We Went to SeaWorld and Now You Get To Hear About It
Are you making a shocked face and thinking, “Wait!? What?! The McGinnis family didn’t go to Disney World for the 40506060 time?”
Nope! We did not! When we asked Bill what he wanted to do for his birthday this year, he enthusiastically said, “SeaWorld!” which rendered the rest of the family speechless. But it was his birthday, and when you are the birthday boy, your wish is our command! We all ventured to SeaWorld, and now you get to hear about our trip.
It probably sounds strange to say that a bustling Orlando amusement park with 11,000 other people visiting at the same time is a great place to get away from it all, but I think there’s a comforting sort of anonymity that comes with the bustle. SeaWorld felt quaint compared to the typical hysteria at Disney World parks. It was relaxing, even. I’ll also add that it was very clean, easy to navigate, very family-friendly, and had very good (albeit pricey) food options.
A true highlight was the Penguin Encounter, where you walk through their 32-degree habitat, watching them waddle, eat, and swim. You almost forget how cold you are because the adorableness of penguins consumes you.
We also caught the dolphin adventure show and the orca encounter show. I provided a pre-show for the people sitting around us when I dumped a cup of melted nacho cheese from my Doritos walking taco down Justin, mine, and Bill’s legs and then dumped a cup of salsa on top of it as I tried to catch the flying cheese cup. Then I knocked Bill’s slushie out of his hand while attempting to catch the airborne salsa. The slushie spattered on Bill’s and my feet. The three of us were sticky and smelled like a Mexican restaurant for the rest of the day, which wasn’t horrible because Mexican food is yummy, and its scent overpowered the smell of our perspiration.
If I was the tiniest bit let down about anything at SeaWorld, it was over the dolphin and orca shows. The dolphins flipped their tails, and the orcas splashed and jumped in unison, but I thought both shows were a little…don’t hate me for saying this…boring. I know that sounds horrible, and it’s only because I came from the generation that remembers Shamu and the daring way the trainers rode on the dolphins and orcas and were flipped in the air by them. That was before we started acknowledging how inhumane and dangerous that was. The trainers no longer get in the water, and the show is more about protecting animals than the excitement of seeing a killer whale swim while balancing a human on its nose. Back in the day, that was a bad idea in so many ways, and today, I’m happy things have changed, but there is a part of me that watched the show and felt horribly nostalgic.
After watching orcas and dolphins, the family rode rollercoasters. I passed because I wanted to keep my retinas attached and not spend the rest of the day with near-vomit-inducing vertigo. Instead, Ainsley and I ventured into a few gift shops and then spent time petting and feeding stingrays in a large tank.
I can now mark that particular experience off the “Things I Hadn’t Considered Doing” bucket list I don’t actually have. If I’m ever forced to make such a list, I can immediately pencil in “Tried To Entertain A Cranky Toddler With Stingrays While She Screamed Because She Wanted to Buy Mermaid-Themed Souvenirs Instead” and check it with a flourish.
Oh, you know I’m kidding, right? I love all the time I spend with that sweet, adorable little girl. Time away with the family was an absolute gift. They are wonderful to be around, and that includes a toddler who acts like a typical 2-½-year-old still learning to communicate and trying to explore the world.
Later in the evening, there was a tantrum and thrashing in Downtown Disney, where we went to dinner. But that was momentary misery. All was well once we made it to the Ghirardelli chocolate shop because Bill wanted ice cream instead of a birthday cake. There is nothing a chocolate sea-salt caramel sundae in a waffle bowl rimmed with fudge can’t fix. We sang Happy Birthday four times. Once to Bill and three times to Ainsley, who charmed us silly while she giggled, waved like a princess, and pretended it was HER birthday by blowing out pretend candles.
All in all, it was a wonderful little vacation and a rare treat to get away from home long enough to miss our house and the stuff that annoys me on a daily basis, like the crust of pollen that must be wiped off the patio furniture every ten minutes.
Life has returned to its usual unglamorous cycle of laundry and floor cleaning, but amid the drudgery, I can recall the happy memories we made, and that makes me smile.
Make it stand out
I hate it when I want to order a salad but my mouth says, “I’ll have a giant pile of nachos with extra toppings—and throw some fried shrimp, wontons, and sushi on the side.”
Smile. Click. Save.
Mermaid watching. A real live mermaid in that tank swam, waved, and blew bubble rings.
I’m not going to lie. I airbrushed some wrinkles off in this picture, but I couldn’t do anything about my eyes looking in two different directions. We were all smiles, but we were shivering.
Happy Birthday Big Bill!