SeaWorld Orlando a Beautiful Theme Park

My wife and I recently went to SeaWorld Orlando. It was the first time there for both of us and we were really unsure of what to expect at this Orlando theme park. Everyone is familiar with Disney, but what would Shamu have in store for two adults who didn't care much for thrill rides anymore?

For one thing, I was really impressed with how nice the theme park was kept. The park was clean and the landscaping was nicely done unlike the Disney's Magic Kingdom. Whenever I go to the Magic Kingdom, I feel like it is old, outdated and a bit unkept. That is not a good feeling after paying Disney about $80 a ticket.

Th staff at SeaWorld was very helpful and did not seem bothered when you had a question which was nice for a change. Even though we feel that we are passed our roller coaster thrill riding prime, we went on the Manta anyhow. That was a lot of fun and we were glad that we rode it. I guess we still have it in us after all. If we would have had more time, we could have hit some more high flying adventures, but instead, we hit some of the spectacular shows.

The shows were my wife's favorite part of the trip. They were very entertaining and very well done. My favorite part was eating with at the Sharks Underwater Grill. This was really unique because we were seated next to an enormous aquarium filled with live sharks. I am not sure who was eying who while we were eating, but it was an experience that we will never forget. We had a great time together and will be sure to go back again.

Sea World Orlando Concerts Renamed "Bands, Brew & BBQ"

Sea World Orlando has been going through some transitions lately. They were recently sold to the Blackstone Group and they have just renamed their concert series. The concert series was formerly known as "Bud & BBQ" and it has just recently been renamed "Bands, Brew & BBQ." The sale by Anheuser Busch to the Blackstone Group has prompted the name change.

The concerts take place at two locations in the central Florida area, SeaWorld Orlando and Busch Gardens Tamps Bay with the concerts at Sea World Orlando on Saturdays and the concerts at Busch Gardens Tamps Bay are on Sundays.

The February schedule has been released for both locations. Here are the schedules:

At SeaWorld:

LeAnn Rimes on 2/6/2010
Montgomery Gentry on 2/13/2010
John Rich on 2/20/2010
Yes on 2/27/2010

At Busch Gardens:

Dennis DeYoung from Styx on 2/7/2010
Willie Nelson on 2/14/2010
Huey Lewis and the News on 2/21/2010
Pat Benatar & Neil Giraldo on 2/28/2010

Sea World sale is Official

Today (December 1, 2009) the sale of SeaWorld was complete. The Blackstone Group paid Inbev $2.1 billion for Sea World and Busch Garden theme parks. The Blackstone Group is already the majority stock holder in Universal Studios theme parks and now they own 10 major theme parks across America.

It has been well speculated for sometime that the Blackstone Group does not plan to make major changes to the theme park and even though Universal and Sea World are owned by the same owners we do not expect much to change between the two companies. The only change we expect to see is for Sea World and Universal to push their combo tickets a little more.

If you are thinking of visiting Orlando in the near future you need to check out our great deals on Sea World Orlando vacation packages. We are currently running a special right now, if you purchase a package deal from us we will upgrade all 1 day tickets to 7 day tickets at no additional charge.

Sea World - Sharks Grill

My wife and I went to Sea World in Orlando this past weekend. It was my first time there and I must say that it is my favorite theme park. It is very clean and not too large. One thing that I always enjoyed as a child was the subject of sharks so you can just imagine how excited I was to be able to eat at Seaworld's Sharks Grill.

The restaurant was dimly lit and you can of felt like you were in an underwater cave. We were seated right next to the massive glass aquarium that is home to many sharks and other large salt water fish.

I think the sharks ranged from about 4 to 8 feet in length and they seemed to pay little attention to you. It's a good thing that Sea World kepps them well fed. It was certainly a meal that I will never forget.

Capturing Memories in SeaWorld

There are many different options available to capture the many priceless memories that take place during a vacation to SeaWorld in Orlando. We will explore a few of the most commonly utilized methods as well as offer suggestions for your trip. Please feel free to contact us with any additional suggestions we can add to this article.

The traditional way to capture your memories at the theme park is bringing your own film operated camera to SeaWorld. This often results in the clearer pictures, but is more expensive costs than a digital camera’s photos. Another benefit is that you can simply have drop off your film anytime and tangible prints are developed.

Another option is the tried and trusted disposable camera. These typically result in pictures that are not as high quality as a traditional camera and are oftentimes much more expensive. The benefit is that travelers do not have to worry about losing a more expensive camera. This is also a nice option for those who rather travel lightly. You can purchase and develop photos all in one day.
SeaWorld also now offers its guests the ability to simply hand a camera person their guest pass and in return that person will take your picture and provide you with a photo card. Hand off that photo card to any other camera man throughout the park, they will scan and take your photograph. Later on you can visit the SeaWorld website to view and order your prints.

The option most of our guests prefer is to utilize their own digital camera. Thanks to major advances in technology this is usually the least expensive route to go and can offer pictures that rival those of traditional media. Costs are also minimal after the camera is purchased. However, plan in advance before heading to SeaWorld since local shops mark up prices of digital cameras significantly once you arrive.

Important note about ChristmasTide show

On weekdays leading up to Christmas, the park closes at 6:00pm. However, the ChristmasTide fountain show at the Waterfront isn't until 6:45 pm. This means you get an extra hour in the park! At 6pm most areas will be closing down and you'll need to start heading toward the exit. If you don't go all the way out, you can shop around the Waterfront, meet Santa, and get a good viewing spot for the spectacular musical water show!

Angela is our new SeaWorld Expert

OrlandoVacation.com would like to introduce Angela Reddy as our new SeaWorld expert. If you are looking to go to SeaWorld on your vacation Angela is the one to help you navigate this awesome theme park.