He Has No Idea What He's Letting Himself In For! Day 4 - SeaWorld & DTD

Guest · 9 Mar 15, 10:27 PM

I spent my Sunday afternoon putting together all the documentation for our travel insurance claim (a NIGHTMARE for the DIY booker!) yet I'm still in the mood to get cracking on another day! We were getting into the swing of it now and today our plan was to head to SeaWorld in the morning/afternoon, followed by a quick visit to the Grand Floridian to see the gingerbread house if we had the time. In the evening we had an ADR at the House of Blues and we also fancied some time in DisneyQuest.

We got up (probably quite late given the long days we'd had since arriving!) and watched some religious television while we were getting ready today. It was pretty uniquely American and we were pleasantly surprised as viewers to not be asked for cash at every opportunity

We also caught part of a general “good morning” show about a lady that had lost 280lbs and kept it off for years- she was genuinely inspiring! Finally, we were pleased to catch a weather report that stated the whole of the US was freezing cold except for Florida

I had signed up to the usual chain restaurants emails and IHOP had come through with a voucher. I was determined to get my free pancakes for breakfast on the way today. We can't have been in too much of a hurry as I finally got a photo of Fenny the hire car taken as we left at about 9.20am:

Don't drive Fords ever but I admit it, I miss her!

We plugged the IHOP address into the sat nav and it directed us there with no problems. I recall some brief confusion over a left turn but there wasn't another soul about and I ended up making the turn correctly in any case I am sure.

The IHOP on our way to SeaWorld was in the same patch as a Days Inn motel so we parked up there and there was lots of space. I remember that it was pretty hot already! We got a table no problem and the rest of the clientele were fed up looking convention goers with one other group of excitable tourists like us.

I went for the Strawberry Banana Pancakes (free!) with orange juice and Joe had some kind of chicken and bacon crepe with cheese sauce and a coke.

I loved my juice but sadly my pancakes were totally raw in the middle. They had barely been cooked at all. As I'm not a usual pancakes for breakfast person, and we were in IHOP after all, I wasn't sure if they were supposed to be like that. I didn't say anything but I couldn't eat very much of them- hey, at least it was free! Joe liked his well enough- it was HUGE and I was amazed when he ate almost all of it! We appear to also be missing the receipt for this

As an aside it is a miracle we have the receipts we do as Joe is the untidiest person in the world and we were mainly using his card. Anyway, with the voucher it was a total bargain and I think it ended up costing something like $16.

We then found our way to SeaWorld without incident, paid up and parked. Notes say here that the difference between “preferred” parking and where we ended up was $3 and under 100m- very quiet park today!

We had to take our Discovery Cove tickets here as we had the add on that gave us access to SeaWorld and Busch. The scanners were not having it though and neither of our tickets would scan. We had a bit of a faff trying to queue up where there was someone manning the machines only for them to wander off just as we were coming up to them but eventually we got in. At first the staff definitely assumed we were just doing something wrong or silly so we were gratified so see their faces when they couldn't get them to work either! The staff member was from Alaska- should have looked out for his car plate in the car park!

It was about 10.30am by this point and the park seemed quiet but not deserted. There was Christmas music on EVERYWHERE- when we got back to the UK I had Feliz Navidad in my head for the entire festive period and even now one or the other of us can be found singing it about the flat. We took some pictures then mooched round to the big lake and across the bridge towards the Shamu Stadium. Taking a right, we ended up at Wild Arctic- or the Polar Express as it was on the 2nd December!

There was a short wait for the ride due to the timings and there were about a dozen people with us queuing. We were in in no time- it didn't seem as polished as Disney but we liked the film even though neither of us have seen the Polar Express. I worked in a cinema when it came out though so I have seen most of it in bits when checking screens! They had obviously just used scenes from the movie so it wasn't seamless and instead just cut to different camera angles quite a lot which was quite disorienting!

It spat us out in a chilly room with an epic Christmas tree and (very young looking) Santa Claus! We were more taken with the belugas though, not knowing we'd get to see them a bit better later on. We took quite a while here looking at the seals and the walruses then moved round to the underwater viewing area of the beluga tank.

Walrus wasn't up for posing!

A short gallop round the shop (no purchases made) and we ended up back outside. With no real plan we ambled round past Shamu's Happy Harbor. Now here is where it was properly deserted, we were the only visible customers.

Loved these!

We decided to take advantage and tick off “have a rollercoaster to ourselves” off the bucket list so we went on the Shamu Express on our own!

A bit embarrassing but the staff clearly didn't think we were weird... (much).

Wasn't made for people with legs as long as ours but it wasn't too painful. Further on and we came across a carousel with really cute sea creatures to sit on so we had a go of that too, with 2 other people. Joe took the hammerhead shark and I had a cuttlefish.

More anti-clockwise wandering and we found the sea garden, which was nicely done and also provided a good photo opportunity given I had worn my Life Aquatic related t-shirt today:

The Nautilus Theater was all closed up so next up was the shark encounter, which I don't remember much if I'm honest. We did really enjoy the walk through bit though. I remember taking loads of photos here but I was having a problem with my phone camera whereby I was touching the screen to take a picture and it was acknowledging but then not taking the actual picture so I am missing a fair few and none of the ones from here seem to have saved. :angry:

At this point we went by the food area and the pearl diving and I was excited to join the queue for Manta. I was really excited to try this one as Air at Alton Towers might just be my favourite roller coaster ever. We shelled out for a locker and went through the queueing system, taking our time to look at the tanks on the way.

It was a complete walk on and each train was leaving about half full. We decided not to wait for the front row (which would have been about a 2 train wait) and piled in to the second row queue. It was amazing, I absolutely loved it. Joe enjoyed it but felt a bit uncomfortable and like it had blocked up his breathing a bit.

Now in the mood for some more coasters, we scooted round to Kraken but the rain that had been threatening was getting nearer and it was closed due to inclement weather. The rain started to come on as we walked so the decision was made to nip into Antarctica: Empire of the Penguin. A few people had had the same idea so although it was a walk on there were quite a few people in with us.

The ride didn't do much for us I have to say, we went for the “wild” ride but understood we weren't really the target market. I did really enjoy the end bit where you can see the actual penguins though, that was a lovely touch.

I'm gutted here as we took heaps of photos in with the penguins but none of them seem to have saved!

There's an hour and a half gap in our photos where nothing we took has showed up when we've transferred my photos over! So sad. We stayed for ages as the temperature made it feel like home.

We also saw a couple of penguins in...err.. an adult situation shall we say, only for the lady penguin's actual mate to waddle over and sort the imposter male out!

On leaving Antarctica the rain was ridiculously heavy so we sheltered with a few other people in the ride area. We got impatient though and convinced ourselves that the rain had gone off for a bit so we darted back round to Manta and took a tour through the aquarium. I really enjoyed it and we were both happy to see one of our favourite sea creatures, the octopus:

Soon enough we had exhausted the aquarium and the rain was still on. We ran across the path and took shelter under a snack stand. It was lunchtime at this point but after our huge breakfast we weren't ready for anything else. However, the popcorn was too tempting in the end so we shared a bag of that while we waited. It was delicious, I couldn't get it into my mouth quick enough.

North Americans really know how to do popcorn compared to the UK and the price seemed OK at $4.25. I also grabbed a photo of this drinks machine as I was amazed at the advertised juice percentage (this one saved but not all my photos of cute penguins

)

How much juice?!

After about 15 minutes the rain went off, just as we finished the popcorn. Excellent timing! As we were full we decided to walk across towards TurtleTrek. We stopped a bit at the stingray feeding to watch then carried on to the turtles!

The 3D film was good. Joe noted that he thought it was a good idea but not executed as well as it could have been- I think he has both dodgy eyes and had been totally 100% Disney converted by this point and nothing could compare!

We watched outside for a bit as the turtles were being fed but by this point it had brightened up considerably and we were keen for a ride on Kraken!

The Kraken situation was the same as Manta- a total walk on with a queue of about 4 people for the front row and trains leaving less than half full. We decided to wait for the front row this time and didn't regret it!

We were totally falling in love with American coasters at this point- they seemed so much smoother and better maintained than others we have tried (tune in for tomorrow for Gwazi to temper that opinion somewhat

) We also liked how your feet were dangling and there was no floor to hide your view on the front row! That queueing system though- I think if I had queued all the way round one room only to be faced with the next big area I would have cried!

So Joe had a new favourite now and he convinced me to loop round for another go right away. Didn't go for the front row this time but loved it all the same- as I knew what was coming I was able to relax my neck and head so didn't feel so tense when we got off. Got some good views from the top too.

At this point we still had a locker, and it was so quiet we decided we could probably get away with another ride before we collected our stuff. I fancied the Journey To Atlantis but Joe didn't (water ride wimp) so he trotted back off to Kraken.

Again, Atlantis had a tiny queue and I ended up in with a family. As we queued up the kids were chattering excitedly in complete American accents. So you can imagine how shocked I was when we climbed in and one of the little girls of about 7 turned round and screeched to her mum, “Ma, my #### is all wet!”

At this point I realised the parents had a strong Irish twang to their US accents and I decided they must have moved to the US- jealous!

I sat next to the mother and we had an ace time, chatting and giggling all the way round. The second part to the ride was a surprise and had us both screaming! One of the kids wasn't loving the ride very much but her mother just reached forward, gave her a pat and kind of chuckled to herself. The approach worked as the girl saw how unworried her mum was and was soon enjoying it just as much.

I had queued a bit longer than I anticipated so Joe was waiting for soggy old me as I got off. The sun was out by this time though and I soon dried off.

At this point we decided we were pretty much done with SeaWorld but I really wanted another go on Manta on the way out so Joe was nice enough to stand with the stuff while I went on. He tried to catch me on film but I don't think it worked:

After a brief stop to take my contacts out we went to the car. Overall impression of SeaWorld was great, we had intentionally not done any of the shows and Joe in particular had very low expectations going in but we both really enjoyed it and we definitely want to go again this year.

One uneventful drive later, we were parking up at DTD and got into the main car park this time. We tried to remember where the car was and walked towards the Cirque du Soleil building- by this time I had totally converted Joe to looking for state plates and I'm pretty sure we got another few here.

We had time to spend at DisneyQuest before our ADR at House of Blues but it didn't look like we'd have time to get the the GF. Can't win 'em all! We scanned our tickets at DisneyQuest and soon found ourselves playing Guitar Hero. I had never played it before so wasn't very good

My jaw was literally dropping at one point watching the 14 year old kid next to me- his skills were something else! We had a go on a few more things but were finding that most games weren't fully operational or were a bit glitchy through overuse. Joe continued his winning streak and beat me 7-6 at air hockey, along with Connect 4 and some light game. Love a bit of air hockey when we're away, it's traditional!

We also did the Aladdin VR ride which was really poor, I couldn't make head nor tail of it and the VR helmet stank and made me feel a bit ill. So given I was a bit queasy, what best to do next but Invasion and the design a rollercoaster game? I don't remember much of Invasion, don't think I really “got” it but Joe knew what he was doing a bit more. We then designed a totally mental rollercoaster, which I regretted when it was time to ride it... The CM did warn us that we were going to go upside down 6 times. It was really well done but didn't help my stomach any!

Some pinball games and then it was time for our ADR at 7pm, sadly DisneyQuest had stolen my appetite away and I was not on for it!

We had a short wait then were showed through to a nice table at the back overlooking the water. Our server Rebecca was really good and we decided to try some cornbread for starter. I managed one bite but couldn't bring myself to eat anymore, it seemed too sweet even though it had cheese and jalapenos in, undercooked and really heavy and stodgy. Joe also wasn't a fan- one of his friends is married to an American and apparently this cornbread was nothing like hers!

I went for the buttermilk fried chicken. Error on my part as I think in my head I was expecting chicken tenders or a breast, but instead I was presented with a gigantic half chicken in a really hard coating. Given my appetite anyway I really struggled with it- even the mash wasn't doing it for me. It also came with coleslaw which I had really been looking forward to but sadly I wasn't a fan.

Joe had the spicy chicken pasta which he really enjoyed. The tabasco sauce was right up his street and he kept adding more! However, notes say we both though the House of Blues wasn't worth the quite hefty bill. I think that could have all been down to our mood and the coasters we had been throwing ourselves around on all day though, another time could be totally different. Again I am sure we took pictures but they don't appear to have stored.

Unfortunately I had hit the wall by this point, all the travel and late nights had caught up with me and I felt totally knackered and overstimulated. Not bad though, Day 4!

After we settled up ($63 inc tip) I had ideas to go for a wander, which we did. Joe had asked that we didn't take too long as the day was catching up with him too. It was really busy and I was enjoying the atmosphere. I dragged Joe into Ghirardelli's where we got the requisite samples of peppermint bark but didn't make a purchase (again expecting to come back...). It was really busy though, I was surprised.

You can tell I was sleepy by the lack of photos!

After we had had a look round World of Disney we established that Joe's idea of “not taking long” and mine weren't the same

and he was actually quite keen to leave and, ahem, embrace the hotel bathroom.

Guess things were catching up with him too! After the briefest of trouble trying to find the car, we set off and the rain came on again. Journey wasn't the greatest as the rain, lack of a rear wiper on the car (!) and dazzling lights in the dark meant I wasn't very confident as I couldn't see round about me as well as I would like. Not to worry though, soon I was exiting at what was by now the usual turnoff and we got back to the Rosen without incident.

I have no idea how we managed to do a voice note given how exhausted we were but we did (dedication to the trip report!) and fell asleep not long after, ready for a big drive to Tampa tomorrow!

Day 5 is here!

KittyBlackDog · 10 Mar 15, 08:26 AM

A fun day again for you.

Mortimer Mouse · 10 Mar 15, 10:17 AM

You're doing well with your driving. It can be quite stressful reading the signs and getting into the right lane.

We saw the 'sea of tree's' at SeaWorld when we went in October !
I love that Joe is already a Disney convert. Welcome to the club Joe.

**gtyrel10** · 10 Mar 15, 01:08 PM

What a fab day, and glad you enjoyed Seaworld. We missed the Polar Express we had left by the time it opened. You got loads done and glad Joe actually enjoyed it, even if he is a total 100% Disney fan now :-p

Shame about your HOB dinner but you obviously had fun in Disney Quest and thats the main thing.

Well done on getting home in the rain, i never feel brave enough to drive and when those downpours start i dislike the idea even more.

Thats for writing it up glad to see you had a good time on your days there

xxx

collybird · 10 Mar 15, 01:10 PM

What a shame you didn't love House of Blues, I'd love to try it but there's so many other places that I want to eat at it just keeps getting pushed down the list.

Disney Quest sounds fun, I really want to pay a visit but we never spend enough time at Downtown Disney.

Guest · 10 Mar 15, 02:05 PM

Originally Posted by KittyBlackDog

A fun day again for you.

Thanks for reading!

Originally Posted by Mortimer Mouse

You're doing well with your driving. It can be quite stressful reading the signs and getting into the right lane.

We saw the 'sea of tree's' at SeaWorld when we went in October !
I love that Joe is already a Disney convert. Welcome to the club Joe.

Thanks! Overall having to drive definitely had more pros than cons. Might get Joe in a set of ears yet!

Originally Posted by gtyrel10

What a fab day, and glad you enjoyed Seaworld. We missed the Polar Express we had left by the time it opened. You got loads done and glad Joe actually enjoyed it, even if he is a total 100% Disney fan now :-p

Shame about your HOB dinner but you obviously had fun in Disney Quest and thats the main thing.

Well done on getting home in the rain, i never feel brave enough to drive and when those downpours start i dislike the idea even more.

Thats for writing it up glad to see you had a good time on your days there

xxx

Thanks for reading, driving in the rain wasn't great but I get enough practice here!

I really need a more helpful stomach that doesn't end my appetite after a day on rides, was the same after Busch the next day!

Originally Posted by collybird

What a shame you didn't love House of Blues, I'd love to try it but there's so many other places that I want to eat at it just keeps getting pushed down the list.

Disney Quest sounds fun, I really want to pay a visit but we never spend enough time at Downtown Disney.

I would totally give HOB another go as it the service was great and atmosphere fab it was just a combo of a bad personal menu choice and things finally starting to catch up with me. There are so many other places to go though I'd definitely try other places first

**mick** · 10 Mar 15, 05:04 PM

Great day

Guest · 25 Mar 15, 10:59 PM

Originally Posted by mick

Great day

Thanks for reading along

9 Mar 15, 10:27 PM	#1
	9 Mar 15, 10:27 PM Guest Guest
Guest Guest	He Has No Idea What He's Letting Himself In For! Day 4 - SeaWorld & DTD I spent my Sunday afternoon putting together all the documentation for our travel insurance claim (a NIGHTMARE for the DIY booker!) yet I'm still in the mood to get cracking on another day! We were getting into the swing of it now and today our plan was to head to SeaWorld in the morning/afternoon, followed by a quick visit to the Grand Floridian to see the gingerbread house if we had the time. In the evening we had an ADR at the House of Blues and we also fancied some time in DisneyQuest. We got up (probably quite late given the long days we'd had since arriving!) and watched some religious television while we were getting ready today. It was pretty uniquely American and we were pleasantly surprised as viewers to not be asked for cash at every opportunity We also caught part of a general “good morning” show about a lady that had lost 280lbs and kept it off for years- she was genuinely inspiring! Finally, we were pleased to catch a weather report that stated the whole of the US was freezing cold except for Florida I had signed up to the usual chain restaurants emails and IHOP had come through with a voucher. I was determined to get my free pancakes for breakfast on the way today. We can't have been in too much of a hurry as I finally got a photo of Fenny the hire car taken as we left at about 9.20am: Don't drive Fords ever but I admit it, I miss her! We plugged the IHOP address into the sat nav and it directed us there with no problems. I recall some brief confusion over a left turn but there wasn't another soul about and I ended up making the turn correctly in any case I am sure. The IHOP on our way to SeaWorld was in the same patch as a Days Inn motel so we parked up there and there was lots of space. I remember that it was pretty hot already! We got a table no problem and the rest of the clientele were fed up looking convention goers with one other group of excitable tourists like us. I went for the Strawberry Banana Pancakes (free!) with orange juice and Joe had some kind of chicken and bacon crepe with cheese sauce and a coke. I loved my juice but sadly my pancakes were totally raw in the middle. They had barely been cooked at all. As I'm not a usual pancakes for breakfast person, and we were in IHOP after all, I wasn't sure if they were supposed to be like that. I didn't say anything but I couldn't eat very much of them- hey, at least it was free! Joe liked his well enough- it was HUGE and I was amazed when he ate almost all of it! We appear to also be missing the receipt for this As an aside it is a miracle we have the receipts we do as Joe is the untidiest person in the world and we were mainly using his card. Anyway, with the voucher it was a total bargain and I think it ended up costing something like $16. We then found our way to SeaWorld without incident, paid up and parked. Notes say here that the difference between “preferred” parking and where we ended up was $3 and under 100m- very quiet park today! We had to take our Discovery Cove tickets here as we had the add on that gave us access to SeaWorld and Busch. The scanners were not having it though and neither of our tickets would scan. We had a bit of a faff trying to queue up where there was someone manning the machines only for them to wander off just as we were coming up to them but eventually we got in. At first the staff definitely assumed we were just doing something wrong or silly so we were gratified so see their faces when they couldn't get them to work either! The staff member was from Alaska- should have looked out for his car plate in the car park! It was about 10.30am by this point and the park seemed quiet but not deserted. There was Christmas music on EVERYWHERE- when we got back to the UK I had Feliz Navidad in my head for the entire festive period and even now one or the other of us can be found singing it about the flat. We took some pictures then mooched round to the big lake and across the bridge towards the Shamu Stadium. Taking a right, we ended up at Wild Arctic- or the Polar Express as it was on the 2nd December! There was a short wait for the ride due to the timings and there were about a dozen people with us queuing. We were in in no time- it didn't seem as polished as Disney but we liked the film even though neither of us have seen the Polar Express. I worked in a cinema when it came out though so I have seen most of it in bits when checking screens! They had obviously just used scenes from the movie so it wasn't seamless and instead just cut to different camera angles quite a lot which was quite disorienting! It spat us out in a chilly room with an epic Christmas tree and (very young looking) Santa Claus! We were more taken with the belugas though, not knowing we'd get to see them a bit better later on. We took quite a while here looking at the seals and the walruses then moved round to the underwater viewing area of the beluga tank. Walrus wasn't up for posing! A short gallop round the shop (no purchases made) and we ended up back outside. With no real plan we ambled round past Shamu's Happy Harbor. Now here is where it was properly deserted, we were the only visible customers. Loved these! We decided to take advantage and tick off “have a rollercoaster to ourselves” off the bucket list so we went on the Shamu Express on our own! A bit embarrassing but the staff clearly didn't think we were weird... (much). Wasn't made for people with legs as long as ours but it wasn't too painful. Further on and we came across a carousel with really cute sea creatures to sit on so we had a go of that too, with 2 other people. Joe took the hammerhead shark and I had a cuttlefish. More anti-clockwise wandering and we found the sea garden, which was nicely done and also provided a good photo opportunity given I had worn my Life Aquatic related t-shirt today: The Nautilus Theater was all closed up so next up was the shark encounter, which I don't remember much if I'm honest. We did really enjoy the walk through bit though. I remember taking loads of photos here but I was having a problem with my phone camera whereby I was touching the screen to take a picture and it was acknowledging but then not taking the actual picture so I am missing a fair few and none of the ones from here seem to have saved. :angry: At this point we went by the food area and the pearl diving and I was excited to join the queue for Manta. I was really excited to try this one as Air at Alton Towers might just be my favourite roller coaster ever. We shelled out for a locker and went through the queueing system, taking our time to look at the tanks on the way. It was a complete walk on and each train was leaving about half full. We decided not to wait for the front row (which would have been about a 2 train wait) and piled in to the second row queue. It was amazing, I absolutely loved it. Joe enjoyed it but felt a bit uncomfortable and like it had blocked up his breathing a bit. Now in the mood for some more coasters, we scooted round to Kraken but the rain that had been threatening was getting nearer and it was closed due to inclement weather. The rain started to come on as we walked so the decision was made to nip into Antarctica: Empire of the Penguin. A few people had had the same idea so although it was a walk on there were quite a few people in with us. The ride didn't do much for us I have to say, we went for the “wild” ride but understood we weren't really the target market. I did really enjoy the end bit where you can see the actual penguins though, that was a lovely touch. I'm gutted here as we took heaps of photos in with the penguins but none of them seem to have saved! There's an hour and a half gap in our photos where nothing we took has showed up when we've transferred my photos over! So sad. We stayed for ages as the temperature made it feel like home. We also saw a couple of penguins in...err.. an adult situation shall we say, only for the lady penguin's actual mate to waddle over and sort the imposter male out! On leaving Antarctica the rain was ridiculously heavy so we sheltered with a few other people in the ride area. We got impatient though and convinced ourselves that the rain had gone off for a bit so we darted back round to Manta and took a tour through the aquarium. I really enjoyed it and we were both happy to see one of our favourite sea creatures, the octopus: Soon enough we had exhausted the aquarium and the rain was still on. We ran across the path and took shelter under a snack stand. It was lunchtime at this point but after our huge breakfast we weren't ready for anything else. However, the popcorn was too tempting in the end so we shared a bag of that while we waited. It was delicious, I couldn't get it into my mouth quick enough. North Americans really know how to do popcorn compared to the UK and the price seemed OK at $4.25. I also grabbed a photo of this drinks machine as I was amazed at the advertised juice percentage (this one saved but not all my photos of cute penguins ) How much juice?! After about 15 minutes the rain went off, just as we finished the popcorn. Excellent timing! As we were full we decided to walk across towards TurtleTrek. We stopped a bit at the stingray feeding to watch then carried on to the turtles! The 3D film was good. Joe noted that he thought it was a good idea but not executed as well as it could have been- I think he has both dodgy eyes and had been totally 100% Disney converted by this point and nothing could compare! We watched outside for a bit as the turtles were being fed but by this point it had brightened up considerably and we were keen for a ride on Kraken! The Kraken situation was the same as Manta- a total walk on with a queue of about 4 people for the front row and trains leaving less than half full. We decided to wait for the front row this time and didn't regret it! We were totally falling in love with American coasters at this point- they seemed so much smoother and better maintained than others we have tried (tune in for tomorrow for Gwazi to temper that opinion somewhat ) We also liked how your feet were dangling and there was no floor to hide your view on the front row! That queueing system though- I think if I had queued all the way round one room only to be faced with the next big area I would have cried! So Joe had a new favourite now and he convinced me to loop round for another go right away. Didn't go for the front row this time but loved it all the same- as I knew what was coming I was able to relax my neck and head so didn't feel so tense when we got off. Got some good views from the top too. At this point we still had a locker, and it was so quiet we decided we could probably get away with another ride before we collected our stuff. I fancied the Journey To Atlantis but Joe didn't (water ride wimp) so he trotted back off to Kraken. Again, Atlantis had a tiny queue and I ended up in with a family. As we queued up the kids were chattering excitedly in complete American accents. So you can imagine how shocked I was when we climbed in and one of the little girls of about 7 turned round and screeched to her mum, “Ma, my #### is all wet!” At this point I realised the parents had a strong Irish twang to their US accents and I decided they must have moved to the US- jealous! I sat next to the mother and we had an ace time, chatting and giggling all the way round. The second part to the ride was a surprise and had us both screaming! One of the kids wasn't loving the ride very much but her mother just reached forward, gave her a pat and kind of chuckled to herself. The approach worked as the girl saw how unworried her mum was and was soon enjoying it just as much. I had queued a bit longer than I anticipated so Joe was waiting for soggy old me as I got off. The sun was out by this time though and I soon dried off. At this point we decided we were pretty much done with SeaWorld but I really wanted another go on Manta on the way out so Joe was nice enough to stand with the stuff while I went on. He tried to catch me on film but I don't think it worked: After a brief stop to take my contacts out we went to the car. Overall impression of SeaWorld was great, we had intentionally not done any of the shows and Joe in particular had very low expectations going in but we both really enjoyed it and we definitely want to go again this year. One uneventful drive later, we were parking up at DTD and got into the main car park this time. We tried to remember where the car was and walked towards the Cirque du Soleil building- by this time I had totally converted Joe to looking for state plates and I'm pretty sure we got another few here. We had time to spend at DisneyQuest before our ADR at House of Blues but it didn't look like we'd have time to get the the GF. Can't win 'em all! We scanned our tickets at DisneyQuest and soon found ourselves playing Guitar Hero. I had never played it before so wasn't very good My jaw was literally dropping at one point watching the 14 year old kid next to me- his skills were something else! We had a go on a few more things but were finding that most games weren't fully operational or were a bit glitchy through overuse. Joe continued his winning streak and beat me 7-6 at air hockey, along with Connect 4 and some light game. Love a bit of air hockey when we're away, it's traditional! We also did the Aladdin VR ride which was really poor, I couldn't make head nor tail of it and the VR helmet stank and made me feel a bit ill. So given I was a bit queasy, what best to do next but Invasion and the design a rollercoaster game? I don't remember much of Invasion, don't think I really “got” it but Joe knew what he was doing a bit more. We then designed a totally mental rollercoaster, which I regretted when it was time to ride it... The CM did warn us that we were going to go upside down 6 times. It was really well done but didn't help my stomach any! Some pinball games and then it was time for our ADR at 7pm, sadly DisneyQuest had stolen my appetite away and I was not on for it! We had a short wait then were showed through to a nice table at the back overlooking the water. Our server Rebecca was really good and we decided to try some cornbread for starter. I managed one bite but couldn't bring myself to eat anymore, it seemed too sweet even though it had cheese and jalapenos in, undercooked and really heavy and stodgy. Joe also wasn't a fan- one of his friends is married to an American and apparently this cornbread was nothing like hers! I went for the buttermilk fried chicken. Error on my part as I think in my head I was expecting chicken tenders or a breast, but instead I was presented with a gigantic half chicken in a really hard coating. Given my appetite anyway I really struggled with it- even the mash wasn't doing it for me. It also came with coleslaw which I had really been looking forward to but sadly I wasn't a fan. Joe had the spicy chicken pasta which he really enjoyed. The tabasco sauce was right up his street and he kept adding more! However, notes say we both though the House of Blues wasn't worth the quite hefty bill. I think that could have all been down to our mood and the coasters we had been throwing ourselves around on all day though, another time could be totally different. Again I am sure we took pictures but they don't appear to have stored. Unfortunately I had hit the wall by this point, all the travel and late nights had caught up with me and I felt totally knackered and overstimulated. Not bad though, Day 4! After we settled up ($63 inc tip) I had ideas to go for a wander, which we did. Joe had asked that we didn't take too long as the day was catching up with him too. It was really busy and I was enjoying the atmosphere. I dragged Joe into Ghirardelli's where we got the requisite samples of peppermint bark but didn't make a purchase (again expecting to come back...). It was really busy though, I was surprised. You can tell I was sleepy by the lack of photos! After we had had a look round World of Disney we established that Joe's idea of “not taking long” and mine weren't the same and he was actually quite keen to leave and, ahem, embrace the hotel bathroom. Guess things were catching up with him too! After the briefest of trouble trying to find the car, we set off and the rain came on again. Journey wasn't the greatest as the rain, lack of a rear wiper on the car (!) and dazzling lights in the dark meant I wasn't very confident as I couldn't see round about me as well as I would like. Not to worry though, soon I was exiting at what was by now the usual turnoff and we got back to the Rosen without incident. I have no idea how we managed to do a voice note given how exhausted we were but we did (dedication to the trip report!) and fell asleep not long after, ready for a big drive to Tampa tomorrow! Day 5 is here! Edited at 08:01 PM.

10 Mar 15, 05:04 PM	#7
	10 Mar 15, 05:04 PM mick VIP Dibber ✓Premium Member
mick VIP Dibber Join Date: Apr 04 Location: Rugby mick's Reviews Hotel Reviews: 1	Great day __________________