Theme Parks

Sea World



We spent two days at Sea World and it was enough time to see all of the shows and go on all of the rides but it was such an amazing place I feel like we could have gone back. The above photo is from the Journey to Atlantis ride which is a combination of a roller coaster and a flume log ride. It was fun but it made Tyson cry a little. There was also a giant tube ride like the Grizzly River Rapids ride in Disney's California adventure.

We went on an extremely high open-air gondola that took us over the park and the water of the adjacent marina, as well as a ride in a slowly rotating observation room that rose to the top of a 300 foot tower and then came back down. We skipped a section of the park full of rides for little kids, but spent some time at the giant, multi-level Sesame Play Park.



As you would expect, the numerous aquariums throughout the park were stunning. An endeavor like this could only be possible though peerless ingenuity, a perfect natural climate, and access to an unlimited supply of ocean water.




(Not a perfect climate for the Polar Bears but it was a very impressive exhibit nonetheless).



At the "Tide Pool" the kids got a chance to reach in and touch sea stars, anemonies, sea cucumbers, snails, and urchins.



Our favorite exhibit had to be "Shark Encounter", with tanks full of assorted sharks that you got to see from the top, then from eye level, and finally from below as you walked though an acrylic tunnel that passes along the bottom of the huge shark pond.



This flash photo shows just how close the sharks pass beside and above you.



This photo shows what the lighting in the shark tunnel looks like, now imagine that it is quiet except for a slow, "heartbeat" soundtrack that reverberates through hidden speakers. I just got chills thinking about it.



The shows were awesome. This is a photo from "Blue Horizons" which would have been amazing with the dolphins alone, but also added exotic birds flying around the amphitheater as well as a cirque du soleil-type story line and human performers. We enjoyed the hillarious Sea Lion show and the kids couldn't get enough of "Pets Rule" - a fun show featuring trained domesticated animals like dogs, cats, pigs, and parrots.



The Star of the park, Shamu the killer whale, performs in this theater along with two other killer whales and their trainers. After all of the hype, I was expecting this show to be kind of anticlimactic but I have to say that I am now a fan of Shamu. "Believe" is a multi media show featuring giant video screens, narration, and music all choreographed to Shamu's performance. After being impressed with all of the other animals in the park, it was awesome to see this giant animal jump higher than any other dolphin and use his tail to drench spectators sitting as far away as 16 rows up.





There were two points in the performance that even choked me up a little. Before the show starts they have a Here's to the Heroes segment where they ask for past and present members who have served in the United States military or in the military of an allied country to stand, and as they stand the rest of the crowd applauds them. Then, at the end of Shamu's performance, which has been narrated to stress the link between his world and ours, there is a touching moment when a child is picked from the audience and brought to the front of the tank where Shamu and him "meet" each other through the glass and seem to communicate with each other.



Lego Land



We were not as impressed with Lego Land as we had hoped. For a child within the 5-10 years age range it is Lego Mecca - there are Lego-themed rides, water park, aquarium, stores, and miniature landscapes all made of Lego blocks. The downside we found was that, as an amusement park, it isn't as accommodating to younger children as Disneyland - so our family was constantly getting split up so one parent could wait with Deacon. Also, the ride efficiency was horrible and all of the lines moved very slowly. We were not there for the busy season but it still seemed like every lineup was at least a half hour long. With only two days scheduled in the park we found ourselves walking out of lines just so we would have time to do something else.



For Starwars buffs, the scenes that they created out of Lego were epic.



I was very impressed with the Sea Life aquarium, the excellent displays were made more fun by the presence of Lego figures.



This driving track was a really cool ride. The electric cars and wide open Lego town allowed the kids to go wherever they wanted. Mason and Ella observed stop signs, but Tyson took an alarming pleasure in driving right through them.



My favorite part of Lego Land was the water park. There was an extra charge to get in, but I found it well worth it. After the hectic park, the shallow wading pools and multitude of deck chairs actually allowed us to relax for a bit. The crowds didn't seem bad and the pace was much slower.



Speaking of slower pace, this lazy river tube ride was excellent. Staff helped the kids get into their own tubes (complete with spots to build on with over-sized floating foam Lego blocks) but after that, they could each float along at their own pace and just enjoy the sights.



Up near the top of the water park was another pool with a tipping bucket and water slides, including one featuring a family sized inner tube that is dropped onto the slide by and over-sized conveyor belt.



I may have been a little harsh on Lego Land. You should visit it, do a couple of the rides and see the cool cityscapes and Lego scenes - but don't waste your time on most of the rides. Instead pay the extra cost to visit the water park. I'm glad we did.



- C