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

Love when people say pop instead of soda! :)That's what we call it here!!

Dolphins are so amazing! I can't think of a better job than being a dolphin trainer!

I really love the Asian food station at the Expedition Cafe. When we visit in the summer, we head towards the one building in the back where it's air conditioned and always uncrowded! Such a nice place for a break!:thumbsup2

The pop/soda thing seems to be sort of mixed here in Michigan. Most seem to use the word pop (as we Canucks pretty much all do) but "soda" pops up (pardon the pun! :laughing:) here and there as well. Definitely a northern thing!!

I didn't even realize there was an air conditioned room in the back of the Expedition Cafe dining area!! :confused: Apparently I'll have to take a better look for that when we're there in October!

Your next trip is certainly coming together. When we don't do Disney, we do a lot of the other things like going to the hotels, the campground etc to include a little bit of Disney in our vacation. This time however, it's Disney all the way.

Really enjoying your updates :goodvibes

It's definitely much more cost effective to do a Disney-only vacation ::yes::. The multi-day tickets are where its at. And then you can relax and enjoy each park knowing you have the whole trip to squeeze in all your must-do's.

We like to incorporate a little bit of Disney into our trips, too. Nice that we can still do things like the Sleepy Hollow event and the Fireworks Dessert Cruise without having to purchase park tickets. And those activities are right up Steve's alley.....no crowds! And lots of snacks! :rotfl:

The Dolphin Days show looks nice. I'm glad they kept the birds in the show. Are all the birds still in the show or just the Macaws?

Our trip is 12 days away! We ended up booking MNSSHP for our last day (we're there for 2 weeks!!)

Just the macaws at the two showings that we saw of Dolphin Days. No more acrobats, though.....which I am actually thrilled about. I was never really a fan of that part of the old show. Now all the focus is on the animals and it feels like they've just elevated the performance to a whole new level.

I am so excited for you all that your trip is coming up so SOON! And MNSSHP too!! :banana: Are you going to all dress up for the party?

Hi again! Thanks for the well wishes. It was a long and exhaust ing journey to get here but we made it. In future I should probably rethink going to work on a travel day. Guess I'm getting old.

We went out to breakfast yesterday and then spent the day shopping, finished it off with the boat to Disney Springs and dinner at our favorite EOS. Today is a full lounge at the pool day in preparation for the 6:30am trek to DHS tomorrow.

Glad you are having a fun time so far. How's the weather? Crazy hot?

we are lookingforward yo our meetup as well! (I think Sam is more excited for someone toride rollercoasters with - he keeps trying to get me on mako!)

I'm still trying to determine if I'll be able to muster the courage to ride Infinity Falls :scratchin. I really, REALLY want to....but that 40' drop has me worried. I wish I wasn't such a chicken!! I think I'll have Steve ride it first and let me know if he thinks I can ride without suffering a heart attack on the way down LOL. The photos of the ride area look so pretty!! And the rafts go by a brand new flamingo habitat!!
 
I never liked the acrobats either for the same reason as you. At this point we won't have any costumes. Too last minute. I was trying to think of some way to Disneybound. My dad won't participate in that at all. Hopefully we'll get a couple of t-shirts and we'll have Minnie Ears and Duncan will get that pumpkin Mickey hat.
 


Glad you are having a fun time so far. How's the weather? Crazy hot?
Yep, crazy hot. I think 95 today. Some huge black clouds rolled in really fast around 6:15 and by 6:30 it was pouring rain. As in monsoon. As it turned out we had gone to dinner early and we were just getting back to the resort as the first rain drops came. We just made it to our room when the down pour started. It went on for about 90 minutes. When it stopped we went out to walk the resort and where only out about 20 minutes when the most incredible lightening made it look like daylight. Needless to say we made a quick retreat to our room and didn’t it start to rain again. No big deal though we are getting up early tomorrow so it’s a good night to be in.
 
Dolphin Days is one of my favorite shows. I've watched it 5 times in a day before
 
Yep, crazy hot. I think 95 today. Some huge black clouds rolled in really fast around 6:15 and by 6:30 it was pouring rain. As in monsoon. As it turned out we had gone to dinner early and we were just getting back to the resort as the first rain drops came. We just made it to our room when the down pour started. It went on for about 90 minutes. When it stopped we went out to walk the resort and where only out about 20 minutes when the most incredible lightening made it look like daylight. Needless to say we made a quick retreat to our room and didn’t it start to rain again. No big deal though we are getting up early tomorrow so it’s a good night to be in.

Sounds like a good night to be in early!! Have fun!! Keep us updated!! Are you going to HS to visit Toy Story Land?
 


We can be chicken on that together as the guys laugh st us!!

Sounds like a plan to me! :p

I never liked the acrobats either for the same reason as you. At this point we won't have any costumes. Too last minute. I was trying to think of some way to Disneybound. My dad won't participate in that at all. Hopefully we'll get a couple of t-shirts and we'll have Minnie Ears and Duncan will get that pumpkin Mickey hat.

Costumes or no, your kids will have a ball. Nothing like trick or treating at MK!!

Yep, crazy hot. I think 95 today. Some huge black clouds rolled in really fast around 6:15 and by 6:30 it was pouring rain. As in monsoon. As it turned out we had gone to dinner early and we were just getting back to the resort as the first rain drops came. We just made it to our room when the down pour started. It went on for about 90 minutes. When it stopped we went out to walk the resort and where only out about 20 minutes when the most incredible lightening made it look like daylight. Needless to say we made a quick retreat to our room and didn’t it start to rain again. No big deal though we are getting up early tomorrow so it’s a good night to be in.

Glad that the timing of the rain was such that it didn't ruin your fun. Fingers crossed for some sunshiny, beautiful weather for your adventures today at the Studios!! :sunny:

Dolphin Days is one of my favorite shows. I've watched it 5 times in a day before

Holy moly!! That must have been almost every showing of the day! :thumbsup2
 
Let’s wrap up the balance of our Seaworld day, shall we? This one has dragged on long enough! :faint:

Wednesday, May 9th: SeaWorld – the conclusion:fish:

After Dolphin Days concluded and we spilled out of the stadium and into the sunshine, we opted for a sweet snack at SeaFire Pizza: pudding cups layered with chocolate cake and topped with fresh whipped cream.

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These were considered a “side” on the dining plan, so there was no charge for either treat nor the bottles of water that we picked up on the same trip through the line. These were really, really delicious, and quite nicely satisfied our sweet tooth cravings without being super heavy on the warm day.

We strolled around again, watching the moms and babies frollick in the dolphin nursery before one more visit to Antarctica for a final ride and visit with the penguins.

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We had less than a five minute wait to enter the attraction, and were boarded into our ride vehicle immediately thereafter. We were winding down after our full day at the park, and chose the mild side once again so we could enjoy the ride gently and peacefully.

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This late in the afternoon, the lights were dimmed in the habitat when we disembarked from our vehicles at the end of the ride. The penguins, too, were “winding down” their day……and the low light gave the exhibit a totally different feel.

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Once again, we stayed as long as we could stand the frosty air……if it weren’t such a pain, I’d carry jackets with us just so we could stand the cold temperatures a little longer. When we got to the point that we started to become seriously uncomfortable, we moved out into the warmth and enjoyed some watching some additional penguin antics at the large underwater viewing window as you exit the attraction.

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After wrapping up our time in Antarctica, we made our way back toward the waterfront to take a last tour through the beautiful shops. Since it was the last day we’d be in SeaWorld, we wanted to be sure we picked up any final souvenirs that we wanted to purchase from this specific park….Steve had been collecting shot glasses all throughout the trip, and there were several that he had spied throughout the day but didn’t want to carry around with him as we toured. As he was making his purchases with the help of lovely Seaworld team member, he called me over to the counter. The woman who was assisting him had a tray of rings displayed on the glass, and informed me that I was to let her know my ring size and choose my favorite. Bless his heart, Steve had told the associate that it was our 25th wedding anniversary, and he would be purchasing me a ring to commemorate our special milestone…..but he wasn’t sure which one I’d like best. While it was hard to pick (I truly did love them all!!) I finally settled on this one: after our wonderful experience with Archer on our first SeaWorld day earlier in the trip thanks to @chiamarie ‘s kindness, this piece seemed to be the most fitting.

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Oh, how I love that guy :love:.

We opted to grab dinner before heading back to the resort…..one final entitlement on the all day dining until our next vacation in October. Since it was close by, one of our park favorites, and perhaps the BEST value on the dining plan, we chose Voyagers once again ….. you can’t go wrong with barbecue.

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We took our time over dinner, savoring our meal and reflecting on how glad we were that we had chosen to upgrade to annual passes before our arrival. We hadn’t even left yet, and were already looking forward to our return visit in the fall. That late in the day, Voyagers was almost empty and we enjoyed a private, quiet section of the restaurant all to ourselves. We were relaxed and content, and it truly was a very special, private way to end a beautiful day.

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Back at the resort, we enjoyed a quiet night enjoying the Fountains pool and hot tub. Tomorrow was a much-needed day of relaxing……with a few elements of fun thrown in for good measure :goodvibes.


Coming up: poolside fun, Disney Springs, our first “Japanese Teppanyaki Experience”, and the Wonderland Cookie Dough Café!
 
Just love those penguins!:love: I wish we could stay in there longer, too! It's just freezing!!:cold:

That ring is gorgeous!! Such a nice momento! Steve is very sweet!:)
 
Voygers looks awesome! We have the all day dining for the 28th so Sam says that's on our "must do" for eating!
 
Sounds like a good night to be in early!! Have fun!! Keep us updated!! Are you going to HS to visit Toy Story Land?
Oh ya...:got up at 5:30 this morning. We had to do a checkout and back in this morning which should have only taken 5 minutes but it took 20. So that delayed us drastically. We still managed to do SDD, Aliens and TSM by official park opening. We are currently on the boat heading to Epcot for lunch. Then back for a rest at the resort and an evening at MK.
 
Super Grover passes in hand, we are now doing DC, with stops at SW and Aquadica thrown in. Good thing I have a rental car, and don't care if we don't spend all time at USO, oh, and Mickey party and GF stay in there too, well because. Love all your pictures of the food. Most likely we will buy the all day dining at SW, as going on Saturday, as Sunday is USO's AP only night, so since I want to see the night time shows, only on the week-ends now, Saturday it is. Glad you told us that the pretzel place is included. I can see a stop for nuggets and water at least one of the hours. Based on the shows, we will do most on Saturday, leave the rest for another day.

Squeal, countdown is now 1, so want hot weather, with little rain, for the next 2 weeks. Why yes hotel, we will see you tomorrow.:D
 
Oh ya...:got up at 5:30 this morning. We had to do a checkout and back in this morning which should have only taken 5 minutes but it took 20. So that delayed us drastically. We still managed to do SDD, Aliens and TSM by official park opening. We are currently on the boat heading to Epcot for lunch. Then back for a rest at the resort and an evening at MK.

How did you like the new rides?
You have a busy day! 3 parks today? Good for you!:)
 
Looks like it was the perfect end to a perfect day with your sweetie.:goodvibes
I’m loving your trip report and still quietly reading along. I’m also loving reading about your plans for October. With any luck I will have your trip reports to keep me occupied until it’s our turn:sunny:.

We are still debating Disney or no Disney around here for our March break trip.. it will go back and forth for awhile I think. We have switched to every other year for Orlando trips and we haven’t been to Disney since last summer.. once everyone realized it will be 2020 before we go back they decided they may want to do Disney again instead of a more leisurely trip with Discovery Cove and Aquatica.
With any luck we will have a plan before we get there in March :rolleyes1. There are definitely worse problems to have than to try and decided what fun things to do on vacation . All of it sounds good to us so it’s proving harder to narrow it down than you would think .
 
Just love those penguins!:love: I wish we could stay in there longer, too! It's just freezing!!:cold:

That ring is gorgeous!! Such a nice momento! Steve is very sweet!:)

My big guy has a very soft side, for sure. Over the entire trip, he had been trying to get me to pick-a-pearl again as he knows how much I adored that souvenir from a few years ago (and its still one of my favorite pieces of jewelry). By the time we reached that final hour in the park, I guess he decided to take matters into his own hands :laughing:. I'm very blessed, indeed!

Voygers looks awesome! We have the all day dining for the 28th so Sam says that's on our "must do" for eating!

We kept a detailed count of our food costs versus dining plan cost, and on that final day at SW, we TRIPLED our value......that Voyagers meal alone would hae cost almost as much as the all-day dining for two (within a few dollars). Voyagers is Steve's fave, too. You definitely can't go wrong with barbecued meat :thumbsup2. And I will note that it was DELICIOUS.......the chicken, especially, was AMAZING! Super juicy and flavorful!

Oh ya...:got up at 5:30 this morning. We had to do a checkout and back in this morning which should have only taken 5 minutes but it took 20. So that delayed us drastically. We still managed to do SDD, Aliens and TSM by official park opening. We are currently on the boat heading to Epcot for lunch. Then back for a rest at the resort and an evening at MK.

Sounds like a great time, despite the morning delay. Hope the sun shone for ya on such a busy day!

Super Grover passes in hand, we are now doing DC, with stops at SW and Aquadica thrown in. Good thing I have a rental car, and don't care if we don't spend all time at USO, oh, and Mickey party and GF stay in there too, well because. Love all your pictures of the food. Most likely we will buy the all day dining at SW, as going on Saturday, as Sunday is USO's AP only night, so since I want to see the night time shows, only on the week-ends now, Saturday it is. Glad you told us that the pretzel place is included. I can see a stop for nuggets and water at least one of the hours. Based on the shows, we will do most on Saturday, leave the rest for another day.

Squeal, countdown is now 1, so want hot weather, with little rain, for the next 2 weeks. Why yes hotel, we will see you tomorrow.:D

Awesome Lynne!! Your trip sounds SPECTACULAR!! Have a most amazing time, and safe travels!! Be sure to check in here and give us a live update when you get a free moment! :goodvibes

If you have Super Grover passes, I think you can take advantage of the all-day dining deal that they have until the end of August. YOu can purchase now and use anytime until December 31st. Saves you $10 off each plan: $24.99 versus $34.99 as long as you buy 3. Good for redemption at either SW or AQ! If you are planning to do the ADD at both parks, it might be worth purchasing online before you get to the parks. Just log into the SW passmember site and you should be good to go.

And....since I know its your special day.....

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Steve is definitely going for brownie points with the ring - what a lovely gesture though :goodvibes

He is a very thoughtful guy :goodvibes. Always wants me to be happy. Such a sweetie!

Love the ring!

Thank you! :) There was another one I loved (was tough to pick between the two), so I may have to purchase that one in October :teeth:.

Looks like it was the perfect end to a perfect day with your sweetie.:goodvibes
I’m loving your trip report and still quietly reading along. I’m also loving reading about your plans for October. With any luck I will have your trip reports to keep me occupied until it’s our turn:sunny:.

We are still debating Disney or no Disney around here for our March break trip.. it will go back and forth for awhile I think. We have switched to every other year for Orlando trips and we haven’t been to Disney since last summer.. once everyone realized it will be 2020 before we go back they decided they may want to do Disney again instead of a more leisurely trip with Discovery Cove and Aquatica.
With any luck we will have a plan before we get there in March :rolleyes1. There are definitely worse problems to have than to try and decided what fun things to do on vacation . All of it sounds good to us so it’s proving harder to narrow it down than you would think .

I think our European friends have the right idea.....2-3 week trips ::yes::. One week for Disney, one week for Universal, one week for SeaWorld and the rest of Orlando. Of course, *I* could never do anything more than a 1 week vacay at this point (I couldn't leave Violet and Dash more than the 8 nights that we now do) but without pets, it would be ideal to do longer trips and be able to not have to decide between park families. I totally understand your decision dilemma!!

Hopefully my report on our day at Discovery Cove will help you make your decision one way or the other. It really is an amazing park....but definitely a whole different experience versus a regular theme park.
 
How did you like the new rides?
You have a busy day! 3 parks today? Good for you!:)
LOVED :lovestruc:lovestruc:lovestruc SDD. I thought it was sort of a hybrid of BTMR and EE. It’s supposed to be a kids coaster but it’s a bit more than that. We were going with the Easy WDW plan for the morning....he arrived at the gate at 6:15 and was able to do everything in Toy Story Land twice by about 8:30. We didn’t get to the gate until 6:45 and it certainly made a difference. By the time we got to SDD the posted wait was on one sign 45 and the other 35 but I knew that they have been inflating the time. It was actually 20. We then went to Aliens and the wait was about 5-10 minutes. It’s a really cute ride but too short. We then moved on to TSM and it was pretty much a walk on even though the sign said 15 minutes. The only wait was right at the very start of the line while they load the cars.

We only had lunch at Epcot and then went back to the room until 4:45 before heading to MK. The only real goal there was dinner and fireworks. We did manage to get 3 more FP and did the standby for BTMR. Oh boy....that has got to be the worst line to stand in. It was only 35 minutes but it’s so incredibly hot. There are zero fans in there and zero air movement. At one point I started to not feel so great and wondered how often someone passed out in there. Can’t believe they have never added those big fans that most other ques have.

We positioned ourselves right in the middle of Main St for the fireworks and dipped out about 1 minute before the end. Which was absolutely perfect. There was a bus waiting when we got there and got on, got a seat and the bus took off 5 minutes later. We walked back into out room at 9:40. It was a very long day, by far the longest we’ve ever done but it was a fun one.

More relaxing at the pool today!!! I’m already there in fact.
 

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