If you are in Florida and are looking for a special holiday event for your family you should really visit the Sea World Orlando, Christmas Celebration. The weekend before Thanksgiving we decided to get into the holiday spirit a little early and see what wintery wonderland awaited us at Sea World.
Any day you visit between now and Dec. 31st you can enjoy Sea World’s Christmas Celebration with your regular daily admission. This will get you full admission to all the holiday events including the Polar Express Experience, Shamu Christmas Miracle, O Wonderous Night, and the Winter Wonderland on Ice.
Lucky for us it was actually a chilly day in Florida (rare in the Fall/Winter) so it felt almost like Winter being surrounded by Christmas music, Santa Claus and lots of sparkly lights. By the evening we were even wishing we had brought heavier layers.
We started the day experiencing the regular Sea World adventures, shows and rides. My oldest braved Manta (over and over again with Dad), while my little one and I enjoyed the playful dolphins and their babies at the Dolphin Nursery. We all adventured under the water as sharks and rays swam around us. Then it was off to Antarctica to see the new Empire of the Penguins and finally the North Pole.
We boarded the Polar Express and arrived in the North Pole to meet Santa. This was the first year that our youngest wasn’t scared of the jolly old fellow!
After the sun began to set we started to enjoy the real magic behind the Sea World Christmas Celebration. Around 5pm each day they open up the path from the front of the park that leads back to the Shamu stadium. Along the path they have toy train sets, games, winter characters, and life size snow globes for the entire family to take some great pictures inside of. Once the sun finally set we were awed by the beautifully decorated trees over the water while we sipped some hot cocoa (or hot toddy’s for mom and day) and nibbled on warm donuts.
There were several Christmas shows to watch including the live nativity; O Wonderous Night; and the Winter Wonderland on Ice. We decided to get some good seats for the Shamu Christmas Miracle show and listened to Christmas music. The kids were so exhausted from the long day that we hurried back to the hotel just in time to watch the fireworks out the window.
For more information on the Sea World Christmas Celebration: http://seaworldparks.com/seaworld-orlando/Events?from=Top_Nav
Disclosure: Our family was provided passes and a few special goodies to enjoy the day at the park. The opinions above are my own and not that of Sea World.
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I know you are just trying to share something seemingly nice with your readers, so I do not intend for this message to seem mean or hateful. But I think most people know very little about the reality behind what it means to keep a migratory animal of this size in a tank. Please watch “Blackfish” http://youtu.be/8OEjYquyjcg and stop supporting/promoting this cruel industry. Have a blessed day.
Thank you Violet for sharing your passion in a respectful manner. I am familiar with the documentary. If anyone would like to read Sea Worlds reply: http://seaworld.com/en/ourcare/Letter?from=Front_Page_Main_Promo
Hi Calley,
Thanks for sharing the other perspective. I do believe it is important to try and see the situation from both sides. (I have read Sea World’s response to the movie, but the link you provided is no longer available.) HOWEVER, I’m not necessarily concerned with the tit-for-tat comments between the makers of Blackfish and Sea World. I merely thought it was a good starting point for people to see this form of entertainment in a new light and perhaps move on to do their own research.
I have studied orca whales to great extents and followed some of the most respected doctors and biologists who have dedicated their lives to understanding these magnificent creatures. I find it interesting that the only ‘whale experts’ who believe it to be ‘okay’ to keep these animals in a tank–that their physical and psychological well being are not in jeopardy–are the people employed by an industry that stands to make a profit from their captivity.
Dr. Ingrid Visser has a Ph.D in orcas. Here is her stance on whale captivity: http://youtu.be/vu7biWW7uz8
As she states, this needs to be part of our past, not part of our future. We once thought it was okay to put a chain around a bear’s neck and watch it perform. We used to think it was okay to put tigers in a coliseum and watch them fight. On our journey to becoming a more humane society, I see people standing up against the whale entertainment industry and I have decided to do my part where I can.
I am not some radical who believes Sea World is inherently evil. I think Sea World could change the focus of their business positively and still gain money. They could erect sea enclosures for the sake of rehabilitating wounded/stranded/lost orcas and allow visitors to view them (within reason). Additionally, they could bring passengers on lavish tours out to the whales in their natural habitat, which would continue to foster the public’s love and concern for them.
I’m assuming you fell in love with these animals and wanted to share their beauty with your readers. Again, my commentary is not intended to bash you for posting this article. My hope is to encourage people to research and to be more mindful consumers, which is, after all, “learning how to love Mother Earth.”
Thank you for hearing my thoughts. Many blessings.