USA 2011 trip Park #7
26 August 2011
I am probably scarred from my Australian SeaWorld experiences where there are lousy rides and the animals do not look happy, so wasn’t expecting much of SeaWorld Orlando. It turned out to be the surprise packet of the trip however, with excellent rides. Kyra needed a day off, so I headed to the park as a single rider (hello queue jumping opportunities!) I headed straight to Manta which was right near the entrance. When Kyra asked me about this coaster later, I described it as a nosebleed coaster. The weird feelings and pressure in my head made me feel like a nosebleed was coming any second. This was another flying style train which tilts you forward so you end up parallel to the ground. The best part was the loop, which sent you down head first with your back towards the track. There was no wait time all morning which warmed my heart. Staff made me head to the beginning of the queue system each time which was actually really far away, so I got in some much needed cardio as I ran around five times. It really was an exceptionally fun coaster!
Next on the list was Kraken, and again I was surprised at how great it was. Long track, a drop through the ground, a loop, another decent drop – had a bit of everything. The trip was worth it just for Manta and Kraken alone! There was a little kiddy coaster called the Shamu Express too. Actually there seemed to be a really good mix of low key and thrill rides, making it a great park for the whole family.
I was expecting Journey to Atlantis to be your run of the mill flume ride, but once again was surprised at how awesome it was. There was a well themed indoor experience before getting pulled up the lift hill prior to the standard drop. Finally, it turned in to a rollercoaster for the last section. Water coasters for the win!
With no queues, I had more than enough time to visit all the aquariums and shows too. Lessons I have learnt: Flamingos look cool but damn they stink. I don’t care how fancy the set-up is, it sucks to see whales and other wild animals perform tricks for a clapping audience. People are just as amazing to watch as wild animals, so train them instead (the A’Lure human circus show was wonderful!)
I also got to see another domestic animal show which I do have a soft spot for. I love seeing dogs and cats playing with their owners, knowing they then get to go home and just be normal animals. I am determined to teach my cats how to sit and roll over.
This was my final theme park on my first ever US trip, and I was really sad knowing I had left so many parks unvisited. I loved the variety of rides, shows, foods, thrills and experiences. I knew I would be back again one day.
One thing that every park did have in common though, was the really strong pro-America, pro-military vibe. In Australia this doesn’t really happen. Our flag is pretty controversial because to some people, it represents the struggles between our Indigenous peoples and the colonial settlers, so it isn’t seen as really cool to wave it around everywhere. We would laugh if you asked us to sing our anthem at the beginning of every day as the fun parks opened (yep, this is actually a thing in America.) At the Shamu whale show, the announcers also asked all veterans past and present to stand up, and everyone gave them a standing ovation. Many parks had fireworks at the end of the day exploding to tunes like God Bless America, where Kyra and I just sat there kind of confused. This could be considered Cultural Education right? See mum? Our trip had more depth than just roller coasters!
Roller Coaster Ramble 