ULTIMATE Orlando TR DAY 4 ( cont'd) A night at SWO

Part 2 of Day 4 is finally online! ‘A Night at Sea World Orlando’ I ate the new Subway teriyaki, and used my 2nd day free pass to SWO. They did Lord knows what, but I know they went to the pool and probably did some shopping! So I ran across the street from my hotel, The Renaissance, (running is going to be a reoccurring theme tonight) I got through the gates a little after 6:30, I which I could have actually spent a another day their but, I had no idea the how the rest of the week was going to turn out, and it I am very happy that I went it was the best desiecion I could have made, anyway on with the fun! The weather that evening was awesome, the afternoon rain was over and it was temperature was not over the low 80’s, and of course it was humid, but the sun was setting so it was absolute fantastic outside. I promised myself I would take time to see the Manatee’s and that is what I did first thing, this time, I finally found it! I entered the exhibit and over looked the side of the rail at the Manatee’s and cool fish swimming below then I walked a long way down the outer hallway covered by a wooden structure. There were some TV’s and a chain blocking s off from the automatic doors. The screen had a countdown showing we would be going through the doors in moments. A Manatee awareness video was showing, and if you saw the SWO Revealed show, you know this park is passionate about these creatures. You enter the show and it’s semi circle bead sheet type screen with these weird looking waves projected on it to make you feel under water. No chairs but you are more than welcome to site on the clean floor J The show starts and this lady with this weird soothing voice talks about how endanger the Manatee’s are, this manatee appears on the screen and what look very cool is the fact that everything was 3D on the screen! Then this little girl and her father above the water talk about how they can preserve Manatee’s so the next generation will get to enjoy them to, that was cool! Then we enter the underwater viewing, very cool literally and figuratively, the Manatee’s were doing all sorts of cool stuff, and their habitat has tons of cool fish and looks real neat! Then I went to the Dolphin cove next door

This was very crowded and very cool, dolphins are such an interesting animal, and they really like to interact with humans. Then I moved a long to the stingray lagoon, yuck it smells like crud in here! Uhhh!!! Very neat, but I didn’t feel like risking my life and touching one J I went to ride Journey To Atlantis single rider style, the people I rode with had waited 40 minutes for it, and upon arrival it still had a long line! I rode and the fiberoptic lights following you at the beginning didn’t work, as well as the laughing lady just before you go into the coaster lifthill. Still a fun ride. It was fin riding with the family I rode with, the kid thought it was 2 rides, because the preshow leads you to believe that kind of. I told him it ended as a roller coaster, a very short one. He got the idea pretty well. I still loved the ride, and didn’t get real wet at all. They loved it to. I also noticed in the gift shop there was a small aqaurium featuring some interesting fish the cool thing was the floor was glass and fish swam below you , and in the tanks in the walls, I can’t remember if they were in the roof, but I dought it. Very cool, now it was time the start Kraken feast! I only did a couple of sweet rides though, much more later!

I went to the Pacific Point Reserve, A.K.A Sea Lions, wow this was cool, on Saturday at the show, they said there were new sea lions being born everyday, and sense I was here last some were born! Wow they were cool! The mothers and pups wouldn’t leave the spot the they were at when the mother gave birth either for a while, the seals would even sleep on the concrete outside were there was kind like a moat. The guide answered a lot of my questions and was very nice. The feeding was open for a little longer, and kids were trying to feed the seals, but the pelicans were in full force, and they are MEAN! They often hurt guests stealing the seal’s food. After a while the seals started to bark and get real loud, they wouldn’t stop and the guide said males appeared to be arguing over females! Wow, the only fight I saw this whole trip was some seals fighting! Good times. After about 10 minutes I left and crossed to board walk to see the Clydesdales before it closed at 8, unfortinally they were no longer outside, but the barn was still open! Wow it’s cool, it was just like the one in San Diego. I went into the hospitality center A.K.A Free beer place. They give you free 2 beer samples of Bush products. I was hoping for free Soda, but found a nice drinking fountain for consolation. There was a good food place in here to that served BBQ sandwiches, I would eat in here on a trip! Then I went back to the Key West area of the park and for some reason couldn’t find Turtle reef, I did and it was neat, kinda like the dolphin area, but with Sea Turtles ( my favorite animal) Now it was time to resume Kraken fest were is was walk on city. I would ride and sprint through the exit and queue ( one time I looked stupid when a kid jumped out of the dark, when you enter the egg cave in Kraken’s stomach.) So the few rides I got were great. I love this coaster, one time I tried to ride with my eye’s closed which was cool, I am pretty sure I never rode up front but I rode a lot in the back. I ran to Shamu stadium to get a good seat for the Shamu Rocks America, which I decided to pass on last time. The show is a variation of the regular show, with not much trainer dialogue to the crowd, and no education value at all! J The show featured some loud cool modern music and moving lights in the crowd, and spot lights on the whales, I really liked the back flips they did! The show seemed a lot longer than the posted 20 minutes, and was a good show. Now I would sprint to Kraken for many rides! Unforinally I accidentally ran to the ski show were the special effects show was going to take place, and everyone was going! Once I got there I took off backwards against traffic, and ran very fast to Kraken, a long fun run through a very dark Sea World, with about nothing open and guests no where, and the 80’s music they play in the evening, and their own to promote the park and the night’s events, playing in the back round. Talk about crazy! But I made it to Kraken where guests were not even waiting for some rows, I got about 7 rides, and 3 re rides in row 6, but had to leave because an op made me. I don’t care if I had to run around though. So after some incredible night rides, which offers a great view, of the fire works and laser show taking place, as well as the seals below in the Point Pacific Reserve. You can also see the Kissimee Sky coaster and Sling shot. The one thing different in those rides, were the mist in the tunnel was off, only positive to that was no stink of Orlando water! So I ran back to the park entrance to beat the crowds so I could get back to the room by 10:00.

So that wraps up on AWESOME night, and the days at Sea World were outstanding. I HIGHLY recommend not over looking this park, as far as future rides? I would like to see some Cheetah’s Tigers and Bears, but they do call It Sea World. Marine World had them though! As far as thrill rides I have no clue, The trainers will get pisssed if they try to add more, I would like to see a B:TR clone here, the people would eat it up.

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See the ULTIMATE Orlando TR's right now in the TR fourm!

Cool TR Todd. Sounds like a fun park!

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Sean

Nice TR. The stingrays wont hurt you. They dont even really have teeth to bite you with. I actually fed them the last time I was there.

The manatees there are really cool. The park was very instrumental in getting no wake zones established in the intercoastal waterway along the Gulf side of the state due to the number of manatees that were hit by speeding boats. The park also worked with the state to reroute some of the channel markers in the intercoastal to steer away from the manatee areas. During the winter you can go near the power plant in Apollo Beach(I think that is where it is) and see a ton of manatees enjoying the warm water near the plant. The park also nurses many manatees back to health that are hit in the Gulf of Mexico. A lot of boaters in Florida hate Seaworld for lobbying for all the no wake zones, I for one think it is a good idea.

It sounds like you didnt get a front seat ride on Kraken. IMHO this is the best place to ride Kraken. You get some monster visuals and a real feeling of flying. The back seat is nice for some heavy G's through the loops but you cannot beat the front seat on this ride.

Having scuba diving as a hobby helps make this park one of my favorites in Florida. It combines my two passions, sea life and a kick a$$ coaster. I am glad you got to enjoy the park for more than the rides.

Cheers,

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Bob Hansen

A proud CoasterBuzz Member

"So you think your'e really brave, gonna see the DEMONS cave.
You silly dude, your'e only food, for the DEMON"

I got about 20 rides on Kraken in 2 days ( guess you didn't read day 1) I rode in front on my first lap, and several other times, at least 3. It's defently, like any floorless, the place to sit on the ride, but I don't think it is worth scraficing 3 walk ons for 1 ride.

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See THE ULTIMATE in Orlando TR'S! Right now in the TR fourm!

Good trip report. Sounds like you had a great day at Sea World. I can't wait to visit Florida sometime in the future so I can hit all the parks and attractions/animals/rides there.

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