Sea World is a really fun park to visit. We arrived in the morning and the day was heating up - the kids were excited to see a few shows and the animals. Our first stop was the Sea Lion show. I love this funny show - it has changed a bit since I was a child (the last time I visited Sea World was about 20 years ago), but it is still really funny.
The dolphin show was due to start immediately after the sea lion show, so we walked across the road and saw that one, too. It was pretty hot and Nolan started to melt down, so lunch was the next item on the schedule. After lunch, we stopped by the sea turtle reef, which was really cool. The boys had a great time looking at the sea turtles, and it was nice to walk inside an air-conditioned building.
We exited the Turtle Reef area and Matt wanted to ride the Reef Rescue ride. The height requirement is 45", so Nolan was too short for this one. He wasn't happy about not being able to ride, but Matt was absolutely thrilled. I volunteered to ride with him - this ride was a bit wild and had swaying and spinning motions. Matt loved it, but I was a bit green around the gills afterward!
After the ride, we walked over to the sea lion feeding area. Both boys fed the sea lions fish - my mom bought a pack of fish for each boy, and they were delighted to throw them into the sea lion's pen.
We also stopped by the dolphin touch pools and a touch tank filled with sea stars. The dolphins didn't really want to be touched, and stayed well away from the throngs of people around the pool rim. We watched them for a while, then let the boys investigate the sea stars.
We stopped for dinner and had some pizza and pasta at an Italian eatery in the park. The kids desperately wanted to visit Shamu's Happy Harbor, a massive play area geared toward young children. They loved the playground, which had climbing nets, slides, tunnels, musical instruments, and a few kiddie rides.
The sun started to get lower in the sky and less intense, so we decided to see a couple of shows. Sea World has an amazing pet show, featuring animals rescued from local shelters. Everyone enjoyed that show immensely, and then we headed to the Shamu show. The Orcas are amazing.
Evening was approaching, and the boys both wanted to do the Journey to Atlantis ride. This ride, for the uninformed, features a 60' drop and a steel roller coaster. I am not a fan of extreme thrill rides, and this ride was a bit outside of my comfort level. Nolan made the height requirement, so they gave him a green paper bracelet to prove he was 42" tall.
We got on the ride, went around the corner, and were at the top of the drop. Usually, the big drop is at the end of the ride, not the beginning. I was sure this wasn't a good omen! I was terrified on the way down. Nolan and Matt loved it. LOVED it.
The boat/coaster then went into a dark tunnel, which is when I began thinking: "I should have watched the ride through on Youtube!" I had no idea what was going to happen. As it turns out, the dark tunnel was an elevator - the ride vehicle was lifted straight up - and onto a steel coaster track.
By the end of the ride, my legs were shaking. Nolan and Matt were ecstatic. Nolan wanted to ride again - he actually cried when they made him get off the ride. I couldn't take another ride, so Grandma and Daddy took the boys for a second trip. My dad and I stayed behind and took pictures.
After the ride, we took the boys to the Arctic section and saw Beluga whales. We also rode a simulator ride that the boys enjoyed. We saw the penguins last, and headed out of the park to our hotel. Everyone had had a fantastic day - especially Nolan, who discovered he has a deep love of all thrill rides!
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