Joy to the World: an offsite Christmas extravaganza at Disney, Universal & SeaWorld – Dec. 2016 TR

[Monykalyn]

Very cool!

 

[Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina]

Awesome!!!!!

It was! Such amazing creatures.

How awesome is that!!

I can't wait to see what tours might be on this year's Black Friday sale. If we end up purchasing annual passes to use on our 2018 vacations, I would love to also buy tickets to another one of their tours: I still have the Penguins Up Close and Sea Lions Up Close tours on my SeaWorld bucket list.

Just stumbled upon your report sounds like it was a lovely trip. I can't wait to read more and follow along.

Thank you! aboard!

Have to agree your Backstage Photos are truly awesome. What a great experience!

I was super appreciative of the tour photos, as we couldn't bring our own cameras into the tour with us (for the animals' safety, but also because it just would have been awkward to have every person be trying to snap photos with their phones or cameras.....having our hands free of electronics made us be able to enjoy the tour as it was meant to be). I am pretty sure the park also offers a one-day Photokey....I want to say its about $39.99....so anyone who didn't have the photo package already (like we did) could have purchased their tour pictures for a fairly reasonable price.

The tour looks amazing! My son is in LOVE with animals and I think he would LOVE this!

Your pictures are so good of the experience!

It was even better than the photos suggest......if you were on the fence about doing the tour, I absolutely recommend it. We haven't been disappointed in a SeaWorld tour yet: every one has been well worth the price they charge ..

Very cool!

Thank you!

 

[Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina]

Monday, December 19th (continued)

After the Wild Artic Tour had concluded and we refueled at Mango Joes, we had a little bit of time to kill before our next scheduled activity of the day. Robert (Kerry’s husband) was starting to feel rather unwell, so he opted to head back to Portofino Bay and take a pass on the balance of our planned activities . The rest of us…..Steve, myself, David and Kerry…..decided we would head past Shamu’s Happy Harbor and allow David to enjoy a ride before we made our way around to the other side of the park. We wouldn’t have too much time to spare in that area right then, but we reassured David that we would return there again before the end of the day. He had been such a good sport with all the things we had scheduled, he would definitely deserve more time in Happy Harbor later on. In the meantime, after a bit of a surprisingly lengthy wait, we all hopped aboard the Sea Carousel for a short spin aboard some brightly coloured underwater creatures.

Once we disembarked from the carousel, we decided it would be wise to start heading toward Dolphin Cove to ensure we were on time for our Dolphin Encounter reservation. On the way, the carnival games near the Waterfront caught Steve’s eye, and he decided that David needed to play and win himself a nice prize. David, bless his heart, was all too willing to take part so he eagerly climbed the stairs to play Polar Bear Disc Drop (SeaWorld’s version of Plinko) with his buddy Steve at his side.

I am not sure who had more fun . Those two were just a joy to watch. When the last disc was dropped, David was over the moon to be awarded a prize for his efforts. Small prize, medium prize, large prize…..it didn’t matter. He was just thrilled it was pink!

Of course, one game is never enough …...so they also had to play the other game adjacent to the Polar Bear Disc Drop: this one where you had to use a small net to catch a ball out of the air, colour-coded to determine your prize level. As we stopped to watch the little balls all flying about within the game enclosure, we quickly deduced that it was definitely a bit trickier than the disc drop game. Steve took a moment to ready David for the challenge: a quick shoulder rub and a “you can do it!” pep talk .

This game, fittingly enough, had minions as prizes …..so even I had to agree that playing was almost mandatory. David particularly enjoyed this game, as you can see from the little smile that spread right across his face as he carefully moved the net in an effort to capture one of the floating balls.

After a few solo attempts by David, Steve carefully and subtly helped him guide that net until one of those little balls found its way into the soft pocket: success! We all cheered David’s hard work as he happily selected his minion from the enthusiastic game attendant. Smiles all around!

By this point, with David and Steve’s winnings in tow, we had little time left to waste: we gathered up our things and made haste to Dolphin Cove. We had just enough time to stop at the rest rooms for a quick break. By this time, David had become virtually inseparable from his buddy…….and this photo that Kerry ( @dsmom ) snapped as we left the restrooms was just a perfect, beautiful representation of their friendship .

A few minutes later, we were standing next to the dolphin pool and literally an arm’s length away from some of SeaWorld’s most beautiful residents.


While Steve and I had done the Dolphin Encounter once before (on our October 2016 trip), this was David and Kerry’s first time. At only $15 per person (less 10% for pass members) I think it’s almost a must-do when visiting the park. While you no longer get the opportunity to feed the dolphins during the encounter (SeaWorld discontinued that aspect after a young girl was inadvertently bitten on the hand a couple of years ago) this 15-minute session gets you up close with the dolphins alongside a very knowledgeable trainer who helps to demonstrate some of their unbelievable intelligence while ensuring a safe opportunity to touch, pet and interact with at least two different dolphins within the pool. Small groups of about 8 guests were assigned to each trainer, and then we were split again into groups of 4 for the components of the encounter.

Park photographers are stationed across the water to capture every incredible moment. Everything from a wave hello to welcome us all to the encounter:

…..to happily splashing us with water as they pirouetted and “danced” in the pool .

David was a bit hesitant to reach out and pet that wet, slippery body…..but the dolphin was wonderfully patient and was content to hang out until he mustered up enough bravery.

I’m still not sure he was too fond of the way they felt, but we were so proud of him giving it a try. All of these photos, too, would be included at no additional charge on our annual Photokey……a quick stop at the kiosk behind the dolphin pool at the conclusion of the encounter had all the digital images from our session added to my account in a matter of minutes.

The photo kiosk worker who assisted us after the Dolphin Encounter actually remarked on how many pictures we had managed to accumulate on our Photokey. She was quite impressed at how well we had maximized the value of the annual card. I think, by the time this day was over, we had gleaned about 300 images over the course of the year…..everything from entrance photos to ride pictures to the photos taken during the tours. We definitely got our money’s worth .


By the time we finished up with the Dolphin Encounter and had the pictures added to our Photokey card, it was nearly time to switch into Christmas mode: our check-in time for Santa’s Fireside Feasts was rapidly approaching, and the park was poised to transform itself into its festive finery for the Christmas Celebration events. The late afternoon sky made for a peaceful backdrop as we arrived at the Waterfront:

…..and after an exciting, action-packed day, we were all looking forward to enjoying a relaxing dinner with the Clauses to rest and refuel and ready ourselves for a night full of festive fun .

Santa’s Fireside Feast and SeaWorld’s Christmas Celebration are coming up next.

 

[Mrs Doubtfire]

The tour looks brilliant, I would definitely enjoy that. We fed the giraffes at Busch Gardens and that too was brilliant. We all remember what a really good time we had that day

David looks like he enjoyed the tour with a little encouragement from his mum. I bet it was great to experience it all together.

The photo of Steve and David is so representative of how good it is to have kids (even bigger kids) around. I bet they both loved their newfound friendship.

 

[I-4Bound]

I love the expression on the seal's face...so adorable! My daughter would love to do this tour some day, I'll bet

And what sweet photos of David and Steve! I'm glad he was able to win some cool prizes

 

[Joanna71985]

I'm glad I got to hang out with you! I would definitely love to do so again in the future

 

[Ruthie5671]

Well, first and foremost, I want a walrus.

This game, fittingly enough, had minions as prizes …..so even I had to agree that playing was almost mandatory.

Okay, show of hands, who is surprised a Minion game won Gina's heart???

That is precious. What a big heart your big guy has.

 

[Monykalyn]

Oh wow the photo of David and Steve is sweet! and representative of the magic of friendships as well.
What a FUN day! At some point we are going to have to make time to get to SW! and DC!

 

[Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina]

The tour looks brilliant, I would definitely enjoy that. We fed the giraffes at Busch Gardens and that too was brilliant. We all remember what a really good time we had that day

David looks like he enjoyed the tour with a little encouragement from his mum. I bet it was great to experience it all together.

The photo of Steve and David is so representative of how good it is to have kids (even bigger kids) around. I bet they both loved their newfound friendship.

Busch Gardens is a place I would *LOVE* to visit someday. We keep talking about doing a trip with split stay between Orlando and Tampa, and we really do need to put some effort into making that happen sooner rather than later. I'd especially like to go around either Halloween or Christmas, as both those special events look as awesome as the regular park.

I love the expression on the seal's face...so adorable! My daughter would love to do this tour some day, I'll bet

And what sweet photos of David and Steve! I'm glad he was able to win some cool prizes

The seals' faces remind me of my kittens . I'm a sucker for whiskers .

I'm glad I got to hang out with you! I would definitely love to do so again in the future

Awesome!! I am happy you had as much fun as we did!

Well, first and foremost, I want a walrus.

Okay, show of hands, who is surprised a Minion game won Gina's heart???

That is precious. What a big heart your big guy has.

There are moments that I think that Violet and Dash will bankrupt me with their crazy appetites.....I can't imagine bearing the burden of feeding a walrus . Plus they'd take up an awful room on the bed at night .

Just for the record, I didn't bring a single stuffie home with me on that trip: after purging and packing in preparation for our move, I was adamant that I had to stay strong and resist temptation. It sure did make me happy, though, to see David go home with a new little friend (or two!) .

My Steve has an incredibly soft side.....its one of the things I love about him most. He might appear to be a big, tough guy on the outside but his heart is just as soft as a marshmallow. Don't tell him I have blown his cover, though .

Oh wow the photo of David and Steve is sweet! and representative of the magic of friendships as well.
What a FUN day! At some point we are going to have to make time to get to SW! and DC!

And Aquatica! The SeaWorld parks are a ton of fun AND an incredible value (when compared against Disney and Universal). Definitely worth a visit on a future trip .

 

[Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina]

@pigletto .... you must be back from your Orlando adventures by now. How was your trip? We've missed you here!

I'm off to work in just a short while (and extra long shift, as I have some training before my regular rotation.....yay me ) so I won't have a chance to post an update today. I'll do my best to get one up sometime tomorrow, though. I'll leave @Ruthie5671 and @dancin Disney style to entertain ya'll for this sunshiny Thursday.

 

[vrajewski10513]

Gina, I have to say you have some serious trip planning skills. This is the first time we've ever had two trips in the works at the same time and trying to keep everything straight that I have done and what still needs to be done sure is a task! I'm a very organized person to begin with, but this is on a different level. So, Kudos to you for being able to keep track of the never ending trip planning!!

 

[chiamarie]

A) Garfield is perfect.in.every.single.way. Perfection. And he is NEVER wrong! I love him so much.

B) Dolphin feeding didn't go away because that one girl got bit. Bites happened pretty regularly and it was already in the works to get away from feeding before that ever happened.

 

[Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina]

Gina, I have to say you have some serious trip planning skills. This is the first time we've ever had two trips in the works at the same time and trying to keep everything straight that I have done and what still needs to be done sure is a task! I'm a very organized person to begin with, but this is on a different level. So, Kudos to you for being able to keep track of the never ending trip planning!!

It does get pretty confusing, doesn't it? It's a good kind of confusion, though .... and it gets easier to manage once you get in the multi-trip groove. I swear by trip binders: completely geeked out with page protectors and coloured dividers if at all possible. An Excel spreadsheet is my other saving grace. Yes, I have become one of 'those' people .

A) Garfield is perfect.in.every.single.way. Perfection. And he is NEVER wrong! I love him so much.

B) Dolphin feeding didn't go away because that one girl got bit. Bites happened pretty regularly and it was already in the works to get away from feeding before that ever happened.

Well, there ya go. I guess I just assumed that one was linked to the other just based on the timing of when the feedings were discontinued.

Bites really happened that often, huh?

 

[Raeven]

By this point, with David and Steve’s winnings in tow, we had little time left to waste: we gathered up our things and made haste to Dolphin Cove. We had just enough time to stop at the rest rooms for a quick break. By this time, David had become virtually inseparable from his buddy…….and this photo that Kerry ( @dsmom ) snapped as we left the restrooms was just a perfect, beautiful representation of their friendship .

Aw this picture is adorable.

The photo kiosk worker who assisted us after the Dolphin Encounter actually remarked on how many pictures we had managed to accumulate on our Photokey. She was quite impressed at how well we had maximized the value of the annual card. I think, by the time this day was over, we had gleaned about 300 images over the course of the year…..everything from entrance photos to ride pictures to the photos taken during the tours. We definitely got our money’s worth .

That's a lot of pictures! You did get your money's worth

…..and after an exciting, action-packed day, we were all looking forward to enjoying a relaxing dinner with the Clauses to rest and refuel and ready ourselves for a night full of festive fun .

Ooo this sounds fun!

 

[Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina]

Monday, December 19th (continued)

Santa’s Fireside Feast was held at SeaFire Grill, located in the central Waterfront area.

When it was time to check in, we headed inside with tickets in hand. As with the rest of the park, festive decorations and beautiful trees adorned the interior of the restaurant. Holiday music was playing cheerily over the speaker system and the smell of freshly cooked turkey hung tantalizingly in the air.

Upon verifying our reservation, we were escorted to the rear of the building to the large room utilized for special dining events throughout the year. On the way, we were taken to an outside photo station to have our complimentary dinner picture taken by Photokey staff.

After the brief stop for photos, the Fireside Feast staff personally escorted us to our waiting table. The room itself featured an expansive stage that was transformed into Santa’s living room, complete with a large fireplace whose mantle was beautifully decorated with garland and stockings, a comfy chair that oozed North Pole charm, and a beautiful Christmas tree that twinkled in the soft light. The stage itself was rimmed with more garland, lights and bows, and every table was decked out in festive red and green table coverings. Each little detail was perfectly carried out, and it indeed felt as if we had just walked in to the Claus’s home. As we soaked in the décor with wide eyes and a round of oooohs and aaaahhhhs, it only got better as we were shown to our table, which was perfectly located right alongside the stage. There literally was almost no better seat in the house .

Alcoholic beverages were complimentary, and offered to us as soon as we were seated. Steve opted for beer while Kerry and I both had wine. Our wonderful server brought David his beverage of choice from a nice selection of kid-friendly offerings.

We were encouraged to visit the buffet whenever we were ready: Mrs. Claus had been working all afternoon on a grand feast for their guests, and the food was hot and ready to be enjoyed at our leisure . People were still slowly arriving, so there was no wait or lines. We headed up to check out the options and were not disappointed at the festive spread.

If this meal was any indicator, it was clear why Santa sports a big belly : Mrs. Claus had definitely outdone herself. The buffet featured all the components of a traditional Christmas feast including roast turkey, stuffing, gravy, ham, cranberries, mashed potatoes, macaroni and cheese, hot vegetables, fresh salads, warm dinner rolls, and an assortment of kid-friendly options. We would soon be wishing we, too, had a pair of Santa’s red pants with the stretchy waistband: it was all so delicious but SO incredibly filling. We all kept eating long past the point that we should have stopped. Of course, that happens at EVERY Christmas feast, doesn’t it?

There was plenty of food…….the number of people in attendance was woefully small…….so we were encouraged to eat hearty and return to the buffet as much as we wanted. Most folks were mostly winding down on the first course, though, when Santa Claus emerged with a hearty “Ho Ho Ho!” and welcome to the small crowd.

We were close enough to Santa that we could literally have reached out and touched him. We didn’t, of course (we’re not THAT weird ) but we had such a great table!


Holly and Jolly, Santa’s adorable two elves, joined Santa on the stage as he chatted amiably about the holidays and recite to us his favourite story: the Night Before Christmas. Despite the attendees being mostly families with small children, there was almost a hush that fell over the room as Santa’s commanding, yet gentle, voice began the first few lines of the beloved holiday story. Parents and kids alike were transfixed: not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse.

Best rendition of that holiday classic, EVER . I felt like I was five years old again, and didn’t want it to end.


As Santa wound down the story, Mrs. Claus began quietly visiting each table with a big basket overflowing with her freshly baked Christmas cookies. She personally handed out a cookie…..shaped like stars, decorated with festive red and green sprinkles, and all of which were just-from-the-oven warm …..to every guest .

At the conclusion of the story, Santa invited all guests to come up onto the stage for a visit and photos…..after all, Christmas was just days away and some little guests still had to tell Santa what they were hoping he would bring them on December 25th. Holly and Jolly expertly took charge, ushering each table up individually so that no one was ever waiting in a long line. It was wonderfully organized and relaxing: while some tables were being taken to visit with Santa, the rest of the guests had a blast interacting with the elves and Mrs. Claus, all of whom were casually whisking from table to table for photos and fun conversation.

A Photokey photographer was unobtrusively onstage as well, so all aspects of each family’s visit with Santa was captured by the event staff. Guests with Photokey cards like ours received the pictures added to our accounts complimentary, while others had the option to purchase at one of the photo locations throughout the park if desired. Guests were also welcomed to take pictures with their own devices, and staff were wonderfully accommodating to ensure family photos were also captured with cell phones and personal cameras too.


Also during the time when families were waiting for their turn to meet with Mr. Claus, the dessert buffet was opened to guests. We were thrilled (and more than a little relieved ) after such a large, heavy, filling meal to find that the dessert buffet was comprised of small, lighter items: tiny cupcakes all festively decorated for Christmas, an assortment of fresh and soft cookies, and other little sweet treats. There was no way any of us were capable of eating a large piece of cake or a heavy slice of pie, so these little delicacies were just perfect. The cupcakes were all different flavours (vanilla with red frosting, red velvet with vanilla frosting, and chocolate with mint frosting) and were as tasty as they were adorable.

David was SO excited to meet with Santa: when it was our turn to visit, he fairly danced up the stage to the stairs . Steve and I sent David and Kerry up first: we almost felt silly going up as two adults as it was, and we didn’t want David to have to wait one second longer than he needed to. And oh, how precious the interaction was .

Let me tell you this: there is a special place in heaven for this Santa . We had watched him with the families before us, and were already impressed by his gentleness, the ease of which he interacted with each family (remember, many families who are visiting from other countries don’t even speak very much English…..so that, on its own, could have made for some very tough moment; yet, it didn’t), and just his very authentic kindness. This Santa was the REAL deal.

David, as some of you may know, is autistic. Even though he is mostly non-verbal, Santa had no problem engaging him: there was not a whit of awkwardness in their exchange, just adoration from David and a softness from Santa that squeezed on our hearts as we watched from the side. There was no rushing, no hurrying, and he had both David and Kerry absolutely captivated in the moment. This was the “magic” of Christmas that should be in everyone’s heart during the holiday season .

When it was our turn to hobnob with Mr. Claus, any worries we had about feeling out of place as two adults with no little ones in tow immediately dissipated: he warmly welcomed us, telling us how much he enjoys the chance to spend time with “life-long believers”. Learning we were from Canada, we commiserated about the weather (it’s even colder at the North Pole than it is in Canada, after all! ) and just had the most fun, easy exchange. The awkwardness I expected was wholly non-existent. We spared him the agony of either of us sitting on his knee , but absolutely took the opportunity for pictures.

Our complimentary 6 x 8 printed photos, taken upon arrival, was waiting for us at our table when we returned from our Santa visit, carefully protected in a rigid cardboard sleeve .

As we sat for a moment, basking in the afterglow of our Santa visit, the wonderful team of servers who had taken care of us all evening asked if we were interested in some hot chocolate. It seemed a fitting way to end a magical, festive dinner so we all readily accepted their offer. Within seconds, we were presented with cups of warm, creamy hot chocolate in take-out cups (which were MUCH appreciated!) topped with fresh whipped cream and fun sprinkles.

We were wished dozens of “Merry Christmas!”-es by the staff as we collected our things and headed out into the night with our cups of hot chocolate in hand. While there was no rush for us to leave (and we were encouraged more than once to take our time and enjoy more dessert before departing), there was still a ton of Christmas fun to be enjoyed before the end of the night, and we didn’t have a moment to waste.

Overall thoughts: this meal, in our opinion, is one of the hidden gems of SeaWorld’s Christmas Celebration: there was not one single aspect that we would change. The food was fabulous, the experience was incredibly fun and festive, and the value ($29.99 per person, and 10% off that price for pass members) was superb. Why the meal was not sold out is a mystery to us. We will absolutely, positively take part in this event again if we happen to be at SeaWorld during the holiday season in future years.

The night was warm and comfortable as we headed outside: we still had so much to accomplish in just a few hours! Rudolph’s Christmastown was brand new for 2016, and we could hardly wait to check it out. We stopped briefly for a restroom break, and then we were off…….

The balance of our SeaWorld day is next .

 

[KsGiGi]

Glad that you enjoyed your Feast. The pictures of David's visit with Santa were absolutely precious! Maybe one day we can take our grandson to Orlando at Christmas, and this will be on our to do list.

 

[Mrs Doubtfire]

A great update Gina. I chose the all day dining and preferred seating for the Christmas shows over the Fireside Feast, but it looks really good. Perhaps adults and people with older children don't book it, thinking it is geared towards the younger ones?

 

[I-4Bound]

What a precious memory for David and his mom ♥

 

[Joanna71985]

I love Fireside Feast!! I've gone twice (once in 2015, and once in 2016), and I can not praise it enough. I feel it is VERY underrated

Gina- I just want to say that Santa is a good friend of mine ( ), and is the reason I started going in the first place

 

[Lynne G]

We ate holiday meals at both SW and BG Tampa. Both were priced about the same. All agreed the meal at SW was much better in quality. Would not do BG's again.

We also had a great time at SW with our Blue Friday buys. The Wild Artic tour was awesome. We had a magic moment there. When with the whales, the three other families with us refused to get their picture taken with the gray whale. We did not care, so we agreed to be with the gray one. Well, the trainer explained gray was shy, and may not let us interact with it. No matter, we knelt down and waited. It came by, looked at us, and swam away. Just when the trainer started to apologize, it came back, and stayed so long with us, the trainer let all 3 of us feed it. I thought the trainer would cry, as she kept saying, she has never seen the gray stay so long.

We really got good use of our Grover passes too. Oh, and little one did the catch a number game, and won a medium stuffed animal. Purple Pegasus. Exactly the stuffie she wanted.

Great pictures.