bunch of other cool things, just saw a preview on TV.  Sorry this is so long.  P.S. The lines were never long when we went, but it was during the school year.....and we stayed almost the entire day.  Take breaks, stay hydrated, & eat.  Your 2 year old will probably sleep good after a day like that.  As for the zoo, I don't know.  Best of luck to you!

Answer 8

sea world is freakin expensive. its like 60 bucks a ticket. but i would choose sea world over the sd zoo becuase its alot more entertaining and what not.