SeaWorld Orlando opened on December 15, 1973, as the third park of the SeaWorld chain and just 2 years after Walt Disney World Resort's Magic Kingdom. This made Central Florida a multi-park vacation destination. SeaWorld was sold in 1976 to Harcourt Brace Jovanovich then to Anheuser-Busch, owners of Busch Gardens, in 1989.

Busch was more experienced with theme parks and thus developed SeaWorld in a competitive and aggressive manner, moving the park from a show-based to a ride-based park. The park joined in the Disneyland-started simulator ride wave in 1992 with Mission: Bermuda Triangle (later rethemed into Wild Arctic). The nation's first combination roller coaster and flume ride, Journey to Atlantis, was installed in 1998. Kraken, a Bolliger & Mabillard floorless roller coaster, was added to the park in 2000. The flying coaster, Manta, came to the park in 2009 and won the Theme Park Insider Award as the best new attraction. After nearly three decades of operation, Busch Entertainment added two adjacent parks. Discovery Cove opened in 2000 followed by the Aquatica water park in 2008.

In 2008 AB InBev purchased Anheuser-Busch and sold off Busch's parks to private equity firm Blackstone Inc (the 50% owners of the neighboring Universal Orlando parks until July 2011). Due to this selloff, the Hospitality House and Beer School were closed, also the Clydesdales and their barn were removed from the park. Then 2013, Blackstone sold 37% of SEAS in an initial public offering.

On February 24, 2010, during a small show at "Dine with Shamu", one of the orca whales, Tilikum, pulled trainer Dawn Brancheau into the water and ultimately killed her. An autopsy determined that Brancheau's death was attributed to blunt force trauma and drowning; injuries included her scalp being removed and her left arm being severed below the shoulder. In August 2010, the United States Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration cited SeaWorld of Florida LLC for three safety violations, following the death of an animal trainer in February. The total penalty was $75,000 and SeaWorld was initially required to keep a barrier between its trainers and the whales during shows.

The Turtle Trek exhibit opened in 2012 includes a 360-degree, 3D dome theater for a movie. Then in 2013, the Antarctica: Empire of the Penguin pavilion opened the nation's first trackless dark ride system (which closed in 2020), plus an improved penguin exhibit. Then in 2016, Mako opened as a hypercoaster manufactured by Bolliger & Mabillard in the "Sea of Power" near the Shark Encounter.

In 2019, the park reopened the "Sea of Fun" area as "Sesame Street Land", themed after Sesame Street.

In mid-March 2020, in line with other SeaWorld parks, as a result of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the park had to temporarily shut down. The park reopened nearly three months later.

Ice Breaker opened as a launched steel coaster, manufactured by Premier Rides. Pipeline opened in 2023 as the world's first surf coaster, manufactured by B&M. It is a revival of the stand-up coaster (the most recent before this being Georgia Scorcher at Six Flags Over Georgia, in 1999), featuring better restraints and offering a more comfortable ride experience. Penguin Trek opened in 2024 as a new launched family roller coaster manufactured by B&M, replacing the former Antarctica: Empire of the Penguin dark ride.

In March 2025 SeaWorld Orlando was fined $16,550 by the United States Department of Labor after a killer whale injured an employee in September 2024.