Spooktacular at SeaWorld: A Full Event Review

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The Spooktacular at SeaWorld is the perfect way to get into that Halloween spirit. After all, it’s that wonderful time of the year- the kick-off to the Holiday Season, the Spooky Fun for Everyone, the time for ghoulish goodies and fun Costumes… HALLOWEEN !

Stay tuned for Spooktacular dates for 2024.

While SeaWorld San Diego is known for its amazing animals, encounter experiences, and attractions, there is a lot more that goes on around the holidays.

What better way to experience Halloween than to enjoy a Halloween-themed experience at one of your favorite places? The Spooktacular at SeaWorld in San Diego is included with general park admission (plus the small cost of a trick-or-treat bag if you want to trick-or-treat). This Halloween event is on select days at SeaWorld San Diego from mid-September through October 31st.

Most of the SeaWorld Halloween Spooktacular-specific festivities are located in the back of the park, behind Shipwreck Rapid and Manta, right before The Water Front and Bayside Skyride. They occur late morning through park closing and really get you into that Halloween spirit. Just remember, at 7 pm the park closes off so the Howl-O-Scream special event attendees can enjoy their scares- this extra event is geared towards adults and has an extra cost.

We have season passes to SeaWorld San Diego and have been able to go to SeaWorlds Halloween Spooktacular several times over the years. Every time has been so much fun! I even switched out the girls’ costumes when we go more than once in a year so they can get more use out of SeaWorlds Spooktacular Halloween party.

Don’t have a season pass, but want to enjoy the park? Check out our affiliate, Get Away Today for San Diego SeaWorld Discount Tickets.

Let’s take a look at what SeaWorld San Diego offers at their Halloween event:

Kids’ Trick or Treat Candy Trail

What’s a Halloween party without ghoulish goodies? There is a lineup of 8 candy stations. You do need to buy SeaWorld Halloween Spooktacular Candy Trail Bag ($3.99, or $2.99 for season pass members) to Trick-or-Treat on this trail, but it is so worth it to see the kids’ eyes light up as treats drop into their adorable SeaWorld-themed bag.

Not a bad price for candy, and it’s a reusable souvenir.

You can also spend a bit more and purchase a Halloween Treat Bucket, then use that instead of the bag.

Trick-or-Treat Trail Times for 2022

• 12pm-Park Closing Saturdays and Sundays (9/17/22-10/31/22)

Be sure to start trick-or-treating when the SeaWorld Halloween Spooktacular candy trail first opens so you don’t need to wait in line. If you do run into a line, just bypass that stand and come back to it. Each treat station has 2 chutes, one on each side. This way they can drop the candy into the bags for 2 different lines to help speed things up a bit.

It worked out really well, although if you have a toddler, you might be picking up candy from the ground if their bag isn’t lined up quite right. It’s ok, the candy is all individually wrapped.

We went on 2 different Saturdays in the same year, and they had some different candy options the second go around. All candy was sponsored by Kinder Joy, Haribo, Butterfinger, and Smarties. This is our favorite part of the Spooktacular at SeaWorld.

Gazillion Bubble Show

At the end of the Candy Trail, you have the SeaWorld Spooktacular Gazillion Bubble Show performance.

The show used to be the Count’s Halloween Spooktacular, but since the opening of Sesame Street Land, they have moved this show over there. You’ll still see fun Sesame Street characters in SeaWorld San Diego, but the live performance is over at Sesame Place.

The Gazillion Bubble Show is a live theatrical performance in the Mission Bay Theater, and it was so amazing. We have never seen bubbles like this before, and you really do get a gazillion bubbles!

The host of the show demonstrates her bubble-blowing skills. She even puts a couple of audience members inside a bubble.

There are music, lights, and of course lots and lots of bubbles. Perfect for Halloween fun!

This is indoors, air-conditioned, and a nice break to get off your feet for a bit. Stroller parking and the bathrooms are right across from the theater.

Halloween Dance Party and Costume Parade

Along the Trick-or-Treat Trail at SeaWorlds Spooktacular, you have a small stage set up where actors will be dressed in Halloween costumes, playing music, and getting the guests involved in a Halloween Spooktacular dance party.

In front of this small platform, they host a Halloween Costume Parade where guests are welcome to line up, and then each takes their turn dancing in the spotlight as onlookers clap and cheer.

Our 5-year-old got so into this and absolutely loved dancing in front of everyone. Her little sister was a bit tired (can you say nap time?) and selected to stay by the stroller with daddy and not dance.

When the costume parade isn’t going on, they play music and have a Spooktacular dance party as you make your way through the Spooktacular events. A fun game of freeze dance gets everyone involved.

SeaWorld even has games such as limbo and hula-hoop hopscotch for Halloween fun.

Hay Maze

The Seaworld Spooktacular Hay Maze is a short Halloween maze. It’s made of short haystacks and does not take very long to get through. It is perfect for little kids to play in, and great for some Halloween pictures.

Our girls love this little kid maze every time we visit Spooktacular at SeaWorld.

A pirate and a scarecrow were there to congratulate them at the end of round one. Then we walked by a cowboy and a mummy (my guess was a shift change for some of the other actors). The cowboy tipped his hat and said “Howdy, princess,” to my girls. It made my 5-year-old smile to be recognized in her Aurora Halloween costume.

On one Halloween Spooktacular visit, we did the hay maze right when it opened so no characters were set up at the exit yet. This was actually a perfect chance to get some video and pictures with no one else there.

Dia De Los Muertos

Beautiful Catrina statues and ofrendas are on display in this area. Take a moment to enjoy the artwork and remember those who have passed. Loved ones are always at the center of everything we do, and Dia de Los Muertos is a wonderful tradition to honor those loved ones who are no longer with us.

I love this addition to the theme park as it really adds to the whole seasonal experience and balances out multiple traditions.

Meet a Mermaid

Get a picture with a mermaid at this pot along the SeaWorld Spooktacular Trail.

It’s a very cute set-up and the girls were so excited to meet a mermaid. One year they had a SeaWorld photographer automatically take the photo you can then pay for a print of, but you could also take a picture with your own camera. In 2022’s Halloween Spooktacular, there was no professional photographer when we went through the line, but we got plenty of photos ourselves.

Spooktacular Pumpkin Hunt

The Pumpkin Hunt was so much fun. I’m so glad the Spooktacular at SeaWorld brought this scavenger hunt back this year. Just stop by the SeaWorld store to purchase your map, then get started looking for pumpkins.

Pumpkin Hunt Map Cost and Prizes

• $15 per map
• The prize is a SeaWorld Halloween Cup, you choose which character/design

We had fun looking for these pumpkins- they aren’t all right where you think they will be. And I swear one of the pumpkins changed locations between our 2 visits 2 weeks apart. Well…either that or I’m blind and completely missed it the first go around…

Once you match up the stickers with the pumpkin’s location on the map, turn it in at the SeaWorld store for a prize! It’s $15 per map, and 2021 prizes were a choice of a SeaWorld Backpack or a SeaWorld Halloween Water Bottle with Candy Corn. The prize for 2022 is an adorable SeaWorld Halloween cup.

The backpack has so many pockets and is a very good size. We’ve started using it as our diaper/snack/activity bag when going places, and I love it! I’m glad they switched up the prize for the following year so we could enjoy some new merchandise as returning guests.

If you don’t want to pay for the map, you can just look for the pumpkins on your own. There are 9 of them around the theme park.

Howl-O-Scream

Looking for something a bit scarier? Purchase an after-hour theme park event and make your way through:

• 3 Haunted Houses
• 6 Scare Zones
• 4 Roaming Haunts
• Special Performances
• Sinister Cocktails.

The rides Manta, Electric Eel, and Journey to Atlantis is open for nighttime rides, adding an extra element to already awesome rides.

Not a fan of being scared? Get the SeaWorld No Boo Necklace. For $15 the monsters will know not to purposely scare you if you’re wearing this light-up pendant. It only costs $10 if you buy it online.

This is such a great idea! I might actually enjoy this even with this necklace on: I’m more of a cutesy-fun Halloween than a spooky-scary Halloween person. My husband, however, loves the scary stuff! A great way for both types of people to enjoy the festivities together.

Spooktacular at SeaWorld Summary

SeaWorlds Halloween Spooktacualr is basically just one big theme park Halloween party. There are so many Halloween fun activities included with park admission, and the extras (pumpkin hunt map and treat trail bag) are very reasonably priced.

By making a full day at the park, you can enjoy the animal exhibits in the Halloween Spooktacular corner of the park, then enjoy Halloween decorations as you make your way to Wild Arctic and the Penguin Encounter on the other side of SeaWorld San Diego.

Extra Halloween Spooktacular Tips

• Get there early so you beat the crowds
• Spend the heat of the day in Wild Arctic
• Bring your refillable SeaWorld cup for drinks
• Remember the park closes early for Howl-O-Scream
• Pack a lunch if you don’t want to buy food

Frequently Asked Questions:

What time is Spooktacular?

Spooktacular events in 2022 are Saturdays and Sundays, 9/17/22-10/31/22. The other Spooktacular events such as Meet a Mermaid, Dance Party, and Hay Maze occur in the late morning- check the daily schedule for specific times.

At 7:00 pm , the day park closes, and those with the Howl-O-Scream special event ticket can enjoy their scares.

Normal park hours are 10:30 am -7:00 pm on Fridays, and 10:00 am-7:00 pm on Saturdays and Sundays where kids can wear their Halloween costumes (dress code permitting), and you can get a head start on your Pumpkin Hunt while enjoying the animals and rides throughout the park.

Mondays-Thursdays are open 10:30 am -5:00 pm with Halloween decorations, but with no extra Halloween Spooktacular events scheduled.

How much is Spooktacular?

Spooktacular at SeaWorld is included with the cost of park admission, although some activities may require an additional purchase for full participation.

Trick-or-Treat stations require a SeaWorld Trick-or-Treat bag ($3.99).

Pumpkin Hunt Maps are $15 and reward you with a prize once completed. You can look for the pumpkins on your own, but without the map, there is no prize.

Can you wear costumes to SeaWorld?

Yes! All guests may wear a Halloween costume (dress code permitting), although anyone ages 13 and older may not wear a costume mask or a hood.

Also- any face paint must be done by the vendor in the park- you can not come in with face paint.

What does SeaWorld do for Halloween?

SeaWorld decorates the park with a spooky fun Halloween theme. Guests are encouraged to wear costumes and participate in SeaWorlds Halloween Spooktacular events and activities on select days.

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If you have additional time as a local or on your vacation, definitely check out the San Diego Safari Park Roar and Snore as another awesome zoo experience.

Don’t forget, the Christmas holidays at SeaWorld, the San Diego Zoo, and the San Diego Safari Park are also musts for your holiday fun. Check out our tips on the Safari Park with Toddlers before your visit as well.

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