Four Go Wild in Florida(US Edition)- Day 2(part 2)- Discovery Cove

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Day 2 (part 2) Us abridged version. Full Day 2 account on Day 2 – Magic kingdom & Discovery Cove

…..Me and Gary went into the boys, and I was quickly into me trunks and raring to go. Gary was looking somewhat unready in his shorts and ‘head in the carrier bag looking for something’ pose. Oh my gawd! I’d left him to pick a pair of favoured trunks but forgotten to tell him in the hurry to get them on the bus this morning. (of course, it’s really V’s fault coz it was her getting lost that made me forget the contingency plan of actually telling him this when we got back to the room!). What to do? Well, obviously he’ll have to stay on the beach. But I have paid for him - could I go twice? “ We could buy a pair here, Dad” Stupid boy, there’s four perfectly good pairs at ‘home’ why waste money on a new pair? Such is my logic and tightness of international quality that for a split second I even weighed up the option of wasting a little more time but saving money by driving back to ASMo to get a pair!“Maybe I can just go in in me shorts then, Dad” the little lad said in the angelic way they do when they really want to do something but don’t want to be a bother. I crumpled and folded at the ‘whatever works for you is fine by me’ look in his eyes and almost thought “ b*gger the cost” but wasn’t quite that far gone! “ Howay, Son. We’ll get you a cheap pair”.
Now I did think to go straight to the shop to save time but then Valerie would be left on her own and would inevitably get lost in her own shadow. So we waited outside the girls room for ages while they did exactly what we’d done but for some reason girls take ages to do. When they came out I told her the story in as honest a manner as I could, in the circumstances, it was all the boy’s fault and it’s 11.30 and we’re still not in the water and do they know how much this has cost! I showed her some seats on the beach which I would find again, but she wouldn’t if she moved, so they had to sit down and wait for us to come back with the cheapest pair of trunks I could find. Off we went to the beach shop we’d passed on the way in. Some very nice boxers on display but they were all the wrong size - $48!!!! “Have you got any in a better size, say $10?”
“No everything’s so expensive it’ll ruin your holiday,Sir.” Luckily, I remembered
a gift shop in Mike’s video more like a sea-side shop. Clutching at straws, and me credit card, we set off in search of a place not as expensive as this. To cut a long story short (!!!!) We found some perfectly acceptable ,if not more than I would pay if I wasn’t desperate, trunks at $28 and the deal was soon struck.
Back to the changing rooms and let’s get this mission ‘to get something for me £600 before they close’ on the road.
Nearly 12 by now, we went straight to the lazy river type pools, Mike had told me about, to familiarise ourselves with the masks and snorkels and get used to swimming with our faces in the water before we headed for the tropical fish lagoon. Quickly sorted like a NavySEAL (Our Gary had a Diving Action Man I used to play with in the bath) , we were ready to dive. NO. hold it! Julie’s mask’s so big it covers her top lip as well and because they’re designed to be so tight to stop any water getting in she is panicking with it on as she can’t breathe
properly. “But you’ve got to do it. I’ve paid for it” isn’t cutting any ice with me
little angel and she’s getting in a right tizz . Don’t know where she gets the dramatic overreaction to any little set back from ! We agree she should forget the mask and snorkel and just enjoy swimming/floating around the pools…..

….. to the restaurant ; we were well impressed with the layout and all things in general there. The kids chose the Beach Burgers and fries and V & I (posh coz we’re eating out!) selected the chicken stirfry with side dish of your choice (caesars salad for me and pasta for V). 4 Mountain Dews - dad didn’t want to be drunk in charge of a dolphin - and the most enormous pieces of carrot cake we’ve ever seen , completed our banquet. The food was beyond compare, and I can’t speak highly enough of that part of the day. We sat outside the
restaurant under the trees with soft music playing and soaked up the overall atmosphere. It started to dawn on me what the special magic of this place was. Why do suckers like me get talked into paying £600 for a day out? It wasn’t about what you did , it was about the way we lived for those few hours - paradise. (I’m cloudy eyed again, now, so we’ll move on)
After lunch, we headed back into the pools to enjoy the tropical fish and ray lagoons. V & J didn’t fancy it, so me a Gary had a good look around and ,never having been snorkelling before, was amazed at how easy it is plus just how much you can see underwater. One to the ‘DC is worth every penny lobby’.
Me and V walked round the paths videoing everything ( I like to have something
handy to bore people who can’t read) while the kids kept on exploring. Another word of warning for those who need it. The paths are particularly rough and I had to go back to the locker to put me trainers on to help protect me poor blistered feet. The lagoons and pools are not smooth bottomed as you might expect in a waterpark but quite rocky in places and the bottom is fine but coarse shingle. I’d recommend anyone to invest in those pool shoes you see in the waterparks before you visit DC ($4.99 at WalMart ;they are $15 in all the parks including DC). It was so peaceful and relaxing we could have stayed there for hours if V & J weren’t booked to do their Dolphin swim in 20 minutes.
20 MINUTES !!! Panic set right in, just as if it had been there before and knew just which way to go to get to me heart rate fastest.
“ I’ve paid £600 and these two are going to miss it! I wonder if I can get refund? Should I go twice?”
We’ll have to find them, but where to start. Trouble is DC is a collection of little pools. Although the ‘lazy river’ bit goes right round, they might choose to get out
and pop into a lagoon or may just stay in one particular area. If we just stand here they might never come passed but ,if we move, they might. Right, one of us will have to go round the pools etc., looking for them and one will have to stand still, not get lost, and look out for them coming by. Now which one? With no time to lose, I chose me to go and prayed I’d made the right choice. Could she get lost,standing still? Probably, but I’d cross that irrational trauma when I got there. And I would get there. Maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow, but you just know it’s going to happen, don’t you. Like I said, just call me lucky!
So off I went, rushing around as best as me little blistered feet could go, while Valerie tried her best, God Bless her, not to get lost in the meantime. Hurrah, there they are.Now I’ve just got to attract their attention. Bearing in mind the peaceful , sophisticated surroundings and tranquil atmosphere I didn’t want to spoil the mood for others. So I just shouted, nonchalantly
“ OI, YOU TWO. I’VE SPENT £600 ON THIS AND THE DOLPHIN SHOW’S DUE TO START. NOW GET OUT OF THERE,please you darlings. Thank you.”
Knowing the sound of their master’s voice they got out like Jaws was behind them and we went on our second march of the day to throw them into the already assembled 3.15 group with a “Sorry, lost one of them,you know how it is” apology and hasty retreat……
……. V & J had a man dolphin called Hutch. Me and Gary didn’t ask what ours was called coz we don’t bother about telling you every little thing, like the girls do and do and do... Anyway, we didn’t think we’d meet the dolphin again so the name seemed unnecessary. So Hutch and his trainers went through an introduction to things - this is a flipper, this is a dolphin on his back, this is a dolphin’s fin, this is when you all kiss the bloomin thing! Julie’s eyes sparkled and I knew I’d never be able to buy her one of them!
V & J were led out to the deeper water to have their dolphin encounter. They did some simple training manoeuvres with Hutch which Julie hasn’t stopped going on about since. Valerie, not a strong swimmer, was treading water like billyo while Julie stayed perfectly still without a ripple. Their trainer showed them how they get the dolphins to dance - by turning around in the water themselves and Hutch copied standing up out of the water and spinning around. Valerie nearly went under twice! Next the trainer said they were going to get Hutch to sing and to do this they held their hands out of the water and wagged their fingers in
time. “Ma’am, you’d maybe be better watching this bit or you might drown!” So Julie conducted and Hutch sang to her - it was beautiful to see, but I’m a tad biased. They stroked Hutch’s tummy and he wagged his flippers ( something else happened coz Valerie had her hand a little south of his tummy - but this is a family show! You just can’t take her anywhere!). …….
While they were waiting for the swims to be done another baby dolphin came to say hello. This was Coral and Julie’s favourite person in the whole wide world , better than all of S Club 7 and even more Super than Kevin Phillips. Coral is 4 months old and, as a baby, is allowed to swim around the lagoons exploring and playing all day long. The trainers the girls were with are the two that are responsible for Coral’s associanship training so, obviously, were the two that Coral paid particular attention to. The special interaction between dolphins and trainers in this,almost natural, setting is another ‘that’s how can it be worth £600’ experience. So Julie and her group got to be up close (and Valerie,too personal) with two dolphins for the price of one. This all went to make one little girl’s day so special and her Dad so tearfully proud of her that we’ll be going back ASAP no matter what they charge.
 
I'm definately going to put Discovery Cove on our list of 'must do's' when we go back (I live in hope!!).

Astrid :)
 














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