Howdie MP!

I would like to get the opinions of you if it is possible of what you would do please reguarding either of these places.

Little info: I am a native to Arizona, have never been to an aquarium or place like that, other than the beach.

My FDH and I are going on our honeymoon the first week of December and it will mainly be spent in DL but I would like to do either Sea World or the Aquarium of the Pacific. As I have never been to either I would really appreciate some info and feedback as to which one you would choose to do for a day.

We are looking at only a day trip for either one and I would prefer not to drive more than 2 hrs at the most.

Thanks in advance!

I haven't been to Sea World in forever because I am not comfortable watching mammals perform (that's just me; I'm not judging) but honestly, I'd suggest it over Aquarium of the Pacific.

It's an okay aquarium, and can be quite nice on a quiet day. But the last two times we've gone, it seems to be mobbed with school children and a little grungy due to the traffic. (Yes, I understand that kids are a target audience but I'd like to at least get a look without feeling like I have to shove some poor tot aside.) I love the big tanks but I don't have the same sense of excitement and joy there that I get at, say, the Monterey Aquarium. The noise and the grunge takes me out of the moment.

And actually, I'd choose the San Diego Zoo over either in a heartbeat. But you didn't ask that question. :)

Enjoy you choice, either way.

Bennette has some good points. Having been to the Aquarium only once, I
would still pick San Diego. You might be able to see both Sea World & The
Zoo in a day. (Seems like more stuff in San Diego) Although you could visit the Queen Mary in Long Beach too.

I would like to do either Sea World or the Aquarium of the Pacific.

I would personally choose Sea World over the Aquarium, but then, I also had an AP at Sea World for many years, and I wasn't too enthralled with my one visit to the Aquarium.

However, your choice would pretty much depend on what you're interested in, since both places have a very different focus.

Sea World is going to pretty much take the whole day if you want to see everything they have to offer. They have a lot of exhibits but also shows, and there's a wider variety of things to see - killer whales, dolphins, sea otters, manatees, sharks, sea lions, walruses and lots of variety of fish at the aquariums.

Going off my memory - the Aquarium is much smaller and I think only has fish - I don't remember if they had sea otters or other mammals, but if they do, there aren't many of them. My main problem was that I thought the design was poor - only a couple people could see any one thing at once, so it made it difficult to see the various exhibits. I don't think the Aquarium is going to take up an entire day.

But with Sea World, you also have to figure in the extra driving time, since the Aquarium is much closer.

Sea World... hands down!! AOP is nice and for us really local but it's a 4 hour trip tops... it's just not very big so it gets crowded very easily. Sea World is much more spread out, lots more to do, more of a destination. Having said that, AOP has an amazing jelly fish exhibit.. really beautiful.

SeaWorld

And actually, I'd choose the San Diego Zoo over either in a heartbeat. But you didn't ask that question. :)



For some reason last night I wasnt even think of the Zoo! I have only ever been to the Phoenix Zoo!

Why would the Zoo be better than Sea World?

FDH and I want to have a fun filled day, outside of DL. We are looking for a different experience all together and something we can have a good time doing!

Because it is one of the very top class zoos in the world (that's THE whole world, not DWorld).

And nice as SeaWorld is, there is more than one of those and plenty of water theme parks in the world in general.

But don't even think about trying to do the Zoo and anything else in one day. The zoo is hard to do in a few days! But you can pick out a nice itinerary of things that suit you best to do in one day. (Polar bears Polar bears Polar bears; kid's zoo, kid's zoo, kid's zoo; gorillas, gorillas, gorillas; otters and monkeys, otters and monkeys, otters and monkeys--in one exhibit in the Ituri Forest area, playing together--it IS more fun than a barrel of monkeys!!!)

But you'll have fun at either place.

It's been ages (1980's) since I've been to Sea World. I can only imagine how much more there is to see now.

We are going to Discovery Cove for a day in November...DD and DH are going swimming with the dolphins. And with our Discovery Cove tickets we get Sea World passes for free...(14 days worth of passes). It's nice...but 14 days worth? :cool:

So we plan on Sea World after we visit Discovery Cove. I'm really interested visiting there...we love Aquariums and Zoos both. :fez:

I love Aquarium of the Pacific. It is mostly indoors and easy to see and cheaper than SeaWorld.

SeaWorld is an amusement park. It has wonderful aquariums, touch tanks for a variety of sea life including rays and tide pools, wide variety of dining options, skyway ride, sky tower, rollercoaster/water ride, shows, motion simulator, and more. It is one major experience that the whole family can enjoy whether a baby or a thrill seeking teen.

If I had the time, money, transportation, etc then I would choose SeaWorld any day. I love Aquarium of the Pacific very much for its small and personal feeling but nothing beats the SeaWorld entertainment that at times lasts over 12 hours in the summer.

So I was checking out Sea World some more and it has more than one park? Why would it need more than one park?

And with the Zoo, you couldnt do it in one day? But they combine animals into areas that would be easier to see? Could we see most of it if wee just walked fast?!

I am sorry if I seem so ignorant reguarding all this, we have never gone anywhere else other than DL. So I am not sure exactly what I should be asking:confused:

It's a really big zoo. Let me repeat. It's a REALLY BIG ZOO.

And it's on a hill. There is a bus/tour that will take you to the highlights and then you can go back and visit what you especially liked. There is also a hop on/hop off bus thing, that will help you get around the zoo faster. There is also a "skyfari" that is like the old Disney skyway that can help you get around the park and/or get a sense of the layout. But it's kind of like thinking you can do Disneyland all in one day. Technically, you can. But it may not be all that much fun and you may not retain much. Animals move on their own schedule. :) I'd rather do a little research, figure out what I most want to see, maybe take the bus tour to help me narrow it down once I got there, and then go in with the assumption I wouldn't see it all but I'd enjoy what I did see.

I *think* the reference to multiple parks at Sea World is for Sea World Orlando. Discovery Cove in Orlando is a more interactive piece of that Sea World that requires separate admission and has things like swim with the dolphins, etc. Sea World San Diego has some rides, multiple shows, lots of displays, a skyway, a sky tower, and more.

Sea World has what may be the worse theme park website I've ever seen! Worse than Disneyland. So hopefully a pro will be along to help you figure out that park if it's the one you choose. The zoo's website is more helpful.

Both parks offer margaritas! Both parks also offer the chance for hideous sunburn, with perhaps Sea World taking the lead because you sit in the sun for some shows. Wear a hat and copious sunscreen.

I was planning a Texas trip and it took me a long time to navigate the SeaWorld site. Heavy graphics and very confusing. That is why I have avoided it as my next trip and did DLR this time. I love the parks but do not want to spend a lot of time on a site that is graphics oriented.

The zoo also has an animal park in Escondido.

Chiming in with my 2 cents:

Aquarium of the Pacific: I currently have an annual pass and my little kids like it a lot. I get easily bored. "look - fish... look - more fish...." They also have a shark/sting ray petting area, a bird enclosure, and seals/sea lions. They have a tour of their backstage area (for extra $) a video in their theater (also extra $) and a fair number of presentations throughout the day where they feed the animals or explain something about what they're doing and why saving the planet is important. We haven't done most of the presentations because the little ones don't have the patience and as passholders we tend to think we'll maybe do it next time. I don't see it as a full-day excursion. That said, for my birthday my husband rented Segways from the mall across the street and that was pretty amazing. We cruised to the Queen Mary and then along the bike paths next to the beach. If you decide for whatever reason to do the Aquarium and can afford it, I would seriously recommend the Segway rental.

SeaWorld: I haven't been in ages. The last time we went to the one in Orlando, which I liked better than SeaWorld San Diego just because it had a kick-a* roller coaster. SeaWorld is much more of a theme park than an Aquarium. Why do they have more than one? Because they can? There are also shows and animals at SeaWorld, but the focus is much more on entertaining - or at least it was last time I was there.

San Diego Zoo: We just did this last weekend. I haven't been to the L.A. Zoo since 1984 but we drove the 2 1/2- 3 hours to go to the San Diego zoo (it helped that we had 2 free tickets). They have a bus tour (included in some tickets, otherwise $) that takes you through most of the zoo and lasts about 35 minutes. Included with the bus tour is a hop on/hop off bus that can take you back to areas you might want to see closer/slower such as the Pandas. The bus doesn't take you through the aviaries, reptile houses, or children's zoo. They also have several shows at set times. I think if you do the bus tour you can see it all in one day. I briefly looked up the Phoenix zoo and while I've never been there, it looks nice.

I'm sure you will enjoy whatever you decide to do. I look forward to reading your trip report.

Ok so sitting here talking to FDH about planning something other than DLR, he says Knotts!

Now I have never been to Knotts but, it doesnt seem like a very large park and I dont know if I could really spend a whole day there! I like coasters so we might go fo a bit

I am thinking of going towards Sea World. I love the idea of doing the Zoo but I dont know so much...
We love the beach and ocean life alot so thats why I am kind of leaning more towards Sea World for that reason. I think it could be kind of cool. I just wish I could navigate more easily around their site to view more.

Currence: when I asked about the multiple parks I thought it was something like DL where they have DL and DCA! Its very confussing!

I can honestly never figure out why people visiting California focus primarily on theme parks when we have great beaches, towns, shopping, mountains, missions, art, food, and so forth!

But that said...Knott's is not where I would spend my valuable and limited vacation time. IMO, your experiences at DL are likely to result in viewing that park in a less than favorable way. It's not that it's bad; it's just not that great.

If you are leaning toward Sea World, you might try a California tourist book from your library or browse one at the bookstore to help you make the most of a day. I also imagine they have their own fan sites, just as DL does.

Fair enough - and like bennette posted there are multiple parks in Orlando. I guess I was just channelling my response to all the people who ask me why I'm planning a trip to WDW when I have an annual pass to DL. If you want another dual gate theme park in Southern California, I think you're limited to Knotts/Soak City; Magic Mountain/their water park; or Legoland/their Aquarium (but I haven't been there since it opened, so I don't know just how close those gates are and without kids you really aren't the target demographic.)

Wow, add Universal and there really are a lot of choices for someone coming to Southern California for a visit!

I can honestly never figure out why people visiting California focus primarily on theme parks when we have great beaches, towns, shopping, mountains, missions, art, food, and so forth!



Oh we go to the beach every trip! We have been going to the same stretch of beach that is 30min from DL for the last 5 years. We are getting married on it in 18 days!!

We love the beach!

I will most likely do some more googling for Sea World info. I kind of refuse to go to Six Flags, its nothing personal just personal craziness!

Thanks for all your insights:D

Aquarium of the Pacific

Oh we go to the beach every trip! We have been going to the same stretch of beach that is 30min from DL for the last 5 years. We are getting married on it in 18 days!!

We love the beach!

I will most likely do some more googling for Sea World info. I kind of refuse to go to Six Flags, its nothing personal just personal craziness!

Thanks for all your insights:D

Sorry. My bad. I forgot, you have your own sea lion, right? I'm still waiting to hear where that beach is, so I can see him, too! :)

bennette!: From Disneyland to the beach: Take Harbor up to Manchester, make a U-turn. Take Harbor to New Port Blvd, make a Right. There is lots of parking on the street or a few places with metered parking or a grocery thats close there.

Thats the beach! I believe we go to the little stretch between 32nd St and 23rd St.

And yes, I do have my own sea lion, his name is Stanley.:D

Depending on your likes... have you thought about Universal Studios?

Aquarium of the Pacific is nice, but it will be full of kids on field trips between opening and about 1-2ish

Sea World is nice, I get bored there though, just never seems like there is that much to do

You could also visit Big Bear or Lake Arrowhead for the day (there might even be snow!) to have lunch, wander around the town and enjoy the snow, seeing as how there isnt much of that in Phoenix :-). It is not too long of a drive from Anaheim if you wait for traffic to die down around 9ish, no longer than Sea World anyways.

I would also choose Sea World.

bennette!: From Disneyland to the beach: Take Harbor up to Manchester, make a U-turn. Take Harbor to New Port Blvd, make a Right. There is lots of parking on the street or a few places with metered parking or a grocery thats close there.

Thats the beach! I believe we go to the little stretch between 32nd St and 23rd St.

And yes, I do have my own sea lion, his name is Stanley.:D

Sweet! So close to me!! I will keep an eye out for him. :)

Sea World has more aquariums as well as the animal shows. You really can spend the whole day there. Aquarium of the Pacific is an afternoon. It' just not that big.

Plus, San Diego has so much more to do in addition to Sea World. Just the restaurants alone make it worth it.