Dolphins jumping in the air. The over-the-top orca show. The delicious food. It was difficult to narrow down the most fun things we experienced during our recent day at SeaWorld Orlando, but here are a few of our favorites:
1. One Ocean. This is the infamous killer whale show, featuring smart and beautiful orca whales. It is amazing that these mammoth creatures can leap so high into the air! This and the dolphin show are the most thrilling shows at the park.
2. Dolphin Days. Similar to One Ocean, this show features several well-trained dolphins performing wondrous feats. Don't miss this show when you visit!
3. Antartica: Empire of the Penguin exhibit. Who does not love the cute way that penguins
waddle? Even better are the frigid cold temperatures, allowing a brief reprieve from the Florida heat.
4. Pets Ahoy. I was surprised that this show - featuring all types of animals, including mice, ducks, cats and dogs - was so entertaining for both children and adults. This was my first time seeing this show, and I will definitely check it out again!
5. The food. SeaWorld restaurants have other options than just burgers and fries, unlike some other theme parks. We ate flavorful, healthy food at Seafire Grill. We would recommend the fajitas, the Tex-Mex Bowl, and the desserts.
Unfortunately, the roller coasters were having technical issues and long waits the day we visited, so I can't provide a review of those. When you visit this summer, beware of the heat. The park is hot and there is a lot of walking. The dolphin, sea lion and orca shows are outdoors, so they do not provide much relief from the heat - unless you sit near the stage/ tanks!
Related:
Fab animals, food at Disney's Animal Kingdom
Don't miss new Star Wars event at Disney Hollywood Studios
I'm drooling just looking at the photos of the chocolate creations that will be featured at The Toothsome Chocolate Factory, opening later this year at Universal CityWalk.
This 19th century-inspired Steampunk chocolate factory is not only a restaurant with gourmet burgers, seafood, pasta and other dishes, but will also be a cool place to hang out, with smoke stacks and staff wearing Steampunk fashion.
A sneak peek of some of their desserts include Salted Caramel Flan sundae and Chocolate Brownie Bark Sundae, along with Bacon Brittle milkshake and Espresso Buzzzzz milkshake. Will you be at this over-the-top Chocolate Factory when it opens?
While Walt Disney World's other theme parks in Orlando typically get much more attention -and attendance - than Animal Kingdom, this park is definitely underrated. It features two Broadway-quality shows: Finding Nemo and The Lion King, as well as fabulous animal sightings, activities for kids and high quality food.
Even though we went on the Safari Tour in Africa around noon, most of the animals were active! We saw three lions, hippos, zebras, elephants and many more native African animals that we had never seen before. We also did walking tours to see more animals - monkeys, snakes, beautiful birds and much more!
The Finding Nemo show was very entertaining - for adults and children alike.
While we wanted to eat at Yak & Yeti for lunch, the wait was too long. Instead, we checked out the new Harambe Market in Africa, where you can get grilled sausage along with African and Indian dishes and African sodas and a few varieties of beer. My husband had the Beef Gyro, which was delicious and filling, and I had the Chicken Masala. Since I have not had this classic Indian dish before, I can't legitimately compare Disney's masala to others. I can only say I really enjoyed the flavor, as well as the accompanying rice and pita bread.
Meanwhile, we saw cranes and other construction equipment for the planned Avatar Land, which will draw many more visitors to this park! Also going on right now is the Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival. Don't miss the beautiful character greenery designs, the food, and the music!
Related:
Top reasons to visit Disney's Hollywood Studios
Top 10 favorites at Epcot Food and Wine Fest
