It is Christmas time in San Diego and what better to way to celebrate the holidays by the sea than by hanging out with some of the ocean’s most awesome wildlife friends at SeaWorld? It is a coastal Christmas complete with whales, dolphins, sharks, sea turtles and Santa, of course. We may not have blizzards here in Southern California, but we sure know how to do the holidays! Here is your ultimate guide to a SeaWorld Christmas with kids!

First, here are some festive shots from around the park!!

Keep the Cost in Check:

We have annual passes and we saved even more by taking advantage of the buy a year and get the next year free promotion! We also save by returning with our SeaWorld refillable beer glasses, souvenir soda cup and popcorn bucket.

For more information on where to stay, eat and drink at SeaWorld as well as more information about the park, click HERE.

Splash into Christmas:

Upon arrival, make sure you take a moment for photo opportunity by the giant Christmas, decked out with jumbo sea life décor.

Get your map of the park, because that will inform you as to when and where all the Christmas celebrations will be happening. The three main holiday zones are the Christmas Village, Reindeer Training Academy and SnowWorld.

Christmas Village:

Pass another larger-than-life Christmas tree as you enter a whimsical little village with various cottages, offering tons of holiday fun. The haunting scents of holiday treats waft through the air as the cheerful sounds of the Frostbite Carolers and the SeaWorld Christmas Brass Quintet make you bounce to the beat.

What a warm pie or comforting mac n’ cheese? Stop by the first cottage, where that looks it was crafted from pie crust.

Maybe a cup of coffee and a fluffy waffle? Cottage number two has what you need.

In the middle is Santa’s Cottage, where kids line up to see the main man. Funny elves roam around the village, entertaining the kids as they patiently wait to get inside. The cottage is wonderfully decorated as any cozy cabin should be with a roaring fire, overstuffed chair, milk and cookies displayed on a vintage globe mini bar as well as fun little trinkets scattered about the room.

What to play? My kids love the ring toss game and although we never win, we still get a complementary jumbo candy cane for buying a bucket of rings. So, worth it!

As the evening approaches make sure check the time for the tree lighting! You don’t want to miss Mrs. Claus and her little elf friends as they put on quite a funny little show before getting everyone to participate in a joyful Christmas Carol sing-a-long. It’s important to sing your heart out, because only our Christmas spirit can light the tree!

Reindeer Academy:

Right across the way from the Christmas Village, you are invited to meet real reindeer, participate in carnival-style games and take a photo in Santa’s sleigh!!

SnowWorld:

Located behind the Reindeer Academy and across from the Pet’s Stadium is SnowWorld. This was Firecracker’s favorite activity of the day. Here, they create snow for our little California kids! Firecracker loves snow and doesn’t get many opportunities to play and roll in it. Cuddle Bear and Firecracker had a blast making snow balls and going sledding. Yes, I said sledding. There is a mini hill where kids can sled down the snow. HotDaddy had fun testing his aim at the snowball toss.

Shows:

Dolphin Island Christmas:

Embracing all the destinations that have warm weather during the holiday season, this show is a tropical spectacular. Dolphins dazzle us with tricks as lyrics are changed to Christmas classics to accommodate those of us who are not dashing through the snow this season.

Pet’s Rule Christmas:

Take a break from the sea and be amazed at some of our favorite domestic pets! Jumping, leaping and twirling, these pets have some skills!

Clyde & Seymore’s Christmas Special:

Lots of laughs and tons of fun. Clyde and Seymore are silly Sea Lions that are too cute for words.

Christmas Store:

Before you leave be sure to pop into the Christmas store for take home goodies. I bought myself a holiday mug (because I love my souvenir mugs as much as the coffee in them) and new ornament for our tree at home. I even checked some peeps off my Christmas list, thanks to some exciting holiday finds!

That’s A Wrap:

If you are visiting San Diego during the holiday season, I highly recommend a SeaWorld Christmas with kids. It was really festive and beautifully decorated throughout the park. Nothing says California Christmas like a day by the sea at SeaWorld.

What do you think of the Christmas celebration at SeaWorld?

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