SeaWorld Orlando closing whole sections of the park at times

SeaWorld Orlando is currently open seven days a week, but depending on which day and time you go, not all attractions or areas of the park may be open due to lower crowds because of COVID-19.

Blocked off area of SeaWorld orlando.
We saw three areas like this one blocking off access to the left side of the park Thursday afternoon.

Recently, on weekdays (Monday through Thursday), SeaWorld has blocked off access to the whole left side of the park after noon. This area includes Dolphin Cove, Dolphin Theater, TurtleTrek, Manatee Rehabilitation, Journey to Atlantis, Kraken, Pacific Point, and Antarctica. This area first began closing at 2 p.m., then later switched to noon.

Wet walk through SeaWorld orlando
Looking at this sign set off to the side in the afternoon, it appears some areas open up as others close at noon on certain days.

SeaWorld tells us the schedule isn’t set and that they are just continuing what they’ve always done. “We have and will continue to adjust attraction open and closing times based on many factors, park attendance, weather, operating hours, staffing, annual maintenance, etc. These will vary by day of the week and time of year, as they did prior to reopening our parks after being closed for COVID-19.”

Even though the area was open before noon yesterday, we were told by a SeaWorld employee that Journey to Atlantis and Kraken didn’t open at all. A check of the SeaWorld website page for rides today (Friday, Sept. 11) lists Kraken and Journey to Atlantis hours as “Refer to signage at ride entrance for hours of operation.” During our walk around the park yesterday, one hour before closing and after a long rain, we counted approximately 350 guests in the park.

Almost empty Shamu Stadium at SeaWorld.
This photo was taken about 10 minutes before the last Orca Encounter show of the day.

If you’d like to experience all you can during your SeaWorld visit, we suggest visiting on a Saturday – but some attractions will still be closed because of social distancing, and it is also the busiest day of the week. SeaWorld Orlando will be closed again on Tuesdays and Thursdays from Oct. 6 – Dec. 24.

SeaWorld Orlando’s Craft Beer Festival is being held on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays through Sept. 20, and their Halloween Spooktacular will be held weekends Sept. 19, through Nov. 1, 2020.

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16 Comments

  1. I feel sorry for the employees, but SW is a horrible company, management are the worst in business. I really hope they sell to another company, Fired all the management and start everything from the scratch, believe me is the better option for this awful company.

    1. Amen to that brother I work for them.I was one of the furloughed employees that got let go.They need to be investigated for the crap they did to the furloughed employees

  2. I don’t really know how they expected people to go to the park if the are not opening the rides. It seems no sense none of it. I have anual pass for the 4 parks Seaworld , BushG and the water parks. How I’m going to invite all my friends to a boring park. Horrible.

  3. Hopefully in the next few weeks SW can have enough business for it’s own hood and it’s employees. Haven’t heard much about discovery cove just curious

    1. We went to Discovery Cove last weekend and it was close to full. They reduced the max number of guests from around 1,300 to 1,000. There and at Aquatica things felt pretty normal. But at SeaWorld on the weekdays it was kind of dead like this article says. I just hope things can pick up soon.

  4. That’s why I wont take my kids to SeaWorld not going to pay all that kind of money and I can only see what SeaWorld decides to open the day of my visit my advice is to stay home save your money don’t bother not worth it sorry SeaWorld

  5. Probably better they don’t open at all. People will judge Seaworld on what they saw when they went and not only will they never return, but they will tell their friends how bad it was and they also will never go. Don’t sell someone something then only deliver half the product and except them to be happy.

  6. I went last week on Wednesday. It was good and bad. Good that it’s not packed and you don’t feel like people are on your lap. I didn’t have to wait long at all to enjoy anything.

    We bought the all day meal pass and there was enough restaurant availability even though a lot were shut down. I didn’t feel gipped. And again easy to get seating away from people.

    I don’t ride rides so I didn’t miss out. However they had scheduled only ONE animal show of Dolphin, sea lion and Orca. The Orca being close to close of park and we had to miss in order to make the hotel shuttle.

    1. Why don’t you look at all the animals they rescue and all the research they do to enhance wild life. They have aided in decreasing the number of extinct and endangered animals in the wild.

  7. I took my daughter there during August 31- September 8, it was sooo amazing ! We had the best time. I miss it ! I infact just ! washed my Seaworld refillable blue cup just five minutes ago, no sadly not with a slushy😕I cant wait to go back. It was hard with the masks but we managed three days with no problem that was to big-due to the incredibly short lines. I loved the Orca show with the freezing, frigids water splash right on time at 4 : 30 everyday front and left center in the first three rows ! Thank You Orlando Florida Seaworld💕

    1. We just came back and had a great time too. Our two year old absolutely loved it there, especially Sesame Street. We went on 4 different days and already our daughter is begging for us to take her back