"ENCHANTED TALES with ROB" - A Birthday/Christmas DISer Celebration! **NEW TR LINK**

[PrincessCaitlin]

Wow being VIP comes in handy!

The puppet Mary and Joseph, I assume, are a bit creepy

That Shamu show sounds amazing and looks beautiful!

Can't wait to hear more!

 

[amberg93]

Sounds like your VIP status came in handy. Better than having to wait for the next show.

But I do get what you mean about letting all the people in. Yes, it's not right to leave so much empty space when there are people waiting outside, but it's just also not cool to let people crowd into a space like that either. If you paid more to get the spots, then you paid more and that should be it. Maybe at a certain point they could have unroped a couple of rows but left other ones strictly reserved sections? I don't know, I agree with you that it should have been handled better.

But the show itself seems really interesting. Obviously the nativity is a story we're all familiar with so hearing it from a new perspective would be great. Plus, as a religious person, I'd embrace it all the more

At least at the next show your section stayed reserved and you didn't have to be smooshed amongst the commoners

 

[scottny]

I would love to. Unfortunately, my bank account says otherwise, lol (I know there's DVC points rentals, but still).

We have done them and they are really good.

Nice pics.
I saw the Clyde show many years ago in San Diego. It was cute. Looks like the same almost.
I would be mad to about the crowds coming into your section.

 

[annie170]

I haven't been to SeaWorld in about twenty years. I can't get over how different it is today. You're definitely making me want to get back there soon.

I understand letting people in the empty seats, but it could have been handled differently. Very annoying when you've paid extra for your seat. I'm glad you enjoyed the show.

 

[Tiggerrn2]

All caught up again!!!
Love the Clyde and Seymour show!! And I know what you mean about the best part being the mistakes. The sound guy was off on one of our shows and it was pretty funny. The guy with the mike was like "OHHHHHH Delayyyyyed!!"

And the mime was pretty funny, too!

The Christmas shows look really nice. Guess I never really thought about Sea World at Christmas, but love the decorations around the park.

I totally missed the divers for oysters when we went last time. I think it was so hot the day we were there, the kids were just ready to leave. We didn't even see the Shamu show that trip. They were just like "yeah, seen it before" . They just wanted to get out of there. The pavement everywhere really does soak up the heat.

Glad to read that your "VIP" pass truly turned out to be worth the money. (with the exception of that one show-and I agree I would have been mad as well) But glad you were still able to enjoy the show. It's all a learning curve for them I suppose.

 

[missangelalexis]

Wow, that really is unfortunate that they just opened up the reserved section like that. Nonetheless, it does seem so far that you're getting your money's worth with the pass!

O Wondrous Night looks like a fantastic show! And I'm glad you enjoyed it more than you though you would.

Glad you made it in time for the next show, rushing is NEVER fun.

 

[DisKH]

You're making a great case for Sea World during Christmastime. Next time I go down during that season I may have to stray from disney….

 

[DisneyKid4Life]

I don't blame you one bit over being annoyed at the seating situation, I would have been too. However, I bet it was easy enough to overlook once the show began. I especially loved your nighttime pictures of the Shamu show, wow!

Thanks Tracy. I'm glad so many understand. Believe me though, it didn't take long to settle down once the show started. Ah thanks. It's a good show and they really did a nice job adding the Christmas theme.

Great show pictures! I love the Shamu ones at night, so different looking than day time.

I would have been annoyed with the stampede too. SeaWorld should be able to organize that better to avoid that for sure!

It is totally a pet peeve of mine when people walk over me when a show has started, so thank you (even though I wasn't there) for not doing that! Plus, it was worth it for those great shots.

Thanks so much!! It really does look different at night and I really prefer it at night. Just beautiful.

Thanks!!! It was like everyone was eyeing those seats the whole time. Because when the ropes went down, they moved quick!! I got over it though.

Oh I hate to do that and will stand rather than walk over anyone. Thankfully the top row was empty. I would have preferred a closer seat certainly, but at least from where I was I could really take it all in.

Wow being VIP comes in handy!

The puppet Mary and Joseph, I assume, are a bit creepy

That Shamu show sounds amazing and looks beautiful!

Can't wait to hear more!

Oh boy did it ever Caitlin. There was no way I was getting a seat to either of these two shows without it.

Yup, that was Mary and Joseph. And yup, creepy. It was even more creepy in that most of the puppets were animals, so the sizes didn't exactly line up, lol. I would have preferred they just use the real people for the people.

It was. At night with all the lighting it looks so spectacular. If you guys do go in August they may still be doing Shamu Rocks (I think they do that in the summer months). Do not miss it!!

YAY!!! One more SeaWorld and then FINALLY back to Disney, lol.

Sounds like your VIP status came in handy. Better than having to wait for the next show.

But I do get what you mean about letting all the people in. Yes, it's not right to leave so much empty space when there are people waiting outside, but it's just also not cool to let people crowd into a space like that either. If you paid more to get the spots, then you paid more and that should be it. Maybe at a certain point they could have unroped a couple of rows but left other ones strictly reserved sections? I don't know, I agree with you that it should have been handled better.

But the show itself seems really interesting. Obviously the nativity is a story we're all familiar with so hearing it from a new perspective would be great. Plus, as a religious person, I'd embrace it all the more

At least at the next show your section stayed reserved and you didn't have to be smooshed amongst the commoners

Oh my lord Amber it proved to be absolutely critical. No way I see everything without it.

Yeah, that was really my only beef with it. The fact is the people that were in the other area had likely been there a while given the line still outside. So it wasn't like they just walked in and took those seats. Honestly, I thought it was silly to have all that emptiness since it was clear a lot of people wanted to see this. There was only one more show that night and it didn't offer reserved seats. At the end of the day, I still got what I paid for, so I can't complain too much. I just wish it was, like you said, handled a bit better.

I loved it. Pure and simple, I loved it. It was a really unique way to tell the story without being over the top preachy (for lack of a better term). Lots of humour, some cool effects, and unbelievable vocals.

Haha, this was my main concern with what happened earlier and that I would arrive and have no seat at all. I think they may have left it closed because they knew the previous show (remember, the pass was only good for one specific time for each show) had run long.

We have done them and they are really good.

Nice pics.
I saw the Clyde show many years ago in San Diego. It was cute. Looks like the same almost.
I would be mad to about the crowds coming into your section.

I have heard some good things about points rental. I'm certainly not against looking into it in the future. I really want to stay in a deluxe just once!!

Thanks Scott.
Yes, I think it's much the same in both parks.
Thanks. I was furious in the moment, but thankfully I got over it quickly.

 

[DisneyKid4Life]

I haven't been to SeaWorld in about twenty years. I can't get over how different it is today. You're definitely making me want to get back there soon.

I understand letting people in the empty seats, but it could have been handled differently. Very annoying when you've paid extra for your seat. I'm glad you enjoyed the show.

Haha, yes I bet it is extremely different Annie. I have some old pictures from when I was a kid. It's unrecognisable.

That's my thoughts exactly. I wasn't upset that they were filling the seats since it would be stupid to waste all that space. But it was such a stampede. The show itself though, was fantastic!

All caught up again!!!
Love the Clyde and Seymour show!! And I know what you mean about the best part being the mistakes. The sound guy was off on one of our shows and it was pretty funny. The guy with the mike was like "OHHHHHH Delayyyyyed!!"

And the mime was pretty funny, too!

The Christmas shows look really nice. Guess I never really thought about Sea World at Christmas, but love the decorations around the park.

I totally missed the divers for oysters when we went last time. I think it was so hot the day we were there, the kids were just ready to leave. We didn't even see the Shamu show that trip. They were just like "yeah, seen it before" . They just wanted to get out of there. The pavement everywhere really does soak up the heat.

Glad to read that your "VIP" pass truly turned out to be worth the money. (with the exception of that one show-and I agree I would have been mad as well) But glad you were still able to enjoy the show. It's all a learning curve for them I suppose.

YAY!!!

Those are my absolute favourite things. And they just incorporate it all into the show which is just hysterical!

Oh yeah.

I had never either, but they really do a nice job. They deserve a lot of credit for that.

Oh I would never miss the divers. The Shamu show, yeah I'd skip that, but never the divers, lol. Thankfully, while it was warm, it wasn't uncomfortable. But you're right, all that pavement would really heat up.

It was absolutely golden in my opinion despite the little issue at that show. I would never do this event without it I don't think. Knowing I had a spot saved for me instead of rushing and waiting for long periods. Much better. And really, not that expensive. In fairness to them, while they may know how many VIP passes they sold, I guess they really can't be sure how many will be used. It's possible many just skipped that show altogether, as there seemed to be many more in the VIP at the other shows. That may explain why the roped area was so large.

Wow, that really is unfortunate that they just opened up the reserved section like that. Nonetheless, it does seem so far that you're getting your money's worth with the pass!

O Wondrous Night looks like a fantastic show! And I'm glad you enjoyed it more than you though you would.

Glad you made it in time for the next show, rushing is NEVER fun.

Yeah, it was more the way it was done, not so much that it was done that bothered my. It would be a shame to not use all that extra space. Overall though, that pass was wonderful, so nothing to really complain about.

Oh my it was fabulous Alexis. I really loved it.

Totally. I was a little sad it had started (but it was just barely started). But I've seen the Shamu show a lot, so it wasn't the end of the world.

You're making a great case for Sea World during Christmastime. Next time I go down during that season I may have to stray from disney….

Hmmm, maybe I should see if I can get some kind of kickback for helping promote the park, lol. I know, it is terribly difficult to leave the "World", so I only recommend it if you have a stay longer than a week.

 

[thornton0511]

Okay first of all I have to completely agree with you on the matter of the reserved seating thing. That is stupid. Sea World should not have let people get in the Rob bubble. I'm an introvert so I get personal space and bubbles. You poor dear makes no sense for you to have to pay for that seat and then let other people get the same seats for free at the last minute. Bleh.
That is so cool though that she pulled you out of the regular line like that lol VIP is right!! The show looked pretty cool. Before you mentioned the animals and puppets I was thinking that it was going to be like Sea Worlds version of the Candlelight Processional.....minus the candles, and the famous people....nevermind. And I loved that they had someone playing the violin beforehand! GAH love love love the violin. Gotta be honest though puppets kind of creep me out .

Glad to see that you made it to the Shamu show in time! When I was reading your post I thought that I had suddenly navigated over to my TR with all of the running around and rushing to get somewhere lol. Story of MY LIFE!!! Yay for killer whales......sorry but Free Willy kind of messed me up as a kid and I have never been able to enjoy Sea World the same again Killer song by Michael Jackson for that movie though .

And yes I have to say that I always always enjoy the puns you tie into your reports Rob! You are a very good TR writer and I am always entertained with your stories and adventures

 

[teekathepony]

Well your pass absolutely seems to be well worth it! Bypassing that line sounds so awesome (especially when you're actually being treated like a VIP!
Mmmm yeah, I totally agree with you about the stampede into the reserved section. You paid extra for those seats and no matter how you look at it, it's not fair that you had to be jammed in. I can see maybe asking the VIP section to get a little closer so they could open up the outer rows, like you say, those empty seats meant a few more people got in! Anyway. Glad it didn't affect how much you loved the show. It sounds and looks really, really lovely.
Your pictures of the orca show are awesome! I love your camera, it keeps impressing me. The show itself looks pretty cool, mostly the lights reflecting off the water and the orcas is what I can't stop staring at!

Sent from my iPad using DISBoards

 

[PopArtGal]

The Seaworld Christmas shoes seem lovely.

 

[Pluto0809]

Holy crap I was 20 pages behind! I hate when work interfers with my DIS time! I'm all caught up now just in time to get behind again when I leave for Disney on Friday.

Let's see how much I remember from reading. I really should have taken notes but I was being lazy.

The Illuminations cruise looks amazing. Something else I need to add to the Disney Bucket List. Maybe next time we do a large family trip I can convince enough people to go with me.

I loved reading about your Sea World day so far. I haven't been to Sea World in probably 30 years. We used to go to the one that was in Ohio growing up. That park is long gone now. But the one show I remember vividly is the Clyde and Seamore one. It's nice to see that they still have it!

The Manta reminds me of a bigger version of the Superman coaster here at Six Flags, Atlanta. Someday I want to make it over to Sea World but that would probably mean a taxi ride because driving in unknown areas makes me extremely nervous. Yeah, I'm a big wimp when it comes to finding my way in new areas!

The Atlanta Aquarium has a similar tunnel to the shark one. The main difference is that the Atlanta one has Whale Sharks. Those guys are massive and it's very cool to see them swim over top of you.

All of the Christmas shows look amazing! I think buying that VIP pass was the way to go. Now you are making me want to add a Sea World day to my trip this December. Too many theme parks, too little time!

 

[courtneybelle]

Ugh, considering you paid extra for the reserved seating, it was not cool at all that so many people flooded in. They should have reserved a smaller section as you said, or at least had a more organized process for filling the section so you could still be seated comfortably.

The show itself looks great though, especially the live animals!

Shamu puts on a great show.

 

[scrpbookr]

The One Ocean show at night really did look gorgeous!

 

[DisneyKid4Life]

Okay first of all I have to completely agree with you on the matter of the reserved seating thing. That is stupid. Sea World should not have let people get in the Rob bubble. I'm an introvert so I get personal space and bubbles. You poor dear makes no sense for you to have to pay for that seat and then let other people get the same seats for free at the last minute. Bleh.
That is so cool though that she pulled you out of the regular line like that lol VIP is right!! The show looked pretty cool. Before you mentioned the animals and puppets I was thinking that it was going to be like Sea Worlds version of the Candlelight Processional.....minus the candles, and the famous people....nevermind. And I loved that they had someone playing the violin beforehand! GAH love love love the violin. Gotta be honest though puppets kind of creep me out .

Glad to see that you made it to the Shamu show in time! When I was reading your post I thought that I had suddenly navigated over to my TR with all of the running around and rushing to get somewhere lol. Story of MY LIFE!!! Yay for killer whales......sorry but Free Willy kind of messed me up as a kid and I have never been able to enjoy Sea World the same again Killer song by Michael Jackson for that movie though .

And yes I have to say that I always always enjoy the puns you tie into your reports Rob! You are a very good TR writer and I am always entertained with your stories and adventures

Thanks Jenn!!! I almost felt like an elitist in even feeling mildly angry at the situation. But you're right, it's my bubble (I like that)!!! I really didn't have a problem with them being there; I just didn't particularly like the stampede that happened. It didn't help that I was alone so I couldn't even really vent. Until now that is, lol.
But oh yeah, that VIP lanyard was pure gold!!! Right out of the line and right into my seat. Can I get some champagne??? You know what though Jenn, even though I haven't seen the Processional, I feel like I have through so many recent accounts. And honestly, that was exactly what I was thinking when I was writing the update. Apart from it being a story type show, the music and singing I bet is very similar to the Processional, and I loved it. So, good on you for picking that up!! Ooh the violin. It was really cool, plus I was right close, so even better. She basically just led a sing-a-long of Christmas songs. As for the puppets, I think I'm with you there. The animals are fine, but the people puppets, yeah, creepy.

Just in time, but that's ok. Hehe, the difference of course is I actually went in the right direction and directly to the stadium. It is hard to appreciate the show when you have Free Willy and Blackfish out there. These are such amazing and beautiful creatures, so yeah, it's tough.

Aww thanks Jenn. The SeaWorld updates felt a little dry to me so I had to get something in there, lol. Also part of the reason I'm trying to get them done. I didn't want to skip it, but I'm looking forward to getting back to my #Disneyside. The next day is maybe my favourite ever... plus a very familiar shirt to you will be finally be making an appearance.

Well your pass absolutely seems to be well worth it! Bypassing that line sounds so awesome (especially when you're actually being treated like a VIP!
Mmmm yeah, I totally agree with you about the stampede into the reserved section. You paid extra for those seats and no matter how you look at it, it's not fair that you had to be jammed in. I can see maybe asking the VIP section to get a little closer so they could open up the outer rows, like you say, those empty seats meant a few more people got in! Anyway. Glad it didn't affect how much you loved the show. It sounds and looks really, really lovely.
Your pictures of the orca show are awesome! I love your camera, it keeps impressing me. The show itself looks pretty cool, mostly the lights reflecting off the water and the orcas is what I can't stop staring at!

Sent from my iPad using DISBoards

Oh my goodness Wendy, I actually shudder to think about my night without it. It would ahve been horrible I think. I really did feel VIP for the paltry price of $29.
Thank you!!! I genuinely felt bad afterwards about how I felt. But in that moment I was just so shocked and angry. I like your idea and I think that's how it should have been handled. I certainly didn't mind them filling all the seats, but it literally felt like a stampede. But oh Lord that show was good. I love great singing and these vocalists were amazing. Gave me chills. I only wish I had an opportunity to meet them and tell them that.
Aww thank you Wendy. Coming from you that means a ton!!! That little camera keeps impressing me too. YAY Canon!! Seeing the show at night is a whole different experience, that's for sure. The lights and the fountains really add so much.

The Seaworld Christmas shoes seem lovely.

They absolutely were. No complaining from me.

 

[DisneyKid4Life]

Holy crap I was 20 pages behind! I hate when work interfers with my DIS time! I'm all caught up now just in time to get behind again when I leave for Disney on Friday.

Let's see how much I remember from reading. I really should have taken notes but I was being lazy.

The Illuminations cruise looks amazing. Something else I need to add to the Disney Bucket List. Maybe next time we do a large family trip I can convince enough people to go with me.

I loved reading about your Sea World day so far. I haven't been to Sea World in probably 30 years. We used to go to the one that was in Ohio growing up. That park is long gone now. But the one show I remember vividly is the Clyde and Seamore one. It's nice to see that they still have it!

The Manta reminds me of a bigger version of the Superman coaster here at Six Flags, Atlanta. Someday I want to make it over to Sea World but that would probably mean a taxi ride because driving in unknown areas makes me extremely nervous. Yeah, I'm a big wimp when it comes to finding my way in new areas!

The Atlanta Aquarium has a similar tunnel to the shark one. The main difference is that the Atlanta one has Whale Sharks. Those guys are massive and it's very cool to see them swim over top of you.

All of the Christmas shows look amazing! I think buying that VIP pass was the way to go. Now you are making me want to add a Sea World day to my trip this December. Too many theme parks, too little time!

Aww that's ok Arianna. I hate that too, that's why I do most of my DISing AT work, lol. I have to admit, I do like your upcoming excuse a whole lot.

Notepad is your friend, lol.

Oh my goodness, it was awesome. I feel so fortunate to have been included with all those wonderful people. I will never forget it.

SeaWorld has become a destination depending on the length of stay. This time it was mostly for the Christmas since I figured it would be unique. Oh yes, Clyde and Seamore continue on.

That's the one I hear about most often. It does sounds very similar. Honestly, you'd be surprised how easy it is to get around down there. Of course, I've been doing it a while.

Oh my goodness I would love to see a whale shark. My God that would be cool. They need to get some.

They were really really good, but I probably wouldn't feel that way without the pass. With it, it was awesome. I do recommend a SeaWorld day, but only if you have a stay longer than a week. If not, it's ALL Disney!!

Ugh, considering you paid extra for the reserved seating, it was not cool at all that so many people flooded in. They should have reserved a smaller section as you said, or at least had a more organized process for filling the section so you could still be seated comfortably.

The show itself looks great though, especially the live animals!

Shamu puts on a great show.

Looking back now it's almost humorous thinking about the looks on everyone's face when the ropes went down. I swear I know exactly what a lion looks like when he (well actually she since they're the hunter, thank you Animal Kingdom) eyes dinner, lol. That was the only complaint and that it should have been handled a bit better.

Oh Courtney, the show itself was wonderful.

He/she/they certainly do.

The One Ocean show at night really did look gorgeous!

It really looks like a completely different show at night Brenda. So pretty.

 

[librarygeek]

I thought I'd heard somewhere about those all inclusive tickets for Sea World/Busch Gardens Tampa... definitely on our list to do someday. Now that Universal built Cabana Bay and they have a more affordable hotel option, we might stay there. I hate to admit it but I'm actually getting a little excited about a non-Disney Orlando trip! We love roller coasters and I love animals so I'd love to visit BG Tampa.

Your lunch from Sea World actually looks quite good... that was the one thing we were disappointed with when we were there a few years ago, the food was not very good. I love the selection there too! I'll make a mental note to try that for lunch next time

Yes, the mime before the otter/sea lion show is just the best! Hilarious and completely worth getting there early for.

I'm really impressed with how all-out Sea World goes for Christmas. I mean, the decorations and new shows and everything... in some ways it seems like they do more than Disney! And that pass sounds like it was super useful!

 

[natebenma]

Woah! That VIP pass is really paying off!

When I saw the name of the show, A'lure, I thought it was an odd name for a show in a park full of fish. A lure might give some fishermen the wrong idea.

I'll just add my $.02 that the seating thing could have been handled differently. I'm glad you were still able to get into the spirit and enjoy the show.

I LOVED the animal puppets, but then when the real animals came out- OMG! That's awesome! They could have skipped the puppet Mary & Joseph though- I think live people would have worked through the whole show.

The Shamu show looked GORGEOUS at night.

As someone else said, what Sea World does at Christmas puts Disney to shame! I'm looking at you, Jingle Cruise.

What?

Osborne Lights?

Never mind!

 

[DisneyKid4Life]

I thought I'd heard somewhere about those all inclusive tickets for Sea World/Busch Gardens Tampa... definitely on our list to do someday. Now that Universal built Cabana Bay and they have a more affordable hotel option, we might stay there. I hate to admit it but I'm actually getting a little excited about a non-Disney Orlando trip! We love roller coasters and I love animals so I'd love to visit BG Tampa.

Your lunch from Sea World actually looks quite good... that was the one thing we were disappointed with when we were there a few years ago, the food was not very good. I love the selection there too! I'll make a mental note to try that for lunch next time

Yes, the mime before the otter/sea lion show is just the best! Hilarious and completely worth getting there early for.

I'm really impressed with how all-out Sea World goes for Christmas. I mean, the decorations and new shows and everything... in some ways it seems like they do more than Disney! And that pass sounds like it was super useful!

It is a smoking deal Becky. I'm pretty sure the combo tickets are unlimited for 2 weeks also. I've heard Cabana Bay is great, but obviously haven't seen it yet in person. The down side is I've heard you don't get the Front of the Line privilege like you do at the other Uni hotels. I love BG Tampa. Not so much a fan of the drive though (not that it's that far, but still).

I think maybe the food has improved, because it's been great the last few trips. This place in particular had so many options. I definitely recommend it.

I would NEVER miss him. I'd skip the main show before missing him. So much ridiculous fun.

They really do. Considering you don't have to pay extra, it's pretty substantial. It would be nice if they stayed open a little later so they could run more shows, but then, I guess maybe they want people to come back for the things they missed. I guess I can't fault them for that, lol. But with the pass, I was able to do it all... in style.

Woah! That VIP pass is really paying off!

When I saw the name of the show, A'lure, I thought it was an odd name for a show in a park full of fish. A lure might give some fishermen the wrong idea.

I'll just add my $.02 that the seating thing could have been handled differently. I'm glad you were still able to get into the spirit and enjoy the show.

I LOVED the animal puppets, but then when the real animals came out- OMG! That's awesome! They could have skipped the puppet Mary & Joseph though- I think live people would have worked through the whole show.

The Shamu show looked GORGEOUS at night.

As someone else said, what Sea World does at Christmas puts Disney to shame! I'm looking at you, Jingle Cruise.

What?

Osborne Lights?

Never mind!

Oh my goodness Dee, it really was fantastic.

Haha, true that. Funny too that I've never actually seen A'lure as that's the daytime show and I've always skipped it.

Thank you. Yeah, it was annoying at first, but once the amazing show started, all was forgotten. My main concern was the remaining shows, so thankfully they weren't an issue.

THAT was cool. There was a lot of them too. I agree on the people puppets. Not sure why they wouldn't go that route... It's not like the real people were hiding and weren't dressed up. Strange.

It absolutely is. The lighting and atmosphere really makes a world of difference.

HAHAHAHAHA, yeah. I'll just say that I was impressed especially considering it was included in the day ticket.

SOOOOO funny you mention the Osborne Lights. Because, next update...