SeaWorld set for modified Halloween, Christmas events

SeaWorld Orlando is planning modified versions of its Halloween Spooktacular and Christmas Celebration events for 2020. The theme park also has announced a deal for Fun Card purchases that will extend admission through 2021.

Capacity for the holiday events will be “significantly limited” to create additional open space for social distancing in the coronavirus pandemic era, the attraction said Monday.

SeaWorld’s Halloween Spooktacular, a daytime, kid-driven event, will include trickor-treating and character meetings “with physical distancing protocols in place,” the park said. Spooktacular, included in regular park admission, will run Sept. 19-Nov. 1.

The Christmas festivities will include live shows, food and holiday shopping with safety measures on select nights between Nov. 23 and Dec. 31. They will be included with regular SeaWorld Orlando admission.

Earlier this summer, Disney World canceled Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party events at Magic Kingdom and Universal Orlando called off its Halloween Horror Nights for 2020. Both are after-hours, extra-tickets events. Disney and Universal have not publicly addressed their plans for Christmas.

Busch Gardens Tampa Bay, SeaWorld’s sister park, is holding a modified version of its Howl-O-Scream event beginning Sept. 25.

“We’re confident we can not only operate these events safely but we can operate these events profitably,” Interim SeaWorld CEO Marc Swanson said last month.

SeaWorld is hosting weekend special events Electric Ocean Remix and Craft Beer Festival. It also presented three nights of fireworks to visitors during Independence Day weekend.

Date-specific reservations are still required to visit SeaWorld and are available online via seaworldorlando.com.

SeaWorld’s Fun Card program is currently selling for $109.99, which allows entry through the end of this year and throughout 2021. A version for Aquatica water park costs $79.99, and a combo Fun Card for both is available for $164.98. There are no block-out dates for 2020, but there are 20 block-out dates in 2021 for SeaWorld. For more information or tickets, go to seaworld orlando.com/orlando.