SeaWorld Christmas Celebration Walkabout Day One 2021

SeaWorld's Christmas Celebration has been going on for quite a few years now, and one of my favorite things about the festival is (naturally) the food booths... but also the pretty lights and various entertainment packages that have been part of the festival. The weather is generally a little cooler this time of year, and for me... it's the perfect "stroll around and sample food and beverage items" temperature! 

Returning this year are the very popular (and cost saving) Sampler Lanyards. Like everywhere else, the food prices have increased slightly… but it's not been out of line with what I'm seeing elsewhere. In fact, if you purchase food and beverage samples using any of the Sampler Lanyard packages, this really is one of the "best value" festivals around this time of year. 



The lanyards have 5 and 10 sample options for this year's Christmas Celebration festival, and annual passholders have the option to purchase a special 12 sample lanyard. The "punch card" on the lanyard entitles you to 5, 10, or 12 food and beverage samples at the various booths, for less than what the "out of pocket" cost for those items would be.

I'll be posting the cost breakdown of each item under the photos, but basically, most savory items are hovering in the $11 range this year. If you purchase a 5 Sampler Lanyard for $37.28 (tax included), each item would break down to $7.46. If you purchase a 10 Sampler Lanyard for $53.25 (tax included), each item would break down to $5.33. At those discounted "lanyard" prices, all of the savory food items are a pretty good deal... especially some of the larger items like the various Mac and Cheese Bowls or Totchos (loaded tater tots).

You can purchase a Sampler Lanyard at any one of the food booths, at the festival's "Welcome" kiosk, or at some of the "Christmas Market" area kiosks (which are only open from 5pm until park close).

Battle of the Sliders

Well... I just thought that was a cool title — there's not really a battle — but there are two sliders this year, and they're both available at the same booth called "Sliders that Sleigh". So it would seem, a comparison is bound to happen, to figure out which slider is the best!



First up, the looser... shoot... I meant to burry the lead a bit more. This is the "Hot Chicken Slider" which is said to have Crispy Chicken, Apricot & Serrano Glaze, and Pickles.



Individual Item Price : $10.99
Five Sample Lanyard Price Breakdown : $7.46
Ten Sample Lanyard Price Breakdown : $5.33
AP Twelve Sample Lanyard Price Breakdown : $4.45

Okay, "looser" is a bit harsh because SeaWorld uses a really great chicken product in their festival items ... and this slider is no exception. This is more or less, a premium "chicken strip" — all white meat, no grizzle or overcooked parts (in the one I got anyway), with a really nice, light, almost buttermilk type of fried coating. It's a great piece of chicken. The bun was also great... a nice little pretzel roll that wasn't too hard or too soft... and the pickles were really good too.



But... if you're going have "Apricot Serrano Glaze" on the menu board — I ether need to see it or taste it (preferably both) on the slider. Clearly, I don't see it on there. What I did see, is a very clear water-like fluid being squeezed on the slider as it was being made... which might have been the "Apricot & Serrano Glaze"?  From a flavor standpoint... it was basically nonexistent and even endangered the "Crispy" adjective in the description.

There was a little bit of the "glaze" pooling up on the chicken's right hand side, so I used my finger to try and get a taste of just the "glaze". What I ended up tasting was basically a weak simple syrup with a hint of bell pepper… not exactly the most exciting of flavor combinations, and not really strong enough to be tasted with the chicken and pickles.

I would loooooove to see a proper Apricot and Serrano Glaze on there... or better yet, an Apricot and Serrano Sauce... so I could taste the sweet and the heat on what would then be an amazing "Hot Chicken Slider". As it stands (especially at $11), I'd have to say this is my first "pass" of this year's festival. It's an okay chicken sandwich, that doesn't quite live up to what's posted on the menu board.

Which brings us to the winner of the "Battle of the Sliders" — the "Pork Belly Slider" featuring Roasted and Seared Pork Belly, Sauerkraut, and Mustard Aioli.



Individual Item Price : $10.99
Five Sample Lanyard Price Breakdown : $7.46
Ten Sample Lanyard Price Breakdown : $5.33
AP Twelve Sample Lanyard Price Breakdown : $4.45

So this little slider end up being like a "thick cut bacon sandwich", and I mean... unless you're a vegetarian — the flavor combos here are a tried and true match.

There were two or three "Pork Belly" pieces placed on the slider, and the pieces I got were all cooked perfectly. On Pork Belly (and this is probably just me personally) I'd rather not have tooooo much pillow fat, just a little bit for flavor. These little pork slices were well seared an "bacon like" on the outside edges, with some roasted beige meat on the inside… perfect!



The amounts of Sauerkraut and Mustard Aioli placed on the slider with the Pork Belly balanced well with the pretzel bun. I'd totally get this one again. Maybe not at $11, but with the 10 or 12 Sampler Lanyard, the price is inline with what you get.

Sounds of the Season Performance Series

The Sliders that Sleigh food booth itself is right in front of the Nautilus Theater, which provides me with a nice segue to one of the new offerings at SeaWorld this year… the "Sounds of the Season Performance Series".



In recent years past, the Nautilus Theater played host to a Christmas show called "O Wondrous Night" which featured live animals, the Nativity, and plenty of music to re-tell to story of Christmas. The new offering ... "Sounds of the Season Performance Series" … features a mix of nationally known recording artists and local bands performing holiday and Christian based music.

The first show of the series featured Darlene Love ("Christmas, Baby Please Come Home" & "He's a Rebel") and other performers have included Britt Nicole, Steven Curtis Chapman, and the local O-Town Motown cover band.




That's not to say though... that "O Wondrous Night" has been completely canceled. Last year (due to social distancing guidelines), there was a highly modified version of  "O Wondrous Night" performed, and SeaWorld has been very careful to state that the new "Sounds of the Season Performance Series" is not just bands. It's entirely possible some of the music, props, and story lines from "O Wondrous Night" could make a brief appearance later in the festival... but I could be totally wrong about that too. Only time will tell.



While the new Performance Series is not overtly rooted in the Christian Nativity story, it is going to be more widely accepted (I would imagine) by all faiths, or those just wanting to listen to a little holiday pop music.




National level performance artists and band are not something that any of the other parks are offing this year, so for me... it's a nice addition to the mix of holiday things to do here in Central Florida.

Mac & Cheese Please

Next up on my foodie crawl, I stopped by the "Christmas Comforts" booth and got a nice hot bowl of "Braised Short Ribs & Smoked Gouda Mac & Cheese". And just like the menu states, it's topped with Braised Short Rib meat and Smoked Gouda Cheese!



Individual Item Price : $10.99
Five Sample Lanyard Price Breakdown : $7.46
Ten Sample Lanyard Price Breakdown : $5.33
AP Twelve Sample Lanyard Price Breakdown : $4.45

Honestly, any of the Mac & Cheese bowls would get a recommendation from me, even at the out of pocket price — but definitely at any of the reduced "Sampler Lanyard" prices. These are decent sized bowls of Mac and Cheese with enough toppings to mix and match some different flavor profiles all in one bowl.



SeaWorld's smoked meats are usually really great (thanks to the nearby Voyager's Smokehouse, no doubt), together with the Smoked Gouda and some crunchy fresh green onion (or chives)... this was a great bowl that's almost "meal sized" when compared to some of the offerings you'll find at the counter service restaurants.

Holiday Street Performers

Sprinkled in between the food booths, I've come across all kinds of street performers with different little shows. Somewhere near the "Christmas Comforts" booth there was an Elf that was trying to put a topper on a Christmas Tree. The tree was too high up though, so she precariously stacked quite a few chairs high in the air in order to reach the tree top!

Holiday Shops

Many of the shops at SeaWorld have dedicated sections for holiday ornaments, stuffed animals and other holiday themed decor.




There are themed trees in many of the shops that feature a specific group of ornaments.



Of special note, are the Rudolph pieces. There's a big tie-in with "Rudolph" here at SeaWorld... not too many other places have Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer ornaments along with some of the other characters from the 1964 stop-motion classic.

One of My Top Holiday Food Picks

My last foodie stop for today's Walkabout was over at the "O'Christmas Sea... Food Delights" booth. I had to hunt for this one a little bit, because it's actually part of the "Panini Shore Cafe" booth.




I picked up the Seared Scallops served with Pumpkin Seed and Serrano Pesto and Mushroom Risotto.



Individual Item Price : $10.99
Five Sample Lanyard Price Breakdown : $7.46
Ten Sample Lanyard Price Breakdown : $5.33
AP Twelve Sample Lanyard Price Breakdown : $4.45

The photo doesn't really do these Seared Scallops justice — from a foodie standpoint, these were amazing! It had a perfect balance of flavors and the Mushroom Risotto was just off-the-charts delicious. This one (obviously) gets a recommendation from me.



The dish doesn't stray too far from the "Pan Seared Scallops with Creamy Mushroom Risotto" that's currently on the nearby Sharks Underwater Grill menu... so it's sit-down, table-service quality food. The $11 price might seem high for two scallops but when compared to the Sharks full entree price, it's a fair breakdown. If you're buying these with a 10 or 12 Sampler Lanyard though — it's really great deal (and I don't say that often about festival food)!

Sadly, I haven't quite gotten used to the "darker earlier" time change yet and it started getting too dark for more "walkabout food photos" — but that's fine, I'm really looking forward to coming back another day and using some more of my "punches" on my AP Sampler Lanyard.

Pretty Trees

As the sun goes down around SeaWorld, the holiday lights come on, and the Sea of Trees is defiantly something you'll want to stop and watch for a few minutes. There's a big show with fireworks and stuff toward the end of the night — but several times after the sun goes down, the trees on the main lagoon light up and twinkle to various holiday tunes.



If you're anywhere near the main body of water, you can pretty much see a grouping of trees, so you don't really need to be in a particular "spot".



In fact, I quite like seeing the show from as many different spots as possible. Each view makes it a little different. There's also a tall 40 foot tree in the center of the lagoon that's the main focal point of the "fireworks" based show at the end of the night... and here again, I think if you can see the big tree and up into the air a little bit, you're probably in a good spot.



I'll be back in a week or so with my next "Walkabout Day Two" article from SeaWorld's Christmas Celebration 2021 — where I'll sample some more food and take a look at some more of the special holiday shows and sights!



If you want to read more general info about the Christmas Celebration event at SeaWorld, click here and check out the SeaWorld, Orlando Christmas Celebration page!