Welcome to SeaWorld San Diego. This guide has been created to ensure an enjoyable experience for our guests with disabilities and for their family and friends. This guide also includes information for guests who use assistance animals. The guide is intended to supplement the SeaWorld San Diego map. SeaWorld is committed to providing enjoyment for all guests who visit the park. Our commitment is to provide equal access to guests with disabilities. We will make every effort to accommodate you and ensure that you enjoy your visit here with us.

Information about SeaWorld can be obtained at Guest Relations located just inside the park to the right of the Main Entrance. SeaWorld Team Members throughout the park are also available for assistance. If your guest becomes separated from his/her group, contact any SeaWorld Team Member immediately.

Safety and convenience have been designed into all areas of SeaWorld. While most shows, gift shops, food facilities, park information and rides are accessible to wheelchairs, certain areas cannot accommodate non-ambulatory guests. At some park locations, guests utilizing wheelchairs may need to be assisted onto a fixed seat. Please keep in mind that SeaWorld San Diego personnel are ready and able to help a guest, however, they are neither trained nor permitted to physically lift a guest. Should it be required guests with a disability requiring this assistance should plan to visit SeaWorld San Diego with someone who can physically help.

• ASSISTANCE ANIMALS
• PET FACILITY
• SPECIAL TOURS
• ASL INTERPRETATION
• GENERAL INFORMATION
• RIDE ACCESSIBILITY
• SHOWS
• EXHIBIT ACCESSIBILITY
• ADDITIONAL SERVICES
• ENJOY YOUR DAY!
• SAFE RETURN© AT SEAWORLD

ASSISTANCE ANIMALS

Assistance animals are welcome at SeaWorld San Diego. The following guidelines will help you enjoy your visit with your assistance animal.

All assistance animals must remain on a leash or harness at all times and you may not leave your assistance animal unattended. Assistance animals must remain a reasonable distance from SeaWorld marine life and other animals. This is best accomplished by maintaining a minimum of six feet between your assistance animal and the park animals. You are responsible for controlling your assistance animal's behavior. If at any time your animal's behavior becomes a threat to the safety or well being of our guests, you will be asked to leave the facility or board your animal in our kennel.

An assistance animal relief area is located next to the Bayside Skyride. Please make your best effort to take your assistance animal to this designated area when relief is needed. Remember, you are responsible for cleaning up after your assistance animal.


PET FACILITY

SeaWorld provides a pet facility for a nominal charge on a first-come, first-serve basis. SeaWorld is not responsible for the pet.

Please refer to additional sections of this guide for specific answers to access information for your assistance animal.


SPECIAL TOURS

Special Education Tours: Tours are provided to special education groups (two weeks notice required), ages preschool through adult, with physical and developmental disabilities. Education instructors act as facilitators for the groups as they experience the park.


ASL INTERPRETATION

ASL Saturday - On the first Saturday of each month, SeaWorld offers American Sign Language interpretation of select shows and exhibit narrations. Upon entering the park, guests should visit Guest Relations, located just inside and to the right of the Main Entrance, to receive a schedule of all interpreted shows and narrations.

Interpretation for additional programs - SeaWorld can provide ASL interpreters for Guided Tours, Dine With Shamu, and the Dolphin Interaction program. We request two weeks notice in order to prepare for your visit. For more information or to request an interpreter, call (619) 225-3273 or email swc.asl@seaworld.com.

Click here for general show descriptions.


GENERAL INFORMATION

Parking - Accessible parking for non-ambulatory limited guests is available in the SeaWorld parking lot directly across from the Main Entrance on a first-come, first-serve basis. The disabled parking lot is enforced by the San Diego Police Department. Any vehicle parked in a Disabled parking spot must have a valid Disabled License plate or a valid Disabled Placard properly displayed in the window. SeaWorld cannot issue or authorize temporary disabled parking.

Getting around the park - SeaWorld park information and starting times are planned so that guests traveling through the park can view park information consecutively. Guest Relations can assist you in planning your route.

Wheelchair Rental and Use - Wheelchairs, both manual and electric, may be rented for a nominal fee at the Stroller building, located just inside SeaWorld's Main Entrance. A limited number of electric wheelchairs are available on a first-come, first-served basis.

TTD is available at Guest Relations located just inside the main entrance. 1-800-TD-Shamu - The Shamu Information Line, allows users of Telecommunication Devices for the Deaf to get answers to their marine life questions.

First Aid - Our first aid station is located at the Exit Plaza next to Cap'n Kids Photo and the exit gates. Registered nurses and emergency medical technicians staff this station. SeaWorld Team Members throughout the park are more than happy to contact the first-aid staff or direct you to the First Aid Station if necessary.

Dining - All dining areas are accessible. For restaurants with queuing areas, disabled guests may enter through the exit areas. Assistance animals are allowed in all eating areas. A word of caution, our open-air restaurant seating is often visited by aggressive seagulls.

Restrooms - Most restrooms are wheelchair accessible. Assisted restrooms are located at the Main Entrance by Guest Relations and by the Dolphin Interaction Program.

Gift Shops - All gift shops are fully accessible. Gift Shop Team Members are happy to assist.


RIDE ACCESSIBILITY

Please review additional ride information in this guide to determine if you feel the ride experience is appropriate for you or your assistance animal. Although assistance animals are discouraged from riding any ride, your assistance animal will be permitted on the Sky Tower, Skyride, Shipwreck Rapids and Wild Arctic, but may not accompany you on Journey To Atlantis. If your animal does not ride, we suggest that while you experience the ride, the animal should be left with a non-rider. The guest who waited with the animal may then board the ride without waiting in line once the first guest assumes responsibility of the animal.

Journey To Atlantis – This ride, by its very nature, creates forces and speeds that may not be acceptable to some persons and may cause injury to some riders with pre-existing conditions. All guests should enter through the main queue entrance. Guests must be capable of lifting themselves from their wheelchairs onto and off of the ride. Those with any impairment or condition that would prevent normal seating or use of the restraints as provided shall not ride. Assistance animals are not permitted to ride Journey To Atlantis.

Wild Arctic - This ride, by its very nature, creates forces that may not be acceptable to some persons and may cause injury to some riders with pre-existing conditions. All guests should enter through the main entrance. You will be given the option of enjoying the Wild Arctic experience in the motion cabin or non-motion theater. The motion cabin requires that guests have upper body control and be capable of lifting themselves from their wheelchairs onto and off of the ride. The non-motion theater allows complete wheelchair accessibility and can accommodate several wheelchairs at a time. Three point harnesses and assisted listening devices are available upon request. If you choose to experience Wild Arctic with your assistance animal, you will be given your own row in the cabin. If you have an assistance animal request, please see the Wild Arctic flight crew.

Bayside Skyride - Guests with wheelchairs should enter the ride through the rear exit. The nature of this ride requires that guests have upper body control and be capable of lifting themselves from their wheelchairs onto and off of the ride. Assistance animals are welcome to enjoy this ride.

Skytower - The Skytower is fully accessible, however, only one wheelchair on each of the two cabin levels can be accommodated per ride. If you choose to ride the Skytower with your assistance animal, you will be given your own cabin level.

Shipwreck Rapids - This ride, by its very nature, creates forces and speeds that may not be acceptable to some persons and may cause injury to some riders with pre-existing conditions. Guests with wheelchairs should enter through the main entrance. The nature of this ride requires that guests have upper body control and be capable of lifting themselves from their wheelchairs onto and off of the ride. Guests must be able to hold onto the center ring of the raft during the ride. Guests must be physically able to climb 15 steps or a ladder in the event of an emergency evacuation. Assistance animals are permitted to ride Shipwreck Rapids. We realize that every guest has different abilities and limitations, and may not be completely knowledgeable about our operation and the nature of our rides. To assist our guests, we encourage them to visit the Guest Relations office to obtain a list of rides they can safely ride.

Sesame Street Bay of Play -
Guests with wheelchairs should enter the rides through their respective exit gates. The nature of these rides requires that disabled guests have upper body control and are capable of lifting themselves (or be accompanied by a capable responsible companion) from their wheelchairs onto and off the rides. Assistance animals are not permitted to ride. Children should be assisted by an escort while interacting with play elements at the Bay of Play.

There are no age restrictions at the Bay of Play area. The three new rides require children under 48 inches to be accompanied by a Supervising Companion (a Supervising Companion is a person over 14 years of age). Hand held infants may not ride these rides. Some of the Play Area elements have no height restrictions, but the ones that do vary according to the individual characteristics of that element.


SHOWS

All stadiums and park information have designated wheelchair seating available on a first-come, first-served basis. Due to the proximity of the animals performing in Pets Rule!, guests with assistance animals will be directed to available seating away from the area where the animals will be performing. A word of caution, there are many seats marked "Soak Zone". Do not sit in these areas unless you and your assistance animal are prepared to get very wet.

Hearing-Impaired Guests - On the first Saturday of each month, SeaWorld offers American Sign Language interpretation of select shows and exhibit narrations. Upon entering the park, guests should visit Guest Relations, located just inside and to the right of the Main Entrance; to receive a schedule of all interpreted shows and narrations.


EXHIBIT ACCESSIBILITY

Penguin Encounter
A moving sidewalk is in place to take guests along the window to view the penguins. We recommend that guests using wheelchairs and those with assistance animals experience the exhibit from the viewing area above the walkway. If you choose to use the moving sidewalk, please note that the moving sidewalk can only accommodate wheelchairs up to 24" wide.

Shark Encounter
A moving walkway is the only way to exit Shark Encounter. If you choose to use the walkway, please use caution with your assistance animal. Guests using wheelchairs must be assisted by someone capable of pushing the wheelchair on and off the walkway. We recommend that guests using wheelchairs or assistance animals, refrain from using the moving walkway and exit the exhibit by walking back towards the entrance. If you need assistance while experiencing this exhibit, please ask the attendant located at the exhibit entrance.


ADDITIONAL SERVICES

• Immediate access to Security staff by contacting any SeaWorld Team member.
• On-site medical staff for any medical needs.
• Escort assistance for senior tours.
• Strollers for young children.

ENJOY YOUR DAY!

We hope your visit to SeaWorld is enjoyable. If at anytime during your visit you have questions or concerns, please visit a First Aid facility and a Medical Services team member will be happy to assist you.

If you would like to offer feedback regarding this guide, or have suggestions about how we can more effectively accommodate guests with disabilities, please stop by Guest Relations and let us know.

SeaWorld San Diego Guest Relations
500 SeaWorld Dr.
San Diego, CA 92019
Or email us at SWC.GuestRelations@SeaWorld.com


SAFE RETURN© AT SEAWORLD

SeaWorld, in collaboration with the Alzheimer's Association has developed procedures to assist families when a young child or a person who is physically/mentally challenged or memory-impaired is lost in the park. These procedures are based on SAFE RETURN, a national program of the Alzheimer's Association.