The best of SeaWorld Halloween Spooktacular

Oct 16, 20204 min read

Updated: Oct 19, 2020

So happy to have been invited to Sea World for their Spooktacular event where we got to enjoy treats, fall-themed food, wear costumes and even got our boogie on. The park was decked out with festive fall decor and we were so excited because we were celebrating two special occasions; my oldest son’s birthday and the awesome Spooktacular Halloween Party.

Kids’ Costume Contests

The kids were so excited that they got to wear their Halloween costumes at the park. They were also excited to participate in the costume contest where they got to show off their costumes at the Fall Festival stage. Costumes were judged on their creativity, spookiness, silliness and cuteness! Winners received SeaWorld Bucks redeemable for food or merchandise purchases in the park. We had to arrive about a half our before the time of event to make sure we were able to sigh up and participate, so don’t be late because space is limited!

Pumpkin Scavenger Hunt:

We picked up a Pumpkin Scavenger Hunt map with stickers to embark on a journey to locate 10 hidden animal-themed painted pumpkins. We went around the park looking for all of the pumpkins and the kids were being so competitive wanting to be the first to spot the pumpkins. For each pumpkin they would find they needed to find the matching sticker provided to put on their appropriate spot on the map. Once we completed our map, we took it to the SeaWorld store to collect our prize! We enjoyed it so much! Additional Purchase is required to be able to participate.

Candy Garden

In order to promote a safe environment, guest 12 and under participating in the Candy Garden trail are required to purchase a SeaWorld reusable bag. These bags are only sold at the Sea World Shop. There are different stations all marked on the park map for your convenience. Each station had an employee delivering candy down a candy chute straight into your kid’s bag. Love this idea and I especially loved how they kept their employees and guest protected. The Candy Garden trail opened at 11am, we got there at 9:30am, so we were able to buy our bags, mark our stations, and be the first to get candy. Lucky for us there were no lines.

Dance Parties

If you know us you know our little Logan loves to dance so we were extra happy to find out there were going to be two dance parties going on at the event; the Monster Mash DJ Dance Party in the park's Village Square and the Sesame Street Halloween Dance Party. There was a live Dj spinning some awesome tunes getting us in the mood to dance. Logan enjoyed showing off his dance moves and what was great about this was that the dance floor was marked off with circles reminding everyone to be at a distance.

Monster Mash DJ Party:

live DJ, centrally located in the park’s village square.

Sesame Street Halloween Dance Party:

Spooky Shark Encounter and other animal exhibits:

During the Spooktacular event you can still enjoy other amazing educational presentations like the Orca Encounter Live, Sea Turtles, Sea Lions, Otters, Penguins, Dolphins, Flamingos and Explorer’s Reef with Bamboo Sharks, Cleaner Fish, Rays, and more.

We were able to squeeze in the Orca show, we couldn’t miss it! It was our first time as a family and I wanted to make sure we got a good seat! Close but not to close to where we could get wet, the best part is that they now how physically distant seating.

Día de Los Muertos Baile Folklórico Dancers

Love how they incorporated Día de Los Muertos into the event. We love this Mexican holiday that celebrates the lives of those who are no longer with us. The boys enjoyed watching the lively and energetic Día de Los Muertos Baile Folklórico Dancers who were dressed in traditional Mexican costume and colorful makeup as they dance to remember our loved ones! It was beautiful.

Decorate Halloween Cookies

One of the things I wish we would have done was the cookie decorating event with Cookie Monster and Elmo. We totally missed the registration time line and missed out on this awesome event. This experience is new for 2020 and space is limited so you'll need to make advance reservations to reserve a table for the date of your visit. The experience includes a cookie decorating kit with milk or bottled water, a character photo and a reusable bag. If you’ve bought your tickets already and missed out on getting a reservation, no need to worry! You can still get a chance to take pictures with some of the Sesame Street characters before the event starts. All characters will be at a distance but you will still get a chance to be close enough for a picture.

Fall-Flavored Food, Brews & Cocktails:

There are so many other fun fall treats to enjoy. We tried their pumpkin ale and it was delicious. The new inspired fall flavor menu comes with a variety of inspired fall items like; caramel dipped apples, pumpkin cheesecake, pumpkin ale, and so much more. You can get a Taste of Fall ticket + dining bundle to enjoy up to 6 food selections at participating dining locations.

Added health and safety procedures

When we arrive on property, we had to pass a temperature screening. They also had appropriate physical distance signs all over the park along with cleaning and sanitation stations. Rides and other attractions have remained closed and all guests 2 and up must wear face coverings. SeaWorld San Diego is also trying to manage capacity, so all guests need to purchase tickets in advance and make a reservation before arrival.