SeaWorld Orlando (March 22nd 2009)

[chauncey]

i'm crap at this writing stuff (and not much better at pictures!), but here goes nothing:

 

SeaWorld Orlando (March 22nd 2009)

 

i went to SeaWorld Orlando yesterday with my mom (because i'm pathetic, i know!), rode a few rides (and finally got my Shamu Express credit!), saw a couple of shows and a few animal exhibits, and then decided to ride Kraken again… we'll get to that later!

 

we arrived at around 11:30-ish, which was later than i hoped for, but we still got a pretty decent parking space (we didn't need the tram to get to the front gate, or anything!) i had wanted to get Shamu Express out of the way first thing in the morning, but we got a bit lost thanks to Manta's construction (okay, and my picture taking!), and ended up right at Journey To Atlantis and Kraken! since we were there i decided to take ride them then anyways, especially since the lines were about as short as they get!

 

Kraken (1st ride!)

 

they were only running two trains and stacking them like crazy, but i still didn't have to wait any more than a few trains for the back seat. the ride itself was pretty much the same as i remember it, only it was even more “forceless…” i got some decent air on the first drop, and there were a few moments of slight lateral and positive Gs right where you'd expect them, but that was about it. a lot of fun, sure, but as tame as tame gets — at heart, it's really just an over-grown Roller Skater! i don't think this ride deserves to be ranked nearly as high as it is on all the coaster polls, or is as great as i've often heard it described, but i do like it.

 

for those who haven't ridden it before: if you've been on another B&M multi-looper, then just imagine that without any of the intensity at all! if you haven't, then just imagine your favorite kiddie coaster, only bigger, and floorless, and with inversions!

 

it was also running kind of rough, for those of you that care about that sort of thing (i don't, unless i leave the ride physically in pain, which has only happened once, and it was not on Kraken!)

 

Journey To Atlantis

 

the posted wait was about 30 minutes, but i'm not sure it was even half that long (or maybe i just didn't mind?), and the line was actually somewhat nicely themed, although nothing too dramatic, really (it kind of reminded me of a souvenir shop in Tarpon Springs, though!)

 

what can i say about this ride? basically it has three parts:

 

a dark ride — the story is pretty weak, the theming can't even begin to compare with Disney or Universal, and overall it's just kind of lame, honestly.

 

a water ride — a really big, fun, and not-so-wet drop, followed by a really small, fun, and yes-so-wet drop! definitely not an “acceptable level of wetness” for most people, but i love it!

 

a roller coaster (sort of) — a twisting drop followed by a twisting bunny hill, both of which are “okay”, i guess, but neither are as fun as the first drop, and both seem kind of tacked on to make this count as a “coaster” (and i'm going to say this right now: this is not a coaster! if one drop and hill make a ride a roller coaster than Splash Mountain is a damn coaster [yes, there's a “dry” drop and hill on Splash Mountain!])

 

Shamu Express

 

after Journey To Atlantis my mom wanted to have lunch, but i wanted to dry off a bit, and still wanted that Shamu Express credit, so i promised her we'd have lunch right after i got my credit (yes, yes, i'm as pathetic as pathetic gets, i know!) of course, that credit was at the absolute opposite end of the park, but we got there in record time, and i got my second credit of 2009 (after Lowry Park Zoo's Tasmanian Tiger, which most [all?] credit-counting sites don't even have! argh!)

 

of course, i was the only adult waiting to ride without a kid of my own (but i still sort of count as a “kid”, right? no? fine…), but the line moved mercifully fast for a 1 train operation (i think i waited a couple of trains, maybe) the seats weren't very comfortable, but they also weren't too bad, either, although i have a hunch the restraints aren't designed to do much other than keep adults from actually trying to ride the damn thing! i got the back seat (as always!), and it was surprisingly a lot of fun! this ranks up there with the best of the best of the best of the kiddie coasters (and recent B&Ms) in terms of “tame, but fun” rides! still, i wish that it was a real Roller Skater and not just a knock-off, and had the new Roller Skater seating and restraints (as used on Cypress Gardens' Okeechobee Rampage!) those are comfy!

 

uh, anyways…

 

Mango Joe's Cafe

 

after getting off Shamu Express we considered riding some of the family rides together (since they're the only things my mom might actually ride!), but the lines were too long, and she was still hungry (amazingly, not eating doesn't make you any less hungry!), so we went straight to the nearest restaurant, and that was Mango Joe's Cafe.

 

i got the fried chicken and watermelon, she got the steak fajitas and watermelon — i thought the fried chicken and the fries that come with it were decent, but the watermelon was pretty awful (how do you make watermelon taste bad? are they genetically engineered to not exceed SeaWorld's incredibly low standards for food, or something?), while my mom said she hated her fajitas, but actually liked the watermelon! as far as i'm concerned, it was a complete waste of $30, but about on-par with out other SeaWorld dining experiences (and they took out the one good restaurant for Manta!)

 

i do have to say, though: we got a really nice place to sit, right on the lake, and it was absolutely beautiful! there were some birds scrounging around for our food, but at least they were much nicer about it than, say, seagulls (i hate seagulls! and tourists who feed seagulls! “oh, look, a seagull! how pretty! lets feed it!” seagulls are not pretty — they are evil!)

 

Wild Arctic

 

after lunch this was basically the first thing we came to, and it's one of my absolute favorite things to do in the whole park. since my mom doesn't do anything more thrilling than Pirates Of The Caribbean, we didn't go on the motion simulator, but i'm honestly not enough of a fan of them to care! the actual exhibit is the most beautiful in the park, as far as i'm concerned, although almost all of my pictures came out like crap (i blame the camera!) it's also a really nice way to cool off on a hot day (although yesterday wasn't really that hot), and all of the animals were pretty active, except the polar bear (i don't think he's actually moved an inch since Electerik's trip report!)

 

Shark Encounter (fail!)

 

we then walked around the park some more, took some photos, saw the Clydesdales, etc, and decided to do Shark Encounter — but, there was a line (huh?), and i didn't want to wait in it! oh well…

 

Clyde And Seymour Take Pirate Island

 

we wanted to catch some shows, and this was just about to start (i actually thought that we might have gotten there too late, at first!), so we walked right in! i had seen it before, but somehow it wasn't actually anything like what i remember? still, it was funny (well, for a theme park show!), and i enjoyed myself — it had a pretty big problem, though: it needs more otter! right on the map it says “Sea Lion And Otter Stadium!”, but there were hardly any otters! otters are way more awesome than any stupid sea lion!

 

Shark Encounter (part 2!)

 

after the show we decided to see the next Dolphin Show, but had plenty of time to kill, and Shark Encounter's line had magically disappeared (huh?), and we went right in! again, the pictures were awful (and, again, i blame the camera!), but that's life, i guess… this exhibit is pretty cool, actually, but i kind of wish there was more to it than there is.

 

Penguin Encounter

 

still killing time, we went to go see the penguins! again, it's a cool exhibit, but there's even less here: basically it's just a pane of glass, a moving walkway, and some penguins! i got some “okay” pictures here, though, so that's something…

 

Kraken (fail!)

 

Kraken happens to be almost directly between Penguin Encounter and the Dolphin show, but, unfortunately, the line for Kraken was posted as “55 minutes” (the little line clock thing only goes to 55!), and i decided not to risk missing the show (since i'd already done the coaster, and everything!), but i did take a few photos here (which i hadn't done before!), most of which are just me trying to somehow find a way to make the same stretch of track look interesting (i won't post too many of those, though — they're awful!)

 

Dolphin Cove

 

they weren't letting people into the Dolphin Show yet, so we decided to take a stop to see the dolphins that weren't being cruelly exploited for our entertainment, but rather being “saved” from extinction, or whatever zoos are supposed to do these days! the Dolphin Cove underwater viewing area is probably my second favorite exhibit at SeaWorld, not because there's a lot to do (there isn't!), but because it's so beautiful that i could basically just sit there all day and not care! but, they were finally letting people into the Dolphin Show, so we decided to have a seat…

 

Blue Horizons

 

to put it as mildly as possible: THIS SHOW IS UNBEARABLE! sure, the dolphins were awesome, and so were the parrots, and the “‘not a dolphin’ that really is a dolphin” thing, and all the other animals, but, of course, and as always, the people ruined it! it was honestly funnier than the sea lion show, but i don't think it was meant to be…

 

Kraken (2nd ride!)

 

after the show we were ready to leave, but i wanted to give Kraken's front row a try, so we headed back towards the “55 minute” line! it was not 55 minutes! they were running 1 train, and the line was as long as i had ever seen it in my life (the Quick Queue wasn't helping either!) of course, this gave me time to appreciate the queue's wonderful theming, like the authentic concrete walls, and steel hand rails, but still… i think i must have waited well over an hour before i even made it to the line for the front row, and once i could actually see the train cycling (which was probably a half hour after that) i think i had at least a 10 train wait (and, again, that's with 1 train, and operations so slow that they almost managed to somehow stack that!) i think i probably got in the queue around 6:00-ish, and i left around 8:00! however, Kraken was running much better this time around, and while i still say it's incredibly tame, it was even more fun before, and i actually got some decent laterals, as well as great “hang time” on the loops (although that might just mean it was going too slow, it was a lot of fun anyways!) it was probably the best ride i've ever had on Kraken!

 

i then took more photos of Manta on the way out, and we left.

 

oh, this took a lot longer to write up than i thought, so here's some photos of Manta, and i'll post more photos of different things later on (i have to eat lunch, and then might be going to Adventure Island for a couple of hours!)

[Electerik]

Wild Arctic

 

after lunch this was basically the first thing we came to, and it's one of my absolute favorite things to do in the whole park. since my mom doesn't do anything more thrilling than Pirates Of The Caribbean, we didn't go on the motion simulator, but i'm honestly not enough of a fan of them to care! the actual exhibit is the most beautiful in the park, as far as i'm concerned, although almost all of my pictures came out like crap (i blame the camera!) it's also a really nice way to cool off on a hot day (although yesterday wasn't really that hot), and all of the animals were pretty active, except the polar bear (i don't think he's actually moved an inch since Electerik's trip report!)

 

I didn't have much luck taking photos at "Base Station Wild Arctic" either. Aquarium settings are one of the toughest things to photograph anyway (in my opinion), as they combine darkness, water, glass, and movement. But then Wild Arctic throws in lots of white, which really gives my camera fits. Plus, there are lots of areas for the animals to "hide" in. Which might be necessary for their mental health, but does nothing for my ability to photograph them.

 

Still, I'd be interested in seeing some of your other (non-Manta) shots, if you'd care to post a few.

[netdvn]

Manta is sexy

 

I too would love to see more of your pics.

[chauncey]

here are some more pictures (but think of these as part 1, or 2, or whatever, since i need to take a break!):

Journey To Atlantis? i thought we were going to the kiddie coaster — whoops!

i couldn't decide which photo i liked better, so you get both!

…and through the sexy trees…

…into the sexy pretzel loop…

this is where i would have used that sexy lift hill photo, so just pretend it's here, and that this sexy first drop photo came after!

oh, there she is! i'm just assuming Manta is a gal since i think she's pretty, and i'm not into pretty boys…

wait — were did Manta go?

…and water!

…and boats…

oh, and this pretty “lighthouse…”

this is what you see right at the front of the park — Manta!

on the way to SeaWorld… you can see me in the mirror, if you care at all…

[mcjaco]

It's not a bad trip report.

 

However, we do insist that you use proper grammar on the TPR Forums. Like capitalizing. (Hint, hint)

[Jds03]

Nice TR, I loved that one Manta shot!

[chauncey]

okay, more from the “photo trip-report” section of this trip-report:

and here's the entrance i was too stupid to take a picture of before we went through!

i've got to get out of here! actually, i just thought this was a cool photo…

…and headless whales! OMG!

…and barrels…

…this room filled with ghosts…

this spooky tunnel takes you down to…

okay, i don't actually know if there was a walrus in that photograph, but this is what a photograph with a walrus actually looks like! and now you can see why i chose to use the one of them hiding…

it's time to play Spot The Walrus! can you see a walrus in this photo?

this is a close up shot of the possibly living or dead polar bear!

this is a polar bear! i can't remember if it was dead or alive… i don't think it matters much…

and then this is what you see when you go through the possibly real or fake wood thing (only blurrier!)

i can't remember if this was real or fake wood!

this is the beluga whale habitat from above, although you can't really see any beluga whales!

we then did Wild Arctic, and this is pretty much the first thing you see when you enter! i know the photo is blurry, but it is what it is, and i still liked it, so i'm posting it. almost all of the indoor photos are going to be blurry and awful, so you can just skip those if it bothers you!

oh, you could see Kraken from there, too (so that all of the Kraken fans don't hate me too much!)

okay, so i didn't take any pictures of Kraken or Shamu Express the first time around, and while i could add in photos from later on and pretend like i took them here, i won't — just pretend like i did take some photos, and they're here, and they suck (since i want your fantasies to be at least somewhat remotely realistic!) oh, and then enjoy the view we had for lunch!

i didn't take this photo! how do i know? i'm in it! just look for the shirt from the other photo…

i know, i know, i know — you've seen it a zillion times! but, just think: now you've seen it a zillion and one times!

here's another picture of Journey To Atlantis, this time with a splash!

[chauncey]

It's not a bad trip report.

 

However, we do insist that you use proper grammar on the TPR Forums. Like capitalizing. (Hint, hint)

uh, technically i've been around here for longer than you, and while that doesn't really mean much of anything other than that i've been here a long time (and i don't in any way mean to imply that it does!), in all my years of being here, and posting the way i post, i've never heard a single complaint about it from anyone until now! besides, i do capitalize, but only proper nouns and titles, since i think they're the only things worthy of capitalization, and that capitalizing other things just make it more confusing to read and write! but, if it's really going to be a problem then, honestly, i'll just leave — this is how i write, and how i've always written, everywhere, and i really don't care enough about posting here to bother changing!

 

Nice TR, I loved that one Manta shot!

thanks a lot! but, uh, which Manta shot?

[BeemerBoy]

^ Honestly, that whole paragraph looks like crap. You've never had a teacher tell you how bad your writing is? That's sad.

 

in all my years of being here, and posting the way i post, i've never heard a single complaint about it from anyone until now!

 

Learn to capitalize. There, that's two now.

[Lenaapple1974]

I didn't think the TR was crappy. I rather enjoyed it! Thank you for posting. (With or without capitals!)

[chauncey]

and, now that i've finished supper, i bring you part three! how many parts will there be? i don't have a clue — as many as i can get in before i run out of photos, or get banned for my improper capitalization!

i love these guys! no, i've never tried their beer (or anyone elses!), but they've been a part of my life for so long, since i've lived so near Busch Gardens for my entire life! i think i'm living in a different zip code for the first time in my life right now, but i'm actually now on the same street (although, it's a big street!) i'll be miserable if these parks ever have to leave the Busch fold…

yes, more boring crap! sorry, but there probably won't be any more cool coaster pictures in part 3!

these have been a highlight of my visits to Busch Gardens and SeaWorld since i was a tiny little baby! how tiny? i still remember when Busch Gardens had a Festhaus, and when the Festhaus still had the Oktoberfest show! i also remember the brewery, the dolphin show, the belly dancers, the monorail, the Questor, and all the other cool crap they've since ripped out! but, they've still got the horses (although i wonder how long they'll last if these parks gets bought by another company?)

horses! yeah, i suck even worse at writing captions than i do at taking photos, or capitalizing letters!

Here Comes The King…

wait, that looks like it might actually be something to do other than take stupid pictures of trees and bushes!

trees through the bushes!

bushes through the trees!

through the tree's shadow! again, i just liked this picture…

fountain the ride?

here's a shot of the Shamu Express train and lift! only, uh, crooked…

kiddie coasters screw with my equilibrium! or maybe they just bring out my inner Orson Welles?

[BeemerBoy]

and, now that i've finished supper, i bring you part three! how many parts will there be? i don't have a clue — as many as i can get in before i run out of photos, or get banned for my improper capitalization!

 

but, if it's really going to be a problem then, honestly, i'll just leave — this is how i write, and how i've always written, everywhere, and i really don't care enough about posting here to bother changing!

 

So if you don't care, then why bother posting more? Just curious.

[chauncey]

well, let me put it this way: because i honestly care even less about what a couple of random people think! if more than a few select people have a problem with me and the way i write, or if TPR itself has a problem with me and the way i write (like if i'm threatened with a ban, or something!), then i'll happily just leave quietly, and move on to other sites — but, for now, i've gotten as many compliments as complaints for this TR, so i'll keep on posting when i can!

 

but, technically, i'm still on my break, so not now! resizing and converting and posting all of these pictures is more work than it seems, especially since i'm kind of beat from having gone to Adventure Island this afternoon and SeaWorld the day before…

[mcjaco]

^ Dude, no one is threatening you. Just capitalize properly like everyone else. Proper grammar leads to more credence on your reports. And trust me, we all know how much work goes into these. Don't you want people to read it, and not just look at the pictures? Poor grammar, like what you've written won't get that. I actually breezed right over most of it because I found it difficult to read.

 

And you might want to check this list, about half way down the page:

 

TPR Mods

 

I think you'll see I'm not a random person here.

[chauncey]

i'm not sure if i'll have a chance to post any more photos tonight, so, for those of you left who don't completely hate my guts (thank you!), here's a few more pictures (including some actual coaster photos!):

and here's the show!

Kraken through the roof!

here's a close up of Kraken taken from my seat at the show!

Kraken through the pirate ship!

i don't know why, but i liked this shot, so it's here.

this is what you see of Kraken as you enter the Sealion And Otter Stadium!

i've never seen a line here before! can someone please explain this to me?

the indoor shark encounter photographs are pretty awful, and i'm not sure if i'm even going to post them, but here are a few from outside that turned out fine!

this was closed today, so, unfortunately, no photos from here! it still looks nice, though, i think…

[chauncey]

^ Dude, no one is threatening you. Just capitalize properly like everyone else. Proper grammar leads to more credence on your reports. And trust me, we all know how much work goes into these. Don't you want people to read it, and not just look at the pictures? Poor grammar, like what you've written won't get that. I actually breezed right over most of it because I found it difficult to read.

look, i'm honestly sorry that you find my writing hard to read, but i just as honestly find your writing hard to read! and i promise i'm not saying that to pick a fight (i'm really not in the mood for a fight!)

 

i also know all about “proper grammar”, namely: it doesn't actually exist! read two different style guides and each will tell you two different things, and read the same style guide from two different eras and each will tell you different things, and so on, and so on — capitalization as we know it today hasn't always been a part of the English language, and it likely won't be forever, and the notion that there's some “Official Way To Use The English Language” is kind of ridiculous!

 

now, yes, i will concede that capitalization of the first letter in sentences and “i” is currently well established within the English language, but i just honestly don't think it should be, and i'm doing my best to get rid of it! i'm not being lazy, or even intentionally using poor grammar because i think it's cool, or something, i'm simply writing in the way which makes the most sense to me, and which best allows me to express myself (as i'm sure you do, and everyone does.)

 

oh, and i was joking about the “threat” thing…

And you might want to check this list, about half way down the page:

 

TPR Mods

 

I think you'll see I'm not a random person here.

i knew that, and i didn't necessarily mean “random” as a put-down, or whatever, i just meant that there's a difference between a minor annoyance of a few people, and a major problem with a majority of people! if this is a problem you can overlook (as i'll assume all of the other mods have throughout my time here!), fine, but if it isn't…

[YoshiFan]

Sounds like they really need to get their act together with operations. 1 train with a 2 hour wait?! Manta is going to have ridiculous waits if they decide to operate that with 1 train considering how long it takes to load flyer trains and having to recheck rows (happens all the time on SUF)

[netdvn]

^^ I've been around enough message boards (as a member and as a lurker, including this one) to know that capitalization and usiing periods is very important. Not only does it make your posts easier to read, but it makes you seem more mature.

 

I doubt you'd turn in an English paper or a resume to a business that doesn't use caps at the beginning of sentences and for the word "I", so why treat an Internet message board any different?

 

I still love the pictures though.

[justint87]

To answer your question about why there was a line at the entrance of Shark Encounter. Basically, they stop guests from entering the aquarium when too many people are inside. They do this to keep guest flowing through smoothly.

 

A lot of guests stop to take photos and look at the animals and it would be too crowded if they let everyone in at one time so they stop them so the guests inside can move in further before letting more guests in.

[BeemerBoy]

i'm not being lazy, or even intentionally using poor grammar because i think it's cool, or something, i'm simply writing in the way which makes the most sense to me, and which best allows me to express myself

 

Seriously, using poor grammar to "express yourself" is simply one of the most foolish things I've ever heard of. Honestly, you don't realize how stupid that sounds?

 

"Look at me, I write like a first grader" is probably not the best approach to being rebellious. But yeah, good luck with that.

[chauncey]

i'm not being lazy, or even intentionally using poor grammar because i think it's cool, or something, i'm simply writing in the way which makes the most sense to me, and which best allows me to express myself

 

Seriously, using poor grammar to "express yourself" is simply one of the most foolish things I've ever heard of. Honestly, you don't realize how stupid that sounds?

 

"Look at me, I write like a first grader" is probably not the best approach to being rebellious. But yeah, good luck with that.

sheesh! i said it was a crappy trip-report, didn't i? what did you expect, e e cummings?

[chauncey]

Look! I can now write like a second grader! I am sure my mother will be very proud of me, the women will all adore me, the mods will not banish me and we can all live happily ever after! Is it not amazing?

 

I cannot go to sleep so I have decided to post more photographs of Manta:

[coolhandluke]

Not to join in on the debate, rather just as a note: the pronoun "I" has been capitalized since the thirteenth century, to help distinguish it from the word before or after it. Same goes with the initial word of the sentence. While these reasons have become a bit obsolete with the widespread use of print and type, it has remained in our grammar rules because it has been statistically proven to increase readability. Take that for whatever it's worth.

 

On another note, I really do like the report. Well done. I'm hoping to make it down there late this year, so I appreciate the comprehensiveness of the report.

[WFChris]

Nice report, I enjoy seeing different parts of the park as you showcased here. Sometimes, when going through an entire report, its the random pictures of paths and trees that give you a feel for the park. I know it does for me here, and when i'm going through my own pictures that I have taken.

 

Chris.

[mattnz]

Nice report, nice photos; the wonderful thing about TPR is that we have high standards, unlike so many websites where everything goes... BeemerBoy is a respected poster; be nice to him and we'll be nice to you too!