bizeemom4
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Nov 13, 2004
- Messages
- 2,031
This was a mom and sons only trip. My DH and DD16 couldn't get away for this trip so I was on my own for navigating the airports and Orlando. We have never done anything in Orlando except Disney so I didn't know if we would enjoy it. We were pleasantly surprised.
We took our time because of the heat and we spent 2.5 days doing everything. Sea World has really outstanding shows. Some shows were so good that we went back the next day to see them again. We fed the sting rays and the Sea Lions. We saved feeding the dolphins for our very last thing on Friday. We were second in line to buy fish and a tremendous storm started. The cue was cleared as we were advised to seek shelter. It then started to lightening and POUR! We ended up leaving the park because the storm was so dangerous and we never got to feed the dolphins. We will definitely be back next summer so we'll do that first thing next year. I'd like to go at the same time next summer as there were no lines for the rides. We had to get to the shows half and hour early to get good seats though.
We stayed at the Peabody which was very nice. It's only 7 trolley stops away from Sea World which made commuting to the park and to restaurants simple. The hotel is not kid friendly so keep that in mind. It's definitely a luxury hotel but most of that was lost on my kids. They are still at the age that they are more impressed by arcades, water slides and kid-cool restaurants, which this hotel does not have. Their mom (ME!) was very impressed by the polite, efficient staff and overall ambience. We could see Sea World and Disney from the hotel and watched Mystify and Illuminations Friday night while we were hiding from the storm.
We ordered room service pizza from Papa Duck and that was great; however, the pizza at Sea World was terrible. Overall food prices were ok at Sea World. We had lunch at a tank-side table at Sharks Grille. The kids loved that. It was about $100 for lunch for the 4 of us (with 2 of the kids eating off of the kids menu) and the food and the view were worth the price.
The new waterpark looks so cool. There's a display in the hospitality house and if the finished product is what they have displayed, it will be an amazing place that makes Disney's water parks look second best.
If you are a Disney fanatic (like we are) and you aren't sure if it's worth it to take a day away from Disney, I would definitely do it. We felt that it was a friendly, happy time away from the pressure and crowds of Disney.
We took our time because of the heat and we spent 2.5 days doing everything. Sea World has really outstanding shows. Some shows were so good that we went back the next day to see them again. We fed the sting rays and the Sea Lions. We saved feeding the dolphins for our very last thing on Friday. We were second in line to buy fish and a tremendous storm started. The cue was cleared as we were advised to seek shelter. It then started to lightening and POUR! We ended up leaving the park because the storm was so dangerous and we never got to feed the dolphins. We will definitely be back next summer so we'll do that first thing next year. I'd like to go at the same time next summer as there were no lines for the rides. We had to get to the shows half and hour early to get good seats though.
We stayed at the Peabody which was very nice. It's only 7 trolley stops away from Sea World which made commuting to the park and to restaurants simple. The hotel is not kid friendly so keep that in mind. It's definitely a luxury hotel but most of that was lost on my kids. They are still at the age that they are more impressed by arcades, water slides and kid-cool restaurants, which this hotel does not have. Their mom (ME!) was very impressed by the polite, efficient staff and overall ambience. We could see Sea World and Disney from the hotel and watched Mystify and Illuminations Friday night while we were hiding from the storm.
We ordered room service pizza from Papa Duck and that was great; however, the pizza at Sea World was terrible. Overall food prices were ok at Sea World. We had lunch at a tank-side table at Sharks Grille. The kids loved that. It was about $100 for lunch for the 4 of us (with 2 of the kids eating off of the kids menu) and the food and the view were worth the price.
The new waterpark looks so cool. There's a display in the hospitality house and if the finished product is what they have displayed, it will be an amazing place that makes Disney's water parks look second best.
If you are a Disney fanatic (like we are) and you aren't sure if it's worth it to take a day away from Disney, I would definitely do it. We felt that it was a friendly, happy time away from the pressure and crowds of Disney.
now you have an excuse to go back 
