SeaWorld

After visiting the happiest place on earth, DisneyWorld, we knew that was only the first of the many theme parks of Florida. But which one would be next? After searching the internet a little bit, we discovered a great season pass deal for a trio of parks: SeaWorld (in Orlando), Busch Gardens and Adventure Island (both in Tampa). We immediately jumped at the deal, and couldn’t wait for the next weekend to continue our theme park hopping.

Since we live closer to SeaWorld, we decided that would be the first stop in the trio. We hit the gates on a beautiful Saturday in May (after checking out the plush, though pricey, Discovery Cove across the street), and begin our day of fun in the sun.

One of the biggest differences between Magic Kingdom and SeaWorld is, of course, the animals. Whereas Magic Kingdom is aimed at the younger generation, full of Disney characters and theme park attractions, SeaWorld is more concentrated on water animals, with only two theme park rides (Krakken and Journey to Atlantis – both of which we skipped this time around).

Killer Whales

The major shows of SeaWorld, of course, feature the famous SeaWorld killer whales, including one who goes by the name of Shamu (the mascot of SeaWorld). The killer whales are featured in two different shows, both of which we were able to watch while we were there.

But be warned before you go to the shows: if you don’t want to get wet, pay attention to their warnings and stay further away than the 14th row. We paid attention to the warnings the first show, but after seeing the splashes, we decided it didn’t look to be much water, so decided to move down to the 12th row for the second show, Shamu Rocks America, which takes place right before the park closes every day (just about 8 pm). Surprisingly, the splashes are much more powerful than they first appear.

Sure, the 5000 pound Shamu and his pals don’t get much past the 2nd row with their splashes, but then they pull out the big gun: the 12000 pound Shamu Shamu. This monster of a whale flicks his tale, and the downpour is intense – even sitting at the 12th row, we got DRENCHED. So unless you plan on dripping your way through the park afterwards, stay above the 14th row. Trust us. That 52° saltwater they splash on you is chilly after walking around in the sun all day!

Clyde and Seamore

Seals at SeaWorld get their own show with ‘Clyde And Seamore Take Pirate Island’. It’s a fun little story about a pirate ship that crashes on a desert island where they end up meeting a stranded traveler and a treasure map. The big twist to the story is that the first mate on board the ship is a seal, and the traveler is best friends with his own seal.

It’s a little bit kid-oriented, but the tricks they put the seals (and a rather large walrus) through are fun to watch. The seals and the rest of the cast all are really fun to watch. There’s even a mime before the show that entertains the audience by imitating late-comers to the show!

Penguins and Puffins

Another turn at SeaWorld brings you to everyone’s favorite – the flightless arctic waterfowl know as penguins. If, like me, you remember the comic strip Bloom County (even if you don’t have lead character, Opus the Penguin tattoo on your shoulder to prove it), you can’t visit a water-themed animal park like SeaWorld without visiting the penguins. These funny little birds, dressed to the nines in their “tuxes”, are always fun to watch, aren’t they? We even got to see some of them get fed while we were there.

Other Animals

So you think penguins and animal shows are all there is to see at SeaWorld? Wrong. There’s also dolphins, seals, and an aquarium featuring fish, leafy seahorses (remember seeing those from the pictures of the Seattle aquarium?) and jellyfish, just to name a few of the others.