'Sea World, Orlando - Preview' theme park review - Nowt2Do.Com: Listings and Reviews for Bristol and Beyond!


	Overview: SeaWorld Orlando is the world’s premier marine adventure park with 200 acres of world-class shows, thrilling rides and unforgettable animal encounters. Millions of visitors have explored the mysteries of the sea with up-close animal interactions and exhilarating experiences. State-of-the-art rides such as “Kraken” and “Journey to Atlantis” twist, turn, and drench guests with unprecedented thrills, while amazing animal encounters include killer whales, dolphins, sea lions, sharks and more. What’s New in 2006: “Believe”– This innovative show showcases new, intense choreography from our entire family of killer whales corresponding to the beat of a stirring, original musical score. The most ambitious entertainment project in our park’s history, “Believe” will feature an elaborate set boasting a 3-story tail fluke flanked by four 20-foot-wide LED screens and a sophisticated sound system. Location: Intersection of Interstate 4 and FL 528 (the Bee Line Expressway), 10 minutes south of downtown Orlando and 15 minutes from Orlando International Airport. Park Hours: Open year-round at 9 a.m., with extended hours during summer and holidays. Allow a full day to see all shows and attractions. Admission: Ages 10+ $61.95 (plus tax); Ages 3-9 $49.95 (plus tax); Ages two and under are free. Prices are subject to change without notice. Discounts available for guests with disabilities, senior citizens, military personnel and AAA members. Information: For general park information, call (800) 327-2424, or visit the interactive Web site at SeaWorld.com. For information on marine animals, visit our award-winning educational Web site at SeaWorld.org. DINING ADVENTURES: “Dine With Shamu” offers park guests a once-in-a-lifetime VIP experience to eat alongside killer whales, dine with Shamu trainers, ask questions and observe training sessions in an exclusive themed area. This buffet-style meal is located poolside and requires reservations by calling (800) 327-2424 or by visiting the park’s Information Counter at the front gate. “Sharks Underwater Grill” is an upscale restaurant that immerses guests in an underwater world to dine with the denizens of the deep. The full-service restaurant features a “Floribbean-style” menu that blends Caribbean and Florida fare with an emphasis on seafood. Priority seating can be arranged by calling (800) 327-2424 or by visiting the host stand at the restaurant. "Makahiki Luau" is a nightly celebration at The Waterfront’s Seafire Inn filled with ancient customs, rhythmic music and dance, authentic costumes and the delectable cuisine of the Pacific Islands. Reservations are required; call toll-free (800) 327-2424. RIDES: “Kraken” – Orlando’s tallest and only floorless roller coaster – is themed after a massive, mythological underwater beast unleashed from the depths of the sea. Riders’ feet dangle as they travel in open-sided seats, riding on a pedestal above the track at speeds of 65 mph to heights of more than 140 feet. “Journey to Atlantis” is an edge-of-your-seat water-coaster -- part water ride, part roller coaster -- thrill ride that plunges guests into the middle of a clash for the lost city of Atlantis. Riders encounter spine-tingling thrills, including two of the steepest, wettest and fastest drops to be found at any theme park in the world. "Wild Arctic" takes guests on a thrilling, motion-based flight over the frozen North where they are enveloped in the beauty, exhilaration and danger of Arctic exploration. Stepping from the simulated jetcopter experience they enter a frozen wonderland with live beluga whales, walruses, harbor seals and polar bears. SHOWS: “Believe” is a revolutionary production that features SeaWorld’s entire family of majestic killer whales performing awe-inspiring choreography to an original musical score performed by Prague National Symphony Orchestra. The elaborate 3-story set features an 80-foot-wide whale tail designed exclusively for this show as well as four rotating panoramic LED screens and nearly 100 speakers. “Blue Horizons” is a new breakthrough theatrical spectacular that showcases graceful dolphins and false killer whales, a rainbow of exotic birds and an entire cast of world-class divers and aerialists draped in elaborate costumes. The vivid imagination of a young girl sets the stage for an emotional adventure to experience the power of the sea and the elegance of flight. “Clyde and Seamore Take Pirate Island” stars the park's hilarious sea lions, otters and walrus in a swashbuckling adventure and a sensational tale of lost loot, pirate plunder and misadventure on the high seas. “Pets Ahoy!” is a comical show featuring the talents of a menagerie of dogs, cats, birds, rats, skunks, pot-belly pigs, and other animals performing a series of uproarious and amazing skits. Most impressive is the fact that nearly all of the fabulous four-legged celebs were rescued from animal shelters before they found their fame at SeaWorld. “Odyssea” is a 30-minute spectacle combining gravity-defying acrobatic feats, lively music and dazzling special effects within a set that transports guests into an underwater world filled with wonder and fantasy. “Fusion” is a high-energy celebration of surf, sand and sky. This show features stunt kites, bird flights and championship-caliber water sports all set to an exhilarating world music beat. Special this summer, “Mistify” is a nighttime finale on SeaWorld’s center lake and features larger-than-life marine creatures on 60-foot mist screens, 100-foot fountains, flames on water and dazzling fireworks. ANIMAL ATTRACTIONS: “Clydesdale Hamlet” is home to SeaWorld’s world-famous Budweiser Clydesdales. Guests can enjoy the majestic eight-horse hitch as it is meticulously prepared for parades through the park. During daily posing and petting sessions, guests can have their photos taken with a Clydesdale. “Key West at SeaWorld” spans five acres and celebrates the legendary mystique and animals of the Florida Keys while it immerses guests in the quirky, carefree ambiance of America's southernmost city. Guest may feed and touch dolphins in a tropical lagoon with rolling waves, a sandy beach, underwater viewing and naturalistic coral reef -- as well as feed stingrays and see endangered sea turtles up-close. “Manatee Rescue” submerges guests in the beautiful underwater world of the endangered Florida manatee. All of the manatees in this habitat have been rescued by SeaWorld’s animal rescue team, and those who become healthy enough will be returned to their natural habitat. The attraction was named best new zoological exhibit in the country by The American Zoological Association (AZA). “Pacific Point Preserve” is home to California sea lions and harbor seals. The 2½-acre naturalistic setting duplicates the rocky Northern Pacific coast. “Shark Encounter” takes guests underwater, surrounding them with the spine-chilling denizens of the deep, including eels, barracuda, venomous fish, and sharks. The 60-foot shark tunnel in SeaWorld's Terrors of the Deep attraction is formed of acrylic panels weighing up to 5,000 pounds, and able to support the pressure of more than 500 tons of water. “Penguin Encounter” is home to more than 200 penguins and puffins. Featuring six species of penguins -- king, gentoo, adelie, macaroni, chinstrap and rockhopper -- the animal habitat is kept at a chilly 30 degrees and the water an icy 45 degrees. Six thousand pounds of snow fall daily inside the naturalistic habitat, which is reminiscent of the Antarctic’s rocky cliffs and frigid waters. Guests ride a 120-foot-long moving walkway through the frozen wonderland to watch the playful birds cavort both above, and under the water. “Dolphin Nursery” is home to dolphin mothers and their newborn calves. OTHER ATTRACTIONS: “Shamu's Happy Harbor” is an expansive 5-acre play area for kids that includes the “Shamu Express,” SeaWorld’s first kid-friendly roller coaster. Themed after SeaWorld’s famous icon, Shamu, the “Shamu Express” gently thrills 28 parents and children in killer whale-themed cars down 800 ft. of track at 28 mph. Two other pint-sized additions include “Jazzy Jellies” that lifts and spins families in jellyfish-themed seats and “Swishy Fishies” which enables adventurous youngsters to sit in over-sized seats while they spin around a giant waterspout. “The Anheuser-Busch Hospitality Center” features free samples of Anheuser-Busch products. ANIMAL RESCUE AND REHABILITATION: SeaWorld’s animal rescue team is on call 24 hours a day, 365 days a year to rescue, rehabilitate and release hundreds of endangered animals each year. SeaWorld Orlando is home to the largest manatee rehabilitation facility in the world. ANIMAL CONNECTIONS PROGRAMS: “Beluga Interaction Program” The Beluga Interaction Program is one of the few programs in the world where guests can experience up-close, hands-on interactions with majestic beluga whales. Participants suit up and enter the chilly 55 degree water for a shallow-water encounter in the whales’ habitat at Wild Arctic. Cost is $179 per person, is limited to four guests per session, and includes a souvenir photo and an educational booklet on whales. Participants must be at least 13 years of age older. For reservations, call: (800) 327-2424, book online at SeaWorld.com or visit the Guided Tour Counter inside the park. “Sharks Deep Dive” SeaWorld plunges guests into the realm of the shark as part of the park’s most daring animal interaction program, Sharks Deep Dive. Participants don wetsuits and an all-new Sea Trek helmet – which allows participants to breathe and communicate underwater without scuba equipment – during their close encounter with more than 50 sharks and an array of fish. Cost is $150 per person, is limited to two guests for the two-hour program, and includes a “Sharks Deep Dive” T-shirt, a shark information booklet and a souvenir photograph. Park admission is not included, and is required. For reservations, call: (800) 327-2424, book online at SeaWorld.com or visit the Guided Tour Counter inside the park. When visiting Orlando, Nowt2Do.Com are staying at, and reviewing the following hotels. Hyatt Regency Grand Cypress, Disney World Resort Swan & Dolphin, Disney World Resort Swan & Dolphin, Universal Orlando Resort This is part of nowt2do.com's Ultimate Destination Guide: Florida 2006.