Hi all!
Who went:
Jennifer Age 29 - Travel Agent
Dennis Age 28 - Computer Technician
Kaitylnn Age 3 1/2 - Aspiring Princess
Julie Age 2 - Junior Princess in Training
We were very, very tired from our long drive and late night at the Boardwalk and decided to do the unthinkable and sleep in the next day. This was fine with me because we weren't going to Disney anyway. Every trip I have to agree to spend at least one non-Disney day for DH's sake (Sea World or Universal). I like to do this at the beginning of the trip so I can get it overwith as soon as possible. The chickee-monkeys love Shamu so we chose Sea World again this year, and another deciding factor was that Universal just doesn't have many rides that little ones can go on.
So we woke up at 10:00am and arrived at Sea World at 12:00pm. It was busier than we are used to, but we did go on a weekend (Sunday) so I should have expected that.
We stopped by the stingrays first and bought some slimy sardines to feed to them. If you have food the stingrays come right up to you and you can touch them as they glide by. They are rather slimy & it feels weird when they slurp up the fish from your hand. Katie (3) is a little timid and hung back by me, but Julie (2), our little daredevil, was hanging over the side of the pool with her Daddy and splashing and laughing when the stingrays came over. There is also a stingray nursery where you can view the baby stingrays, which are very cute, as are all babies!
Next we stopped by the dolphin cove area. The dolphins supposedly come by you if you hang over the side and stick your hand in the water. We have never had any luck doing this - ever! And I have never seen anybody have a dolphin come by them unless they were a trainer! This is a Sea World Sham - don't be sucked in! We chose to go to the underwater viewing area, which is air-conditioned, and you can actually see the dophins up close. The dolphins were really playful that day and we got some great video and pictures. The chickeemonkeys were magically glued to the glass for about 25 minutes just looking - a record!
Next we stopped by the sea lions who are hilarious. We missed them somehow before because they are in a weird spot in the park. You can also buy them stinky fish and feed them, which DH did. There are about 20 sea lions all perched on rocks. Once they realize that some suckers bought them food they start making the loudest, most obnoxious antics. One was barking and waving at us! And a really fat one was making a very low toned burping noise, which cracked us up. Katie enjoyed feeding them because the sea lions would actually catch the fish in their mouth. I think Julie was a little disappointed because she couldn't actually touch the sea lions.
Next we found a shady spot & stopped for snow cones (which are not as good as Disney) but still refreshing.
We went through a tropical fish exhibit, which was only about 20 different aquariums. I have seen better fish at the pet store down the street. This was very disappointing for a Sea World exhibit, but at least it was air-conditioned.
The penguin exhibit was next. Who doesn't love the penguins? They are hilarious also. Especially those goofy ones with the wacked out, spiky hair!
By this time the kids were tired so we headed to our favorite spot. The Anheiser Busch Pavillion - Free Beer! The only problem was it was around 2pm and everybody in the park had discovered our little secret! It was mobbed and there were no tables inside the air-conditioning! Since everyone had picked the same time to eat and drink (free beer), we decided the best strategy was to go see the sharks and come back later. Hopefully the mob would be gone by then.
So we went to the Shark Encounter. This is probably the coolest exhibit in Sea World. You walk thru a glass tunnel and the sharks are swimming all around you. The only problem is that they play really spooky Jaws music. Right away Katie was freaking out. She has recently developed a fear of the dark, bad guys and great white sharks. We tried to tell her they were just big fish, but I don't think she bought it. I carried her the whole way through and she hid her head on my shoulder and only peeked at the sharks. Meanwhile her little sister was totally enthralled and pointed out all the big fishies to DH.
Back to the Free Beer Pavillion - it is much less crowded so we snag a table. This is a great place to eat. You save on food because you don't have to pay for drinks (b/c the beer is free!). DH & I got small ceasar salad and a really big club sandwich & potato salad to share. The kids split a small salad & a smaller sandwich plus some watermelon & chips. We spent under $20 for everyone. We drank free beer and the kids had ice water, which is also free. (Warning: The kids meals were in a really cute Shamu sand bucket, but they were $6.50 each!!!!! and included a hot dog and chips. What a rip! It is much more cost effective to buy the kids one adult portion and have them share - It's cheaper and you get more food. And who wants to carry those buckets around for the rest of the day anyway?).
Here are the rules for getting your free beer. There are two counters - one has beer only (Bud, Michelob) - the other has specialty drinks (Docs Hard Lemonade, Micro Brews, ect). You are only allowed one free drink from each counter and they do card everyone who looks under 30 - so bring your I.D.
For those of you who dont mind bending the rules a little, there are ways to maximize the free beer experience. On busy days, like the day we were there, it is harder for the bartenders to recognize everyone, so it is possible to get at least 2 drinks at each counter! Also the shifts change every hour, so try to get a different bartender to pour your drink the second time. To ensure that DH and I were not recognized, we also did subtle things to change our appearance, like wear sunglasses, or a hat, or I put my hair in a ponytail. I do not recommend going up more than four times because a beer headache in the hot florida sun is a killer - and nobody wants to get sick while on vacation. That being said, we thoroughly enjoyed our free-beer-getting experience, as always!
After lunch we saw the Dolphin Show which was really short (15 min) and uneventful. They do pick one little girl to pet & feed the dolphin which is cool. I would recommend the Clyde & Seamore Show instead which we saw last time.
Then we preceded to Shamus Happy Harbour and let the kids play. Shamus Happy Harbour is a big playground for the little ones (ages 3-10) much like Mickeys Toontown Fair. There is a big bouncy thing they can jump in and also a pyramid they can climb, tons of slides, a big sandbox, and on top a huge tunnel/rope thing they can all run around in and eventually slide down. They also have some fountains and a big boat where the kids can spray each other, but I recommend bringing swim suits for that. This is a good place for parents to take a break and there are plenty of tables to just sit and watch the kids play. There was some lightning in the sky so they closed everything down (except the sand box). It never rained but they never opened everything back up again.
We still had two hours until the Shamu show. DH & I were debating just calling it a day or trying to find something else to do for two more hours????? In the end we decided it would be a waste to leave without seeing Shamu. We got the chickee-monkeys out of the sandbox and went to the Wild Arctic Ride. This is a motion simulator and then you get to see Polar Bears and Walruses. We had to just see the movie b/c the kids were too little for the simulator part. We saw the bears, who looked pretty unhappy all cooped up in their underground cage. I wonder if they let them outside ever?
Finally, we made our way over to Shamu stadium. We sat five rows from the front. DH was determined to get wet! The last Shamu show is usually the most fun. They play some good dance music and have a big Jumbotron & b/c it is getting dark there is a cool light show. For the pre-show they try to catch audience members unawares on the Jumbotron. Katie was the first person on the Jumbotron and DH wasnt videotaping! But she looked really cute and enjoyed seeing herself on TV! The show was good as always and the girls were so happy to finally see Shamu and so close up! However, DH threw a hissy fit at the end of the show because we did not get wet at all! He couldnt believe he was only 5 rows up and not one drop! (I agree he is cursed b/c the last 3 times we have been to this show he didnt get wet either.) He was also mad b/c Shamu was splashing empty seats and not him! I tried to tell him that Shamu is smart, but I dont think the whales realize if there are people in the seats or not. His grumbling continued for most of the evening no matter what I said. I hope he gets soaked next time.
We stopped on the way out to get some big lollipops for each of the chickee-monkeys and went home at 9pm. We stopped for pizza on the way back to the hotel. Happily, we fell asleep and had sweet dreams of finally going back to Disney tomorrow.
Here is the breakdown of what was spent:
Sea World Passes: $73.41 (includes travel agent discount).
Big Lollipops $7.00
4 Sno Cones $10.00
Breakfast (free at hotel)
Lunch $14.00
Dinner $15.00
________________________________________________
Total $119.41
Who went:
Jennifer Age 29 - Travel Agent
Dennis Age 28 - Computer Technician
Kaitylnn Age 3 1/2 - Aspiring Princess
Julie Age 2 - Junior Princess in Training
We were very, very tired from our long drive and late night at the Boardwalk and decided to do the unthinkable and sleep in the next day. This was fine with me because we weren't going to Disney anyway. Every trip I have to agree to spend at least one non-Disney day for DH's sake (Sea World or Universal). I like to do this at the beginning of the trip so I can get it overwith as soon as possible. The chickee-monkeys love Shamu so we chose Sea World again this year, and another deciding factor was that Universal just doesn't have many rides that little ones can go on.
So we woke up at 10:00am and arrived at Sea World at 12:00pm. It was busier than we are used to, but we did go on a weekend (Sunday) so I should have expected that.
We stopped by the stingrays first and bought some slimy sardines to feed to them. If you have food the stingrays come right up to you and you can touch them as they glide by. They are rather slimy & it feels weird when they slurp up the fish from your hand. Katie (3) is a little timid and hung back by me, but Julie (2), our little daredevil, was hanging over the side of the pool with her Daddy and splashing and laughing when the stingrays came over. There is also a stingray nursery where you can view the baby stingrays, which are very cute, as are all babies!
Next we stopped by the dolphin cove area. The dolphins supposedly come by you if you hang over the side and stick your hand in the water. We have never had any luck doing this - ever! And I have never seen anybody have a dolphin come by them unless they were a trainer! This is a Sea World Sham - don't be sucked in! We chose to go to the underwater viewing area, which is air-conditioned, and you can actually see the dophins up close. The dolphins were really playful that day and we got some great video and pictures. The chickeemonkeys were magically glued to the glass for about 25 minutes just looking - a record!
Next we stopped by the sea lions who are hilarious. We missed them somehow before because they are in a weird spot in the park. You can also buy them stinky fish and feed them, which DH did. There are about 20 sea lions all perched on rocks. Once they realize that some suckers bought them food they start making the loudest, most obnoxious antics. One was barking and waving at us! And a really fat one was making a very low toned burping noise, which cracked us up. Katie enjoyed feeding them because the sea lions would actually catch the fish in their mouth. I think Julie was a little disappointed because she couldn't actually touch the sea lions.
Next we found a shady spot & stopped for snow cones (which are not as good as Disney) but still refreshing.
We went through a tropical fish exhibit, which was only about 20 different aquariums. I have seen better fish at the pet store down the street. This was very disappointing for a Sea World exhibit, but at least it was air-conditioned.
The penguin exhibit was next. Who doesn't love the penguins? They are hilarious also. Especially those goofy ones with the wacked out, spiky hair!
By this time the kids were tired so we headed to our favorite spot. The Anheiser Busch Pavillion - Free Beer! The only problem was it was around 2pm and everybody in the park had discovered our little secret! It was mobbed and there were no tables inside the air-conditioning! Since everyone had picked the same time to eat and drink (free beer), we decided the best strategy was to go see the sharks and come back later. Hopefully the mob would be gone by then.
So we went to the Shark Encounter. This is probably the coolest exhibit in Sea World. You walk thru a glass tunnel and the sharks are swimming all around you. The only problem is that they play really spooky Jaws music. Right away Katie was freaking out. She has recently developed a fear of the dark, bad guys and great white sharks. We tried to tell her they were just big fish, but I don't think she bought it. I carried her the whole way through and she hid her head on my shoulder and only peeked at the sharks. Meanwhile her little sister was totally enthralled and pointed out all the big fishies to DH.
Back to the Free Beer Pavillion - it is much less crowded so we snag a table. This is a great place to eat. You save on food because you don't have to pay for drinks (b/c the beer is free!). DH & I got small ceasar salad and a really big club sandwich & potato salad to share. The kids split a small salad & a smaller sandwich plus some watermelon & chips. We spent under $20 for everyone. We drank free beer and the kids had ice water, which is also free. (Warning: The kids meals were in a really cute Shamu sand bucket, but they were $6.50 each!!!!! and included a hot dog and chips. What a rip! It is much more cost effective to buy the kids one adult portion and have them share - It's cheaper and you get more food. And who wants to carry those buckets around for the rest of the day anyway?).
Here are the rules for getting your free beer. There are two counters - one has beer only (Bud, Michelob) - the other has specialty drinks (Docs Hard Lemonade, Micro Brews, ect). You are only allowed one free drink from each counter and they do card everyone who looks under 30 - so bring your I.D.
For those of you who dont mind bending the rules a little, there are ways to maximize the free beer experience. On busy days, like the day we were there, it is harder for the bartenders to recognize everyone, so it is possible to get at least 2 drinks at each counter! Also the shifts change every hour, so try to get a different bartender to pour your drink the second time. To ensure that DH and I were not recognized, we also did subtle things to change our appearance, like wear sunglasses, or a hat, or I put my hair in a ponytail. I do not recommend going up more than four times because a beer headache in the hot florida sun is a killer - and nobody wants to get sick while on vacation. That being said, we thoroughly enjoyed our free-beer-getting experience, as always!
After lunch we saw the Dolphin Show which was really short (15 min) and uneventful. They do pick one little girl to pet & feed the dolphin which is cool. I would recommend the Clyde & Seamore Show instead which we saw last time.
Then we preceded to Shamus Happy Harbour and let the kids play. Shamus Happy Harbour is a big playground for the little ones (ages 3-10) much like Mickeys Toontown Fair. There is a big bouncy thing they can jump in and also a pyramid they can climb, tons of slides, a big sandbox, and on top a huge tunnel/rope thing they can all run around in and eventually slide down. They also have some fountains and a big boat where the kids can spray each other, but I recommend bringing swim suits for that. This is a good place for parents to take a break and there are plenty of tables to just sit and watch the kids play. There was some lightning in the sky so they closed everything down (except the sand box). It never rained but they never opened everything back up again.
We still had two hours until the Shamu show. DH & I were debating just calling it a day or trying to find something else to do for two more hours????? In the end we decided it would be a waste to leave without seeing Shamu. We got the chickee-monkeys out of the sandbox and went to the Wild Arctic Ride. This is a motion simulator and then you get to see Polar Bears and Walruses. We had to just see the movie b/c the kids were too little for the simulator part. We saw the bears, who looked pretty unhappy all cooped up in their underground cage. I wonder if they let them outside ever?
Finally, we made our way over to Shamu stadium. We sat five rows from the front. DH was determined to get wet! The last Shamu show is usually the most fun. They play some good dance music and have a big Jumbotron & b/c it is getting dark there is a cool light show. For the pre-show they try to catch audience members unawares on the Jumbotron. Katie was the first person on the Jumbotron and DH wasnt videotaping! But she looked really cute and enjoyed seeing herself on TV! The show was good as always and the girls were so happy to finally see Shamu and so close up! However, DH threw a hissy fit at the end of the show because we did not get wet at all! He couldnt believe he was only 5 rows up and not one drop! (I agree he is cursed b/c the last 3 times we have been to this show he didnt get wet either.) He was also mad b/c Shamu was splashing empty seats and not him! I tried to tell him that Shamu is smart, but I dont think the whales realize if there are people in the seats or not. His grumbling continued for most of the evening no matter what I said. I hope he gets soaked next time.
We stopped on the way out to get some big lollipops for each of the chickee-monkeys and went home at 9pm. We stopped for pizza on the way back to the hotel. Happily, we fell asleep and had sweet dreams of finally going back to Disney tomorrow.
Here is the breakdown of what was spent:
Sea World Passes: $73.41 (includes travel agent discount).
Big Lollipops $7.00
4 Sno Cones $10.00
Breakfast (free at hotel)
Lunch $14.00
Dinner $15.00
________________________________________________
Total $119.41
One of these days we are gonna break away and go to Sea World. We keep saying we will... 
