Spring Break 2015 - Day 7
Yesterday was our last full day and our SeaWorld day. We made it to the SeaWorld parking lot by 8:30 a.m. but learned that the parking lot was not yet open. They opened the parking lot about 8:40 a.m. (That seemed annoyingly strange to us). Also strange was the fact that they had us park very far from the entrance even though we were some of the first people there.
We finally made it into the park. DD11 and I went straight to Manta. We waited about 3 minutes and were able to sit in the front row. It was my first time on that coaster and it was a very different experience. It felt like you were lying on your back when the coaster inverted. We enjoyed it quite a bit. We then went to Antarctica and rode that ride and saw the penguins. The ride was quite weird. We loved the penguins. They were very active. We were surprised how fast they could swim. We would have stayed longer to watch them but it was very cold.
We then met up with my DH and DD8 for the Blue Horizons show. That show was quite fun. For the second day in a row the dolphins were not really cooperating. They had to stop the show for a few minutes to let the dolphins go back stage to get ready to perform again.
After that DD11 and I went to ride Kraken while DH and DD8 went to watch a turtle attraction. Kraken was a walk on. I liked it but not nearly as much as Manta. For one reason there is no theming on this ride at all. This park seems to mostly attract families with small children so the coasters did not seem to have long lines. The wait for Antarctica was huge by late morning so we were happy that we rode early in the day.
We were all disappointed that Journey to Atlantis was undergoing maintenance.
DD11 and I went over to feed the Sea Lions. That was really fun. We had been warned that the birds were very aggressive and that was correct. For us and others sometimes the birds would intercept the fish in mid-air. A tray of food cost $5 or 5 for $20. Each tray contained 5 to 6 fish.
Since we wanted to see the noon One Ocean show we had an early lunch. We ate at Spice Mill. This was very pleasant since we were able to eat right on the water. It was in the shade and there were ceiling fans so it was not too hot. The fountains also “perform” to the music.
We greatly enjoyed the One Ocean show. We sat at the very back of the splash zone and did not get wet at all. The people up front got soaked. At least for the noon show almost all seats were in the shade. Despite that we were still getting to be very hot. The temperature was in the high 80s. DD8 in particular was very hot and unhappy.
We went to stingray lagoon and shark encounter. Those were interesting but by this point we were too hot and wanted to go back to the hotel pool.
We cooled off in the room for about 45 minutes and then made it to the pool. This was relaxing and fun. It was so hot (about 90F) that it seemed strange that it was snowing in NYC.
For dinner we had reservations at the Venetian Room at the hotel (Caribe Royale). We got there at 6:00 p.m. and were the only ones in the restaurant. It started filling up within about 30 minutes. This is quite a fancy restaurant but the prices were comparable to the signature dining experiences at WDW. Appetizers were $13 to $20 and entrees were around $40. The included bread service was excellent with 5-6 different choices of bread and 3 different butters. Between courses there was an amuse-bouche that was a cheese filled pastry. After the appetizers they served raspberry sorbet.
The main courses were excellent. I had the pork chop, DD11 had the filet mignon and DH had the Dover sole. DD8 ordered off the kids menu from the more casual Tropicale restaurant but her meal was presented with as much style as the rest of us. My DDs were on their very best behavior so the waiter really enjoyed serving them.
For dessert DH and I each had the Carrot Bomb and DD11 had the Black Magic Dome. DD8 was given a choice of complementary ice cream. The desserts cost $12 to $14 and were excellent - especially the carrot bomb. Our meal took about two hours. We could have lingered longer but we chose not too.
I highly recommend this restaurant. It is pretty close to Downtown Disney. Orlando Resort Restaurants | Caribe Royale Orlando
It was a great way to end the last full day of our vacation.