SeaWorld Orlando Sets Veterans Weekend for November 13 to 15, With Nightly Fireworks and a New Sea Otter Character
SeaWorld Orlando's Veterans Day weekend comes with a new costumed character, Sammie the Sea Otter. According to SeaWorld, Sammie "makes his arrival at SeaWorld Orlando and is ready to have a fliptastic fun time!"
Sammie is one of several additions on SeaWorld's freshly updated event page for its Veterans Weekend Celebration, which runs Friday, November 13, through Sunday, November 15. SeaWorld's sitemap shows the page was updated on the afternoon of October 16. The whole weekend is "Included with Park Admission," and it is presented by Navy Federal Credit Union.
The fireworks image on SeaWorld's Veterans Weekend page. Image: SeaWorld Orlando
Fireworks all three nights
Each night of the weekend closes with fireworks. In SeaWorld's words, "As the sun sets, the skies over Bayside Stadium light up with Veterans Fireworks Presented by Navy Federal Credit Union, held Friday through Sunday." SeaWorld says the show comes with live music.
SeaWorld's page also lists a National Anthem Ceremony and a Hero Salute at Orca Stadium among the weekend's tributes. The anthem ceremony is new to the page this year.
What is new this year
Last year's version of the same page, as the Internet Archive captured it on September 21, ran the celebration over November 7 to 11, 2025, with fireworks on the Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Beyond the anthem ceremony, the 2026 page adds three features that the old page did not mention:
Sammie the Sea Otter: meet-and-greets "in front of the Flags at Orca Stadium." SeaWorld says to check the park schedule for times, and teases that "you never know when Sammie may bring a friend."
Honor Wall: a limited-time photo spot where guests can show their support for veterans.
Field of Honor: "The area surrounding Orca Stadium will have American flags to represent local Veterans and their families."
Sammie the Sea Otter, as pictured on SeaWorld's event page. Image: SeaWorld Orlando
Returning from last year
Hero Salute: special salutes to veterans during three shows, Orca Encounter, Dolphin Adventures and Flippers, Facts and Fun: The Sea Lion Experience. Last year's page listed a Veterans salute at the same three shows.
Wave of Honor Entrance Lane: a separate lane into the park for veterans and guests on Waves of Honor tickets. SeaWorld says guests can show either a Military ID or a Navy Federal Credit Union card to use it. Last year's page called it the Veterans Exclusive Entrance.
The Waves of Honor entrance image on SeaWorld's event page. Image: SeaWorld Orlando
The Field of Honor image on SeaWorld's event page. Image: SeaWorld Orlando
The picnic closes the weekend
The weekend's last day doubles as the Military and Pass Member Picnic, which we covered on October 14. It runs Sunday, November 15, from 12 to 4pm at Ports of Call, and it is the only item on the Veterans Weekend page that costs extra, $10 online until the day before or $15 at Ports of Call on the day (subject to capacity), on top of park admission and parking, neither of which it covers. Both ticket cards on the picnic page now carry Buy Now buttons, after showing Available Soon when we wrote about it.
Will you be there for the fireworks, or are you more interested in getting a photo with Sammie?
Sources
SeaWorld Orlando, "Veterans Weekend Celebration" event page (checked October 16, 2026)
Internet Archive, the same SeaWorld page as captured November 17, 2025
SeaWorld Orlando, events calendar listing the Veterans Day Celebration Weekend for November 13 to 15 (checked October 16, 2026)
SeaWorld Orlando sitemap, showing the event page last modified October 16, 2026
SeaWorld Orlando, Military & Pass Member Picnic event page (checked October 16, 2026)
Parks Magic, the November 15 Military and Pass Member Picnic (October 14, 2026)
Image credits: SeaWorld Orlando (all images, from the Veterans Weekend Celebration event page).
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