I blogged about a few last year here. And I’ve just posted some more over on City Brights. But I’ve come up with ten more that I just couldn’t let sit in my head any longer. So for your reading (and park) pleasure….

1. Some people like to show up early to be first in. On the other hand, I prefer to wait until about an hour and a half after opening. Usually, the line going in has cleared by then.
2. Start at the back of the park and work your way forward. Most people do it the other way around, so you’ll be in the minority and the lines will be shorter. Or, just buy the quick queue passes. Well worth every dime (as long as you can avoid the jealous stares from everyone else who has to wait in line). Note: quick queue passes don’t always work on every ride. For example, you can’t jump to the front of the line at the water park at Sea World. But you can everywhere else.
3. Look for food deals. Sea World offers an all day dining pass which more than pays for itself. Even though you are limited to one choice of side OR dessert, you can always go back through the line. In fact, you can go back through the line as many times as you want. If you take an empty insulated cup in with you, you can fill it up with soda before you leave the restaurant and have it with you to sip.
4. Bring a small first aid kit with bandages in case of blisters. Trust me on this one.
5. Don’t try to do it all. If you do, you will kill yourself and wear out your kids to the point of major melt down. Take it slow and enjoy the day.
6. Use a liberal amount of sunscreen and take extra to reapply during the day. San Antonio sun is brutal.
7. If you are going to get annual passes, make sure one card has parking included. It’ll pay off in the end.
8. Put everyone in the family in bright colored shirts and make sure you know who’s wearing what. Makes it much easier to spot in a crowd.
9. Pack a wet washcloth in a baggie. Add a little ice (abundant at snack stops and restaurants) throughout the day. It’s great to pull it out and wipe down hot little foreheads.
10. Use a fanny pack to carry the stuff you’d usually put in a purse. That way you can use your hands for more important tasks – like hanging on for dear life on the rollercoaster.

If you do head out to Sea World this summer, be sure to catch the new One Ocean.

[[Spoiler Alert!!]] The highlight of the San Antonio show: Baby Shamu swimming next to his mama. It brought a tear to my eye. No. Really.

What are your tips for a great theme park visit? Post them here so we can all benefit!

Disclosure: My family and I were invited to visit Sea World for a social media event. We were provided with complimentary tickets to the park, as well as Quick Queue passes and all access meal passes in order to appreciate the full experience of the park. All opinions in this blog post are 100% mine and this is not a sponsored post.

It’s Top Tuesday, so here are my top five lessons learned…

1. Chance still has my vote for camp counselor of the year. He is absolutely brilliant. I would not only trust my kids with him, I’m seriously trying to figure out a way to convince him to babysit for me. Yeah, I know, he has a full time job at SeaWorld, but after just a couple of hours with him, I’m pretty sure my kids would be smarter. At the very least, they’d learn the difference between a sea lion and a seal. And who wouldn’t be better for knowing that?
2. Shamu is a last name, not a first name. That’s why there can be a Shamu at each SeaWorld park. Now…go tell you kids. Because I know they’ve asked.
3. Killer whales live in a matriarchal society where the oldest female is dominant. Considering I was the oldest (by far) of all the mommy bloggers this weekend, I kind of like that fact. Didn’t get me any extra swag, but I did walk a little taller for the weekend. Now if I could only convince my kids I’m the one in charge.
4. All animals can be trained. Some can be trained more than others, but even the slowest of learners is capable of learning something. There are no class failures at SeaWorld. I liked this point so much, I blogged about it here.
5. Women of an Impressive Age (like me) and air mattresses are *not* a match made in heaven. Which is why I know what penguins do at 3 a.m. in the morning.

And now, because I couldn’t let the day get away with a few fish puns….

For a whale of a good time, you can join two animal curators from SeaWorld on Tuesday, November 17, at Blog Talk Radio, where the park has spawned a call-in radio show. You can catch the fun at 11 a.m. Central. The topic to be tackled: how training techniques at SeaWorld can be used in everyday situations with our children, colleagues and spouses. It gets my seal of approval. How about you? Mullet it over and let me know.

More details here.

Chance Sanford

That night, I had a few moments to chat with Chance Sanford, SeaWorld San Antonio’s manager of education and conservation (big name for camp director). He’s a fascinating guy and product of the SeaWorld’s career camp. He holds a bachelor’s degree in marine biology with a masters in education. And (insider tip) he just got accepted to Our Lady of the Lake to pursue his Ph.D. Chance told me about attending the career camp before he decided to pursue his college degree. “It’s an opportunity to see if this is really for you,” he told me. “It’s pretty intense, and by the end of it, you’d know if this is something you want to have as a career. You’d know.”

But enough about Chance.  The camp itself has much to offer even those kiddos who aren’t looking to settle on a career when they are in kindergarten. They get to touch a dolphin, interact with eagle rays and get a close-up look at a walrus and Hawaiian monk seal. And, yes. They get to ride the rides, see the shows and play at Happy Harbor. Too. much. fun.

You can get a first-hand look if you follow Chance on twitter or Facebook.

FAST FACTS

Paradise!

• Camps cover the gamut from day camps to one-night sleepovers to a resident camp for kids in pre-K all the way up through high school
• Dates: Throughout July and August, check the website by your child’s age to see when the next camp starts.
• Cost:$40 for half day, mommy and me classes to $259 for five, full days to $900 for six-day residential camp. Career camp starts at $1,000.
• Register: online at SeaWorld San Antonio