Fun at Sea World

We had our game plan to help us know what show to see and when, and what we'd do in between! So we pretty much did everything we wanted to, and then some! 

We started off by feeding the dolphins. This has always been a favorite of ours and Grant is getting braver and braver each time- he still won't actually touch the fish, but he bravely set his hand out to pet the dolphin! Wyatt did both! The dolphins are just so cute!! I love the picture on the top left!! So smiley! And on the top right, you can kind of see Wyatt's hand reaching out to touch the dolphins chin! 

Next up was the Shamu show, One Ocean. We grabbed a pretzel and some popcorn and watched Shamu and Baby Shamu put on a great performance! This was probably one of the better Shamu shows we've seen. They actually had 4 adult orcas and one baby. So there was a lot of action! We didn't have the greatest seats, but we saw most of the cool tricks! They always surprised me when they jumped out of the water, but I got some great shots! They really are amazing to see how big they really are! Truly awesome!

 The biggest reason for going to Sea World on the day we did was because the Imagination Movers were in concert that day! The boys LOVE watching Imagination Movers! They usually watch an episode in the morning before Grant goes to school and we also listen to a few of their CD's on my iPod as we drive to school! We are BIG fans! So when I saw they were there the weekend we were coming, I was so pumped....maybe even more than the boys were! But they LOVED every second! The Movers did not disappoint! They let all the kids come down to the front and dance and sing and the Movers did a great job coming into the crowd and interacting with the kids! We had a seat farther back, so I took the boys down one at a time for a close up! Look how close we got to Mover Rich! He even sweat on us! They song lots of their favorites and Grant got into the music! He also enjoyed some cotton candy! If I ever have the chance, I will definitely take the boys to one of their concerts again!!

 And then there were the rides! Grant went on two rides last year, one with me and one with Levi, but this year we had to split rides between two kids! Grant definitely wanted to do the Shamu Express kids roller coaster! Wyatt did too, but once again, he was too short! So Levi and Grant went on the rollercoaster. Wyatt and I went on this ride that goes up and down, and up and down. He loved it!! He giggled with glee the whole time. It goes up pretty high, but he didn't seem to mind at all!! It was cute to share that experience with him! I got a chance to go on the roller coaster with Grant, so Levi and Wyatt went to the Merry Go Round. And then the kicker- Grant and Levi went on the Journey to Atlantis Water Coaster. He was just above the minimum height requirement and he was so excited and proud to be a big kid! It sends you on a 10-story drop where you plunge into the water below! Levi said Grant LOVED it!! Levi must have received all the water because he was soaked, while Grant had a few sprinkles on him but he kept saying, "I got sooooo wet!" It was awesome! Looks like Levi will have a roller coaster buddy for life!

 We also saw the Azul dolphin show but got terrible pictures because of the crazy people sitting in front of us. It definitely doesn't even compare to the dolphin show at Sea World Orlando, so it was kind of boring anyway! But a nice chance to rest our feet! We saw the penguins, the shark tank, and the sea lions. And went into every gift shop Sea World had to offer (Grant picked out a stuffed Harpy and Wyatt picked out a beanie baby Shamu!) We ate Dippin Dots, lots of popcorn and cotton candy, and walked 10,000 miles (or so it seems!) We had a super fun time!!

Then it was back to the hotel for swimming and finally some sleeping!! Driving back to Oklahoma the next day after that day of walking has made Levi and I feel very very VERY old! But it was so worth it, and we'd head back tomorrow if it meant seeing the smiles on our boys faces!!

Welcome to Sea World!!

This was our 5th trip to Sea World! We are so very lucky and blessed to be able to have gone so many times! I've said it before, but if it wasn't for the Here's to the Heroe's program, we wouldn't have had so many opportunities! And although the nearest Sea World is in San Antonio, its a doable drive for our family! Last year when we went, a few of the exhibits were closed for remodeling, so we were excited to see all Sea World had to offer this year! Plus, we were excited for a very special show!!  The boys had their plan of all the things we wanted to do! It started raining as we were waiting in line, so I was hoping that wasn't going to ruin our fun, and luckily it didn't! It was warm and it was muggy and it was crowded, but we managed to have a full day of fun....

Sea World...Again!!

It's probably becoming redundant to all my readers, but we went to Sea World...again!! I know, this is our 4th time since Wyatt has been born that we've been to Sea World! But can you blame us?? I mean, we will probably never live close to one again so we have to take advantage while we have the chance. And thanks to the Here's to the Heroes program, we've gone for free 3 out of 4 times! 

Today was opening day for the season, and it was a brisk 50 degree drizzly morning, so the crowds were nonexistent, which was fine by us!! The rain stopped as we pulled in the parking lot, but it stayed pretty chilly all day, but  soooo much better than sweating to death! 

 I have to say, though, that Sea World at San Antonio doesn't even compare to Sea World Orlando.  It was a lot smaller and has maybe half the exhibits, so we were a little underwhelmed, but hey, it was free, right?! We did see the Sea Otter and Sea Lion show, the Shamu show, and the Azul Dolphin show. The kids enjoyed them!! We also saw the penguins, baby stingrays, and...well, that's about it. The shark and dolphin exhibit was closed, for whatever reason. 

 We also saw a Sesame Street show in 4D. I was not a fan, but the boys liked the show, although Grant didn't wear his glasses. Wyatt did for a few minutes! Levi took Grant on his very first roller coaster ride! It was just for little kids, and at first Grant did not want to ride, but after walking by it a few times, we talked him into it and he loved it! I took Grant on this other ride that went up in the air- veerrrrry slowwwwly- but we had fun on that too! We played at a little play place and the boys like "flying" in the little cockpit they had there! Otherwise, the rest of our time was spent walking around the gift shops so Grant could pick out just the right surprise!! AND I found Sea World bracelets with their names on it- we can never find personalized stuff for them!!

It was a great way to spend one of our last weekends in San Antonio and we are so thankful we were given the opportunity to go!! 

Sea World #3

It's probably becoming old hat to write about our adventures to Sea World, since we've been there not once, not twice, but three times now! But we're so fortunate we've been able to go! We knew we had to squeeze in one last trip there before we moved away from Florida. People pay hundreds of dollars to fly across the country just to visit Sea World, but we're only 2 hours away, so its kinda hard to beat! We got there Monday afternoon, during a downpour- not quite what we were hoping! Usually Florida rainshowers stop as quickly as they arrive, so we knew we wouldn't have to wait too long. So after we unloaded in the hotel, we headed out in town for an early dinner. We made it back to the hotel just to see the sun come out! We swimsuited up and hit the pool. Since our last visit, the hotel made this amazing splashpark that was definitely enjoyed by all!! I think Grant would've been happy just staying here and not seeing Sea World at all!!!

This was the toddler area. There was also a "big kid/teen" area, but we mostly stayed in this part! 

Grant LOVED this slide and probably went down 75 times, no kidding. This was his first attempt, so his face doesn't show his love for the slide, but by the 75th time down the slide, he was grinning from ear to ear, and going down backwards, on his belly!!

Wyatt (and I!) LOVED the slide too!!

There were little fountains shooting up in the front of the splashpark and Wyatt liked dipping his head into the water, getting his hair all wet. He'd squeal everytime he got wet, it was so funny!

Grant had no fear and ran all over the pool, he didn't care if we were there or not!

Of course, what vacation is complete without a photo opp. This fountain was in the courtyard at our hotel. And this picture makes it look like they actually love each other. Although 1 second later, Wyatt was pushing Grant's arm off and whining with a "get your hands off me" face!

The elevator brought lots of excitement. We stayed on the 8th floor, so we rode this alot!

And now, on to Sea World.

We got to the gate about 8:30am. Wyatt had been up since 6:00am and didn't sleep all that great the night before. Plus, he woke up with a nasty head cold. So, this was pretty much how Wyatt spent the first hour at Sea World. He was tired, hot, and hungry!! Luckily, seeing the dolphins up close snapped him out of it!

We fed the dolphins first thing and they were hungry! Grant fed them a few fishies and Levi and I did the rest. Wyatt did reach down to touch them. That's my hand in the bottom left corner!! :)

Here is a self portrait of our little family enjoying the dolphin show. We'd only been at Sea World for one hour  when we took this picture, but can't you just feel how hot we were by how sweaty we look? It was about 89 degrees, and about 90% humidity!! ICKY!

Wyatt loved watching the dolphin show!! For a little boy who won't even glance at the TV to watch a show, this 30 minute show definitely kept his attention!

Here is Grant loving the Shamu show!
We also saw the sharks, manatees, penguins, polar bears and beluga whales, sea turtles, seals and sea lions, stingrays, watched a cirque de solei type show, aquariums.
It was a great day and even though it was our third time there, all of our eyes lit up with excitement at some point in the day!! Definitely worth it!

Everything I Need to Know I Learned on our Sea World Trip

1. This Broeckelman family is not quite ready for overnight stays at a hotel.

2. A portable fan is a NECESSITY when staying at a hotel. A hair dryer on the cold setting will do in a pinch.

3. Always bring children suppositories...and adult Extra Strength Tylenol.

4. The Polar Express movie can be easily summarized in 15 minutes and it WILL scare Grant to death.

5. My boys will eventually take a nap in the stroller, but for no longer than 20 minutes.

6. Room service is definitely the way to go!!

7. It is perfectly acceptable to go to bed at 8:30pm the night before you go to Sea World.

8. Buy the largest plastic cup, while more expensive upfront, you can get unlimited cheap refills!

9. Bring a portable DVD player and a Redbox movie to the hotel, because there will be nothing else to do after the kids go to sleep, if you don't fall asleep before they do. And hotel moves cost $13.99.

10. There is nothing wrong with putting the baby to sleep in the pack-n-play in the bathroom.

11. The double stroller is definitely the way to travel!

12. No matter how many times you look at the map of Sea World, you still can't figure out how to get anywhere.

13. See the Blue Horizons Dolphin Show twice! It is the BEST part of Sea World!

14. Grant LOVES Sea World and I LOVE to see Grant happy!

 The Blue Horizons Dolphin Show- the BEST thing at Sea World!!

 Grant absolutely LOVES the dolphin show!!

 Wyatt just likes to eat no matter what he's doing!

 BOTH boys actually took a nap in the stroller, at different times. I was a doubter that either of them would take a nap at all that day, but they both squeaked in a 20 minute nap a piece!

Grant made a "Fill Your Own Tube" of Sea Creatures for $9.99. Normally, you can buy a pre-filled tube of Sea Creatures for $6.99 and you get about 12 sea creatures. Well, with all our power, we crammed in 25 sea creatures into our tube!! Deal?? I think so!!

We're Going to Sea World!!!

We just got home from a wonderful weekend at Sea World!! Thanks to the "Here's to the Heroes" program, we were able to get into Sea World for free!! We thought, what a better time to go than one of our last weekends as a family before Levi leaves for deployment! We had a fantastic time!! I would've handled it being a little bit cooler, but we made the most of it! We'd been planning the trip for about a week and told Grant all about it! He couldn't stop talking about "wor world" (that's how he'd say it) all week long. We got to our hotel Friday evening and went straight to the pool- that probably would've been enough for Grant if we just stayed there the whole weekend!! He LOVED the pool!!

Probably the most fun we had at Sea World was the Blue Horizons dolphin show. It was amazing to see how they could train the dolphins to do such incredible things!! The show ran about 30 minutes, and I'm pretty sure Grant didn't even blink!! He clapped with such enthusiasm with every dolphin jump!! We actually saw the show twice it was that good!!

They were able to get 6 dolphins to jump out of the water at the same time!! At the second show, they had 8 jump out at once!!

Then we saw the Shamu show. I have to say, I thought it would be the best show, but after seeing the dolphins, Shamu just didn't live up to them! It was incredible seeing how big Shamu was and watching him jump out of the water!!

We saw lots of other things while we were there- stingrays, 3 huge sea turtles, sharks, penguins, pink flamingos, two different aquariums and Levi went on the two roller coasters! I would've, but I had a baby strapped to my chest and somehow, going on a roller coaster by myself just didn't sound that appealing!!

Grant enjoying the view from Daddy's shoulders!

Wyatt along for the ride!!

Grant checking out all the fish in the aquarium!! He was fascinated! He even thought he saw one that looked like Gilbert, his beta fish he got for his birthday!

Here's Wyatt strolling around!! It was about 92 degrees and pretty humid, so we were all a sweaty mess!! Wyatt seemed to enjoy himself though!!

We stopped to feed the dolphins, which is something I'd always wanted to do!! It was so cool how they just came right up to the wall and just opened their mouths begging for food! We each had a little tray of fish. Grant wanted NOTHING to do with this! Levi had to step back with him while I fed the dolphins and then we switched so Levi could feed them. We were able to touch their chins, which was really cool!! Later that night at the pool, Grant was pretending to be a dolphin and we had to feed him fish (leaves he found in the pool) and we had to pet his chin. So apparently, he got something out of that experience!!

It was a wonderful weekend as a family!! It definitely was an experience sharing a hotel room with all 4 of us- definitely not much sleeping going on!! But we had a great time!! I wish I could say we had more of these kinds of weekends planned, but sadly with Levi leaving soon, it will be a while before that happens again! We'll cherish these memories and will be looking forward to the day we get to do something like this again!!!