Family Fun at SeaWorld Parks

Just because summer is (almost) behind us, doesn’t mean family travel should come to a halt. Coast-to-coast, SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment is offering great getaways for the cooler days ahead, from family-friendly to frightening Halloween events.

Here’s the lineup across the nation:

• SeaWorld Orlando is offering guests silly and spooky fun every weekend in October at SeaWorld’s Halloween Spooktacular. This daytime event will have families immersed in an underwater “fantasea” filled with trick-or-treating, whimsical pumpkin fish, sea-themed arts and crafts, and animal experiences. Halloween Spooktacular takes place from noon to 8 p.m. and is included in the park admission. Guests save when booking the Kids Free at SeaWorld Getaway at any of SeaWorld’s official partner hotels. This package offers one complimentary children’s admission to SeaWorld with each paid adult. For more information, visit seaworldorlando.com or seaworldgetaways.com.
• SeaWorld San Diego’s own Halloween Spooktacular invites kids to dress in costume and trick-or-treat around 10 sea-themed stations (trick-or-treat bags are provided). Families can also take in Halloween-themed shows including Clyde & Seamore’s Spooky Adventure at the Sea Lion and Otter Stadium, and Seasame Street’s Countdown to Halloween at the Sesame Street Bay of Play. Halloween events take place Saturdays and Sundays, Sept. 27-28, Oct. 4-5, Oct. 11-12, Oct. 18-19, and Oct. 25-26, and is included with the park admission. Throughout the month of October, kids ages 3 to 9 are free with one paid adult admission; the same offer is valid at Dine with Shamu. Kids ages 10 to 12 can also participate in a complimentary SeaWorld’s Dolphin and Beluga Interaction Program with one paid adult. To book dining and animal experiences, call (800) 257-4268 or visit seaworldsandiego.com.

• SeaWorld San Antonio’s Howl-O-Scream offers a bit more of a thrill with a new haunted maze, two new “terror-tories” and 10 frightening attractions. Howl-O-Scream features two new creepy areas, Psycho Path and Ports of Skull, as patients from “ICU: Intensive Cursed Unit” roam freely around the area. This night-time attraction, for guests 13 and older, starts at 7 p.m. on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays, Sept. 26 – Oct. 31. During the day, families can experience kid-friendly entertainment with Countdown to Halloween at Seasame Street Bay of Play and aboard the SeaWorld Express, a festive Halloween train ride. These family-friendly activities start at noon on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays, Sept. 26 – Oct. 31, and Monday, Oct. 13.  Guests can save on a year filled with adventure when purchasing the 2015 Fall for Free Fun Card, which allows unlimited admission now through Sept. 7, 2015. For more information, visit howloscream.com/tx or seaworldsanantonio.com.
• Busch Gardens Tampa’s Howl-O-Scream event returns with unexpected terrors with undead creatures lurk throughout the park, an all-new haunted house, plus an interactive experience that tests guests’ skills and places them in the sights of an undead mob. Opening Friday and Saturday, Sept. 26 and 27, the event also runs Thursday through Saturday nights, Oct. 2 – Nov. 1, and Sunday, Oct. 19, from 7:30 p.m. to 1 a.m. Howl-O-Scream is a separate ticketed night event for an older audience; costumes are not permitted. VIP Tour packages include event admission, a tour guide, and a choice of three levels of special treatment. All tours include commemorative photos, merchandise discounts, and complimentary beverages. Rates start at $99; and Busch Gardens Tampa Pass Member discounts are also available. The Front Line Fear package allows guests to guide themselves through the park with front-of-the-line perks, starting at $45, while the Fright Feast pass gives guests 30-minute early access to the new haunted houses and front-of-the-line privileges until 8:30 p.m. for $26 pp. This year, guests can purchase Howl-O-Scream admission and Fright Feast passes together for Friday nights at $75 pp. For more information, visit howloscream.com.

• Busch Gardens Williamsburg’s Howl-O-Scream features five “terror-tories,” shows including Monster Stop on Ripper Row, and six haunted houses. Families visiting during the day can take in the park with a fall harvest twist, but when the sun sets, the fearful fun begins at 6 p.m. (not suitable for younger guests). Howl-O-Scream starts Sept. 12 and runs through Oct. 26, and is included in the park admission. Guests who book the Play by Day, Fright by Night package starting at $45 pp, receive Fall Fun Cards for unlimited admission to Howl-O-Scream, dining certificates, and choice of hotel accommodations. For more information, visit buschgardens.com/va or howloscream.com/va.
• Seasame Place’s The Count’s Halloween Spooktacular in Langhorne, PA., encourages families to come dressed in costume and gives guests a not-too-spooky attraction, as well as rides including the new Cookie Monster Land, which features five rides, a three-story net climb, a soft toddler play area, and two new Halloween-themed shows. On Sunday, Oct. 26, guests can participate in a Halloween costume contest. Halloween Spooktacular opens Saturdays and Sundays, Sept. 20 through Oct. 26, and Friday, Sept. 26. The Not-Too-Spooky Getaway package includes a minimum 1-night stay at a participating Sesame Place partner hotel; two Any Day tickets with a second complimentary visit; a choice of two add-on items; one day complimentary general parking; discounted admission to Shady Brook Farm’s Pumpkin Fest; and an optional complimentary kid’s breakfast or lunch with Elmo & Friends (with the purchase of an adult meal), for bookings made by Oct. 26, 2014 and arrival dates Sept. 20 through Oct. 26. Both visits may be used through Dec. 31, 2014. For more information, visit sesameplace.com.