As much fun as theme parks like SeaWorld can be, at times, navigating through them can also be incredibly stressful, to say the least. This is especially true for guests with disabilities, whether physical conditions that make movement through large crowds or winding queue lines a vacation nightmare or developmental or cognitive challenges like autism that can result in a sensory overload from the craziness of it all. In short, what should be a dream destination has the potential to turn into a disaster quite quickly if you don’t come prepared.
That’s where SeaWorld Orlando’s Ride Accessibility Program and those at SeaWorld San Diego and SeaWorld San Antonio come in. In this comprehensive guide, we’ll dive into the details of this complimentary service, which is available to guests with disabilities of all kinds, from wheelchair users to children with autism. Along the way, you’ll learn everything you need to know to take advantage of the SeaWorld disability pass and make your trip as safe as it is fun for everyone, including program eligibility requirements, how to apply, where to get it and how to use it once you have it. Let’s get started!
What Is SeaWorld’s Ride Accessibility Program?
Similar to Disney Parks’ Disability Access Service and the Attraction Assistance Pass at Universal, the Ride Accessibility Program (RAP, for short) at SeaWorld theme parks was created to ensure that all guests, regardless of ability, are able to fully participate in everything the park has to offer while also making everyone’s safety the top priority. More specifically, for those with cognitive or sensory challenges or mobility issues who find waiting in line for extended periods of time difficult or even impossible, enrolling in RAP gives guests with disabilities access to the SeaWorld Special Access Program, allowing them to skip the standby queue for a ride and use a virtual queue or alternate entrance instead.
Ride Accessibility Program vs. Special Access Program: What’s the Difference?
We know what you’re thinking: The Ride Accessibility Program and Special Access Program sound pretty darn similar. What exactly is the difference?
Think of RAP as a matchmaking service for disabled guests and SeaWorld rides. Each attraction has its own set of physical and mental requirements based on its construction, thrill level and other factors. For example, rides like roller coasters not only have minimum height requirements but also, due to their intensity and typically restrictive seating, they might prohibit riders with larger body dimensions or physical accessories like a cast or prosthetic device. The Ride Accessibility Program takes into account both a rider’s physical and mental attributes and the safety restrictions for each attraction to assess whether they can safely experience a ride with or without special assistance or accommodations.
Along with things like a special harness, another accommodation provided is the Sea World Special Access Program. Available only for certain rides and exhibits, particularly those that are the most popular with the longest lines, this free service lets guests with disabilities experience an attraction without waiting in a long and probably very stress-inducing line. In some cases, this means boarding a ride directly through a separate entrance or, at busier times, being given a return time and waiting in a virtual queue until it’s your turn to go on. However, to take advantage of the Special Access Program, you will need to secure your Sea World disability pass through the Ride Accessibility Program first.
Who Is the Ride Accessibility Program at SeaWorld For?
Does SeaWorld’s Ride Accessibility Program seem like it could be a good fit for your group? Read on to find out if someone in your party applies.
Eligibility Criteria
Just like similar guest services at Walt Disney World, Disneyland Resort or Universal Studios, the Ride Accessibility Program at SeaWorld Orlando and other locations is available to guests with disabilities, either physical or cognitive, who are unable to wait in a conventional attraction queue for extended periods of time or experience an attraction without accommodations. This can mean everyone from wheelchair users with mobility challenges to children with autism who may find the close quarters and loud noises of a regular line to be overstimulating.
So, if you think that a lengthy wait time could cause undue discomfort or even potential harm to a member of your group or someone in your party would be unable to participate without additional assistance, then SeaWorld Orlando’s Ride Accessibility Program (or the similar service at SeaWorld San Diego or SeaWorld San Antonio ) is for you.
Companion Assistance
Many individuals with disabilities require the assistance of others, whether they are loading onto a ride or simply navigating through the theme park. Fortunately, not only does the Ride Accessibility Program accommodate guests with disabilities, but it also covers up to five additional party members, making it perfect for the whole family or a group of friends visiting SeaWorld Orlando and SeaWorld San Diego together. (In contrast, for those visiting SeaWorld San Antonio, the number of allowed RAP guests, in addition to the rider with disabilities, varies from ride to ride, ranging from one to five accompanying guests.)
Service animals (trained dogs or miniature horses only) are also permitted at SeaWorld Parks nationwide, provided that they are house-broken and are kept on a leash or harness throughout the visit. In addition to shows and animal exhibits, assistance animals are even allowed to accompany their handler on certain rides (although it isn’t necessarily recommended, as a service animal could find an attraction’s movements unpleasant). They include:
SeaWorld Orlando
- Abby’s Flower Tower
- Elmo’s Choo Choo Train
- Paddle Boats
- SkyTower
- Slimey’s Slider
- Sunny Day Carousel
SeaWorld San Diego
- Aqua Scout
- Bayside Skyride
- Rescue Rafter
- Skytower
SeaWorld San Antonio
- Big Bird’s Spinning Reef
- Grovers Round-Up
- Rio Loco
Invisible Disabilities: Autism and Beyond
While they might not be as easily seen as a prosthesis, cast, neck brace or wheelchair, hidden conditions like autism or severe anxiety disorders can also qualify a guest for the Ride Accessibility Program that SeaWorld offers at its parks in Orlando, San Diego and San Antonio. Remember, enrollment in RAP is dependent on both physical and mental attributes. So, if your condition or that of someone else in your group would be negatively impacted by waiting in a long line, or if an invisible disability makes it impossible to do so without considerable discomfort, don’t hesitate to talk to Guest Services about getting a SeaWorld disability pass.
For those visiting SeaWorld Orlando, particularly guests with autism, you will also definitely want to stop by Sesame Street Land. While all of SeaWorld is committed to providing a safe, welcoming and enjoyable environment for guests of all abilities, this playful part of the Central Florida park is actually a Certified Autism Center, having partnered with the International Board of Credentialing and Continuing Education Standards (IBCCES) to accommodate guests with disabilities like autism through specialized services, like a quiet room, and specially trained staff. Other SeaWorld Parks locations across the country have also earned the designation of a Certified Autism Center, including Discovery Cove in Orlando and Sesame Place in San Diego.
How Do You Get a SeaWorld Disability Pass?
So, you or someone in your group checks all the boxes for SeaWorld’s Ride Accessibility Program. Great! Now, how do you go about getting your disability pass?
Start Your Visit at Guest Services
After you get to the park (remember that disabled parking is also available right next to the main entrance), your very first stop should be the Guest Relations office. Typically, Guest Services is located near the front of the theme park, though the exact location varies from park to park.
- At SeaWorld Orlando – In the line of buildings just inside the main entrance on the left-hand side
- At SeaWorld San Diego – On the right-hand side, just after the main entrance
- At SeaWorld San Antonio – On the right-hand side, just after the security checkpoint
Once there, all you need to do is talk with a Guest Services ambassador about your or your loved one’s disability (or disabilities) and what the park can do to accommodate you, whether that means avoiding lines, the potential use of alternative ride restraints, utilizing a stroller as a wheelchair or other accommodations. Should you qualify, you will then be given your SeaWorld disability pass.
If you have any questions or concerns prior to your arrival, you can also reach out to the relevant Guest Relations office in advance.
- For SeaWorld Orlando – Call (407) 545-5550 or email Guest Correspondence at [email protected]
- At SeaWorld San Diego – Call (619) 222-4SEA (4732) or email [email protected]
- At SeaWorld San Antonio – Call (210) 520-4SEA (4732) or email [email protected]
For SeaWorld San Diego and SeaWorld San Antonio, you can even get a jumpstart on your request by filling out a Ride Accessibility Program questionnaire before your visit. Then, all you need to do is take the completed form to Guest Services when you arrive. In exchange, you’ll receive a list of rides and other attractions that are best suited to you and your group, as well as your disability pass. (Here are the links to the SeaWorld San Diego and SeaWorld San Antonio ride questionnaires.)
Is a Doctor’s Note Required?
Nope! No matter if you’re visiting SeaWorld Orlando, San Diego or San Antonio, this wild theme park is very friendly to guests with disabilities. So, no doctor’s note or other proof of disability is required to be eligible for the Ride Accessibility Program. That said, when talking to someone at Guest Services at the beginning of your day, you should be prepared to provide details on your specific needs and how SeaWorld’s disability pass can assist you during your visit.
How Does the Ride Accessibility Program at SeaWorld Work?
Now that you have your RAP sheet (and by that, we mean your Ride Accessibility Program disability pass, not a criminal record—just in case there’s any confusion) in hand, how do you go about using it?
Where Can You Use a Disability Pass at SeaWorld?
First, we should clarify where you can’t gain special access with the Ride Accessibility Program. As the service’s name suggests, the SeaWorld disability pass cannot be used for restaurant lines, special events, live shows, character meet-and-greets or the checkout lines in gift shops. However, it does allow you to avoid waiting in a traditional line for SeaWorld rides, saving you both time and stress.
To figure out where you want to go, you should refer to your personalized list of recommended rides given to you at Guest Services. This will outline which attractions are a match for the physical and mental condition of the disable individual with in your group. Keep in mind that while all attractions can accommodate guests with disabilities (as long as you fit their basic requirements and can use any available accommodations), the process of utilizing a SeaWorld disability pass to experience a ride varies from attraction to attraction.
For smaller attractions—like those in Sesame Street Land in Seaworld Orlando, Rescue Jr. in SeaWorld San Diego or Sesame Street Bay of Play in SeaWorld San Antonio—all you need to do is go to the ride entrance/exit (just look for the disabled access sign) with your RAP sheet and let an attendant know that you want to go on. Depending on how busy it is, you may be able to ride right away or be asked to wait for one or three ride cycles before your turn to board. This is also how you should proceed for any rides at SeaWorld San Antonio.
For larger attractions at SeaWorld Orlando and SeaWorld San Diego (think Journey to Atlantis, Manta or other thrill rides), make your way to the attraction’s entrance and show the ride ambassador your SeaWorld disability pass. If there is no one there, head to the RAP location highlighted on your pass instead. During busier periods, you and your group will join a virtual queue, receiving a future boarding time based on the ride’s current estimated wait time, which will be written on your RAP sheet. While you wait, you will then be free to spend your time however you want, whether going on other rides, checking out the animal exhibits, decompressing for a bit in the quiet room or getting a bite to eat (SeaWorld All-Day Dining for the win!).
RAP rides that typically have a virtual queue include:
SeaWorld Orlando
- Ice Breaker
- Infinity Falls
- Journey to Atlantis
- Kraken
- Mako
- Manta
- Penguin Trek (Coming 2024!)
- Pipeline: The Surf Coaster
SeaWorld San Diego
- Arctic Rescue
- Electric Eel
- Emperor
- Journey to Atlantis
- Manta
- Shipwreck Rapids
Can You Have Multiple Ride Return Times at Once?
Sorry, but no. You are only allowed to have one active return time on your Ride Accessibility Program sheet at once. On busier days for more popular attractions, this can mean that you are stuck with a considerable wait before it’s your turn. In this case, you may want to consider splurging on the park’s Quick Queue service, which lets you skip the line at SeaWorld’s most in-demand rides and save a ton of time. Priced at as much as $79.99 or more per person at SeaWorld Orlando, Quick Queue doesn’t come cheap. However, it can be worth the cost for guests who are hoping to experience as many rides as possible during their visit.
It’s Your Time to Go On. What Happens Now?
Once your return time arrives, you have 30 minutes to make it back to the attraction for your turn to go on. Then, depending on the ride you’re going on, enter the attraction through either the Quick Queue line (keep an eye out for a possible ADA-assisted access sign) or the exit and inform the ride ambassador.
Be aware that, along with the guest with disabilities, the only other riders permitted to experience the attraction with the Ride Accessibility Program are the number of additional guests listed on the RAP sheet. At SeaWorld Orlando and SeaWorld San Diego, a maximum of five additional riders are allowed to accompany disabled guests on rides. While at SeaWorld San Antonio, the number of additional guests allowed ranges from one to five, depending on the attraction. Everyone else in your group outside of the maximum will have to use the standby line (or the Quick Queue entrance for those who opt to upgrade their trip).
For everything you need to know about, including specific attraction requirements and ride access information, refer to the dedicated RAP guide for whichever park you’re heading to.
- SeaWorld Orlando’s Ride Accessibility Program guide
- SeaWorld San Diego’s Ride Accessibility Program guide
- SeaWorld San Antonio’s Ride Accessibility Program guide
We hope that we answered any questions you had about the SeaWorld Parks disability pass. Have you ever used this complimentary Guest Relations service? Let us know in the comments! Then, find out how you can make your SeaWorld visit even more enjoyable with discounted tickets. Looking to save on admission to other theme parks? We also offer discounts to destinations like the Disney and Universal parks, too.
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