Viva la Música Archives - On the Go in MCO

Viva La Música Returns to SeaWorld Orlando

SeaWorld Orlando’s fan-favorite Latin festival is back as Viva La Música takes over the park during two unforgettable weekends, May 14-15 and May 22-23.

Park visitors can enjoy this festival’s sights, sounds, and flavors that include red-hot local entertainment featuring salsa, bachata, reggaetón, and more. Discover authentic cuisine inspired by the colorful flavors of the Caribbean, Spain, and Central & South America. Celebrate Latin tradition with chef-curated dishes such as Seafood Paella, Mojo Roasted Pork, Empanadas, and Mojitos.

Incredible Live Musical Performances

Viva La Música is highlighted by a series of sensational live concerts that will have you dancing out of your seat. The party will not stop once these award-winning musicians take the stage.

In addition, guests can experience local Latin performances and family-friendly cultural activities throughout the park. The headline concert lineup includes:

May 14, Grupo Manía (2:00 p.m. & 5:00 p.m. at Nautilus Theater)
May 15, El Gran Combo (2:00 p.m. & 5:00 p.m. at Nautilus Theater)
May 21, Poncho Sanchez (2:00 p.m. & 5:00 p.m. at Nautilus Theater)
May 22, Proyecto Uno (2:00 p.m. & 5:00 p.m. at Nautilus Theater)

Fiery Flavors All Weekend Long

In addition to amazing live concerts, the festival include eight limited-time Viva La Música food booths where guests can savor authentic, Latin-inspired drinks and dishes, such as:

Bebidas y Bebidas—serving up specialty cocktails like the new mangonada – a sweet Mexican smoothie with the option to be served in a pineapple.
Empanadas Stand—offering fan-favorite empanadas, homemade doughs stuffed with ground beef or chicken and cheese and fried golden brown, or the sweet dulce de leche empanada made with caramel and queso.

Bacalaitos—featuring savory dishes like the crispy fried codfish with mojo aioli, chicken & salsa verde tamales, and tasty churros.
Paella Stand—serving authentic Latin cuisine like paella made with mussels, clams, shrimps, and chorizo on the bed of flavorful saffron rice and stuffed ropa vieja arepas.

Best Way to Play

One of the best ways for guests to experience Viva La Música is with a SeaWorld Orlando 2022 Fun Card, which offers park admission through December 31, 2022, for one low price.

Guests can purchase a SeaWorld Orlando Annual Pass for even more unbeatable benefits and enjoy 12 months of visits with special benefits like free parking, free guest tickets, access to special VIP events, savings on merchandise, and more.

Annual Passes as low as $13/month + tax with no down payment at SeaWorldOrlando.com.

Viva La Música Returns to SeaWorld Orlando

SeaWorld Orlando has announced the return of Viva La Música, a fan-favorite Latin-inspired festival on Saturdays and Sundays from May 13-23, 2021.

This experience, included with theme park admission, will take place with the park’s enhanced health and safety measures, including limited capacity, reservations, enhanced cleaning and sanitation procedures, temperature checks, and face-covering requirements.

Viva La Musica SeaWorld Orlando 2021 Event Map

Viva La Música Event Map and Offerings

Viva La Música Entertainment

Viva La Musica SeaWorld Orlando 2021 Fiesta Zone

A. Fiesta Zone

Be there as the Wild Arctic Plaza comes to life! There will be a DJ, stilt walkers, and live bands ready to get this full-blown fiesta going.

Viva La Musica SeaWorld Orlando 2021 Live Music

B. Live Music

You can’t help but dance when you listen to this red-hot local entertainment featuring salsa, bachata, reggaetón, and more.

Viva La Musica SeaWorld Orlando 2021 Live Music and Dancing Zone

C. Live Music and Dancing Zone

Make your way to the Sea Harbor Pavilions for more non-stop revelry. Hear live and DJ music, see towering stilt walkers, and more!

Viva La Musica SeaWorld Orlando 2021 Maraca Craft

D. Kids Maraca Making Craft

Get ready to enjoy hands-on fun and show how creative you are by making your very own musical maraca at this specially chosen craft activity for children!

Viva La Musica SeaWorld Orlando 2021 Dance Class with Rosita

E. Dance Class with Rosita

Follow along, kids! Learn a simple dance step to festive Latin music, and then get a physically distanced photo with Rosita to remember the fun.

F. Event Shopping

Explore local crafts and artisan creations that capture the spirit of Viva la Música and find the perfect souvenir to bring Live Music and Dancing Zone

Viva La Música Fiery Flavors

Viva La Musica SeaWorld Orlando 2021 1 Fiery Flavors

1 . Skewers

Rum BBQ Chicken Skewers with Mango Salsa
Beef Skewers with Homemade Chimichurri, Yuca Fries, Onion Escabeche, Mojo Sauce
Churros
Frozen Sangria
Corona Seltzers
Corona Refrescas
Modelo Especial Cheladas

2. Sliders

Cubano Sliders: Smoked ham, mojo roast pork, Swiss cheese, pickle, & mustard
Pan con Bistec Sliders: Shaved, Marinated and Grilled Steak, Caramelized Onions & Melted Jack Cheese
Choripan
Grilled Chorizo Link, Chimichurri on Soft Baguette
Crispy Tostones: Mojo Sauce
Dulce de Leche Empanadas: Stuffed with caramel and queso, caramel drizzle
Frozen Barrilitos Strawberry Hibiscus and Mango Lime
Corona Seltzers
Corona Refrescas
Modelo Especial Cheladas

3. Meal Platters

Adobo Braised Chicken served with choice of 2 sides: Black Beans and Rice, Plantains, Yellow Rice with Grandules, Tostones
Braised Ropa Vieja served with choice of 2 sides: Black Beans and Rice, Plantains, Yellow Rice with Grandules, Tostones
Mojo Roasted Pork served with choice of 2 sides: Black Beans and Rice, Plantains, Yellow Rice with Grandules, Tostones
Chicharrons and Plantain Chips

Viva La Musica SeaWorld Orlando 2021 4 Pealla

4. Paella

Seafood Paella: Mussels, Clams, Shrimps, Chorizo on the bed of flavorful Saffron rice
Veggie Paella: Earthy and Floral vegetables with Saffron rice

5. Bacalaitos

Crispy Codfish fritters

6. Empanadas

Beef and Cheese
Chicken and Cheese
Spinach and Artichoke
Bunuelos: Sweet fried dough

7. Corona Bar

Featuring Corona Hard Seltzer Cocktails
Lime Mojito
Cherry Margarita
Sundown Sangria
Featuring Corona Refescas Cocktails
Pineapple Passion
Guava Shores

8. Margarita Bar

Frozen Watermelon Margarita
Frozen Mango Margarita
Traditional Margarita
Strawberry Margarita
Cutwater Margarita Pops

9. Cocktail Bar

Cuba Libra
Mojito
Tequila Sunrise
Mango Passion Corona Rita
Blueberry Lime Corona Rita

On the Go In the Parks - SeaWorld Seven Seas Food Festival Cinco de Mayo

From the hottest Latin entertainment to the coolest attractions and animal adventures, these will be two unforgettable weekends at SeaWorld.

Don’t let the sound, spice, and spirit of this special event pass you by!

Sea World’s Viva La Musica

Last week I was able to visit Sea World to experience some new attractions and special events for me. Viva La Musica is a Latin music festival that takes place in the spring at both Sea World and Busch Gardens. Last year I went to Busch Gardens and got to try some great food, but missed out on the concerts. I made a point when this year’s schedule came out to make sure that I caught at least one concert between the two parks. I was beyond ecstatic when I discovered my favorite salsa band, El Gran Combo, was going to be playing at Sea World and Busch Gardens for Viva La Musica this year!

I scheduled my entire weekend around attending the El Gran Combo concert at Sea World on May 4th. The weather wasn’t exactly gorgeous when I arrived at the park, so I decided to see if I could do a few rides before grabbing lunch and waiting for the concert to start at 3pm. I really hadn’t done any of the rides at Sea World before and had mostly focused on the animals and shows on my previous visits over the past year and a half. It was far past time, so I made a beeline for Manta hoping the dreary and drizzly weather was scaring off the tourists. To my luck I was able to walk on to Manta, Kraken and Journey to Atlantis all in less than an hour. I had never been in the aquarium at the exit of Journey to Atlantis and loved it!

Like most special events at Sea World, Viva La Musica is focused around the Bayside Pathway between the entrance and Bayside Stadium, where the concerts are. Vendors setup booths with Latin American and Hispanic artwork and merchandise. Then there is my favorite part: the food and drinks! I love the variety of options for food that are different than the normal park food. I opted for a fantastic grilled skirt steak with chimichurri sauce and sweet plaintains along with a tamarind flavored shaved ice treat for dessert. The food was great and I loved sitting and listening to the warmup salsa band on the secondary stage and watching all the guests getting out on the dancefloor. You even had the opportunity to get your picture taken with Shamu and his friends in their Salsa outfits!

Skirt steak with chimichurri and sweet plantains

Since I know from experience the concerts at Sea World special events like Viva La Musica fill up early, I went directly to Bayside Stadium to get a seat as soon as I finished lunch. I got there about an hour and a half early, which is way earlier than I would usually, but when I noticed the steady flow of guests heading that way, I was glad I did. I have never seen the stadium as full as this for any events before. It was amazing! El Gran Combo took the stage after a warm up act by the Miami Dolphin Cheerleaders. The concert was one of the best I’ve been to in a theme park and it was fantastic performance by my favorite salsa band. I’ve never seen as many guests up and dancing in the aisles at any of the dozens of concerts I’ve been to in my life.

On the way out of the park I had to swing by the Dolphin Nursery, which is one of my absolute must dos each trip to Sea World. I had a great afternoon experiencing Viva La Musica. This special event is over for the season, but when next spring rolls around, make sure you don’t miss Viva La Musica, which takes place at Sea World and Busch Gardens! Have you been to Viva La Musica before? Which bands have you seen?

Spring into Adventures

Spring is in the air. Hopefully the pollen and my allergies will clear up soon and it is heating up and starting to feel like summer here in Florida. I thought I’d take this opportunity to share some of the things I’m most looking forward to over the next couple of months instead of doing that spring cleaning that I probably should be doing. Now that I’ve found out my schedule for the rest of the spring and beginning of summer, I thought I’d start planning some weekend adventures. The parks across the area have some fantastic special events this time of year, and before the kids are out of school it is a great time to get away while the crowds are lower.

At Epcot we are already more than halfway through the International Flower & Garden Festival. I love this event each year and have been attending since 1998! I dearly miss Davy Jones of the Monkees, as his was always my go to concert for the Flower Power Concert Series. The thing I think I am most excited about (aside from the newly added food and beverage kiosks) is that my favorite HGTV celebrity, David Bromstad, is going to be hosting presentations May 17 – 19 and I’m now off that weekend!

Another of my favorite things that I will get to do for the third year in a row is Star Wars Weekends at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. This fabulous event has quickly become a must do for me! I still have so many things I haven’t done yet that are on my to do list. I need to get up early enough and get to the park to see the Stormtroopers on top of the entrance to the park above the turnstiles. Also, I really want to get my picture taken with as many of the characters as possible and go to some of the presentations and shows. And then, of course, there is Hyperspace Hoopla, my favorite of all! My apologies to anyone who now has that song stuck in their head (Hoooooooopla, Hyperspace Hoopla…).

Busch Gardens and Sea World are playing host to an awesome special event that I got to experience last year for the first time: Viva la Mύsica! This great offering is one that features Latin American food, merchandise, cuture, and of course, music. I got to go just for an hour or so to Busch Gardens after work last year and got to try to some amazing food, but was too late for the concert. This year I was hoping to catch at least one weekend at Busch Gardens and Sea World each. I was so excited when I found out that my favorite salsa band, El Gran Combo, was going to be playing at both parks. I know where I’ll be that weekend!

One of the greatest things about these three events is that they are all included in park admission. Food and beverages of course are extra, but the entertainment and most of the presentations are free of charge with your ticket. These add tremendous value to your vacation or even just a day in the park for us locals.

Water parks are definitely on my list for the next few months. I’ve lived in Florida for almost 20 years and I’ve only been to Typhoon Lagoon for a couple hours and did the lazy river and snorkled with the sharks before the park closed due to weather. This needs to be rectified. I’ve visited Typhoon Lagoon and Blizzard Beach for functions, but haven’t done a single water slide. This is a travesty! I also would love to check out some of the other area water parks like Sea World’s Aquatica and Adventure Island in Tampa.

Now we all know that sometimes with the spring come those showers that we need for those pretty flowers. What to do when it isn’t exactly park weather? Why not catch a film? Two movies I am ridiculously excited to see this spring are Marvel’s Iron Man 3 and Disney/Pixar’s Monsters University (visit this site if you haven’t already – it is hilarious!). I am a huge Avengers fan and loved the first Iron Man movie, enjoyed the second one, and adored the Avengers, so I cannot wait to see what they have in store for Tony Stark in this next installment. Monsters Inc was a great, feel good family flick and I think that this will be very entertaining to see some of Mike and Sulley’s adventures before they were best buds.

What are you looking forward to this spring? Did I miss any of your favorite spring special events? Have you been to any of these before? What are some of your favorite things to do in spring when the weather doesn’t cooperate? Hit us up and let us know.Follow us for more updates:

Viva La Música Heats Up SeaWorld Orlando

Saturdays are hotter than ever at SeaWorld Orlando during Viva la Música, Central Florida’s can’t-miss Latin food and concert festival, April 13 through May 4.

Come celebrate the food, fun, sights and sounds of Latin culture at this annual festival, featuring live concerts by internationally renowned Latin musical artists, all included with park admission.

Enjoy savory Latin cuisine prepared by SeaWorld Orlando’s Executive Chef, Héctor Colón. With more than 20 years experience – and a lifetime enjoying countless Caribbean and Latin dishes – Chef Héctor Colόn has added his touch to the traditional Latin favorites such as arroz con gandules, arroz con pollo, habichuelas rojas y maduros, churrasco, ceviche, alcapurrias and bacalaítos.

As with all SeaWorld special events, performances are included with daily admission, Fun Card or annual pass. Viva la Música festival activities begin at 12 p.m. each Saturday, with concerts starting at 3 p.m. at Bayside Stadium:

Saturday, April 13 – Daddy Yankee (reggaeton)
Saturday, April 20 – Willie Colón (salsa)
Saturday, April 27 – Grupománia (merengue)
Saturday, May 4 – El Gran Combo (salsa)

Concerts are general seating. However, reserved seating for your favorite concerts is available with the Viva la Música VIP Package. Starting at $24, this special package includes a meal (entrée and any one item from a selection of side salads, side dishes or desserts, plus a regular-sized non-alcoholic beverage) at any Viva la Música food sampling area or SeaWorld cafeteria-style restaurant, plus reserved seating — Center Stage! VIP seating can be purchased separately starting at $14. Both packages are available at SeaWorldOrlando.com.

The best way to experience Viva la Música is with a 2013 SeaWorld Fun Card – you can pay for a day and come back all year through Dec. 31, 2013, to enjoy unlimited admission to all SeaWorld Orlando special events. Plus, with a Fun Card, you can experience Antarctica: Empire of the Penguin, SeaWorld Orlando’s newest, must-see attraction opening May 24, as many times as you’d like! SeaWorld’s Antarctica will transport families into a rarely seen, icy world. You’ll feel the majestic grandeur of the South Pole and see it through the penguins’ eyes on an exhilarating, first-of-its-kind family ride.

For more information, visit SeaWorldOrlando.com. Viva la Música event dates, times and artists are subject to change.