It’s The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year – an offsite, non-Disney, Christmas TR
- Thread starter Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina
- Start date
dsmom
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Oct 27, 2003
Great updates Gina! I love Seaworld, my favorite park! And it is especially beautiful at Christmas time. I have always been puzzled by the lack of holiday decorations at Disney. If you liked Seaworld's decorations you will have to check out Buschgardens during Christmas time, they are my all time favorite, everything is decorated!
I love manatees! How great you got the backstage tour, and how incredibly nice of the fellow diser to arrange that for you.
I know the Christmas tree you mentioned at polar express, I remember seeing it and was just in awe. Can't wait to read more ....
I love manatees! How great you got the backstage tour, and how incredibly nice of the fellow diser to arrange that for you.
I know the Christmas tree you mentioned at polar express, I remember seeing it and was just in awe. Can't wait to read more ....
pigletto
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Oct 27, 2007
What an awesome opportunity Gina!! That was very kind of our fellow Dis'er. It makes me so happy to see all those animals getting rehabbed and a second chance at life. Especially that gorgeous Sea Turtle. I am so in love with sea turtles
. The Manatee made me laugh. Amazing that he's able to support his substantial size on lettuce lol!
This years trip is in May, but I will definitely watch for Blue Friday deals for 2017 if we decide to go back to Orlando. And really, we always decide to go back to Orlando so I don't know why I typed that
. The Manatee made me laugh. Amazing that he's able to support his substantial size on lettuce lol!This years trip is in May, but I will definitely watch for Blue Friday deals for 2017 if we decide to go back to Orlando. And really, we always decide to go back to Orlando so I don't know why I typed that
Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina
Life is short. Live it well.
- Joined
- Sep 12, 2008
The dolphins that we saw backstage had various toys in their pools. All of a sudden, one would come flying out of the pool....so the staff walking by would stop and throw it back in (Steve also got the chance to toss in their buoy). They promptly threw it back out
. They certainly like to play!Amen, sister
.Wow what a generous offer from your Diser friend and I am so glad it made your day, a great Christmas present to you all
We were so touched by their kindness!! Poor Sunshine back home was dying of jealousy. We called her afterward and she wanted to know every.single.detail.
You weren't kidding that I would flip over your manatee surprise!!! I am soooo jealous! I've loved manatees ever since I chose them for a report in fourth or fifth grade. They are so interesting and gentle and unfortunately harmed by people and boat motors. I love watching the manatee feedings at Epcot but the opportunity you guys had is just unbelievably cool. What a sweet Diser! I love this community of theme park fans. Just hearing that story brightened my day a lot!
I wholeheartedly concur. Some of the nicest folks in the world. I am so blessed to know you all!
Yes, you do
. Time to start planning a little getaway for you and the kiddos! We actually considered BG for this past trip (their Christmas Town looks so well done!) but we ran out of time ... and were a bit concerned that the holiday traffic between Tampa and Orlando might be an issue. I think we may have to plan on a visit to Busch Gardens, though, for the next Christmas trip....whenever that shall be
.There are some awesome people among us, indeed
. We are so grateful and appreciative!What an awesome opportunity Gina!! That was very kind of our fellow Dis'er. It makes me so happy to see all those animals getting rehabbed and a second chance at life. Especially that gorgeous Sea Turtle. I am so in love with sea turtles
This years trip is in May, but I will definitely watch for Blue Friday deals for 2017 if we decide to go back to Orlando. And really, we always decide to go back to Orlando so I don't know why I typed that
There are worse addictions than Orlando, my friend. We continually get people rolling their eyes and commenting "You're going back AGAIN!?!?". To which we always reply "Well of course.....why wouldn't we?"
.I consider it good for my mental health. And my physical health, too. Knowing I'll be captured in photos on a regular basis, it helps me say no to donuts and yes to extra aquafit classes
.
dancin Disney style
<font color=blue>I found one to share with some fa
- Joined
- Apr 18, 2005
Eventually, people stop saying that. We go to Orlando so much that now people expect it. Some have even assumed that I own a house there.There are worse addictions than Orlando, my friend. We continually get people rolling their eyes and commenting "You're going back AGAIN!?!?". To which we always reply "Well of course.....why wouldn't we?"
I absolutely love the puzzled expression when I tell someone that I'm NOT going to FL.
RocketCityMama
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Jan 10, 2009
Oh wow what a cool experience from a fellow disser! Awesome pics! I am really thinking of SW for our Summer vacation now though I have mentioned it before lol need to check ticket prices so I can see if I can budget it in. My little one wouldn't/couldn't do the big rides but the hubs and 2 older kids for sure. Do they have any non thrill rides? Just wondering if there will be anything for the newly very small (barely 40lbs) 6 year old. 
I will be checking their site out very soon, but I love personal opinions on that kind of stuff.
I will be checking their site out very soon, but I love personal opinions on that kind of stuff.
Monykalyn
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Jun 11, 2014
How very cool of the backstage surprise! I love manatees-I haunted the Living Seas waaayyy back in my CP at EPCOT. They thought the female was pregnant that year (spring 1991 - and oh my how have I just dated myself!)-and sure enough-we went back to work NYE (to keep our ID's active-MK on NYE is simply magical even if working)-she had had a baby!!
Great pictures!
Great pictures!
Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina
Life is short. Live it well.
- Joined
- Sep 12, 2008
When you decide to buy, let me know. I might just go halvsies with you
.Oh wow what a cool experience from a fellow disser! Awesome pics! I am really thinking of SW for our Summer vacation now though I have mentioned it before lol need to check ticket prices so I can see if I can budget it in. My little one wouldn't/couldn't do the big rides but the hubs and 2 older kids for sure. Do they have any non thrill rides? Just wondering if there will be anything for the newly very small (barely 40lbs) 6 year old.
SeaWorld has a GREAT section for the younger guests called Shamu's Happy Harbor. That area of the park offers kid-sized rides (that parents and older siblings can enjoy with them) such as the Shamu Coaster, a fish-inspired carousel, a huge play/climbing structure, and more. It would be perfect for your littlest lady! She could also do Wild Arctic (on the mild side), Antarctica, Turtle Trek and the Sky Tower (assuming its reopened by then).
lol, no worries on dating yourself. I graduated high school in June 1991....so there is not much difference in our ages at all!
(and for the record...I am NOT old
)
Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina
Life is short. Live it well.
- Joined
- Sep 12, 2008
Christmas Day, part 4 
(yeah, I know....this is taking forever!!):
Jake was feeling re-energized after his ice cream float, and felt the need to test his skills at Manta Hoops to see if he could net a prize or two for his Sunshine back home. Steve had won me the vampire minion and the Simpsons characters earlier in the week at Universal, and of course Junior couldn’t be outdone. The sledgehammer game might be Steve’s venue of choice, but basketball is much more Jake’s style.
Using the last of his American cash, he managed to hoop three balls and earned himself three prizes. He could have traded up for the HUGE Spongebob that you see hanging on the side of the game enclosure, but Mom’s good sense strictly forbade him to do so: we would be flying home the following day, and as of right now, everything was able to be packed in the luggage. We would not be rocking the boat at this late date
.
Since it was getting late in the afternoon and our evening was poised to be filled with Christmas shows and holiday cheer, we opted to do the rest of our required shopping at the Emporium near the park entrance, and have Steve take our purchases, Jake’s basketball winnings, and our tree frog and stuffed Christmas gift from the Kraken plinko game to the rental car so we didn’t have to carry stuff around all night long. I bought a fleece throw for Sunshine (I thought she would make good use of it in her dorm), a manatee key chain for me (it seemed fitting!), some penguin earrings for my mom, a snow globe for Sunshine, a couple of pins for Steve, and a few other items for friends and family back home....all with a cool 10% discount for passmembers just by showing our AP’s.
Jake and I hung out and took photos while we waited for Steve to return from his pilgrimage to the Equinox.
Once we had reassembled, we had a pit stop at the restrooms and checked the time. The first show of our reserved seating package was to start at 5:30 pm, so we needed to be at the venue at least 15 minutes prior. As the sun started getting lower in the sky, we followed the flow of foot traffic to the Nautilus Theater.
Now, let me say that we expected the Christmas shows to be busy...but Oh. My. Goodness
. The line to enter the theater was massive and went on f-o-r-e-v-e-r. If we had ever had a second thought about purchasing the Christmas Show Reserved Seating dining package, one glance at that line had us patting ourselves on the back for our genius decision . By flashing our reserved seating credentials (easily noticeable thanks to the red lanyards provided by SeaWorld), we bypassed that massive line, were escorted into the theater by park staff, and soon resting comfortably in our front-and-center seats to await the start of the show.
One of the features of SeaWorld’s shows (both the daytime and nighttime versions) that we really appreciate are the pre-show entertainers which help pass the time until the main shows actually begin. Prior to the commencement of Oh Wondrous Night, the crowd enjoyed an old-fashioned holiday sing-along led by a young man with his guitar. It was very mellow and relaxed (so very fitting for Christmas night), and it really made a person feel warm and fuzzy to hear the packed-to-the-rafters theater all singing together in unison. Like one big Christmas family reunion!
Bidding adieu to the guitarist after a spirited version of Feliz Navidad, it was show time
.
The basis of the Oh Wondrous Night production is to tell the Christmas Story from the perspective of the animals that were in the stable on the night that Christ was born. Each of the animals remembers the details of that night quite differently, and each of them credit themselves as the reason that Jesus was born in that particular stable.
The show utilizes a combination of actors/singers/dancers and a variety of puppet animals, and during the first few minutes of the show, I won’t lie....Steve raised an eyebrow at me as if to say....puppets? Really? But as odd as it sounds, the whole concept just works. If the boys started out as doubters, they were soon converted....and whispering in my ear about how AWESOME this show was turning out to be. The singers were incredible, and the entire cast was so high energy. The songs....more than 30 of them....were all perfectly woven into the show and we were fighting ourselves not to groove to the music (yep, right there in our seats!) and sing along at the top of our lungs
.
We had heard that Oh Wondrous Night was rated the best Christmas Show in Orlando by the Orlando Sentinel, so we had had high hopes for this particular production (and having heard how popular it was at the park, was the sole reason we decided to purchase the reserved seating package). Even with that kind of hype, and the high expectations that we had going into it, we were simply blown away. This show was in a class all by itself
.
Perhaps the biggest surprise, considering how the other parks tend to distance themselves from any kind of religious association or focus, was that this show (and SeaWorld in general) absolutely embraced that aspect of Christmas. The songs were predominantly the traditional hymns we used to sing as kids in church during the holiday season (Joy to the World, Oh Come All Ye Faithful, Go Tell It On The Mountain, O Little Town of Bethlehem, etc.) but with a very high energy, super-charged twist. It celebrated the most traditional meaning of Christmas, and it was done with the kind of class and elegance that SeaWorld could accomplish.
The finale featured the cast bringing an entire barnyard full of real animals .... donkeys, camels, sheep, doves, and everything in between .... to the stage to rejoice in the birth of the baby Messiah. There was so much energy and power in that building, I thought it would blow the roof right off. When the show ended, every single person in that theater was on their feet in a thunderous (and well deserved) standing ovation....and it went on forever.
Without question, this was the best Christmas show we have ever had the privilege to see. We all agreed that we would have paid $24 just to have reserved seating to that show all on its own. Perfect seats (dead center, just a few rows from the stage), a perfect view, and a most awesome and inspiring show. SeaWorld knocked it out of the park.
That was going to be VERY tough to top. I know it sounds like I'm gushing, and I guess I am
. But this show was worthy of a gush. Seriously.
As we exited the theater with the masses, we knew that this would be our opportunity to grab some dinner before we had to be at the other two shows that were included as part of our reserved seating: Winter Wonderland on Ice and Shamu’s Christmas Miracles. We headed back to the Waterfront, which was now all lit up in the most beautiful sparkly lights.
We opted to dine at SeaFire Grill so we could enjoy our meal with the most wonderful view of the Sea of Trees. None of us were super hungry (our Manta Soft Serve had been soooo filling!) so we just went simple for meal choices: Jake and I had chicken fingers and fries, while Steve chose a Philly Cheesesteak.
The food was....okay. Perfectly fine, but nothing terribly special. By this point in the trip, I think we were starting to get all fooded out. We ate what we wanted, and tossed the remainder. No one wanted to overeat and potentially feel icky for the balance of the evening.
We had no problem getting a seat right by the window. Best. View. Ever.
More Christmas fun yet to come....
(yeah, I know....this is taking forever!!):Jake was feeling re-energized after his ice cream float, and felt the need to test his skills at Manta Hoops to see if he could net a prize or two for his Sunshine back home. Steve had won me the vampire minion and the Simpsons characters earlier in the week at Universal, and of course Junior couldn’t be outdone. The sledgehammer game might be Steve’s venue of choice, but basketball is much more Jake’s style.
Using the last of his American cash, he managed to hoop three balls and earned himself three prizes. He could have traded up for the HUGE Spongebob that you see hanging on the side of the game enclosure, but Mom’s good sense strictly forbade him to do so: we would be flying home the following day, and as of right now, everything was able to be packed in the luggage. We would not be rocking the boat at this late date
.Since it was getting late in the afternoon and our evening was poised to be filled with Christmas shows and holiday cheer, we opted to do the rest of our required shopping at the Emporium near the park entrance, and have Steve take our purchases, Jake’s basketball winnings, and our tree frog and stuffed Christmas gift from the Kraken plinko game to the rental car so we didn’t have to carry stuff around all night long. I bought a fleece throw for Sunshine (I thought she would make good use of it in her dorm), a manatee key chain for me (it seemed fitting!), some penguin earrings for my mom, a snow globe for Sunshine, a couple of pins for Steve, and a few other items for friends and family back home....all with a cool 10% discount for passmembers just by showing our AP’s
.
Jake and I hung out and took photos while we waited for Steve to return from his pilgrimage to the Equinox.
Once we had reassembled, we had a pit stop at the restrooms and checked the time. The first show of our reserved seating package was to start at 5:30 pm, so we needed to be at the venue at least 15 minutes prior. As the sun started getting lower in the sky, we followed the flow of foot traffic to the Nautilus Theater.
Now, let me say that we expected the Christmas shows to be busy...but Oh. My. Goodness
. The line to enter the theater was massive and went on f-o-r-e-v-e-r. If we had ever had a second thought about purchasing the Christmas Show Reserved Seating dining package, one glance at that line had us patting ourselves on the back for our genius decision . By flashing our reserved seating credentials (easily noticeable thanks to the red lanyards provided by SeaWorld), we bypassed that massive line, were escorted into the theater by park staff, and soon resting comfortably in our front-and-center seats to await the start of the show.One of the features of SeaWorld’s shows (both the daytime and nighttime versions) that we really appreciate are the pre-show entertainers which help pass the time until the main shows actually begin. Prior to the commencement of Oh Wondrous Night, the crowd enjoyed an old-fashioned holiday sing-along led by a young man with his guitar. It was very mellow and relaxed (so very fitting for Christmas night), and it really made a person feel warm and fuzzy to hear the packed-to-the-rafters theater all singing together in unison. Like one big Christmas family reunion!
Bidding adieu to the guitarist after a spirited version of Feliz Navidad, it was show time
.
The basis of the Oh Wondrous Night production is to tell the Christmas Story from the perspective of the animals that were in the stable on the night that Christ was born. Each of the animals remembers the details of that night quite differently, and each of them credit themselves as the reason that Jesus was born in that particular stable.
The show utilizes a combination of actors/singers/dancers and a variety of puppet animals, and during the first few minutes of the show, I won’t lie....Steve raised an eyebrow at me as if to say....puppets? Really? But as odd as it sounds, the whole concept just works. If the boys started out as doubters, they were soon converted....and whispering in my ear about how AWESOME this show was turning out to be. The singers were incredible, and the entire cast was so high energy. The songs....more than 30 of them....were all perfectly woven into the show and we were fighting ourselves not to groove to the music (yep, right there in our seats!) and sing along at the top of our lungs
.
We had heard that Oh Wondrous Night was rated the best Christmas Show in Orlando by the Orlando Sentinel, so we had had high hopes for this particular production (and having heard how popular it was at the park, was the sole reason we decided to purchase the reserved seating package). Even with that kind of hype, and the high expectations that we had going into it, we were simply blown away. This show was in a class all by itself
.
Perhaps the biggest surprise, considering how the other parks tend to distance themselves from any kind of religious association or focus, was that this show (and SeaWorld in general) absolutely embraced that aspect of Christmas. The songs were predominantly the traditional hymns we used to sing as kids in church during the holiday season (Joy to the World, Oh Come All Ye Faithful, Go Tell It On The Mountain, O Little Town of Bethlehem, etc.) but with a very high energy, super-charged twist. It celebrated the most traditional meaning of Christmas, and it was done with the kind of class and elegance that SeaWorld could accomplish.
The finale featured the cast bringing an entire barnyard full of real animals .... donkeys, camels, sheep, doves, and everything in between .... to the stage to rejoice in the birth of the baby Messiah. There was so much energy and power in that building, I thought it would blow the roof right off. When the show ended, every single person in that theater was on their feet in a thunderous (and well deserved) standing ovation....and it went on forever.
Without question, this was the best Christmas show we have ever had the privilege to see. We all agreed that we would have paid $24 just to have reserved seating to that show all on its own. Perfect seats (dead center, just a few rows from the stage), a perfect view, and a most awesome and inspiring show. SeaWorld knocked it out of the park.
That was going to be VERY tough to top. I know it sounds like I'm gushing, and I guess I am
. But this show was worthy of a gush. Seriously.As we exited the theater with the masses, we knew that this would be our opportunity to grab some dinner before we had to be at the other two shows that were included as part of our reserved seating: Winter Wonderland on Ice and Shamu’s Christmas Miracles. We headed back to the Waterfront, which was now all lit up in the most beautiful sparkly lights
.
We opted to dine at SeaFire Grill so we could enjoy our meal with the most wonderful view of the Sea of Trees. None of us were super hungry (our Manta Soft Serve had been soooo filling!) so we just went simple for meal choices: Jake and I had chicken fingers and fries, while Steve chose a Philly Cheesesteak.
The food was....okay. Perfectly fine, but nothing terribly special. By this point in the trip, I think we were starting to get all fooded out. We ate what we wanted, and tossed the remainder. No one wanted to overeat and potentially feel icky for the balance of the evening.
We had no problem getting a seat right by the window. Best. View. Ever
.
More Christmas fun yet to come....
dancin Disney style
<font color=blue>I found one to share with some fa
- Joined
- Apr 18, 2005
When you decide to buy, let me know. I might just go halvsies with you
I've spent a ton of time looking at houses and condos in FL. In the end decided that I can rent as many weeks a year as I want in gorgeous timeshare resorts for far less than the cost of ownership. The biggest bonus is no responsibility. Maybe I've just been lucky but I've rented at the Grande Vista for as little as $200/week up to $540/week.
Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina
Life is short. Live it well.
- Joined
- Sep 12, 2008
Correction notice:
It has been pointed out to me that I have erroneously recorded something in my last entry. To ensure full disclosure, let the record show that the photo of the gift shop above is not, in fact, the Emporium as I previously indicated. That picture is of Glacial Collections (the gift shop near Antarctica, also a fun retail destination). It appears I got my photos mixed up a bit.....one of the hazards of having 1000+ digital files to sift through (my bad!). We did do our final shopping at the Emporium, so you'll have to just "envision" it as I can't seem to find that specific photo.
It has been pointed out to me that I have erroneously recorded something in my last entry. To ensure full disclosure, let the record show that the photo of the gift shop above is not, in fact, the Emporium as I previously indicated. That picture is of Glacial Collections (the gift shop near Antarctica, also a fun retail destination). It appears I got my photos mixed up a bit.....one of the hazards of having 1000+ digital files to sift through (my bad!). We did do our final shopping at the Emporium, so you'll have to just "envision" it as I can't seem to find that specific photo.
Vestmama4
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Jan 1, 2016
I took my 2 younger kids to Oh Wonderous Night that night as well and totally agree with you. The lines were awful to get in. We tried for the first show and it filled up quickly and we had to come back for the 2nd showing. Once in there I enjoyed singing Christmas songs before hand and when the actual show first started I will admit I was like your husband- not quite sure what to think. But you are so right- everything just worked and it was wonderful. We loved all the fantastic singing and my kids loved the animals at the end. And I was also amazed at how in this day and age a theme park featured a show celebrating the birth of Christ. I loved the Sea of Trees. One of my favorites things that day at Seaworld. I also took my 2 younger kids to Elmo's Christmas Wish, so it was a super full night of shows for us (with the ice skating and Shamu show later.) We gave the older 2 a choice and they both just wanted to see one holiday show each that night and preferred to ride rides with my husband lol.
pigletto
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Oct 27, 2007
What an outstanding day you are having. I am loving reading about it all. It really seems like you picked the best possible place for your family to enjoy your Christmas Day! The decorations are breathtaking and it seems like the show was beautifully done. I agree with you, I LOVE Disney Christmas decor but in the MK it doesn't go too far beyond Main Street (mind you some of the resorts are spectacular). I think my ideal December Florida trip would be an Orlando parks decorations tour! I can also guarantee you that idea would draw groaning and eye rolls from the rest of the family unless there were plenty of rides for them while I took pictures of light displays.
Lynne G
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Mar 29, 2009
Oh heck Gina. All the shops look the same to me. A shop is a shop. I couldn't even tell you the name most of the time. Great update. Can't wait to see some of the shows again. My kids groaned standing in line for the O Wondrous Night, but they enjoyed it as much as I did. We will be repeating some of the shows for sure. I too am a lover of all the decorations. The sea of trees was awesome.
Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina
Life is short. Live it well.
- Joined
- Sep 12, 2008
We took a pass on the Elmo show.....Jake flatly refused to spend any part of his Christmas Day watching Sesame Street
. I can't blame him, really. Cute or not, there is just no appeal for that show to a 20 year old guy.I was also super impressed by the Winter Wonderland on Ice....my full report on that is coming up in the next entry, but I will say now that it exceeded our expectations. So well put together!
Oh Wondrous Night really struck a cord with us because we were both raised in traditional Christian homes. Growing up in our respective families, and even as adults with our own child, we usually spend either Christmas Eve or Christmas Day at church listening to the story of the birth of Jesus and singing traditional hymns. This show gave us a real feeling of "home", even though we were so far away
.What an outstanding day you are having. I am loving reading about it all. It really seems like you picked the best possible place for your family to enjoy your Christmas Day! The decorations are breathtaking and it seems like the show was beautifully done. I agree with you, I LOVE Disney Christmas decor but in the MK it doesn't go too far beyond Main Street (mind you some of the resorts are spectacular). I think my ideal December Florida trip would be an Orlando parks decorations tour! I can also guarantee you that idea would draw groaning and eye rolls from the rest of the family unless there were plenty of rides for them while I took pictures of light displays.
I'm with you.....I could easily spend a week soaking up all the Christmas-ness in Orlando. Most places work so hard to make it LOOK so festive, since they don't have the weather to make it FEEL like the holiday season. My guys are pretty good about indulging me in my love of the Christmas decor, but they do need a little adventure thrown in to keep them happy, too
. They are quite happy to ride the coasters while I explore the park with camera in hand!! Yeah, I have the same problem with the souvenir shop photos. They can all look pretty similar after the fact. It was important enough to someone that they point out my error, though, so I thought it should be noted here in case anyone else noticed my goof as well. I suppose I could go back to the post and remove that picture entirely, but hey....I think the blue Christmas tree is pretty so I want it to stay in
.There aren't many shows that I would say would be worth standing in line for a huge amount of time for, but Oh Wondrous Night is DEFINITELY the exception. So, so awesome!
Mrs Doubtfire
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Feb 27, 2006
We have too seen the SW Christmas shows and agree that they are just wonderful, shame you couldn't top it all off with a turkey dinner! Looking forward to the next instalment
Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina
Life is short. Live it well.
- Joined
- Sep 12, 2008
We have too seen the SW Christmas shows and agree that they are just wonderful, shame you couldn't top it all off with a turkey dinner! Looking forward to the next instalment
You know, surprisingly we didn't missing having a formal turkey feast on Christmas at all. Of course, that might have been because we knew we had a couple of them scheduled for the week we came home, with various extended family members who kindly planned their festive meals around our trip to ensure we were included. We are blessed to have many good people in our lives
.
Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina
Life is short. Live it well.
- Joined
- Sep 12, 2008
Christmas Day, part 5 :
Once we were finished dinner, we walked outside into the warm night to find a spot on the railing to watch the Sea of Trees. While the trees are lit for the guests’ enjoyment all night long, the actual “show” only runs at certain intervals, and the next one was scheduled to start in just a few moments. We secured a lovely spot on the bridge (not a soul around us) and enjoyed the entire short performance featuring holiday music and the “dancing” lights.
Immediately afterward, it started to “snow” all along the Waterfront much to the delight of the old and young who milled about under the twinkly lights and white flakes. This is not the best picture, but hopefully it gives you a tiny bit of a visual:
With a little bit of time still left before we needed to be at the next show for our reserved seating, we decided to tour the Christmas Marketplace, another feature of SeaWorld’s Christmas Celebration.
They had a beautiful miniature village with a working train that the little boys, in particular, were quite enamoured with.
There was a lot going on in the Christmas Village, from holiday-inspired games (another Christmas themed plinko game, among others), festive music and live entertainment, dedicated Christmas shoppes and a plethora of food stations. There were lots of lights, lots of sparkle and lots of people!
One of the special event meal offers that we had pre-purchased in advance of our trip was the Christmas Village dining package. In addition to the entrée and drink that were provided under the vouchers, we also each received a refillable souvenir mug of hot chocolate and a Christmas Village snack of our choice. At a price of $21 per person (if I remember correctly), this was a really, REALLY good deal. Assuming you spent $12 on your entrée and another $3 on a beverage for your meal, that meant the mug and snack were only an additional $6. The mug itself sold for $5.99 (or was it $6.99? I can’t remember!) so the snack was totally free or better. The mugs are excellent souvenirs too….each comes with a lid so I can see us using them at home between visits. AND….if we go back again for the Christmas season in the future, we can bring them back and just pay the refill price.
So…..after we strolled about, it was time to collect our drinks and snacks and make our way to Winter Wonderland on Ice. A very sweet young fellow who was working at the kiosk where we ordered our mugs noticed that I was taking photos of the drinks, and offered to take a family shot of all three of us.
The guys also chose to turn in their cards for their Christmas Village snacks. Steve selected the mini donuts with chocolate sauce, and shared them with his favourite wife.
Jake picked a massive bag of kettle corn, which we never did end up opening so we brought it home with us in the luggage the following day. I have no idea what he was doing in this photo (he's such a goof sometimes!!), but obviously the Christmas spirit was alive and well with my young man
.
We planned to return after the final show to turn in my snack voucher for a treat to enjoy after Shamu’s Christmas Miracles had concluded. Unfortunately, park staff wouldn’t allow us to exit via the Christmas Village at that point in the night, so we didn’t get the chance to do so. It was no problem, though, as not one of us was interested in anything more to eat. I was starting to feel as round and fat as Santa Claus!
A couple of comments on the hot chocolate and mini donuts……mouth-wateringly good, on both counts. The hot chocolate was smooth and rich and super creamy, and nicely presented with the whipped cream on top. It was served comfortably and drinkably warm, which was very appreciated as hot chocolate is often tongue-scalding when its initially poured 
. And those donuts? Mmmmmmm…..as good as the mini donuts that we savoured at Typhoon Lagoon several summers ago. Warm, fresh, light and fluffy .
I think the snacks ranged from about $5.50 to $7, depending on which ones you chose. Quite reasonable, we thought, considering virtually all of the portions were more than large enough to be sharable among multiple people.
With our hot chocolates in hand, we made our way to Bayside Stadium to take our seats for the next performance of Winter Wonderland on Ice. Once again, the reserved seating had us in a superb section with great views of the ice. Pre-show entertainment was also featured at this venue, in the form of a 5-person acapella singing group who was absolutely excellent.
Their renditions of a selection of holiday favourites had the whole crowd engaged, and we sipped the remainder of our hot chocolates and quietly reflected on the events of the day as we waited for the show to begin. We were slowly beginning to feel the weariness seep into our bodies…..it had been a long, exciting and marvellous Christmas Day, but tiring nonetheless
.
Now, I knew neither of the guys were super excited for a show based on figure skating, but neither had whispered a word of complaint about indulging me on this. They were full and content, and even if it wasn’t their “thing” per se, they knew it was something that really appealed to my interests. All that said, the whole three of us (yep, even my men) were super impressed by the quality of this show. Rather than “just” a bunch of ice skaters, the performance blended the skating with fun music and some pretty great costumes. The acts were switched out seamlessly, and both the fountains and the trees in the section of the lake that bordered the ice rink were incorporated into the show, each moving to the music an adding such an awesome visual element to an already spectacular skating display.
The ice, however, was a mess
…..I have no idea how those poor skaters were able to keep on their feet. With the heat and humidity of the day, the ice had developed a thick layer of water shining brightly on the surface, which had to be tough for the performers to skate on. God love ‘em, though, they carried on for the entire show as if the ice was nothing but perfect and the smiles on their faces never waned even once.
Once the show concluded, we (along with, so it seemed, the entire capacity of Bayside Stadium!) made our way directly to Shamu Stadium for the final performance of the night of Shamu’s Christmas Miracles. On our way, I had the chance opportunity to run in @Vestmama4 (in that crowd, who would have thought?
) so it was very cool to be able to say a quick hello before I had to hustle to catch up to my long-legged guys. I wish we had have had time to chat longer, but I feared if I dilly-dallied too long I’d lose sight of them completely. Short girl problems, indeed!
The conclusion of Christmas Day is up next.
:Once we were finished dinner, we walked outside into the warm night to find a spot on the railing to watch the Sea of Trees. While the trees are lit for the guests’ enjoyment all night long, the actual “show” only runs at certain intervals, and the next one was scheduled to start in just a few moments. We secured a lovely spot on the bridge (not a soul around us) and enjoyed the entire short performance featuring holiday music and the “dancing” lights.
Immediately afterward, it started to “snow” all along the Waterfront much to the delight of the old and young who milled about under the twinkly lights and white flakes. This is not the best picture, but hopefully it gives you a tiny bit of a visual:
With a little bit of time still left before we needed to be at the next show for our reserved seating, we decided to tour the Christmas Marketplace, another feature of SeaWorld’s Christmas Celebration.
They had a beautiful miniature village with a working train that the little boys, in particular, were quite enamoured with.
There was a lot going on in the Christmas Village, from holiday-inspired games (another Christmas themed plinko game, among others), festive music and live entertainment, dedicated Christmas shoppes and a plethora of food stations. There were lots of lights, lots of sparkle and lots of people!
One of the special event meal offers that we had pre-purchased in advance of our trip was the Christmas Village dining package. In addition to the entrée and drink that were provided under the vouchers, we also each received a refillable souvenir mug of hot chocolate and a Christmas Village snack of our choice. At a price of $21 per person (if I remember correctly), this was a really, REALLY good deal. Assuming you spent $12 on your entrée and another $3 on a beverage for your meal, that meant the mug and snack were only an additional $6. The mug itself sold for $5.99 (or was it $6.99? I can’t remember!) so the snack was totally free or better. The mugs are excellent souvenirs too….each comes with a lid so I can see us using them at home between visits. AND….if we go back again for the Christmas season in the future, we can bring them back and just pay the refill price
.
So…..after we strolled about, it was time to collect our drinks and snacks and make our way to Winter Wonderland on Ice. A very sweet young fellow who was working at the kiosk where we ordered our mugs noticed that I was taking photos of the drinks, and offered to take a family shot of all three of us
.
The guys also chose to turn in their cards for their Christmas Village snacks. Steve selected the mini donuts with chocolate sauce, and shared them with his favourite wife
.
Jake picked a massive bag of kettle corn, which we never did end up opening so we brought it home with us in the luggage the following day. I have no idea what he was doing in this photo (he's such a goof sometimes!!), but obviously the Christmas spirit was alive and well with my young man
.
We planned to return after the final show to turn in my snack voucher for a treat to enjoy after Shamu’s Christmas Miracles had concluded. Unfortunately, park staff wouldn’t allow us to exit via the Christmas Village at that point in the night, so we didn’t get the chance to do so. It was no problem, though, as not one of us was interested in anything more to eat. I was starting to feel as round and fat as Santa Claus!
A couple of comments on the hot chocolate and mini donuts……mouth-wateringly good, on both counts
. The hot chocolate was smooth and rich and super creamy, and nicely presented with the whipped cream on top. It was served comfortably and drinkably warm, which was very appreciated as hot chocolate is often tongue-scalding when its initially poured . And those donuts? Mmmmmmm…..as good as the mini donuts that we savoured at Typhoon Lagoon several summers ago. Warm, fresh, light and fluffy .I think the snacks ranged from about $5.50 to $7, depending on which ones you chose. Quite reasonable, we thought, considering virtually all of the portions were more than large enough to be sharable among multiple people.
With our hot chocolates in hand, we made our way to Bayside Stadium to take our seats for the next performance of Winter Wonderland on Ice. Once again, the reserved seating had us in a superb section with great views of the ice. Pre-show entertainment was also featured at this venue, in the form of a 5-person acapella singing group who was absolutely excellent.
Their renditions of a selection of holiday favourites had the whole crowd engaged, and we sipped the remainder of our hot chocolates and quietly reflected on the events of the day as we waited for the show to begin. We were slowly beginning to feel the weariness seep into our bodies…..it had been a long, exciting and marvellous Christmas Day, but tiring nonetheless
.
Now, I knew neither of the guys were super excited for a show based on figure skating, but neither had whispered a word of complaint about indulging me on this. They were full and content, and even if it wasn’t their “thing” per se, they knew it was something that really appealed to my interests. All that said, the whole three of us (yep, even my men) were super impressed by the quality of this show. Rather than “just” a bunch of ice skaters, the performance blended the skating with fun music and some pretty great costumes. The acts were switched out seamlessly, and both the fountains and the trees in the section of the lake that bordered the ice rink were incorporated into the show, each moving to the music an adding such an awesome visual element to an already spectacular skating display.
The ice, however, was a mess
…..I have no idea how those poor skaters were able to keep on their feet. With the heat and humidity of the day, the ice had developed a thick layer of water shining brightly on the surface, which had to be tough for the performers to skate on. God love ‘em, though, they carried on for the entire show as if the ice was nothing but perfect and the smiles on their faces never waned even once.
Once the show concluded, we (along with, so it seemed, the entire capacity of Bayside Stadium!) made our way directly to Shamu Stadium for the final performance of the night of Shamu’s Christmas Miracles. On our way, I had the chance opportunity to run in @Vestmama4 (in that crowd, who would have thought?
) so it was very cool to be able to say a quick hello before I had to hustle to catch up to my long-legged guys. I wish we had have had time to chat longer, but I feared if I dilly-dallied too long I’d lose sight of them completely. Short girl problems, indeed! The conclusion of Christmas Day is up next.
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Let us help you with your next Disney Vacation!
