SeaWorld Orlando files plans for onsite hotel at Discovery Cove
SeaWorld Orlando has plans for an onsite resort hotel connected to Discovery Cove, according to plans filed with Orange County.
The plan lists the proposed hotel as “Project Starboard.” The 71-page document notes the 250-room hotel would include a spa, children’s program space, a bar, a fitness center, meeting space, a gift shop, and a dining location called Tree Top Restaurant.
SeaWorld filed the plans with Orange County on Jan. 12, 2024. Behind the Thrills on X observed the submission that day, with WKMG corroborating the information and sharing a link to the filing the day after. The plans reflect SeaWorld’s intentions to build the hotel, pending the county’s approval. SeaWorld has not formally announced the project.
Hotels attached to attraction destinations offer a unique and convenient amenity to prospective travelers choosing their overnight accommodations. Tokyo DisneySea will open a hotel attached to its Fantasy Springs expansion this summer. Back in Orlando, aerial photographs show progress on a hotel overlooking Universal Epic Universe, opening in 2025.
SeaWorld Orlando does not currently have any onsite hotels of its own. The park offers vacation packages for guests staying at nearby “Partner Hotel” properties.
SeaWorld’s Second Hotel Filing in One Month
The plans for a hotel connected to Discovery Cove come shortly after SeaWorld filed plans for another, entirely different onsite hotel in December 2023. If approved by the county, that hotel, nicknamed “Project Starboard” in documents, could provide direct access into SeaWorld near the park’s Nautilus Theater, WKMG reported.
Here’s how the two properties stack up:
| Project Canopy | Project Starboard | |
| Location | Attached to eastern side of Discovery Cove | Attached to southeast corner of SeaWorld Orlando |
| Number of floors | 6 | 15 |
| Number of rooms | 250 | 504 |
Zooming in closer to the immediate future, SeaWorld Orlando will open Penguin Trek this sspring. The indoor/outdoor roller coaster will conclude its journey at the park’s penguin habitat.
