Darkbeer1
Theme Park Reporter and TV producer
- Joined
- Dec 3, 2012
- Messages
- 1,404
Drove down to San Diego for the weekend (Going to the US Men's National Soccer Match vs Serbia later today).
So stopped by SeaWorld San Diego before checking into the Hotel (Quality Suites Mission Valley/SeaWorld Area).
SeaWorld does look more like ConstructionWorld right now, but no big impact inside the park.
As for Lunar New Year celebrations (Selected dates through February 20th), the main event is the performances of The Chinese Acrobats of Hebei. It was a very good performance held in the Mission Bay Theater (former home for Madagascar Live). The venue is indoors and the lighting and decor is very well done for a performance that will only be offered a few weeks. Lasts about 30 minutes.
Since the venue has limited seating, the shows are reaching capacity. So the big hint, get in line early, like at least 45 minutes early for a good seat, and 20 minutes or more to get any seat.
The other offerings are nice, the area next to the entrance and Explorer's Reef is the main shopping area, and home of the Festival Stage, which offers a variety of local performances.
Now, the two big areas under construction...
The Killer Whales/Orcas, they are still at the park, and still will be featured in shows.
Currently, a temporary set of bleachers has been set up and offers "Killer Whale Presentation", basically an educational, but entertaining show where the trainers and Orca's interact with each other.
The former Shamu Stadium is getting a big makeover and being converted to "Orca Encounter" to open during the summer of 2017.
http://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/business/tourism/sd-me-shamu-show-20170106-story.html
>>"The reimagined orca attraction, billed as an educational presentation, will lose the current stage setting, now dominated by four LED screens and a giant depiction of a whale tail. Replacing it will be a new backdrop that incorporates a rugged coastal inlet, artificial Douglas fir trees, cliffs and waterfalls. An infinity high-definition screen will highlight orca movements in the wild, as well as replays of SeaWorld killer whale maneuvers in the stadium pool.
"In what will still be a pre-produced presentation with designated start times, trainers will cue the orcas through a series of more natural behaviors typical of killer whales in the wild — hunting, eating, communicating — accompanied by an informative narrative."<<
The main Stadium area is being converted to a new "Orca Encounter" to open during the summer of 2017.
Also coming this summer is a new area (former Beer School and Clydesdale Barn area) is Ocean Explorer; Deep Sea Discovery.
>>Also targeted for early summer is Electric Ocean, a new nighttime entertainment experience, and Ocean Explorer, which has as its centerpiece a 3-minute-long submarine ride that gives riders the sense of being a deep-sea explorer.<<
Also, Ocean Explorer is designed to replace Wild Arctic, and all the animals featured there will be moving to the new area.
Why? Because the current Wild Arctic area is scheduled to be torn down to allow for the new Roller Coaster, Electric Eel scheduled to open in 2018.
http://www.sandiegouniontribune.com...ry.html?i10c.referrer=https://www.google.com/
Quick review of my Hotel, good location if you have a vehicle. I got a great deal of $67.50 plus $12 to park (Total with taxes was $88.07). Comes with a nice free Hot Breakfast, and large rooms (I got a 1 King Bed Suite, which has a separate area with a couch, desk, second TV and small fridge/microwave, and a sliding glass door to separate it from the bedroom. Now the layout is front door, bathroom, bedroom and then the living room area. Nothing fancy, but bed and pillows were comfortable, and has a good shower head. So for what I needed, a great choice. But for a tourist, I would recommend the Old Town Area next the San Diego Trolley (I like the Old Town Inn) or the Pacific Beach area. (Buses run every 15 minutes from the Pier to Old Town, and the trip takes about 20 minutes. Also one bus route in the area actually has a stop inside the park near the Main Turnstiles.
So overall a good day, happy the Dolphin Show is back to featuring the Marine animals, and not the Acrobats and birds.
Sea Lions Live has one new segment in the script, and the pre show with Biff has also been updated.
Worth a full days visit if you are in the area.
So stopped by SeaWorld San Diego before checking into the Hotel (Quality Suites Mission Valley/SeaWorld Area).
SeaWorld does look more like ConstructionWorld right now, but no big impact inside the park.
As for Lunar New Year celebrations (Selected dates through February 20th), the main event is the performances of The Chinese Acrobats of Hebei. It was a very good performance held in the Mission Bay Theater (former home for Madagascar Live). The venue is indoors and the lighting and decor is very well done for a performance that will only be offered a few weeks. Lasts about 30 minutes.
Since the venue has limited seating, the shows are reaching capacity. So the big hint, get in line early, like at least 45 minutes early for a good seat, and 20 minutes or more to get any seat.
The other offerings are nice, the area next to the entrance and Explorer's Reef is the main shopping area, and home of the Festival Stage, which offers a variety of local performances.
Now, the two big areas under construction...
The Killer Whales/Orcas, they are still at the park, and still will be featured in shows.
Currently, a temporary set of bleachers has been set up and offers "Killer Whale Presentation", basically an educational, but entertaining show where the trainers and Orca's interact with each other.
The former Shamu Stadium is getting a big makeover and being converted to "Orca Encounter" to open during the summer of 2017.
http://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/business/tourism/sd-me-shamu-show-20170106-story.html
>>"The reimagined orca attraction, billed as an educational presentation, will lose the current stage setting, now dominated by four LED screens and a giant depiction of a whale tail. Replacing it will be a new backdrop that incorporates a rugged coastal inlet, artificial Douglas fir trees, cliffs and waterfalls. An infinity high-definition screen will highlight orca movements in the wild, as well as replays of SeaWorld killer whale maneuvers in the stadium pool.
"In what will still be a pre-produced presentation with designated start times, trainers will cue the orcas through a series of more natural behaviors typical of killer whales in the wild — hunting, eating, communicating — accompanied by an informative narrative."<<
The main Stadium area is being converted to a new "Orca Encounter" to open during the summer of 2017.
Also coming this summer is a new area (former Beer School and Clydesdale Barn area) is Ocean Explorer; Deep Sea Discovery.
>>Also targeted for early summer is Electric Ocean, a new nighttime entertainment experience, and Ocean Explorer, which has as its centerpiece a 3-minute-long submarine ride that gives riders the sense of being a deep-sea explorer.<<
Also, Ocean Explorer is designed to replace Wild Arctic, and all the animals featured there will be moving to the new area.
Why? Because the current Wild Arctic area is scheduled to be torn down to allow for the new Roller Coaster, Electric Eel scheduled to open in 2018.
http://www.sandiegouniontribune.com...ry.html?i10c.referrer=https://www.google.com/
Quick review of my Hotel, good location if you have a vehicle. I got a great deal of $67.50 plus $12 to park (Total with taxes was $88.07). Comes with a nice free Hot Breakfast, and large rooms (I got a 1 King Bed Suite, which has a separate area with a couch, desk, second TV and small fridge/microwave, and a sliding glass door to separate it from the bedroom. Now the layout is front door, bathroom, bedroom and then the living room area. Nothing fancy, but bed and pillows were comfortable, and has a good shower head. So for what I needed, a great choice. But for a tourist, I would recommend the Old Town Area next the San Diego Trolley (I like the Old Town Inn) or the Pacific Beach area. (Buses run every 15 minutes from the Pier to Old Town, and the trip takes about 20 minutes. Also one bus route in the area actually has a stop inside the park near the Main Turnstiles.
So overall a good day, happy the Dolphin Show is back to featuring the Marine animals, and not the Acrobats and birds.
Sea Lions Live has one new segment in the script, and the pre show with Biff has also been updated.
Worth a full days visit if you are in the area.
