We won a trip to stay in a rental home courtesy of Global Resort Homes. As part of the prize package, we also won tickets for 4 to SeaWorld courtesy of Kissimmee Guest Services.
The last time I visited SeaWorld, I was 8. Cameron was 12 the last time he went with his family. Needless to say, it has been a while and quite a bit has changed. My boys have never been and we were very excited to share this experience with them.
Gavin was very interested in the maps and looking at all the things we could do in the park. We let him choose where to go first.
As we were walking along, a flock of flamingos were out on their morning stroll. Gavin wanted to pet one so badly. Thankfully, they stayed out of range.
Our first ride was Journey to Atlantis. It was a rollercoaster ride with a stroll through an aquarium at the end. It was neat checking out the eel and the jellyfish.
After that we tried to ride the signature ride: the Manta. Unfortunately Riley was 2 inches too short, so we will have to go back after his next growth spurt.
The Manta wound through a large portion of the park and could be seen easily. I kind of wondered how many people lost items from their pockets after riding it – as you can see in the photo above, they dangle and go upside down.
Next up was the sea lion and walrus show with Clyde & Seymour. It was cute and a nice respite from the sun.
We went to Antarctica and checked on the penguins. They were doing fine, but we were freezing!
We also went through a part of the penguin exhibit that was decidedly warmer to watch the penguins swim. What I failed to photograph was the nice marine biologist that chatted with Cameron and Riley for 20+ minutes about penguin eggs, penguins and Antarctica in general. The staff at SeaWorld is VERY knowledgeable about marine life. I’m sure working there is somewhat of a dream job if you love water and animals.
Riley and Gavin touched a few Manta Rays. Riley was disappointed that we wouldn’t spring for food, but they looked VERY well fed.
This photo was taken in the baby dolphin area. They were so cute and mischievous. We made it in time to see the feeding and watch them do a bunch of tricks. One of the tricks involved dousing the crowd with water! Thankfully, I took many photos with my iPhone in my life proof case.
Our parting shot – Gavin checking out the payphones! With so many cellular phones around, I was surprised to see a bank of payphones. They worked and Gavin was FASCINATED by them.
We had a blast with the boys exploring SeaWorld and learning about marine life. Riley and Cameron also had a 30 minute conversation with a marine biologist named Stephanie who told Riley all about a day in the life of a SeaWorld dolphin, the conservation efforts and rescues of much of the sea life by SeaWorld. It was super engaging and educational – so much that Riley even wrote a paper on it for school!
Many thanks to Global Resort Homes and Kissimmee Guest Services for this experience!
DestinMom 