Back in February when we informed Damian that we would be taking him to Florida for Spring Break we gave him a choice of where he wanted to visit. We offered him Disney World, Universal Studios or Sea World. He opted for Sea World.
I have no plans to defend or prosecute Sea World. I understand there is controversy.
This is about fulfilling a little boys dreams which I, as Nana, have a mandate to do. Damian, from his earliest days has been crazy for any creature that creeps, crawls, swims or claws it’s way through the oceans. He has an aquarium in his room. We have a frog pond in our garden. His bed is covered with a collection of stuffed animals, not your usual teddy bears, dogs, etc. but frogs, turtles, fish, dolphins, crabs and octopuseseses. (octopi?)
Upon our arrival at Sea World, it was as if a switch was flipped inside Damian. His excitement level went into overdrive and it was like a sponge with legs, soaking up everything. (Sponge Damian Shark Pants?)
We hit this park HARD!
Manta rays, turtles, sharks, fish, penguins, beluga whales, flamingoes, polar bears you name it! Interactive exhibits, crazy thrill rides, simulators, hands-on experiences, 3-D films, on and on and on.
Then there were the shows. One more amazing than the next.
I can’t even begin to describe the awesomeness.
Damian was enthralled with it all! We collected animal trading cards from the handlers. We made souvenier pennies. We ate ice cream from a whale-shaped bowl.
He touched manta rays, dolphins & birds.
After 12 hours it was getting difficult keeping up with him and even he was starting to exhibit signs of fatigue (finally!)
If I can offer some advice for prospective Sea World visitors, if at all possible invest in the “Quick Que” & “Reserved Show Seating”. These extras allow you to bypass any lines for the rides and arrive at the shows just before they begin and have perfectly positioned seats waiting for you. If we did not have these 2 things, we would not have been able to see the park in one day. We would have wasted enormous amounts of time waiting in lines. They also allow you to bring in snacks & we also popped for the priority parking which put us right outside the park entrance enabling us to run out to the cooler in the car for lunch. Save the money you would’ve spent on the junky food and spring for these upgrades!
Ok, so when we get home and have had a little distance from his magical experience I will have a conversation with Damian about the controversy around Sea World. It is always beneficial to be able to see the big picture and Damian is a very smart little boy. He will process this information and come to his own conclusions but he will always have some magical memories.
Yeah, I know. Blackfish. Not P.C. but they were having so much fun!
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