Alright so this past week I have been in San Diego, coming from Tucson, AZ. While there we went to Sea World for a day, and going there really made me realize how special Disneyland really is. First off I know Sea World is more focused on its shows and exhibits, rather than its rides, but even so all of their rides made me see how much effort Disney really puts into its attractions. The Journey to Atlantis Ride especially. The whole ride seemed half-assed...Anyone that has been on it should know. The elevator that brings you up is a neat idea, but I mean you can see the tarps in there and the metal gates so clearly, that sort of thing NEVER happens at Disneyland, not to mention the ride really has nothing to do with Atlantis and when I got off, I was like "Really? Thats it?"

And it is not just the rides either. All of the staff was rude for the most part, I was getting on the Shipwreck Rapids ride (which is "oddly" identical to Grizzly Rapids) and the guy that helped us onto the ride is drinking a soda and eating a sandwich, and when we got off a different employee said "Get Out" and thats it.
That sort of thing just NEVER would happen in Dland.

Finally I know Annheuser-Busch owns Sea World but I didnt really like how everyone there is drinking beer! I am a 18 year old guy and I was even bothered by it being there with my little brother and sister. And beyond that one more than one occasion were there groups of people standing or walking around smoking right in my little siblings faces...just feel like you should not have to deal with those sorts of things at a family Theme park.

I am not saying my whole experience with Sea World was bad, we all really enjoyed the day there and I would definately go back, it is just all those little things that make you realize how amazing Disneyland truly is.

The Journey to Atlantis Ride especially.

San Diego got the severely truncated version - yeah, it's incredibly lame. The Orlando version of the ride is actually pretty good.

That is how I felt last year after we spent one of our Disneyland days at Knotts Berry Farm. Everyone keeps telling me to take the kid to more places rather than just Disneyland. We did and it was just awful there.

This year we are making the attempt again. Doing the Sea World and Legoland thing. We shall see. I didn't realize that they sold beer at Sea World. That makes me a tad nervous. While most people can have one or two and be ok...there is always that one person that has to ruin it for everyone. Smoking. Well, we smoke, but never around the kid and only if there is a designated place to smoke. If there isn't, then we just don't smoke. Period. I don't like the idea of people walking around smoking at a family place. Not cool.

Sorry your experience was so bad. I think Disneyland has ruined things for everyone. We are all a little spoiled with the wonderful experiences we get there and nothing else can compare.

I didn't realize that they sold beer at Sea World. That makes me a tad nervous. While most people can have one or two and be ok...there is always that one person that has to ruin it for everyone.



Don't forget that DCA sells beer, wine and margaritas. All of which are often carried all around the park. There was a rowdy group of about 4 who were kindly asked to go elsewhere with their beverages from Flik's Fun Fair on Saturday night when I was there.

I didnt know you could walk around DCA with all that...but even still, at Sea World you can buy beer at like ALL the carts and what not..I didnt notice anyone getting out of hand or anything, but still it could happen.

And the experience wasnt all that bad, just dont compare it to Disneyland. And I think the max I could spend at Sea World is half a day, we were there for 12 hours and we were all getting pretty bored.

Well, I don't know that you are giving Sea World a fair shake. The grounds compared to other "theme" parks are impeccable and beautiful. I do agree that some of the theming of Atlantis is basic, but I do think they did a great job theming Atlantis in other aspects, like the queue. And don't forget DCA does have some pretty lame themed rides (*cough* Mulholand Madness *cough*). Also, Shipwreck rapids is about 3 years older than GRR, and the theme is amazing and dare I say, better than its DCA cousin, particularly with the restaurant area integrated into the "shipwreck".

Also, Shipwreck rapids is about 3 years older than GRR, and the theme is amazing and dare I say, better than its DCA cousin, particularly with the restaurant area integrated into the "shipwreck".

I do love the theming of Shipwreck, especially with the restaurant, though the food quality deteriorated from when they first opened. I'd disagree about the ride, though my opinion isn't entirely informed. I've never been on Shipwreck because it never seemed worth it. Husband went on, friends went on, it wasn't that big a deal, most agreed it wasn't worth going on again. I've been on GRR once and enjoyed it, though I haven't gone back mostly because I'm not usually dressed to get drenched.

Sea World did seem cleaner in some respects since they're so careful about the animals, but the restrooms weren't necessarily kept up well. As far as people being bored, it's a matter of what people are interested in. I've been known to sit with the polar bears for hours watching them play and/or sleep because I just enjoy seeing them. Some people just stop by, have one look and leave and they're done. Others want them to perform circus tricks.

CMs at non-Disney parks are definitely not generally up to par as with CMs at Disney parks, but then, there isn't the emphasis on show. At a Disney park, the bad/rude/inattentive CM is the exception, but it's more common at non-Disney parks.

I stopped being a Sea World AP a couple years ago after being a long-time AP holder. I hope that with the impending sale, the animals are still taken care of.

I think you all are getting the wrong impression...Sea World was alot of fun, and definately worth the $50..but compared as a whole to Disneyland and DCA it doesnt compare.

I love the animals and all that, I think I spent a good hour feeding the sea lions..and unfortunately for me the polar bears were napping when I was at their home :(

And there are some things in DCA that do bore me, like the orange swings and all that...but the Grizzley Rapids are much better than Shipwreck Rapids, but only because of the drop..the theme is really neat at Sea World.

All the animals seemed to be treated pretty good, aside from the fact they are kept in small holding tanks and forced to do tricks, but they seemed happy and enjoying themselvs.

Just the fact was I could spend weeks at Disneyland and never get bored...but a whole day at Sea World is pushing it for me personally.

All the animals seemed to be treated pretty good, aside from the fact they are kept in small holding tanks and forced to do tricks, but they seemed happy and enjoying themselvs.

Unless things have changed drastically, they don't do "tricks". They're trained to do normal behaviours on command.


There was a time when I much more enjoyed being at Sea World than at Disneyland. I have spent from 8am to 11pm at Sea World, by myself, and not been bored for even a second.

I let my AP lapse because the distance was becoming more of an issue (30 - 40 minutes to Disneyland versus 2 1/2 hours to Sea World) and because I didn't care for the direction the park was taking with regard to the animals. But I still miss my polar bears and dolphins and orcas and sea otters.

I dunno that I would call a double front flip or a double barrel roll by a dolphin..a "normal" behaviour...but ok

I dunno that I would call a double front flip or a double barrel roll by a dolphin..a "normal" behaviour...but ok

Maybe not double anything, but I've seen the dolphins in the feeding pool (this was quite a while ago, they may not have that any more) doing flips and rolls NOT on command.

I dunno that I would call a double front flip or a double barrel roll by a dolphin..a "normal" behaviour...but ok

Dolphins in the wild do like to jump and do stuff like that. They find it fun. Orcas breach and jump and things in the wild as well.

Alright so this past week I have been in San Diego, coming from Tucson, AZ. While there we went to Sea World for a day, and going there really made me realize how special Disneyland really is. First off I know Sea World is more focused on its shows and exhibits, rather than its rides, but even so all of their rides made me see how much effort Disney really puts into its attractions. The Journey to Atlantis Ride especially. The whole ride seemed half-assed...Anyone that has been on it should know. The elevator that brings you up is a neat idea, but I mean you can see the tarps in there and the metal gates so clearly, that sort of thing NEVER happens at Disneyland, not to mention the ride really has nothing to do with Atlantis and when I got off, I was like "Really? Thats it?"

And it is not just the rides either. All of the staff was rude for the most part, I was getting on the Shipwreck Rapids ride (which is "oddly" identical to Grizzly Rapids) and the guy that helped us onto the ride is drinking a soda and eating a sandwich, and when we got off a different employee said "Get Out" and thats it.
That sort of thing just NEVER would happen in Dland.

Finally I know Annheuser-Busch owns Sea World but I didnt really like how everyone there is drinking beer! I am a 18 year old guy and I was even bothered by it being there with my little brother and sister. And beyond that one more than one occasion were there groups of people standing or walking around smoking right in my little siblings faces...just feel like you should not have to deal with those sorts of things at a family Theme park.

I am not saying my whole experience with Sea World was bad, we all really enjoyed the day there and I would definately go back, it is just all those little things that make you realize how amazing Disneyland truly is.

It is hard to compare SeaWorld to Disneyland since they are so opposite in what they try to accomplish. SeaWorld was origionally designed to be a place to showcase animals and to show how to care for the animals. They found out, shortly after opening, that the audience wanted to see more of the "tricks" where the animals showcased what they could do. SeaWorld primarily focuses on the animal shows but have started to get more involved in the thrill rides to keep up with the times. Disney may be one of the few parks that can actually attract people without having a lot of the major thrill rides (like Six Flags, Universal, etc.).

Shipwreck Rapids is actually much older than Grizzly River Rapids. I think Shipwreck opened in the early 90s (not sure which year) and DCA opened much later. The theming of the rides in San Diego might not be the greatest but they are working to make it better.

Lets just hope that SeaWorld doesn't close or be sold to a group that doesn't like animals.

I also have never seen someone get out of hand with the drinking at SeaWorld. They do offer a lot of beer (and actually give free beer out at the hospitality center) but it is still a family park and people are fairly good at it. You could still get the occasional person who makes it bad for the rest of them but you could still have that one person who drank too much who enters Disneyland and makes it miserable for the rest of us.

If anyone has not been to Sea World and expects cheap theming will be pleasantly surprised. In addition to Shipwreck Rapids, which I think is better themed than Grizzly River Run, the Arctic exhibit is absolutely amazing. It is fully immersive and you really do feel like you are exploring an old whaling ship in the Arctic Ocean. It is, by far, better than anything at DCA. Please, if you go to Southern California on vacation, Sea World is a must see.

I dunno..I thought the Wild Artic ride was awesome when it first opened when I as a little kid, but now that Im older I realize that is not that great....the theming AFTER the ride is really cool...but really the ride isnt very good and already looks outdated

I dunno..I thought the Wild Artic ride was awesome when it first opened when I as a little kid, but now that Im older I realize that is not that great....the theming AFTER the ride is really cool...but really the ride isnt very good and already looks outdated

I dunno. It is basically the same type as Star Tours, and how long have Disney fans been wanting to change that? I do think it's a fairly good themed ride, and a great way to introduce you to the exhibit, but it doesn't have a lot of repeatability. I do generally skip it, as I would rather just go to the exhibit.

well yea, Im not saying Star Tours is much better...but I would much rather ride Star Tours more than once a day than I would Wild Artic....all the themes and ideas for the Sea World rides are awesome, but the actual rides themselves dont really deliever in my opinion...but that doesnt really matter because people dont go there for the rides, they go for the animals.

but that doesnt really matter because people dont go there for the rides, they go for the animals.

Yep, that's pretty much it. It's really impossible to compare the two parks because they focus on such different things. I remember someone complaining to me about how Sea World doesn't have enough rides, and it didn't take very long to do them all, and they didn't know what to do for the rest of the day. Ummm, ok, if you're going to Sea World just for the rides, that's your problem right there.

As a person who lives in San Diego I gotta say that I would rather go to Disneyland any day of the week rather then going to see world. Heck I would rather go to the San Diego Zoo or Wild Animal Park before going to Seaworld. Disneyland really does make you appreciate the amount of details they put into making it the happiest place on earth....

That is how I felt last year after we spent one of our Disneyland days at Knotts Berry Farm. Everyone keeps telling me to take the kid to more places rather than just Disneyland. We did and it was just awful there.

Yikes, so Cedar Fair isn't treating Knotts well? Because last I went, in the Windjammer Surf Racer and Haunted Shack days, it was a GREAT place. Technically, it was the FIRST theme park, even before Disneyland.

SeaWorld: Their new shows are downright dopey. The only one that retains some dignity is the dolphin show. Although I understand SeaWorld cares about conservation, sometimes it feels like the park over-preaches to advance its image.

Face it, conservation isn't the only thing SeaWorld cares about.

SeaWorld has many positives, though. Dare I say its landscaping is BETTER than Disneyland's? And, although lacking drops, Shipwreck Rapids is well-themed even by Disney standards.

It is TRUE that SeaWorld "tricks" are based on natural behavior. But, for the marine mammals, living and performing at SeaWorld is FAR from natural.

And while LOTS of beer is served at this aquatic park, I have never seen anybody drink it irresponsibly.

In regards to the park employees, I believe that ANY amusement park, even Disneyland, will have some subpar employees. Low pay usually translates to a higher percentage of unmotivated workers. While Disneyland generally holds a higher standard, us Disney fans aren't as quick to notice a less-than-great CM.

And, my understanding is that Ta Da Man NEVER meant to bash SeaWorld, he just prefers Disneyland.