Is SeaWorld All-Day Dining Worth It?

Spending the day at SeaWorld can mean costly food and beverage expenses, especially for a big family. To ease this burden for guests, the Orlando and San Diego SeaWorld all-day dining upgrade is available.

What is Orlando and San Diego SeaWorld all-day dining?

SeaWorld’s all-day dining is an upgrade you can purchase separately from park admission. It lets you eat your way through the park as soon as you enter until closing.

Once you arrive or purchase an all-day dining pass, an attendant will put a scannable wristband on you. This wristband is your key to redeeming your meals at participating restaurants and cafes scattered throughout the park.

An adult meal includes one entree platter, one side or dessert, and one soft beverage or iced tea. Children with an all-day dining wristband can redeem a kids meal every 90 minutes.

What is the all-day dining cost at SeaWorld?

The online price for the SeaWorld all-day dining deal is $49.99 per adult (ages 10 and older) and $24.99 per child (ages 3-9). The cost is the same whether you’re visiting the Orlando or San Diego location. Additionally, some SeaWorld annual pass holders receive a discount on the all-day dining upgrade.

The dining upgrade can be purchased online ahead of your visit or inside the park.

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Eligible restaurants

As of this writing, you can use your all-day dining wristband at the following locations:

SeaWorld, San Diego

• Explorer’s Cafe.

• Calypso Bay Smokehouse.

• Hibisco Modern Mexican.

• Manta Pizza.

• The Chicken Snack Shack.

• Shipwreck Reef Cafe.

SeaWorld, Orlando

• Voyager's Smokehouse.

• Expedition Cafe.

• Captain Pete's Island Hot Dogs.

• Seafire Grill.

• Lakeside Grill.

• Altitude Burger.

• Panini Shore Cafe.

• Waterway Grill.

Restaurants and cafes included in this dining upgrade change without notice.

Pros and cons: SeaWorld all-day dining upgrade

Consider these pros and cons to decide whether the SeaWorld dining pass is worth it for you.

Pros:

• Easily pays for itself. If you plan on visiting the park for a full day and expect to dine at least a couple of times, you’ll likely save money on food and beverages.

• Can try different cuisines. The all-day dining plan is valid at a variety of restaurants and cafes, all of which offer something that appeals to all taste buds. Whether you’re craving barbecue, burgers or hot dogs, you can get them for one flat price.

• It’s convenient. There’s no need to fumble with your wallet or your phone for tap-to-pay at the registers. Just scan your all-day dining wristband.

Cons:

• Long checkout lines. There’s a specific checkout line to redeem all-day dining meals at participating restaurants and cafes. Sometimes lines can be long, which can be frustrating if you’re also juggling kids, are waiting under the hot sun or are just plain hangry. 

• Restricted beverages. It’s not surprising that alcohol isn’t included as a beverage option for the all-day dining plan. However, it also doesn’t include bottled water, which can be limiting for those who don’t drink soda or other sugary beverages.

• Sharing meals isn’t allowed. SeaWorld’s all-day dining policy prohibits guests from sharing meals with other guests ages 3 and up.

• Doesn’t include special dining experiences. All-day dining is only available at select restaurants. It’s not valid at experiences like Dine with Orcas and Breakfast with Orcas.

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Is all-day dining at SeaWorld worth it?

Figuring out whether SeaWorld’s all-day dining is worth it depends on your dining preferences. However, in terms of cost, you can quickly recoup what you paid for all-day dining.

For example, let’s say you dine at Calypso Bay Smokehouse, which is an all-day dining restaurant. An adult tri-tip entree with mac and cheese costs about $20.99, without a beverage.

That’s already nearly half the cost of SeaWorld all-day dining. If you plan on eating a full meal at the park at least two times, you’ll likely make back the cost you spent on this upgrade. Plus, you’ll have the option to redeem more meals or beverages throughout the day, if you’re feeling peckish or parched.

Ultimately, consider how much the individuals in your party are realistically going to eat during your visit. If your child, for example, is a low-volume eater who typically doesn’t finish their entire meal in one sitting, purchasing all-day dining for them might not make sense.