A Whale of a Tale: A Very Fishy TCD Trip Report!

[Tri-Circle-D 2,059]

Yep.

It's another TCD trip report!

Not that I'm counting, but this is the 8th TCD trip report here on Fort Fiends.

And it will be a whale of a tale.

And fishy.

Why?

Because the TCD gang took a trip to Sea World.

In Orlando.

It's just a bit past the Fort.

Don't worry, being good Fiends, we made a quick stop at the Fort, too.

So, let's get this one going!

The TCD twins go back to school next week. Summer has sure flown by fast this year. The girls attend a high school "magnet" program which requires them to complete volunteer hours as part of their graduation prerequisites. This summer, they worked as volunteers at the Clearwater Marine Aquarium. Have you heard of it? Maybe after next month you will. The Clearwater Marine Aquarium is the home of Winter, the dolphin, Winter is the star of a major motion picture which premiers next month. It's called Dolphin Tale. The human stars in this film include Morgan Freeman, Harry Connick, Jr., and Ashley Judd. I think Chris Christopherson is in it too. The film is based on the true story of Winter, who was injured and lost her tail (get the play on words in the films title?). The aquarium made her a prosthetic tail, and she is doing just fine now, thank you. All Summer long, the girls have volunteered two days a week at the aquarium. They have been counselors for the summer camps hosted there. They have enjoyed it very much, and they both now have an interest in marine biology. As luck would have it, the AP Marine Biology teacher from their high school works on the staff of the aquarium in the Summer. The girls had never met her, and she has a reputation for being a tough teacher. The girls got to know her very well over the Summer. When the teacher introduced herself, she told the girls that they had probably heard that she was a bit**, and that she was. They hit it off after that, and long story short, the girls will be joining the marine biology club, and taking AP Marine Biology before they finish High School.

So based on their work at the aquarium all Summer, the girls kept asking me to take them to Sea World before school started.

When we finally got down to just two more weekends left in the Summer, I knew it was time to go.

So, early on Saturday, August 13, we loaded up and headed East.

We made it to Sea World in time for their version of rope drop.

Which involves the playing of the National Anthem.

Go USA!

We headed first to Sea World's newest coaster: Manta.

None of us had ever ridden Manta before. It was just opened last year. I didn't know much about it. I knew that it was one of those new coasters where you ride facing down. Like Superman. That's all I knew.

At Sea World, no back packs or purses are allowed on any of the big rides. So, we stowed our gear in a locker. But I kept my camera out. I figured it would be safe in my pocket.

Then I saw this sign:

I figured that was just a bunch of hype. I still planned to keep my camera in my pocket.

A couple of the rides at Sea World have these gum drop dispensers:

I thought that was a nice touch. The thing is, when I dug around in there for a gum drop, all I got was some ABC gum (already been chewed). The ABC gum was pretty fresh though, not like some of those hard pieces you find under the table in restaurants.

People don't really get worked up about being at Sea World for rope drop, so we had zero wait for Manta. Here are the TCD twins waiting to board:

We were going to make the second ride of the day. I am glad we weren't first. Because that gave us a chance to see what happened after they strap you in your seat. As soon as everyone is strapped in, the seats rotate, and you are facing the ground:

At this point, I realized that I probably better not have my camera in my pocket. Luckily, there were baskets to keep your stuff in.

All I can tell you about Manta is that it makes Rock-n-Roller coaster at WDW seem like a kiddie ride.

It all happened so fast, that I wasn't sure what was up and what was down, or where the heck I was.

They take your photo just as you bottom out on the first drop:

I guess people buy those photos, but they are not a flattering pose.

After one ride on Manta, I told the girls I was good.

They, of course, wanted to ride again.

So, I waited on the ground for this one.

Here are a few shots of Manta in action:

There used to be an aquarium display where they built Manta.

When the built the ride, they made new display tanks as part of the queue. They did a nice job on this. They let guests enter to look at the displays. There are a lot of different ray species displayed:

And an octopus:

And sea horses:

Sea life is amazing.

These things are called Leafy Sea Dragons. They look like clumps of weeds floating in the water, but they are actually animals. I don't think you can see it in these photos, but these things have heads like sea horses, and small fins that they use to propel themselves. Absolutely amazing!:

More rays of all shapes, sizes and colors:

At one part of the Manta aquarium, they have a little display for kids to crawl in to and pop their heads up:

Like this:

Hey, what is Nemo doing here?

Good times!

Next up, we hit Sea World's other thrill rides.

And catch some shows.

And, later, we stop by the Fort.

Where I found some interesting things.

I even solved a lingering mystery.

There will be photos!

All in a day's work.

TCD

[SCTigerCock 171]

Great photos!

:popcorn:

[doodlebug....Cherie 461]

You are one busy man Andrew. I love Sea World :banana: I will not be riding Manta not even once. Waiting for more :banana:

[Hotmamac aka Misty 11]

YAY!! :banana: :banana: :banana:

Can't wait for more!!

[ajcjmom 8]

We drove by there that Saturday morning on our way to a Pinball/Arcade show. My boys love the coasters there!

[Roller ... aka Ed 351]

:popcorn:

[MLM5.. aka Judy 97]

LOVIN IT! :popcorn:

[Live4FW 30]

This summer, they worked as volunteers at the Clearwater Marine Aquarium. Have you heard of it? Maybe after next month you will. The Clearwater Marine Aquarium is the home of Winter, the dolphin, Winter is the star of a major motion picture which premiers next month. It's called Dolphin Tale. The human stars in this film include Morgan Freeman, Harry Connick, Jr., and Ashley Judd. I think Chris Christopherson is in it too. The film is based on the true story of Winter, who was injured and lost her tail (get the play on words in the films title?). The aquarium made her a prosthetic tail, and she is doing just fine now, thank you. All Summer long, the girls have volunteered two days a week at the aquarium. They have been counselors for the summer camps hosted there. They have enjoyed it very much, and they both now have an interest in marine biology.

This is very cool. We are big fans of the Clearwater Aquarium. My oldest volunteered at Tennessee Aquarium and hopes to do a stint at Clearwater some day. My youngest shares a missing limb like Winter and Winter is a huge inspiration. I think they do great work there!

[FigmentChick 0]

What a neat and fun opportunity for your DD's! Such a rewarding experience as well, but then again I applaud anyone who volunteers their time! :bravo: Glad to hear that they are in their teacher's good graces too!

We've been contemplating a visit to Sea World during our upcoming Fort visit. I've heard that Manta is pretty awesome. Question: Do you think the baskets onboard the ride vehicle are secure enough to support my Sony CyberShot?

Cool TR as always!!!

[stefa70 205]

A new TCD report?

I have been to the Clearwater Aquarium. We used to go to the beach a couple of times a year, and we managed to visit the aquarium. Good Stuff!

Sea World is amazing. I haven't been since Manta was built, but Trevor did ride Krakken, while Nathen & I sat and ate ice cream. Yes, I am a big wuss when it comes to rides.

How cool is it that Nemo photo bombed the girls?

Can't wait to hear the rest, ok, I can wait, I don't want to rush you, take your time, well not too much time, I tend to get impatient!

[Tri-Circle-D 2,059]

Great photos!

:popcorn:

Thanks. And we are just getting started!

You are one busy man Andrew. I love Sea World :banana: I will not be riding Manta not even once. Waiting for more :banana:

I love Sea World, too.

It is a nice little park. And, a lot more low key than the Disney parks have become.

You ought to give Manta a try. It goes so fast that you don't have time to get scared.

YAY!! :banana: :banana: :banana:

Can't wait for more!!

Not to worry, more is on the way.

Soon.

We drove by there that Saturday morning on our way to a Pinball/Arcade show. My boys love the coasters there!

My girls were surprised to hear that when I first visited Sea World (back in the 70's) there were no coasters.

Nothing.

I like the new coasters fine. But they do take away from some of the atmosphere that made Sea World a peaceful place to visit.

LOVIN IT! :popcorn:

Thanks.

This is very cool. We are big fans of the Clearwater Aquarium. My oldest volunteered at Tennessee Aquarium and hopes to do a stint at Clearwater some day. My youngest shares a missing limb like Winter and Winter is a huge inspiration. I think they do great work there!

There were quite a few college interns working with the girls all Summer. I didn't know that about your youngest. I don't know all of the details, but they use Winter in quite a few programs with children who have disabilities. I really think this Dolphin Tale movie is going to be a big deal, and bring a lot of attention to the CMA.

It was interesting to listen to my DD's perspective on Sea World after their volunteering at CMA. While I think Sea World does a lot of good work, the girls were a bit upset at some of the practices used at Sea World. They thought the dolphin exhibit was too crowded, and they didn't like how Sea World allows guests to feed the dolphins. Dolphins are very bright, and they engage in abnormal behavior when guests feed them. CMA is all about rehabilitation and release. Sea World is not.

What a neat and fun opportunity for your DD's! Such a rewarding experience as well, but then again I applaud anyone who volunteers their time! :bravo: Glad to hear that they are in their teacher's good graces too!

We've been contemplating a visit to Sea World during our upcoming Fort visit. I've heard that Manta is pretty awesome. Question: Do you think the baskets onboard the ride vehicle are secure enough to support my Sony CyberShot?

Cool TR as always!!!

I heartily recommend a visit to Sea World. It had been a while since we visited, and we really enjoyed it. It is a nice compact park, and there is plenty to do. Also, as I will be getting to, there are a lot of indoor, air conditioned, displays, which are great on hot (or rainy) days.

I should have made the basket thing a bit clearer. The baskets are not on the ride vehicles, they are stationed there where you get on the ride. They are open. There is an attendant there, and no guests can get to the basket while you are on the ride. You would be better off locking things in a locker.

TCD

[Tri-Circle-D 2,059]

I have been to the Clearwater Aquarium. We used to go to the beach a couple of times a year, and we managed to visit the aquarium. Good Stuff!

Sea World is amazing. I haven't been since Manta was built, but Trevor did ride Krakken, while Nathen & I sat and ate ice cream. Yes, I am a big wuss when it comes to rides.

How cool is it that Nemo photo bombed the girls?

Can't wait to hear the rest, ok, I can wait, I don't want to rush you, take your time, well not too much time, I tend to get impatient!

Whoa.

I almost missed S70's comments.

Almost.

If you have been to CMA, you know that it was built on the site of an old sewage treatment facility. When I went to the volunteers' orientation with the girls at the beginning of the summer, they pointed out that the theater we were seated in used to be a sewage storage tank. I thought it smelled a little funny in there.

We also hadn't been to Sea World since Manta was built. In fact, we missed the whole construction of it. I was surprised that they built it right in the middle of the park. You need to bring your boys back there to give Manta a try.

Let's see, you want me to hurry up, but not rush.

Got it.

TCD

[stefa70 205]

Let's see, you want me to hurry up, but not rush.

Got it.

TCD

Yep! Thank you!

BTW, I just noticed your new tag. Are you having a problem with your head?

[Tri-Circle-D 2,059]

After their second ride on Manta, the girls wanted to head to Kraken.

Being the theme park experts that they are, they know the importance of hitting the big rides early.

Since Kraken is way in the back of the park, not many folks had made their way back there yet.

So, Kraken was a walk-on for us.

Nice.

I was gun shy about having my camera out on Kraken, so no pics from the ride.

Which is too bad.

Because from the top of the first drop, I looked out and clearly saw Spaceship Earth in Epcot way off in the distance.

That would have made a cool photo.

Kraken used to be the best coaster in Sea World.

Well, it kind of was the only one.

Now it seems kind of neglected.

But, it's a great coaster.

Here's the ride photo:

As you may know, when coasters age, the ride gets a little rough. Kraken seemed a little rough to all of us.

Even though there was no line, the girls didn't want to ride again.

Kraken is right next to Sea World's other big thrill ride: Journey to Atlanta.

That's what we call it.

Everyone else, including Sea World, calls in Journey to Atlantis.

But not the TCD gang.

Naturally, there's a story that goes along with this . . .

Back in the day, the TCD gang visited Sea World a lot. Maybe even more than Disney. Sea World is a great park for younger children. They have a whole section of kiddie type rides, and a giant playground/climbing area for the kids. Plus, all of the exhibits and shows are very kid friendly. When Journey to Atlantis opened, the oldest TCD DD was tall enough to ride, but not the twins. This was also back in the day when the TCD twins were just starting to talk. Somehow, they started calling Journey to Atlantis Journey to Atlanta, and there was much talk about the day when they would finally be tall enough to ride. The name stuck, and now that ride is known as Journey to Atlanta.

JTA is a cool ride. The first part of it is a lot like Splash Mountain, complete with a big drop. But, then the ride continues and it becomes a roller coaster. Cool.

Back in the day, they used to have water cannons around the drop area. Folks could drop a couple quarters in, and squirt the riders as they went by. Mrs. TCD and the twins used to shoot us. And so did a lot of other folks. I imagine this may have caused some hard feelings. The water cannons are gone now.

I may have mentioned this before, but the TCD gang is 100% pro poncho. We even wear ponchos on Splash Mountain and Kali River Rapids at WDW. There is nothing worse than walking around in wet underwear all day.

Here we are at JTA in our ponchos:

This ride was a walk-on, too. We did pretty well on this trip!

And, here we are the TCD twins on the ride:

Here's a good shot of Kraken from JTA:

Here's the back of some old man's head at the big splash down:

Here's the photo that we could have bought:

Do any of your remember Starbuc71's trip report from his visit to Dollywood?

Have all of you read that trip report?

If not, you need to do so!

If so, then you might remember he posted a photo of a family dryer that Dolly has there in her little park.

Well, guess what?

Sea World has family dryers, too:

I thought about spending the three bucks just to see what would happen.

But, if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

JTA has a big gift shop that you must walk through to exit. They have a pretty cool aquarium in there, too. Here's a moray eel from that aquarium:

After Journey to Atlanta, we visited the Penguin Encounter.

This is a walk through exhibit.

It is cool in there.

Literally.

Which was really nice on a hot day.

Next, we headed over to watch the Sea Lion show.

We have seen this tons of times, but it has been a while.

As you sit and wait for the show to begin, a mime comes out to entertain the audience:

I am generally anti-mime.

Very much so, in fact.

But, this mime had be laughing out loud.

My daughters asked me to stop, because I was embarrassing them.

This mime was that good.

Here he is in action. You can see that he mostly mimicked guests as they came in. That kind of stuff cracks me up every time:

Here, you can see that the mime is holding up two fingers, like an usher asking for a party of two. When two guests responded, he proceeded to walk them all the way across the front of the seating area, and pointed them right out the exit on the other side. The whole audience laughed at this one:

Here the mime is taking his final bow:

Which is too bad, because right after that this tour guide came by:

The mime would have had a field day with that!

The mime's exit signaled that the show was about to begin.

Here's the stage for the show. I don't think this has changed a bit since Sea World opened:

The show has been updated a bit. There was a joke about a "pirated" copy of a Harry Potter movie, and references to Facebook, and such. Despite the update, this is a very corny show. Which I mean in a good way.

The basics are the same. Here one of the Sea Lions walks out toward the audience, and then walks down the stairs. If you want a close look at a Sea Lion, sit over there:

Here are the stars of the show, Clyde and Seymour:

I remember this old gag from years ago:

The show also features a pesky otter who sneaks around and causes havoc:

There is some audience participation in the show. Here, you see a guest who was called up to perform to "I'm a Little Tea Pot." He did well, and was rewarded with a big splash:

If you look carefully at this photo, you will see one of the Sea Lions diving off of the boat into the water:

This is the big finale. I don't know who this third Sea Lion is, and I didn't even realize there was a third Sea Lion until all three of them appeared together:

The shows at Sea World, this one included, are well done.

We enjoyed it.

Next up, it's time to go see some whales.

TCD

[stefa70 205]

1. The penguins were Nathen's favorite when he was little! While the exhibit is nice & cool on a hot summer day, PENGUINS SMELL!!

2. The mime is always fun, and if you embarrassed the girls, bonus!!!

3. The best way to avoid walking around in wet underwear is to not wear any! Just saying......

[polkadotsuitcase 12]

Fun stuff! I've never been to SW (although I've been thisclose), so loving the TR.

But three bucks for a "family dryer"? You can come here to the boards and get all the hot air you want for free...

[Tri-Circle-D 2,059]

Yep! Thank you!

BTW, I just noticed your new tag. Are you having a problem with your head?

WTF?

When did I get tagged?

And, what does this tag have to do with me?

I had to go and do a search to find that this is a paraphrase of a comment that I made about Urban Meyer in the Official 2011 College Football Discussion Thread. That is a pretty obscure thread. Who the heck is the tag fairy?

1. The penguins were Nathen's favorite when he was little! While the exhibit is nice & cool on a hot summer day, PENGUINS SMELL!!

2. The mime is always fun, and if you embarrassed the girls, bonus!!!

3. The best way to avoid walking around in wet underwear is to not wear any! Just saying......

S70-

It looks like it is just you and me on this thread.

1. Agreed about the smell. And, that is pretty remarkable considering the penguins are behind glass. We actually went back there for another visit later in the day to cool off, and ended up sitting in the back of the observation area. You get used to the smell after a while. It doesn't go away. You just get used to it.

2. Yes, I got a two-fer there.

3. You take the phrase Theme Park Commando to a new level!

TCD

[doodlebug....Cherie 461]

1. The penguins were Nathen's favorite when he was little! While the exhibit is nice & cool on a hot summer day, PENGUINS SMELL!!

2. The mime is always fun, and if you embarrassed the girls, bonus!!!

3. The best way to avoid walking around in wet underwear is to not wear any! Just saying......

I've never smelled a penguin. Mimes are great. And I see a new tag in Stef's future LOL

[Tri-Circle-D 2,059]

Fun stuff! I've never been to SW (although I've been thisclose), so loving the TR.

But three bucks for a "family dryer"? You can come here to the boards and get all the hot air you want for free...

As mentioned, we hadn't been to Sea World for a while. But, I highly recommend it.

Even better is Discovery Cove. Which includes Sea World admission.

Discovery Cove is fantastic!

It's expensive. We have only been twice. But, we are thinking about going again soon.

TCD

[Tri-Circle-D 2,059]

I've never smelled a penguin.

Consider yourself lucky.

TCD

[Roller ... aka Ed 351]

Penguins eat fish; penguins smell like used fish; penguin "used fish" is a concrete like substance that smells like fish; grilled penguin taste like fishy chicken ... and is VERY oily, so be careful when you grill them!

[doodlebug....Cherie 461]

Penguins eat fish; penguins smell like used fish; penguin "used fish" is a concrete like substance that smells like fish; grilled penguin taste like fishy chicken ... and is VERY oily, so be careful when you grill them!

No worries Ed, I have no plans to smell, feed, use the "fish" leftovers or eat the darn things :rofl2:

[Tri-Circle-D 2,059]

Penguins eat fish; penguins smell like used fish; penguin "used fish" is a concrete like substance that smells like fish; grilled penguin taste like fishy chicken ... and is VERY oily, so be careful when you grill them!

Stop. You are making me hungry.

You haven't really tasted grilled penguin, have you?

When were you at the North Pole?

BTW, if you visit Penguin Encounter late in the day, you can watch a castmember hosing down the "used fish." I'm sure that doesn't help the aroma in there.

TCD

[FigmentChick 0]

I heartily recommend a visit to Sea World. It had been a while since we visited, and we really enjoyed it. It is a nice compact park, and there is plenty to do. Also, as I will be getting to, there are a lot of indoor, air conditioned, displays, which are great on hot (or rainy) days.

I should have made the basket thing a bit clearer. The baskets are not on the ride vehicles, they are stationed there where you get on the ride. They are open. There is an attendant there, and no guests can get to the basket while you are on the ride. You would be better off locking things in a locker.

TCD

Okay, it makes sense now. When you said basket, I had envisioned something similar to the baskets on the Dinosaur ride at AK. I was wondering how it could possibly contain your belongings, when you yourself are feeling like you're about to be launched helplessly across Central Florida...lol! I agree with renting a locker. My camera and I are one!!!

Thanks for the advice. I'm OCD about being prepared and knowing what to expect. Don't let me hold ya up though.....keep this report truckin'!!!

[Tri-Circle-D 2,059]

Sea World is a real treat in terms of planning your day.

We got the big rides out of the way early.

Then we went to the penguin encounter, and the Sea Lion show.

Our next event would be the big Shamu show.

That left us about an hour for lunch.

Perfect.

Sea World has a lot of quick serve-cafeteria type places with inside seating.

We chose the Seafire Inn.

It is relatively new.

They have a big room there where they do a dinner show.

They used to have a show in there during the lunch hours.

Now, they use the room for character greetings.

The girls weren't up for meeting any Sea World characters.

But, if you have younger kids interested in this type of thing, this would be a good place to meet characters.

It's inside.

And air conditioned.

We made a pit stop after lunch.

This photo didn't come out as well as I would have liked.

The sign on this door directs you to the "baby hanging stations.":

Baby hanging?

Is that legal?

We headed over to the big whale stadium to get a good seat for the whale show.

One thing that tells you that you aren't at Disney are these beer vendors right in the stadium:

You see those metal beer bottles?

At Discovery Cove they're free.

As many as you like.

I'm not kidding.

Here's the whale stadium stage:

The stadium itself seems like it hasn't changed much over the years, but the decor on this stage is new.

So is this texting contest. They used to just have a camera that they would pan around the stadium and put folks up on the big screen. I guess there were too many obscene gestures:

The show began with a castmember coming out and recognizing all active duty and retired military. That is a nice touch. Note how small the narrator looks standing up there on the stage:

All military personnel were encouraged to stand, and they received a round of applause:

I liked that.

Then the whales came out.

And, I found out that we were seated behind a jack in the box with a bad die job. Here she is popping up just as I tried to get my whale photo:

So, I have a lot of photos of the back of this lady's head.

She has some pretty bad roots, too.

But, I'll spare you.

Every now and then, I was able to sneak in a photo before she popped up:

The amazing thing was that she never once looked back to see if she was standing right in front of anyone. Actually, I guess that isn't very surprising at all.

People.

This show has changed considerably since the early days. The trainers no longer get in the water with the whales. They also don't have an audience member come up and get a kiss from Shamu.

They still do the big splashing part.

In the past, the girls have wanted to sit down front and get splashed. That was before they worried about hair and makeup. Now, no deal. Which is fine with me. That is cold water that comes splashing out of the tank. And, where do you think all those whales go to the bathroom?

Here's some splash photos for you:

This part is a big hit with a lot of folks. You can see that some of the folks in the front rows have a wave of water crashing over them.

Two words:

Wet.

Underwear.

For the finale, they have all the whales come out and jump, and then pose:

This show is a must see.

It was a bit warm sitting out for this show.

But we knew exactly where to go to cool off.

One of our favorite places in Sea World-

The Wild Arctic!

TCD