SEA LIFE Orlando gives Florida teachers a free Florida Teacher Pass that’s good for a year, and it runs a separate Teacher Appreciation Week with free admission for education staff. Both are for people who work in Florida schools and each one covers a different group, so it helps to know which one fits you before you email anyone.
SEA LIFE Orlando Aquarium is located at ICON Park, and the same site has Madame Tussauds Orlando and The Orlando Eye as neighbors under the Merlin Entertainments name. SEA LIFE calls itself the world’s largest family of aquariums, and the Orlando location advertises over 5,000 creatures. If you’re the one who gets handed the field trip to plan, a free look around before you commit a class is exactly what the pass is for.
How To Get The SEA LIFE Orlando Aquarium Teacher Discount
The Florida Teacher Pass is for Florida resident teachers in grades PreK-12, and SEA LIFE describes it as a way to plan and research field trips. The pass page names SEA LIFE Orlando, Madame Tussauds Orlando, The Orlando Eye and LEGOLAND Florida. The pass is free, and the one piece it leaves out is the LEGOLAND Florida Water Park, which you can add for $59.99 plus tax at LEGOLAND Florida Resort.
Getting it is an email process rather than a checkout. You write to OrlandoSales@MerlinEntertainments.biz with your FDOE teaching certificate number and your school district information. After SEA LIFE verifies you, it sends a link to register the pass and get a temporary barcode, and you may be asked for a photo ID on your first visit.
The fine print is stricter than that, so bring everything. It says to present your valid FDOE Professional or Temporary Certificate, a paystub from the last 30 days and a current Florida photo ID, and that Merlin Entertainments can withhold the offer if you can’t show all of them. The pass expires one year after its first use, it can’t be passed to a colleague, and it can’t be redeemed online. It also has no value toward an upgraded Annual Pass.
Teacher Appreciation Week Is A Separate Offer
Teacher Appreciation Week is the bigger giveaway while it runs. The page we read lists the week of May 4 to May 10, and says educators get free admission to SEA LIFE Orlando Aquarium, Madame Tussauds Orlando and The Orlando Eye all week long, plus 20% off a 3-attraction ticket for friends and family. The page doesn’t give a year, so we couldn’t confirm when the next one will run. Check it before you plan around it.
This offer reaches more people than the pass does. The page lists teachers, school administrators, school counselors, permanent substitutes and paraprofessionals who work in Florida. It says tickets must be purchased at the admissions desk, so plan to do it in person, and you show proof of employment at check-in, such as a copy of your FDOE teaching certificate or a recent paystub.
One more thing to check before you build a day around the pass: SEA LIFE’s own site labels The Orlando Eye as currently closed, so don’t count on it for a field trip plan until that changes.
Other SEA LIFE Locations
Each SEA LIFE aquarium runs its own offers, and a teacher deal at one doesn’t carry over to the next. SEA LIFE at Mall of America lists a $20 Anytime Membership for teachers, claimed in person at the Guest Service Desk with proof of employment, and we cover it on our SEA LIFE at Mall of America teacher discount page.
We couldn’t confirm an individual teacher discount at SEA LIFE Kansas City or SEA LIFE Grapevine. Their offers pages list military deals and, for Kansas City, an AZA reciprocal discount and free admission for healthcare professionals, but nothing for teachers. Both do list discounted rates for school field trips serving K-12, with one free adult for every five paying students, and both invite teachers to sign up for an Educator Newsletter. Grapevine also says it provides free pre-visit and post-visit activities for teachers to use in the classroom.
Q&A
Can an out-of-state teacher use either offer?
No. The pass is only valid for current certified teachers in the State of Florida, and Teacher Appreciation Week is for education professionals who work in Florida.
Does the Teacher Pass cover LEGOLAND Florida?
The pass page names LEGOLAND Florida along with the Orlando attractions, and the Water Park is the paid add-on. LEGOLAND’s own pass details are on our LEGOLAND teacher discount page.
Do substitutes and aides qualify for Teacher Appreciation Week?
The page names permanent substitutes and paraprofessionals, along with teachers, school administrators and school counselors. It doesn’t name day-to-day substitutes, so ask before you go.
How long does the Teacher Pass application take?
SEA LIFE’s page doesn’t say. It runs by email, so apply well before the day you plan to visit.
Does the Teacher Pass cost anything?
The page calls it a free pass. The only price on it is the optional Water Park upgrade at $59.99 plus tax.
Is there a teacher discount at the other SEA LIFE aquariums?
Mall of America has one, and we couldn’t confirm one at Kansas City or Grapevine. Each location sets its own offers, so check your aquarium’s page.
More Information:
Everything above comes from SEA LIFE’s own pages for the Florida Teacher Pass, Teacher Appreciation Week and each location’s offers and school pages, as they loaded when we checked. Offers and dates change, so confirm before you go. If you’re planning a bigger Florida trip, our entertainment discounts for teachers cover more places to take a class.
