SeaWorld ’12

Since both kiddies had their last day of school on Friday of Memorial Weekend, we decided to head out on a family adventure and visit SeaWorld Orlando.  It was our first family visit.  We arrived in Orlando on Friday evening and spent some time in Downtown Disney before crashing at the hotel.  Then we were up bright and early on Saturday so we could get in line before the SeaWorld gates even opened.  I definitely recommend the priority parking because we were directed to the very front and it was perfect when we wanted to leave after a fun and exhausting day.

Our first stop was Dolphin Cove.  I’ve been in love with dolphins ever since Hubbie and I swam with the beautiful animals during our honeymoon trip to Jamaica.  We decided to forego the dolphin encounter and feedings since it was our very first visit, but we will DEFINITELY be doing that next time.  We were able to see the dolphins being fed by some other folks and we watched them swim together and jump around.  It was awesome.  But we really enjoyed the smaller Dolphin Nursery where the baby dolphins had a large pool area all to themselves.  One dolphin came right up to Annabel and smiled and waved.  And then did it again! Heaven!  (I just wish I had a picture of that moment but I was too mesmerized by the dolphins to think about bringing a camera up to my face.)

Right next door to the dolphins was the Stingray Lagoon.  The kids loved to try and touch the stingrays as they circled around.  There were so many of them and some even tried to interact by splashing around and raising their heads.  (Heads?  Is that right?)

There are a few aquariums throughout the park and you have to be careful not to walk right by them.  They are the perfect break from the heat. The kids loved to see all the exotic fish and sea creatures. One of the neatest aquariums was the one right before the brand new TurtleTrek experience where we saw a Manatee and a giant sea turtle family.

We stopped for a snack in Shamu’s Happy Harbor and then went on some fun kid-friendly rides.  They were perfect for the 5-and-under crowd.  Both kids loved the Shamu Express roller coaster and the Jazzy Jellies teacup ride.

We were right next to Shamu Stadium where we saw our first SeaWorld show, One World.  It features Shamu and all his Killer Whale friends.  They were amazing.  The entire show, including the music and the informational video screens, was fantastic and I loved that the trainers recognized all the service men and women in the audience before the performance.  We decided to stay away from the splash zone.  If you sit there, you will get soaked!  (Although it was a bit tempting on a 90 degree day!)

After a quick lunch at a pizza and pasta buffet, we changed the kids into their swim suits so they could cool off at the mini water park in Shamu’s Happy Harbor. That was definitely a highlight.  The kids had the best time. Then it was time to go.  We now have our list of shows and exhibits to visit during our next trip.  There just wasn’t enough time to fit it all in.  And I need to get my dolphin fix again very, VERY soon.

*NOTE: My family was provided with four complimentary tickets to SeaWorld Orlando.  All thoughts and opinions are always 100% my own and I was in no way compensated monetarily for this post.