There’s lots to experience at SeaWorld this Christmas!

With festive food, fun entertainment and great live shows in a winter wonderland setting, what more can you wish for this Christmas? Fortunately you can experience all of this and more at SeaWorld’s annual Christmas Celebration, which runs on select dates between 17th November and 31st December.

There is plenty to see and do this Christmas at SeaWorld, so make sure that you arrive early and see all of the regular attractions that the park has to offer before the evening events start! As the sun starts to set, more than three million festive lights will start to twinkle and Christmas carols will fill the air!

Why not start by exploring the lively Christmas Market, along the Bayside Pathway? Take a stroll and be tempted by the delicious smells of s’mores, doughnuts, popcorn, hot chocolate and a range of other yummy seasonal treats! With both savoury and sweet offerings available you won’t go hungry. You can even sip on a tasty holiday craft brew near the fire pit and watch the musicians perform their renditions of a range of seasonal music on the Gazebo Stage nearby. Have your camera at the ready to grab a photo with the playful elves, laugh at the antics of the Christmas Council comedy team and marvel at the model railway village scene. There is so much to do and see, but don’t forget to pick up some special festive gifts from the stalls to take back home! If you can’t find what you are looking for, head to the seaport-inspired Waterfront area of the park, near to the Seaport Theater for more unique shopping opportunities. If you time your visit just right you’ll even see the snow blowing around you in a wintry flurry!

There are several amazing shows that you will want to see during the Christmas Celebration; some of which have proved so popular previously that they have returned to enchant a whole new audience this year! While you are next to the Seaport Theater, pop in to catch Elmo’s Christmas Wish; perfect seasonal entertainment for all of the family, and one that the younger members of your group are bound to love. Join Elmo and his Sesame Street friends Cookie Monster, Grover, Rosita and Zoe as they help him to find his Christmas wish in a fun musical adventure!

Even the sea lions are getting in the festive spirit over at Sea Lion and Otter Stadium! Join sea lions Clyde and Seamore, as well as several of their otter friends, an elf and a walrus for the comedic trappings of Clyde and Seamore’s Countdown to Christmas. The whales that famously live at SeaWorld aren’t being overshadowed by the park’s other residents during the Christmas Celebration! Make sure you get a seat for Shamu Christmas Miracles, over at the Shamu Stadium where the majestic orcas put on their signature holiday show to live seasonal music, with on-screen Christmas graphics and colourful lighting helping to make this a truly spectacular display!

Learn the true meaning of Christmas at the Nautilus Stadium, where the Nativity is told in the O Wondrous Night show. With the use of actors, life-size puppets and accompanied by more than 30 carols, the story of Jesus’ birth is told from the perspective of each animal who was there at the time. With a whole heavenly host of angels and animals, this is a heart-warming rendition of the Nativity story that is sure to put you in the Christmas spirit!

As you walk around the park throughout your visit, take time to admire the Sea of Trees, a forest-like scene filled with more than 100 sparkling trees – including one large centrepiece towering 70ft above the park’s central lake. These lights all twinkle in time with the holiday music piped out around you and reflect on the water in a shimmering Christmas display, that immerses you in a truly magical wintry wonderland! You’ll be able to get a great view of the trees over the lake from the Bayside Stadium, where the Winter Wonderland on Ice is bound to take your breath away! Watch in awe as talented figure skaters whizz around the ice putting on a show-stopping display to classical Christmas tunes.

If you are keen to greet any of the park’s special Christmas-time residents, head into Rudolph’s ChristmasTown and meet with the enchanting characters from the classic 1964 TV show Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, an American seasonal family staple. Take this chance to strike a pose and get a photo with them! For more festive photo opportunities why not head to the frozen north of Wild Arctic? Here you will be able to meet with Father Christmas in his polar residence. The kids will love sharing their Christmas wishes with Saint Nick and it’s a great chance to make memories that you can treasure long after your holiday is over.

Although the Christmas Celebration only runs until 31st December, guests to SeaWorld on 1st - 6th January will experience the Three Kings Celebration, a Latin American tradition of marking the 6th January (also known as Epiphany) which is the day that the Three Wise Men gave their gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh to the infant Jesus.

Enjoy some classic Latin-inspired dishes and drinks prepared especially for the Celebration, including delicious empanadas, mini papas rellenas, frozen sangria, and plenty more to tempt your taste buds! You can even treat yourself to a traditional Puerto Rican feast at the full-service restaurant Sharks Underwater Grill!

Take this extended opportunity to see the Sea of Trees and the O Wondrous Night show, as well as watch the amazing Three Kings Processional – complete with camels – where the Kings make their way through the park before taking to the stage. Listen to the storyteller narrating the tale of their journey and sharing the traditions of the holiday.

As you can see, SeaWorld has an amazing range of things to see and do this Christmas; if you are attending make sure you plan your time wisely and catch all of the shows that you are most keen on seeing. To avoid any disappointments there are additional upgrade packages available which will ensure that you can reserve seating; check the SeaWorld website for more information.

Christmas Celebration dates:

• November: 17, 18, 23, 24, 25
• December: 1, 2, 8, 9, 14, 15, 16, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31

We’d love to see your photos of your Christmas SeaWorld adventure, and hear any tips that you have for your fellow travellers! Which show was your favourite? Get in touch on our social media channels!