Just Back - SeaWorld July 17th and July 23rd

[Hillbeans]

We just got back from 8 nights in WDW yesterday, and we had a wonderful visit as usual.

On this trip, we went with my husband's family - so there were 6 adults, one 16 year-old, and 5 kids between the ages of 11 and 1. No one in his family had ever been to Florida before, so DH and I thought we'd try SW first since it's always one of our favorite parks.

We got everyone up early and got to the park by 9:05! We skipped by Key West cove so those who wanted to ride on Journey to Atlantis could go and do it before the lines started. Everyone who went on it enjoyed that ride and it turned out to be a favorite. We then went through the Penguin Encounter, and backtracked a bit after that to see the new Dolphin show, Blue Horizons.

I don't know if anyone saw the old Dolphin show that was done around the concept of "Key West" where the girl "falls" in the pool with her socks on, however this new show, Blue Horizons, is amazing - they have high divers, fancy costumes and music. It's nice to see the park bring back elements of diving from high platforms because it really made this show amazing. I won't give anymore of the show away, but if you go to SeaWorld, this is definitely a "must see".

We then went to Sharks for lunch, and afterwards, went to see the Clydesdales, Shamu show, and the kids spent a good hour in the Shamu's Happy Harbor. It was getting to be close to 5 pm and everyone was tiring out, so our last walk-through was Wild Arctic while the older kids went on Atlantis again. Kraken was the one thing that my 8 yo niece in our group didn't get to go on, and although we had all planned on coming back, there just wasn't enough time for DH's brother's family to get back to SW with all of the other things they wanted to see in Disney.

The crowds weren't bad - either yesterday for our "2nd day free" nor last Sunday, however the heat was almost unbearable. This was our first summer trip to WDW, and probably our last - although perhaps the fact that i'm 30 weeks PG made me a little more hot and tired.

If anyone has any questions, please don't hesitate to ask!

 

[Verity Chambers]

Glad you had a good time. Blue Horizon's sounds great!!

Verity.xxx

 

[robvia]

Great TR. Arriving early was the key to a good start, as you had a short wait on JTA. Usually, the wait is 45 minutes. When I read that you arrived at 09:05am, I knew it was going to be a good report.

Agree, it has been very hot this summer. Which is another reason to arrive early, do the rides, then do indoor things in the afternoon, or go back to your hotel and rest.

 

[Cinerama]

Thanks for the report! We'll be at Sea World in 2 weeks for the first time and your report confirms yet again the importance of getting there early. What days of the week did you go...I know one of the days was a Sunday. We'll be there on a Monday...do you know if crowds are usually a bit less on weekdays? Of course it's summer....we're prepared for the heat and crowds!

 

[kitty2kidz]

How was sharks for lunch--menu/prices/good food??

 

[Florida_Mom]

Thanks for the trip report! The new dolphin show sounds wonderful.

We're going to Sea World in a few days, but we're probably not going to get there until 3 or 4 pm and staying until close. Do you know what the crowds are like then? Do they still run the shows in the evenings? (I know the Shamu show has a night performance but not sure about the others -- especially Pets Ahoy.)

Thanks!

 

[Hillbeans]

Cinerama - We went to SW on Sunday the 17th and Saturday the 23rd....Sunday the 17th wasn't bad in the morning, in fact, we parked in the second row right near the gate. Sea World handles large crowds well, and i'd try to hit the attractions near Shamu during a Shamu show (ie, Wild Arctic, Shamu Happy Harbor) because when the Shamu shows let out, those attractions get full.

Kitty2Kids - Sharks was fun - the food was a little expensive, but I had a small gourmet pizza for lunch with 4 different kinds of cheese on a special bread that was excellent. The portions are huge, so you'd do well to split a few appetizers for lunch. My son got the Hot Dog. The ambiance inside was nice, and it was fun to watch the sharks swimming around during lunch. We waited about 1 hour for a table for 12 - but they give you a slip to come back at X time, so you don't really have to sit there and wait.

Florida_Mom - the crowds do thin out in the afternoon, so going at 3 and staying until close (10) would be a great idea and you'll still get to see most if not everything (maybe not the Clydesdales marching in the park but you can see them in the stables). There are still shows in the later afternoon. I don't know exact times, however I know there is the 9 pm Shamu Show, and I think a 7 pm Dolphin show.

 

[Florida_Mom]

Thanks for the reply! I'm hoping it will be a little bit cooler later in the afternoon and early evening, too.

 

[chiconh]

We were there on the 12th and went back on the 15th for the second day free. It WAS PACKED! Lots of (very loud) Brazilian tour groups. Lines for everything, even an icecream. Now I know why I always go off season. Yeah, it was hot, but what do you expect for Florida in July? We ate at the Spice Mill on the first visit and we were very disappointed. The service was horrible (the girl taking the orders could not speak English and messed up 3 of the 6 orders!) and the food was marginal. I'll never go there again. The second trip we ate at Mama's Kitchen. The food was good and service was great.

 

[Andrea]

aww brings make all the memerios lol it wasnt that packed when we went either, it was a great day!!! i did get sun burned though lol

 

[Florida_Mom]

We just returned from Sea World and had a nice time. We got there about 4:30 p.m. and stayed until the park closed at 10. We were able to see all the shows that we wanted to see with the exception of one. It was definitely cooler and as we got there crowds of people were just flooding out of the park, so I feel like we chose the right time-frame to go.

 

[robvia]

Arriving late may actually be a good idea in the summer time, since the park stays open until 10pm. I just got back too, and the park was very hot in the morning. I was dripping with sweat. When I left at noon, it was packed, with tons of people trying to get in. So either show up at 08:30am, and stay until noon. Or show up later when it starts to cool off.

This time I watched the new Blue Horizons dolphin show and it was much better than the previous version. This show started at 11:15am, so it's no long the first show of the morning, Clyde and Seamore is. It's a good idea to arrive 30 minutes early. On Saturday July 30th, the entire stadium was full and they had to turn people away.