Grateful, Thankful, Blessed: our 25th Anniversary SeaWorld Celebration (Spring ’18 TR)

Crowds at Universal were very manageable. Since we have APs this year, we slept in, got to the parks around 4:00, and spent 4 blissful evenings there. It was great for my teenagers. I was frustrated by our one Disney day. All the decent fastpasses were gone very early on, and rides that used to be walk-ons had big waits. I guess it just goes with the territory now, but it makes me long for the good old days when you didn't have to wait 45 minutes to ride something like Pirates of the Caribbean! We had good weather overall. We got back home this afternoon and I'm definitely feeling the "vacation hangover" coming on. I'm hoping to squeeze in a little bonus trip before summer ends.

Welcome home! (though I know it stinks :guilty: ). Glad to hear you had a great trip overall. Definitely start planning the next adventure to help chase away the post-vacation blues. AP's sure change the pace of things (in a good way), don't they? Its awesome to not have to feel you have to see it all and do it all in a day or a week!
 
Sunday, May 6th: Sensational SeaWorld :fish::fish::fish:

When we were in the planning stages for this trip, we intentionally left Saturday and Sunday wide open with the intention of having some downtime and relaxing before we started our busy week at the parks. After a chaotic winter of house hunting and packing followed by a spring that had us moving to our new home and starting on a major overhaul of the front and back yards of our property, I thought we’d need to rest a bit once we finally escaped the hullaballoo of our everyday life. Then came the offer to join T at Epcot, and all of a sudden our otherwise lazy Saturday was filled with awesomeness and fun :p. Then we learned that another Diser would be at SeaWorld on that first Sunday and was interested in meeting up to say hello, so we said OF COURSE! When opportunity knocks, we always try to answer. A “bonus” day at SeaWorld was A-okay with us :thumbsup2.

We did allow ourselves to sleep in a bit that morning, which did wonders for my migraine and I awoke feeling much better than I had the night prior. We had been in text communication with @JaxDad since our arrival in Orlando and let him know that we’d reach out to him via phone once we were inside the park. Once we were showered and dressed and ready to greet the day, we decided to stop and have breakfast before heading to the park. I let Steve do the picking, and he opted for Steak & Shake. I was totally down for that ::yes::. Service is generally pretty speedy there, it wasn’t far from the resort, and you’re hard pressed to beat their value.

There was some major work going on in the parking lot in front of the restaurant, but the large signs posted throughout indicated that all businesses were open during construction. We headed to the double front doors, pulled on one, and found the door to be locked :confused:. Odd. We checked the sign on the window…..it said they were open……and tried the other door (just to be sure). Voila! We were in.

We were greeted warmly by a friendly server who encouraged us to sit wherever we would like. That opened up a lot of options, because the restaurant was completely deserted:

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As she brought us over cutlery and menus, she commented on how odd it was that business was so slow that morning. We mentioned to her about the locked right hand door (which was the most accessible of the two, if trying to avoid the construction barriers), and commented that perhaps other folks had tried to get inside and thought that they were closed for some reason. She thanked us profusely and, after taking our drink orders, left us to browse the menus while she hurried to unlock the second door.

Two cups of hot coffee were placed in front of us shortly thereafter, and she whisked our menu selections off to the kitchen. Since we were the only order of the moment, the cook set straight to work on preparing our food. My head definitely appreciated the serene quietness of the restaurant that morning, as migraines can sometimes linger a bit for a day or two, making me a tad extra sensitive to noise, light and other irritants. This ‘serenity’ early in the day was a timely an unexpected bonus :cloud9:.

Our food was brought out to us before we ever made it to the bottom of that first cup of coffee. While Steak & Shake is no fine dining experience, I have to say that our breakfasts that morning were nothing short of fantastic. The eggs were cooked perfectly, the bacon was crispy (which, in my humble opinion, is the ONLY way to eat bacon!), and the hash browns were golden brown and crisp on the outside/soft on the inside. And the pancakes? Some of the best I’ve had :worship:…..and that’s saying something. Between the wonderful service and the great food, this day was definitely off to a positive start.

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We lingered a bit after breakfast (So. Much. Food. :crazy2:) and enjoyed a second cup of coffee before settling our bill. I’m always wary of ordering coffee from restaurants…..I’m an admitted coffee snob, and have high standards when it comes to my morning cuppa…..but their coffee that day was surprisingly satisfying. I like a good, bold dark roast with flavored cream and they hit a home run on both scores.
Our total bill, including gratuity, was $20.52. Breakfast win :banana:.

As we made our way to SeaWorld, we remarked that now that the park had been open for an hour or so we were less than likely to get a good parking spot. I also couldn’t recall if we’d have to pay for parking on that initial visit, as we would be activating our newly purchased AP’s (which we had decided on upgrading to in the last few days before our trip) once at the gate. Pulling up to the parking attendant, I was ready with cash but was told it wouldn’t be needed…..a quick peek at our AP purchase confirmations and the parking agent was happy to issue us complimentary parking for the day :goodvibes.

Following the directions of the lot attendants, we wound our way over to the parking area to be delighted yet again with an absolutely prime space just steps away from the front walkway and a super short walk from the front entrance. I don’t know how it happened, but it was like SeaWorld’s version of Disney’s pixie dust. Dolphin Dust, maybe? :p Either way, we were pretty thrilled and quite appreciative of that stroke of good fortune. When we left the park later in the day, we’d be mighty happy to be that close to our vehicle ::yes::.

Since our trip photos are the souvenirs we value most, we had already decided (once we had opted to upgrade to the annual passes) to purchase the annual Photokey so that we would have all of our park photos from both SeaWorld and Aquatica for the duration of our AP validity. Considering we are likely to squeeze three vacations into the one-year time span, we should get some excellent mileage from that photo product. A one day Photokey pass at just SeaWorld runs $60. The one-year photo pass, which covers not only SeaWorld but Aquatica as well, is $169…..less than the price of 3 single days. Better yet, we’d save 10% as passmembers off that posted cost, so that would bring our price down to $152 plus tax…..broken down on a per-trip basis, about $50. SeaWorld Math that made sense (or, is that….”cents”? :rolleyes:). As we entered, then, we made a point of stopping and having the park photographers capture a couple of quick pictures. The beautiful red flowering tree along the boardwalk made for an outstanding backdrop, especially against the dreary sky.

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After the quick pause for pictures, we headed toward the park entrance. It had been a while since we had activated annual passes (and I think the process may have changed since our last purchase in December 2015), so we weren’t quite sure how long it would take for us to redeem and activate the passes we had purchased online, but it ended up that we had no need for any concern in that regard, either. If it took more than 3 minutes in total, I’ll eat my shorts (no shorts eating emoji is available, so the popcorn man will have to suffice). With our freshly printed AP’s in hand, we breezed through a lineless bag check and walked right up to an open turn style on the far right (guessing no one even saw that there was a team member standing there with no one in line). They snapped our photos for our annual passes, captured our fingerprint, and we were on our way into the park lickety split. From unbuckling our seatbelts to being inside the park (including pausing for Photokey pictures), it took us maybe 10 minutes (15 at MOST). So crazy easy.

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I quickly stowed our AP’s in my wallet….didn’t want to chance losing them on day 1!....and we were ready to roll. We spied a park photographer just inside the turn styles with a fun prop that we hadn’t encountered before, so we (maybe I?) thought it was worth a stop for another picture. Unfortunately for us (and much to the horror of the sweet young photographer) his camera decided it wasn’t going to function properly, and the picture couldn’t be captured through the Photokey. Amidst an abundance of apologies (which were totally not necessary although the sentiment was appreciated) he offered to take a picture with my phone instead. That worked for us. It turned out pretty decent, too. Not Photokey quality but otherwise not bad :thumbsup2.

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We decided we'd get all the "administrative" stuff done on this first day (rather than carry over those random to-do's into other days on the trip), so we stopped at Adventure Photo to purchase our annual Photokey. Since they're located right at the front of the park, it made sense to stop right then and there and scratch that off the list. They were able to put the pictures we had had taken already that morning on the permanent card, and put the card on a Photokey lanyard (making it easy for park photography staff to spot). After getting our Photokey all set up, we then headed to the Under the Sun gift shop to pick up the new Passmember Lanyards that were a free gift during the month of May (one of the extra monthly passmember benefits in 2018).

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I dug our shiny new AP's out of my wallet, popped them into the lanyards, and we hung the lanyards around our necks. They were actually very sharp looking, sporting the colors and logo of the new Infinity Falls ride which is set to open sometime this summer. Steve is already looking forward to riding it for the first time when we return in October!

With our to-do list pretty much fulfilled (annual passes activated, Photokey purchased, lanyards picked up) I reached out to
@JaxDad and let him know we were in the park and ready to meet up whenever it was convenient for him. They had just sat down at a show, so we had some time to kill while we waited. It felt SO good to be in the park.....our last visit had been in December 2016, a full year and a half ago.....so we were more than happy to roam and explore and just soak up the feeling of being in one of our favorite places in Orlando. It may sound sappy, but almost felt a little like coming home :goodvibes.

Much more SeaWorld to come!
 
I share your sentiments about SW, I always enjoy it there. We are at WDW in December and there seems to be a lot more to plan!
 


I hate it when trip reports "stall", so I feel awful when I don't get regular updates posted. Perhaps a little trip reporting OCD going on :blush:. But, life tends to always be a little crazier than I anticipate, so despite my best intentions, I'm usually a "couple of times a week" girl more than a daily poster. All subject to change, of course, depending on what fate throws at me in the coming days :rotfl:.

Lately I've been lucky to do one every two weeks. When I ran contests, I was actually getting complaints that I was posting too quickly, so had to slow down. Now, life is slowing me down.

Then came the offer to join T at Epcot, and all of a sudden our otherwise lazy Saturday was filled with awesomeness and fun :p.

:laughing: But for a good reason!

I awoke feeling much better than I had the night prior.

Good!

We headed to the double front doors, pulled on one, and found the door to be locked :confused:. Odd. We checked the sign on the window…..it said they were open……and tried the other door (just to be sure). Voila! We were in.

Huh. And you mentioned the place being empty and your thoughts on that. Makes you wonder how many people turned away.

Our total bill, including gratuity, was $20.52. Breakfast win :banana:.

Wow! Pretty good for the same price for half a muffin at Disney.

Dolphin Dust, maybe? :p

Magic blowhole mist.

A one day Photokey pass at just SeaWorld runs $60.

Ouch. But glad it worked out for you guys with the AP.

we breezed through a lineless bag check and walked right up to an open turn style on the far right (guessing no one even saw that there was a team member standing there with no one in line).

Where is everyone today???
Perhaps there was an apocalypse and no one told you.

Amidst an abundance of apologies (which were totally not necessary although the sentiment was appreciated) he offered to take a picture with my phone instead. That worked for us. It turned out pretty decent, too. Not Photokey quality but otherwise not bad :thumbsup2.

Poor photog. Embarrassing. But the photo did turn out quite well.
 
I share your sentiments about SW, I always enjoy it there. We are at WDW in December and there seems to be a lot more to plan!

Christmas definitely takes a little more advance planning with all the Christmas shows and special events......but oh, it will be SO worth it. ::yes:: . The holiday season at SeaWorld is simply incredible in so many ways!

You guys are AP holders at SeaWorld as well, aren't you? If so, and you haven't already read about it, SW is offering passholders a really nice discount on all day dining for both the SW and AQ parks. $24.99 per person if you buy 4. I am pretty sure the fine print says they have to be purchased sometime this summer but can be used anytime up to December 31st. We plan to pre-purchase our dining for our October trip with his incentive, as its going to save us $10 each per day as compared to full price. That $80 savings (2 people, 4 park days) will justify me booking an extra tour in the fall! :rotfl:

How are the photographers at SeaWorld? We purchased the the day photo pkg

Like any photo package, a lot of the value depends on how you maximize it. We got a total of 94 pictures on the Photokey (between the two parks) on our May trip, and that was with hardly any ride pics (Steve wasn't feelin' the coasters this time around). There are always photographers at the park entrance on arrival ... be sure to stop at more than one of them, because they each tend to focus on their own background (one will use the dock and have the lighthouse in the back, one will have the Shamu on the wall in the background, etc.). If you do any tours (or even just Dolphin Encounter), those generally have photo opportunities with photographers present. Sometimes you get lucky and run into a character or two here and there....stop and have those put on your Photokey. There is a great photo station in the Shark Encounter that is included on the Key, so that should be a must-do on the day you have the photo entitlement. Mako, Manta, Kraken and Journey to Atlantis all have on-ride photos, so if you're a coaster person, those are included. It can definitely be a good value if you make a conscious effort to utilize it fully. There are no better souvenirs than photo memories!

Lately I've been lucky to do one every two weeks. When I ran contests, I was actually getting complaints that I was posting too quickly, so had to slow down. Now, life is slowing me down.

:laughing: But for a good reason!

Good!

Huh. And you mentioned the place being empty and your thoughts on that. Makes you wonder how many people turned away.

Wow! Pretty good for the same price for half a muffin at Disney.

Magic blowhole mist.

Ouch. But glad it worked out for you guys with the AP.

Where is everyone today???
Perhaps there was an apocalypse and no one told you.

Poor photog. Embarrassing. But the photo did turn out quite well.

Early May is pretty typically a quiet(er) time at the parks.....its that sweet spot after Spring Break and Easter but before the southern students are out of school for the summer.....so you generally don't see big crowds at SeaWorld during that time of year. That said, for a weekend day (which usually draws at least some locals to the park) it was still uncharacteristically quiet, most likely in large part to the dreary threat of rain once again. Similar phenomenon to the day prior at Epcot. Even though it didn't end up being a wet day, it sure looked like it had the potential, so many folks didn't even bother.

I did feel so badly for that poor young photographer. You could tell he took his job very seriously. Gotta admire that kind of work ethic and care in such a young fellow.
 
Christmas definitely takes a little more advance planning with all the Christmas shows and special events......but oh, it will be SO worth it. ::yes:: . The holiday season at SeaWorld is simply incredible in so many ways!

You guys are AP holders at SeaWorld as well, aren't you? If so, and you haven't already read about it, SW is offering passholders a really nice discount on all day dining for both the SW and AQ parks. $24.99 per person if you buy 4. I am pretty sure the fine print says they have to be purchased sometime this summer but can be used anytime up to December 31st. We plan to pre-purchase our dining for our October trip with his incentive, as its going to save us $10 each per day as compared to full price. That $80 savings (2 people, 4 park days) will justify me booking an extra tour in the fall! :rotfl:.

No we're not AP holders although I might consider buying a ticket if they have Black Friday offers that we can get in the UK.

This time we have 21 day WDW tickets that come with the photo package. I've been looking at ADR's, we're up to the 15th December and it's slim pickings. I've read that some make multiple reservations, also that travel agents book a few "just in case" making it harder to get them. For the price of dining at WDW I could easily give it a miss, but there are a few I would like. Also need somewhere for Christmas Day. Ideally California Grill, but that might not be possible if I can't get the ADR.
 


Early May is pretty typically a quiet(er) time at the parks.....its that sweet spot after Spring Break and Easter but before the southern students are out of school for the summer.....so you generally don't see big crowds at SeaWorld during that time of year.

<makes note. files away for future reference.>

I did feel so badly for that poor young photographer. You could tell he took his job very seriously. Gotta admire that kind of work ethic and care in such a young fellow.

A rare things nowadays.
 
Sunday, May 6th: SeaWorld, continued

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Strolling through the Waterfront, we stopped to watch a Sesame Street dance party that had drawn a small crowd of little guests outside of SeaFire Inn. The DJ was actually playing some pretty good tunes, and I almost wished I had a child with us so I could join in on the fun, too :p.

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SeaWorld had recently announced that they would be closing Shamu’s Happy Harbor to make way for a new Sesame Street Land, so it was interesting to see that they were already integrating a regular presence of the Sesame Street characters in the park. We didn’t bother picking up a park map….we know our way around well, and weren’t worried about having to squeeze in shows at any specific time….so I didn’t get to see if the dance party was a regularly scheduled event, or just an extra feature of the Just for Kids Weekends [which ran Saturdays and Sunday from May 5th through May 13th]. Either way, the little people who were boogie-ing in the square seemed to find the whole thing quite enjoyable :).

I had encouraged Steve to grab a ride on Manta as we entered the park (posted waits were only 10 minutes….which was excellent!) but he said he wasn’t feeling a coaster that soon after such a large breakfast. So, we continued walking along through the Waterfront, poking our heads into the shops for a bit when we experienced a bit of a sprinkle of that pesky rain that had been looking likely since we had arrived. After all, I'm made of sugar and might melt ;), so staying dry was a real priority :rotfl:. By the time we wandered leisurely through the line of stores and admired the new merchandise (I could easily spend hundreds and HUNDREDS of dollars in the SeaWorld shops…they have SO MUCH good stuff!), the brief shower had pretty much ended so it was safe to carry on through the park :thumbsup2. Our meandering took us to the Shark Encounter, an attraction that has been a family favorite since our very first to SeaWorld back in 2010.

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It had to be around 11 o’clock by that point…..the park had easily been open for a couple of hours, at least….so we were shocked to find the exhibit totally empty. The only thing that can make Shark Encounter better than it already is, is to have the whole darn place to ourselves :worship:. Our timing could not have been any better!

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We took our time enjoying all the little facets of the exhibit, thinking that at some point, our slow exploration would mean that other guests who entered after us would catch up to us two turtles. We stopped to read pretty much all of the displays, took all sorts of pictures, and admired all the different kinds of sharks that swam above our heads.

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Aside from the photo staff that were taking Photokey pictures at the green screen upon entry, we never saw another soul.

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Now THIS is a vacation! :cool1: Have I mentioned how much we LOVE visiting Orlando during the first week of May? ;)

Speaking of those green screen “magic” pictures, we did stop and have them taken……but Steve’s teal shirt caused most of them to be worthless. In most cases, it meant that he was missing all or part of his torso :bitelip:. The Photokey staff at the claim desk did her best to salvage a few for us, but really only managed to get one that wasn’t too horrible (though you can see on his shirt that the quality is a bit splotchy).

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She was so apologetic, but we assured her it was no problem at all. We would be back at least twice more over the course of the coming week, and we’d be sure to stop by and have those Shark Encounter photos retaken. And that time, we’d wear clothing that was anything but a shade of green ::yes::.

We hadn’t yet heard from @JaxDad by the time we finished at Shark Encounter, so we continued our walk through the construction area for the new Infinity Falls ride. Considering it was scheduled to open sometime in the summer, we were actually pretty surprised at how much there still was left to do. Most of it was literally still piles of dirt…..I guess we had expected to see the framework for the ride taking shape by that point in the year. It was cool to see how they were incorporating it into the landscape of the rest of the park, though it was a bummer that construction temporarily closed our beloved Passmember lounge. Fingers crossed it’s back open to AP holders by the time we return in the fall….it’s a great place to relax in the heat of the day.

We ended up over in Shamu’s Happy Harbor, and surveyed all the barriers that had been erected in preparation of the demolition of the area. The only part that was still open was our beloved Sea Carousel, with no line at all. We figured we might better have a last ride for old time’s sake, as we suspected that it, too, would disappear as the Happy Harbor area was reborn with the Sesame Street theme. As it turned out, that was a wise move, because that Sunday of our trip was the last day of operation for the Sea Carousel :sad1:. It, too, would be barricaded off by the time we returned to the park the following day.

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We had just nicely hopped off our sea creatures when I received a message from @JaxDad that he and his kiddos were ready to meet up at our convenience. We chose the Waterfront area as our meeting point, so Steve and I made a beeline for the boardwalk across the lagoon. We knew his family would be heading home later that day, so we didn’t want them lingering and wasting any more time than necessary while waiting around for us…..they had limited time to squeeze in all the remaining things they hoped to do on their family fun weekend. While @JaxDad had long been a participant on my of my reports, we had yet to actually meet face-to-face…..so it was going to be super fun to actually make his acquaintance in person :banana:.


Coming up…..a Dismeet. And dolphins! :love:
 
I have a PhotoKey too, and I love it! I actually got it in the fall to use for the tours, and I've taken advantage of it! Definitely put mine to good use

Also, the Sesame Street dance party was just for the Just For Kids event
 
Yay Sea WOrld! We were so close to it this trip (Mariott Grand Vista) and it was so hard to drive by it every day to head to Disney. Good news though, Eric has agreed to go to Discovery Cove sometime next year so we won't have to wait too too long for Sea World!
 
I find those low crowds at Sea World make for such relaxing days - you don't have to plan and strategize the same way you do at the other parks. And it's so nice when there aren't tons of people in that shark tunnel so you can really take your time to look around. I'm always fascinated by the sawfish sharks, they are just so cool!
 
I am terribly behind but just wanted to let you all know that when you open you Tim's, I will be in line to get a job. I need a break from accounting and just want to see people, not my computer during the day. We actually have one here in NEPA (just south of the NY border off I-81.) It isn't close enough that I get there often, but we drink Tims coffee at home. I can't believe with all the Canadians in the south for the winter they haven't opened any.

Great! You're in !! We are really getting a nice list of people for our business endeavor!

Steve would have LOVED the original Test Track as well ::yes::. The inside portion sounds like an entirely different experience now! Did it change when the sponsorship changed from GM to Chevrolet?

Yep- the original Test Track was so nice! I guess we're old fashioned and don't really go for the newfangled inside portion of TT now! Yes, I believe it was around the same time as the sponsorship change. I guess they wanted to update it- but some things are better left as is!

I am loving the Sea World pictures. :lovestruc We're due to get a new AP! We usually do what you do- get an AP then go many times and take a year or so off.
 
I agree!! With all the northern snowbirds, we are baffled that Tim Hortons haven't branched out to Florida (especially when they are owned by Burger King, and the corporate structure should already then be in place). @pattyw , I think we need to give some serious consideration to your business proposal!! I think we'd have one amazing crew to get the project off the ground!

I am so happy that your freezer items were able to be saved....talk about good timing on your part! Why does it always seem like these kinds of things happen when you JUST stock up on all the expensive items? I know it ripped my heart out to throw out so many packages of pork, beef and chicken. Such a waste :sad2:. Especially when we have a generator (it came with the house) but just hadn't had a chance to get it serviced and hooked up yet. Sigh.

I hope you'll show us all photos of your DD's rocket project when you have it all built.....I know I'd LOVE to see it, and I'm sure the others here would as well! What a fun task to pass the time until she's able to show her animals. What livestock do you guys raise? Cows? (just my guess based on your comment that you put half a cow of beef in your freezer)

Yes we have a dozen or so Angus cows. Just enough to make 4-H animals for the nieces and nephews. My in-laws are the real deal and have a dairy farm. I will post photos of the rocket. We are at a bit of a "lull" in summer right now so I hope it comes this week so we can get it together this weekend.

Yay for a Sea World day. I actually got around to reading about the park in depth. I know the coasters are thrill rides, but I was surprised with the height requirements. DD is out for all of them, which is probably good because it gives me an excuse not to ride :scared:. So I think we can get it done in a day. I can not believe it has been that long since you guys were there. You know your pictures of the flamingo walk has that on the top of my to-do list. I love flamingos.

Great update!
 
Strolling through the Waterfront, we stopped to watch a Sesame Street dance party that had drawn a small crowd of little guests outside of SeaFire Inn. The DJ was actually playing some pretty good tunes, and I almost wished I had a child with us so I could join in on the fun, too :p.

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Oh my gosh - an opportunity to dance with Elmo, Cookie Monster and Abby Cadabby! I would totally jump in with those kiddos and show them how it's done. :dancer:
 
Next time you can barrow mini M for any future Sesame Street Dance Parties.

Also, having been by it earlier today, I feel like Infinity Falls is still just a giant pile of dirt. IDK what the hold up in construction is? At this rate I feel like it might be done by Christmas..... :confused3:confused:
 
Strolling through the Waterfront, we stopped to watch a Sesame Street dance party that had drawn a small crowd of little guests outside of SeaFire Inn.

Hmmm... Interesting. Disney has the muppets, but Sea World has Sesame Street.

he said he wasn’t feeling a coaster that soon after such a large breakfast.

Totally get that. Who wants flying puke?

After all, I'm made of sugar and might melt ;), so staying dry was a real priority :rotfl:

Of course. Melting is not an option. You still had much to do.


10 feet?????


:faint:

<backs away from the ocean despite the fact he is already over 1,000 miles from one.>


... and resolves to never ever go surfing again.


Cool pic of the two of them together there.

you can see on his shirt that the quality is a bit splotchy).

I can see that. Oh well, the things you learn.
 
We are staying in a townhouse at Windsor Hills, plenty of space, a small splash pool and a community pool and hot tub

Totally OT but our niece and her husband may be moving to Schenectady, NY state, anyone know this area? There may be a visit on the cards next year if they do go.
Almost a month late but we live in Easton NY so not far from Schenectady at all. Any questions just fire away, I have lived here all my life!
 
My apologies for the lack of updates this week, everyone. I wrapped things up at my old job (on Monday) and then started my new job (Tuesday through Thursday) so it was a super hectice few days. Hopefully I will start to settle into a new, familiar routine again soon and I'll get back with some regular posts :thumbsup2.

I have a PhotoKey too, and I love it! I actually got it in the fall to use for the tours, and I've taken advantage of it! Definitely put mine to good use

Also, the Sesame Street dance party was just for the Just For Kids event

I'm seriously considering the Penguins or the Sea Lion tour for our October trip. Especially now that we have the photo key.....gotta maximize that value, right? :teeth:

Have you done either or both of those tours, Joanna? I'd love your feedback on which one you liked the most.

Yay Sea WOrld! We were so close to it this trip (Mariott Grand Vista) and it was so hard to drive by it every day to head to Disney. Good news though, Eric has agreed to go to Discovery Cove sometime next year so we won't have to wait too too long for Sea World!
Wahoo! :cool1: I'm glad to hear you're already thinking "next trip". Will you do February again? A little mid-winter esccape from the northern chill? Hopefully you'll be able to snag a good DC price on the Black Friday or New Years sales :thumbsup2.

I find those low crowds at Sea World make for such relaxing days - you don't have to plan and strategize the same way you do at the other parks. And it's so nice when there aren't tons of people in that shark tunnel so you can really take your time to look around. I'm always fascinated by the sawfish sharks, they are just so cool!

That's absolutely the joy of it.....so relaxed and unscheduled. The way every park should be able to be experienced! So nice to be able to just go with the flow ...... maybe its an age thing, but we really have no interest in being held to any kind of rigid itinerary when we're on vacation.

Great! You're in !! We are really getting a nice list of people for our business endeavor!

Yep- the original Test Track was so nice! I guess we're old fashioned and don't really go for the newfangled inside portion of TT now! Yes, I believe it was around the same time as the sponsorship change. I guess they wanted to update it- but some things are better left as is!

I am loving the Sea World pictures. :lovestruc We're due to get a new AP! We usually do what you do- get an AP then go many times and take a year or so off.

Those breaks between AP years really make you appreciate the parks when you switch things up and renew again. There is so much truth to the old saying "Absence makes the heart grow fonder" ::yes::.

Yes we have a dozen or so Angus cows. Just enough to make 4-H animals for the nieces and nephews. My in-laws are the real deal and have a dairy farm. I will post photos of the rocket. We are at a bit of a "lull" in summer right now so I hope it comes this week so we can get it together this weekend.

Yay for a Sea World day. I actually got around to reading about the park in depth. I know the coasters are thrill rides, but I was surprised with the height requirements. DD is out for all of them, which is probably good because it gives me an excuse not to ride :scared:. So I think we can get it done in a day. I can not believe it has been that long since you guys were there. You know your pictures of the flamingo walk has that on the top of my to-do list. I love flamingos.

Great update!

Steve grew up on a dairy farm, and that way of life is still in his blood. His parents just sold it last year......it had been in his family for generations, but none of his 5 brothers and sisters were interested in taking it over, either. It broke Steve's heart when we visited for the last time. Had we not moved to MI, I think he may have considered returning to his roots.

I read on the SeaWorld Passholders Facebook page that they are incorporating flamingos into the new Infinity Falls area. What I don't know is whether they will also keep the Flamingo area at the front of the park, or if that will be repurposed for something else :scratchin.

Oh my gosh - an opportunity to dance with Elmo, Cookie Monster and Abby Cadabby! I would totally jump in with those kiddos and show them how it's done. :dancer:

But YOU have rhythm, my friend. I, on the other hand, have two left feet :rolleyes1. A toddler or two might get maimed in the process.

Next time you can barrow mini M for any future Sesame Street Dance Parties.

Also, having been by it earlier today, I feel like Infinity Falls is still just a giant pile of dirt. IDK what the hold up in construction is? At this rate I feel like it might be done by Christmas..... :confused3:confused:

Hey, maybe you can hook me up with Little Miss M for our October visit so we can do the Halloween activities :teeth:. We aren't doing a MNSSHP but I'd love an excuse to dress up at SeaWorld!

Hmmm... Interesting. Disney has the muppets, but Sea World has Sesame Street.

Totally get that. Who wants flying puke?

Of course. Melting is not an option. You still had much to do.

10 feet?????

:faint:

<backs away from the ocean despite the fact he is already over 1,000 miles from one.>

... and resolves to never ever go surfing again.

Cool pic of the two of them together there.

I can see that. Oh well, the things you learn.

Steve's not really a puker when it comes to rides, but the wrong ride at the wrong time can definitely make him feel "off" for a good portion of the day. He's getting a little "softer" as he grows older. As a young man, there was pretty much nothing that bothered him.....EVER. Now, he's learned he needs to listen to his older body and take heed of the cues!! :crazy2:
 
Those breaks between AP years really make you appreciate the parks when you switch things up and renew again. There is so much truth to the old saying "Absence makes the heart grow fonder"
We have only ever had season passes to Silver Dollar City in Branson. I am hoping that a break from Disney will help-although I've truly loved being an AP holder this past year.
But we are also now Premier universal annual pass holders as well. Hoping to get to HHN in September. Unfortunately an October trip is just out - between our cruise and middle DD band schedule, then swim season starts...

Hoping we can make a late May/early June trip next year as well, to get last use out of AP.
 

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