Chilly's Happy Ever After Day 13

[Chilly80]

Saturday 21st November

Up early today, quick bit of toast in the room and then its off to Seaworld where for once in our lives we were early, so early in fact that the car park wasn't even open yet. When we did get in we parked in the front row and were at the entrance to hear them play the National anthem. I checked us in for our behind the scenes tour and dine with Shamu and then we waited for rope drop. Most people surged off to the rollercoasters but we headed first to see the stingrays (where it said if you wanted to feed them to put your hand flat on the bottom of the tank, it was pretty deep so i doubt i'd have reached never mind a child) then over to dolphin cove. We didn't pay to touch them this time but i'm sure we would in future. Next we headed over to the meeting point for our tour. There was a family of 4, 2 couples, and us. The family had a little girl who was about 8 and she just constantly interrupted the tour guide, she made Freya look like an angel and one of the men even commented on how good she was. Our first stop on the tour was the manatee's and then turtles, but before we got there we saw some CMs walking a flock of flamingoes, not something you see everyday. Next up was the sharks where we got touch some little ones and finally penguins (the reason i'd booked the tour) where again we could stroke one. The tour was about an hour and cost about $20 ish each (Freya was free), it was a very informative tour.













Next we looked round some of the exhibits like alligators, manatee's, turtles, seals and sealions. I got a couple of trays of food ($5 a tray) and while i was about to throw a fish to a sealion a bird swooped in and stole it off me. We started on the shows next with Pets Ahoy our first stop. Freya really enjoyed the show and got to stroke one of the dogs at the end. We grabbed a quick pizza for lunch then headed to wild Antarctic but it was down so did the shark experience instead before show number 2, Shamu. At first Mike wanted to sit in the first row behind the soak zone but then changed his mind to further back, in hindsight i think we'd have been ok. After the show we put Freya down for a nap in her push chair and we went to show number 3, blue horizons, which is Mike's favourite. On the way there i got a Christmas tree ornament and we had a quick look in the dolphin nursery. At Seaworld you can take pushchairs into shows if the baby is sleeping so that was handy. We didn't get to see the full show sadly due to some technical difficulties. We headed over to the kiddies play area next as Freya was awake and she went on a few rides, but before we knew it is was time for dinner.



Dine with Shamu was about $20 ish per person (Freya was free) and the food was quite good but i felt the experience was a bit rushed and needed a bit more whale time. Also I think they could arrange the seating better.





We went to the Christmas village next as today was the start of Christmas at Seaworld but there wasn't much there just food stalls mainly but the decorations through the park were lovely. Our 4th show was next, the new Clyde & Seymour show. This time we did sit in the row behind the soak zone and dead centre so a really good view. Every other show that day i'd put the rain cover over the pushchair just in case but forgot this time and of course it started to pour with rain. To add insult to injury it was also the day i forgot the ponchos. After a great show we left the park getting pretty soaked in the process. We had planned to stay for the ice skating show but we were't sure it would go ahead and it was quite a while off so didn't want to hang around in the rain.



On the way back we stopped at Goodings for a few bits, luckily it had stopped raining, but it started raining again but we could still see lots of people in the pool.

Steps today 20000