I was able to make it out there yesterday. The encounter is where Dine With Shamu used to be, all tables and chairs have been removed. You enter the large gate to the DWS area closest to the ramp going up to the stadium itself. Once inside you are free to walk around and stand anywhere along the plexiglass. The whales will come out periodically and a trainer will discuss them, either about a behavior or the bond between the animal and the trainer, something along those lines.
Once you decide you are ready to leave you walk to where the entrance to DWS used to be. You are then guided by barriers to the underwater viewing area. From there you proceed up the ramp and are done.
This allows you a much closer view of the whales, especially if the park is not busy. You are literally just feet from the water, and since it is ongoing throughout the day, it looks like the crowd will self regulate, more or less.
It seems they have changed the flow of people at least once or twice, so this may change again, but it seemed to be a good path. I actually heard several people say they preferred this to the normal show.
That's not very special.
