Sea World in Orlando

5/11/2017

This post is long and contains a LOT of photos! You have been warned.

A few months ago, we went on a school field trip to the Orlando Science Center. For the end of the year trip, the kids' school opted for Sea World! We were so excited!

When we arrived, we signed in and met up with both of their teachers. My kids are incredibly lucky to have two amazing teachers. And meeting them in person is priceless.

As we were getting ready to walk into the Park, Riley said, "Ok Mom, let's go see some mammals and fish!"

After the sign in, we were told to go to Shamu Stadium for an educational presentation. A few other schools were hosting field trips at Sea World that day as well, so we were asked to sit in Section C or D. Riley wanted to sit in the splash zone. He was really hoping to get soaked.

This Shamu show was great. The kids (although starving) were very entertained and engaged. They were answering all of the questions on the big screen, they chattered excitedly about their animal knowledge, they cheered the orcas. Reagan said, "It was fun <3 #shamushow."

If you see this, watch out!

One of the questions they asked was "What is the biggest animal in the ocean?" Riley laughed and said, "Easy. Blue Whale."

Then they moved the movie screens out to show just how big a Blue Whale is compared to an Orca.

Arctic Wild

After lunch, we hopped on a helicopter (simulator ride) and headed up north. When we disembarked, we were in the Arctic North. We saw a walrus (he was HUGE), a beluga whale (Rea's favorite) and a bunch of playful seals. The kids played around in a polar bear den. It was fun, and indoors with lots of A/C.

Sharks and Rays

We were making our way to Atlantis - a thrill ride I knew Riley would be tall enough for - but we stopped a few times on the way there.

First up was a baby roller coaster.

Then, along the path to Atlantis, we encountered some sharks and a killer coaster called Mako. Only Reagan met the height requirement (54"), but after one look at the track, she freaked and didn't want to go. The wait time was only 15 minutes, so I insisted Stu do it.

It did not take much arm twisting. Below is the video of Stu zipping by on Mako. Pay close attention. He's in the front row.

Still on the hunt for Atlantis... man, that place really is lost. We came across (or rather under) another large coaster. This was Manta. It also has a height requirement of 54". Riders are strapped in a repositioned so you are laying on your tummy. You fly threw the ride as a Manta does the sea. The wait time was a shocking 10 minutes - but Stu said that was a lie. He literally walked right on. And half of his coaster was empty.

Rea panicked at the thought of riding. So Stu rode solo. And the kids and I got some snacks (frozen Coke is my jam and the monsters love Dippin' Dots). During our snack, Rea decided that she would give this coaster a go.

I am very proud of Rea for facing her fear. But the downtime was a super bummer for Riley. He was not happy to wait (again). But we made the best of it. (He made a YouTube video... when I get it up, I'll share it.)

Finally, it was Riley's turn for fun.

We found Atlantis and rode it. It's like a cross between a roller coaster and a water ride. We got soaked. I don't have any photos because, for this ride, our stuff was in a locker.

After Atlantis, Rea was feeling brave and proud. So she and Stu went off to ride Mako (the first coaster she did not want to ride). Riley and I went to the see the 3:30 dolphin show. It was AWESOME! This might be my favorite show at Sea World!