Nickelodeon + DC + SW + Aquatica = comments requested

[hunter.deal]

Vacation scheduled, planning started and I thought I would toss my ideas out on the DIS floor here and see if anyone has any good ideas or informative responses. The timing of our vacation is not optimal but it is the only week we have open before kids start other summer vacation stuff.

Me 43 / DW 43 / DD 11 / DS 8

Sunday May 30 Driving - Check in to Nickelodeon Hotel at 3pm or thereabouts
Monday May 31 Considering going to SW but worried about HUGE crowds because of the holiday, so other option is to stay and enjoy Nickelodeon stuff
Tuesday June 1 DC as early as my family can get in line
Wednesday June 2 Seaworld in the morning + lunch then head over to Aquatica around 2pm or so.
Thursday June 3 Seaworld in the morning + lunch then head over to Aquatica around 2pm or so.
Friday June 4 Nickelodeon stuff till they kick us out.

Hoping that splitting up SW will allow us to split up the shows between days and that getting to Aquatica late in the day will allow all the early risers to be heading home leaving lots of space for us.

 

[jpeppers]

My only thought is unless you are getting a fantastic deal at Nick I would stay somewhere else cheaper since you seem to be focusing on the parks. I haven't been to Nick so I'm unimformed in that area but I know you won't use the Nick facilities on your Discovery Cove day and probably won't want to when you do Aquatica.

 

[hunter.deal]

Thanks for the reply. We actually purchased the 3 nights get 2 free deal going on the SeaWorld website and chose Nickelodeon hotel. I probably spent more than I should have but the kids seemed excited about getting "slimed" nightly and you cannot do it unless you are onsite. But your message makes me lean towards Nick stuff on Memorial day just to enjoy it more since we are paying to be there. Good points.

 

[mommyarewegoingback]

Vacation scheduled, planning started and I thought I would toss my ideas out on the DIS floor here and see if anyone has any good ideas or informative responses. The timing of our vacation is not optimal but it is the only week we have open before kids start other summer vacation stuff.

Me 43 / DW 43 / DD 11 / DS 8

Sunday May 30 Driving - Check in to Nickelodeon Hotel at 3pm or thereabouts
Monday May 31 Considering going to SW but worried about HUGE crowds because of the holiday, so other option is to stay and enjoy Nickelodeon stuff
Tuesday June 1 DC as early as my family can get in line
Wednesday June 2 Seaworld in the morning + lunch then head over to Aquatica around 2pm or so.
Thursday June 3 Seaworld in the morning + lunch then head over to Aquatica around 2pm or so.
Friday June 4 Nickelodeon stuff till they kick us out.

Hoping that splitting up SW will allow us to split up the shows between days and that getting to Aquatica late in the day will allow all the early risers to be heading home leaving lots of space for us.

Too funny! We're arriving at the Nick hotel on May 29th. We were planning on doing DC on the 31st since as you said it there will probably be huge crowds, but only at max 1000 at DC. So far planned we'll do SW on Sun the 30th and Thurs the 3rd. Maybe we'll see you there! Especially if you do DC on the 31st!
-Virginia

 

[hunter.deal]

Nope everything is booked like the post so we won't see you at DC but might see you around the Nickelodeon hotel, my kids are excited about the "shows" at Nick and as previously mentioned the nightly sliming. Curious if you did the 3 nights get 2 free thing too?

 

[mommyarewegoingback]

We did not. I found a great deal months ago for $106 for 7 nights (stnd 2 rooms w/bunk) , early booking... on the nickhotel website. Those numbers worked out better than the 3 for 2 deal for us.
-Virginia

 

[hunter.deal]

Wow now that's a great deal, good for you. If you are looking for an SW planning you might want to read the below post I took from another thread here on DIS. I forgot to get the username of the poster so cannot give credit.

SeaWorld
I would recommend that you plan your day from there around 1) An Orca show (Believe or Shamu Rocks), 2) A Sea Lion show (Clyde and Semour or Sea Lions tonight), and 3) Blue Horizons (the Dolphin show). These are the headliner shows -- not to be missed. I recommend getting to the show venues 20 minutes before the show if possible, for good seats. At the Sea Lion show too there is a mime there before the show that is quite entertaining, and we always go there early to watch him interacting with audience members coming into the show. Each show lasts about 25 minutes.

One really great animal venue is the Wild Artic, near Shamu Stadium (the Orca stadium). Go to this anytime EXCEPT right after an Orca show when this place will be a mod scene. This exhibit starts with a simulation ride and then you go into the Wild Artic animal exhibits. We like the simulation ride, but sometimes just see the movie in the handicapped line to get though more quickly. It doesn't usually work out for us on timing, but when we can, we go to the Wild Artic during one of the Shamu (Orca) shows -- almost no line at all then.

 

[cvjw]

I can't speak for the Aquatica early risers, but we are always BB and TL early risers. When we are leaving the parks around 2:00, there is always a sea of people entering the parks. I can't imagine the parks clearing out around 2:00. We are generally one of only a handful of guests leaving, but the number of guests arriving is unbelievable. The Sea World shows hold tons of people, it might be a better idea to spend a whole day there, and be an early riser at Aquatica one day - just to make sure your family gets to enjoy all of the attractions.

 

[hunter.deal]

Thanks for the comments, I can see how our first day leaving SW mid afternoon will help us determine if this truly is a good idea. Fingers-crossed.