Touring Plan Feedback Please??

[newtodis]

Alright...in looking over the schedules today, here's what I have determined for our "touring plan" right now:

Friday
Leave as soon as we get out of work and get the kids - hopefully by 6 at the latest.

Saturday
Be at Sea World by 8:30. This should give us time to "trade in" our passport e-tickets for acutal passports, do the child id bracelets and get a park map and show times.

First thing we're heading for is the dolphin feeding. From there we'll check out Turtle Point, Sting Ray Lagoon, Alligators and Manatee Rescue. Then we'll head over to Penguin Encounter and Pacific Point Preserve. A lot of animals but we'll be in that area of the park and it's easier to see them as we come to them instead of criss-crossing and missing something later.

Our first show will be Elmo and Abby's Treasure Hunt at 12:45. We'll probably do lunch before the show or get something to take into the theater to eat while we're waiting for the show to start.

After the show we'll head over to Shamu's Happy Harbour to play for a bit until we have to be at Shamu Stadium for the 2:30 Believe show. I'm trying hard to talk the boys - all three of them - to sit in the "splash zone" during the show!!

From there, we'll head back towards the Shark Encounter until the 4:45 A'lure show. The only other things scheduled for the evening are the Sea Lions Tonight show at 6:45, Shamu Rocks at 8:00 and Reflections at 9:50. Of course we'll have to fit dinner in there somewhere and snacks along the way.

Sunday
Sunday morning we'll be back at 8:30 to get new child id bands and new maps. When the park opens at 9, we'll head to whatever we missed or was the favorite before. Our first show of the day will be Blue Horizons at 11:30. We're also going to try and see Clyde and Seamore Take Pirate Island at 12:45. That means we'll have seen every show offered other than Pets Ahoy. If the kids want to see it and we've got time, we'll check it out. If not, I won't be heartbroken.

We'll head back to the condo for a bit to rest and have lunch. Once we're well rested, we'll head over to AKL for a bit to see the animals. Around 7, we'll head over to the Poly to ride the monorail to the other resorts and check them out a bit then back to the Poly to watch the water parade and Wishes from the beach.

Monday
Monday morning we'll be up and at 'em early (the boys always are!) to be at Cape May Cafe by 7:30 for our ADR. Once we're done with breakfast, our server will bring out Corbin's Star Wars birthday cake and we'll celebrate. No one knows about my surprise just yet so it will be awesome!!! I'm still debating what to do with the extra cake. I know there will be a ton. I had to get a 10" cake to get it "customized". We'll either share it with the tables around us or pack it up and bring it home with us or a combination of both since I'm sure there will be a lot of cake left over!

Please give me your thoughts and feedback! I would so greatly appreciate them!!

 

[davids68girl]

Well, I haven't made it to SWO yet so I can't comment on the logistics of your plans but I can say I love them!! Looks like a wonderful way to mix some Disney with SW and have a great family time.

Star Wars Birthday cake suprise sounds like so much fun too. My guys all love Star Wars and that would be a really big hit around here. Sounds like you have some great plans there!!

 

[newtodis]

Thanks so much! Hopefully someone will be able to tell me if it's doable or not!

 

[derekburgan]

I just went to Sea World last week and can't imagine, with kids, how you can be under the Florida sun in that park from 8:30 in the morning to 10PM at night and then be back the next morning at 8:30. I would seriously consider targeting the first day to end at 7PM or so after Sea Lion's Tonight and then start the next day at 3PM and do the Shamu Rocks and Reflections that night. We were at Sea World two weeks ago and just 9AM to 5PM took it's toll and we didn't have any small kids. Because Sea World is mostly an outdoor place, the Florida combination of unyeilding heat and humidity can have it's effects, and if everyone's miserable after 12 hours of being on their feet, I think it will have an adverse effect on your enjoyment of a wonderful park.

Be sure to do the Manta aquarium attraction regardless of whether you do the Manta thrill ride. It's done very well. And if you are doing the thrill rides (Manta, Kraken, and Journey to Atlantis), I'd recommend hitting them first at rope drop, and then heading over to the Dolphin feeding/Manatee side of the park.

 

[RabFlmom]

Alright...in looking over the schedules today, here's what I have determined for our "touring plan" right now:

Friday
Leave as soon as we get out of work and get the kids - hopefully by 6 at the latest.

Saturday
Be at Sea World by 8:30. This should give us time to "trade in" our passport e-tickets for acutal passports, do the child id bracelets and get a park map and show times.

First thing we're heading for is the dolphin feeding. From there we'll check out Turtle Point, Sting Ray Lagoon, Alligators and Manatee Rescue. Then we'll head over to Penguin Encounter and Pacific Point Preserve. A lot of animals but we'll be in that area of the park and it's easier to see them as we come to them instead of criss-crossing and missing something later.

Our first show will be Elmo and Abby's Treasure Hunt at 12:45. We'll probably do lunch before the show or get something to take into the theater to eat while we're waiting for the show to start.

After the show we'll head over to Shamu's Happy Harbour to play for a bit until we have to be at Shamu Stadium for the 2:30 Believe show. I'm trying hard to talk the boys - all three of them - to sit in the "splash zone" during the show!!

From there, we'll head back towards the Shark Encounter until the 4:45 A'lure show. The only other things scheduled for the evening are the Sea Lions Tonight show at 6:45, Shamu Rocks at 8:00 and Reflections at 9:50. Of course we'll have to fit dinner in there somewhere and snacks along the way.

Sunday
Sunday morning we'll be back at 8:30 to get new child id bands and new maps. When the park opens at 9, we'll head to whatever we missed or was the favorite before. Our first show of the day will be Blue Horizons at 11:30. We're also going to try and see Clyde and Seamore Take Pirate Island at 12:45. That means we'll have seen every show offered other than Pets Ahoy. If the kids want to see it and we've got time, we'll check it out. If not, I won't be heartbroken.

We'll head back to the condo for a bit to rest and have lunch. Once we're well rested, we'll head over to AKL for a bit to see the animals. Around 7, we'll head over to the Poly to ride the monorail to the other resorts and check them out a bit then back to the Poly to watch the water parade and Wishes from the beach.

Monday
Monday morning we'll be up and at 'em early (the boys always are!) to be at Cape May Cafe by 7:30 for our ADR. Once we're done with breakfast, our server will bring out Corbin's Star Wars birthday cake and we'll celebrate. No one knows about my surprise just yet so it will be awesome!!! I'm still debating what to do with the extra cake. I know there will be a ton. I had to get a 10" cake to get it "customized". We'll either share it with the tables around us or pack it up and bring it home with us or a combination of both since I'm sure there will be a lot of cake left over!

Please give me your thoughts and feedback! I would so greatly appreciate them!!

I would probably do it differently, but your way would work to.

My advice:
1. They won't allow food and drinks in the theater so you need to plan a meal before heading to line up for Elmo Show.

2. I would probably do all the shows on Saturday so that when I go to Sea Lion Tonite, I will be able to laugh at the satire. They basically make fun of everything Sea World in the show and it is funnier if you have seen the other shows. I would definitely try to see Pets Ahoy because the animals are the cutest and kids love it. I would skip Alure to see Pet's Ahoy if I had to.

3. Even doing the shows you will have time to do some of the animal exhibits, but you also could do them all on Sunday morning.

4. You didn't mention the Manta Aquarium and you definitely want to go there. Also I would check out the aquarium in the floor and ceiling in/behind the gift shop at Journey to Atlantis.

5. Usually Sunday mornings are not real busy until after churches start letting out. It will get more crowded in the afternoon.

 

[newtodis]

I just went to Sea World last week and can't imagine, with kids, how you can be under the Florida sun in that park from 8:30 in the morning to 10PM at night and then be back the next morning at 8:30. I would seriously consider targeting the first day to end at 7PM or so after Sea Lion's Tonight and then start the next day at 3PM and do the Shamu Rocks and Reflections that night. We were at Sea World two weeks ago and just 9AM to 5PM took it's toll and we didn't have any small kids. Because Sea World is mostly an outdoor place, the Florida combination of unyeilding heat and humidity can have it's effects, and if everyone's miserable after 12 hours of being on their feet, I think it will have an adverse effect on your enjoyment of a wonderful park.

Be sure to do the Manta aquarium attraction regardless of whether you do the Manta thrill ride. It's done very well. And if you are doing the thrill rides (Manta, Kraken, and Journey to Atlantis), I'd recommend hitting them first at rope drop, and then heading over to the Dolphin feeding/Manatee side of the park.

We live in the south so we've got a pretty good idea of the heat and humidity. My kids generally go from about 5:30 in the morning until about 10 or 10:30 on the weekends when we let them stay up later. That part, I'm not so worried about. If we need to take a break in the middle of the day we will. We're also planning on lots of shows so there will be some breaks and if we need to sit down and eat meals instead of "meals on the go" that will give us some mini-breaks too.

Thanks for the Manta tip. I didn't know there was an aquarium there too. No thrill rides for us. The little ones are too small, I'm more interested in what they want to do and DH doesn't seem to care one way or the other. If he wants to do them while we're in the shows, that's fine by me.

I would probably do it differently, but your way would work to.

My advice:
1. They won't allow food and drinks in the theater so you need to plan a meal before heading to line up for Elmo Show.

2. I would probably do all the shows on Saturday so that when I go to Sea Lion Tonite, I will be able to laugh at the satire. They basically make fun of everything Sea World in the show and it is funnier if you have seen the other shows. I would definitely try to see Pets Ahoy because the animals are the cutest and kids love it. I would skip Alure to see Pet's Ahoy if I had to.

3. Even doing the shows you will have time to do some of the animal exhibits, but you also could do them all on Sunday morning.

4. You didn't mention the Manta Aquarium and you definitely want to go there. Also I would check out the aquarium in the floor and ceiling in/behind the gift shop at Journey to Atlantis.

5. Usually Sunday mornings are not real busy until after churches start letting out. It will get more crowded in the afternoon.

Thanks - I wasn't sure if you could take food in the shows. Some websites were too confusing.

We looked at Pets Ahoy and Alure on the SW site and you tube and the kids picked the "circus" one. DS5's really into gymnastics right now. If we have time we'll do Pets Ahoy too.

That's really good to know about Sunday mornings too! I'm hoping if we really "push it" on Saturday, we'll have time on Sunday to lounge around the park and fit in whatever we want.

I'm just having a really hard time trying to figure out if we should take a break on Saturday or not since I'm not familiar with the park or how far away we're staying. I'm sure it will all work out for the best. We're pretty flexible so that's good too.

 

[RabFlmom]

We live in the south so we've got a pretty good idea of the heat and humidity. My kids generally go from about 5:30 in the morning until about 10 or 10:30 on the weekends when we let them stay up later. That part, I'm not so worried about. If we need to take a break in the middle of the day we will. We're also planning on lots of shows so there will be some breaks and if we need to sit down and eat meals instead of "meals on the go" that will give us some mini-breaks too.

Thanks for the Manta tip. I didn't know there was an aquarium there too. No thrill rides for us. The little ones are too small, I'm more interested in what they want to do and DH doesn't seem to care one way or the other. If he wants to do them while we're in the shows, that's fine by me.



Thanks - I wasn't sure if you could take food in the shows. Some websites were too confusing.

We looked at Pets Ahoy and Alure on the SW site and you tube and the kids picked the "circus" one. DS5's really into gymnastics right now. If we have time we'll do Pets Ahoy too.

That's really good to know about Sunday mornings too! I'm hoping if we really "push it" on Saturday, we'll have time on Sunday to lounge around the park and fit in whatever we want.

I'm just having a really hard time trying to figure out if we should take a break on Saturday or not since I'm not familiar with the park or how far away we're staying. I'm sure it will all work out for the best. We're pretty flexible so that's good too.

You can take food into the shows in the stadiums just not the ones in the theaters.

Personally, I wouldn't take a break and leave the park. If you get tired head into the manta or penquin buildings and find a spot over in a corner and sit on the floor and rest in the AC or enjoy a long lunch/supper in Voyagers or one of the other restaurants with in door seating. SW is not like going to a Disney park where you stand in lines for 20-25 minutes to ride a ride that lasts less than 10 minutes. Shows will have you sitting for probably 45 minutes to an hour at a time if it is busy and you have to get there early for a good seat. It is totally a more laid back experience.
Last year in June I was glad I brought misters to the park with us. It was really hot. My 2 year old niece latched onto one first thing and she kept it and used it all day and even into Shamu Rocks that night. It kept her content in the stroller for the whole day. They will be here again next week and can't wait to go back.

 

[yaytezIOA]

Okay, I'm throwing a monkey wrench into your plan. They are starting "Sea World After Dark" this week. Which means the park is open later, and they have 3 more shows after 5 p.m. Shamu Rocks, Sea Lions Tonight, and Reflections. The first two are completely different versions of the daytime shows, and much more fun. The last one is a fireworks and fountain show and it's flat out awesome.
You are definitely doing right by hitting dolphins first...it gets mobbed. Sting rays and turtles...ehh...never really busy.
The things that get busiest fastest are the dolphins, the rides and the shows. If you don't want to do the coasters, then skip the big two, but would definitely be at the shows at least 15 mins in advance, and 25 for the two big shows, Shamu and Clyde and Seamore. (You want to be early for C&S...trust me on this)

 

[newtodis]

Okay, I'm throwing a monkey wrench into your plan. They are starting "Sea World After Dark" this week. Which means the park is open later, and they have 3 more shows after 5 p.m. Shamu Rocks, Sea Lions Tonight, and Reflections. The first two are completely different versions of the daytime shows, and much more fun. The last one is a fireworks and fountain show and it's flat out awesome.
You are definitely doing right by hitting dolphins first...it gets mobbed. Sting rays and turtles...ehh...never really busy.
The things that get busiest fastest are the dolphins, the rides and the shows. If you don't want to do the coasters, then skip the big two, but would definitely be at the shows at least 15 mins in advance, and 25 for the two big shows, Shamu and Clyde and Seamore. (You want to be early for C&S...trust me on this)

No money wrench. We'd planned on seeing those shows too. That's why we were planning on going all day Saturday then coming back on Sunday to do whatever we missed. I'm starting to get excited now!!!

 

[annacali]

We have done Sea World about 6 times...and my kids love everything about it, and 9 until about 5 is as far as we can go (they are 7 and 5 now, have been going since they were 4 and 2). We have mainly done it in California where it isn't even quite as humid, but sitting in the sun all day does wear them out. We like Believe way better than Shamu Rocks...the music in Shamu Rocks was too loud for my little ones that late at night. I do remember that in Orlando Pets Ahoy was in an airconditioned theater (in San Diego it is not!) so that is a great reason to fit it in!

We usually feel like we get done a lot of what we want to do in one day (we do avoid the Happy Harbor part though) so I think you will feel like you accomplish everything without needing to stay from open until close and go back at opening the next day if your kids crash by dinner the first day. And since you are there to see the animals you have to be prepared to throw the plans out the window if you happen upon something your kids are fascinated with and don't want to leave -- something really cool like a baby beluga playing with a toy under water, or a trainer feeding a walrus. Sea World is great!