It can be hard to get over-stimulated kids to take an entire day off to do nothing, and so if everyone balks at the idea of lazing around at the pool and insists on visiting something, one option is SeaWorld instead of another ride-oriented spot such as Universal Orlando.
The No. 1 question our kids had was, “Are the killer whales still there?” And the answer is yes — the “Shamu” show goes on, and it’s still magical, although we noted that the female trainer’s hair was wound tightly in a bun and there was far less contact between whales and trainers than in previous shows since the tragic death of trainer Dawn Brancheau in February.
“I have friends who were just heading down, and they said they had completely forgotten about SeaWorld,” said Cindy Palmer, my sister, whose sons visited for the first time on this trip. “The boys loved it. They wanted to go back to the dolphin show over and over. And they liked the Skytower, where you could slowly ride up and look out over everything; it was really calm, and you get a view of the whole park.”
She advises getting to the dolphin show early because it fills quickly and also suggests starting at the back of the park and working your way to the front.
SeaWorld is about 12 miles east of Disney World via Interstate 4. Open 9 a.m. daily; closing hours vary (check website for times). Tickets $68.95 per person (adult and child) if you purchase ahead online (which gets you a second day free). Visit .
