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Taking the Kids: to SeaWorld Orlando

By Eileen Ogintz, Tribune Media Services on

You also have the chance to swim with a dolphin, snorkel with sting rays and tropical fish and feed exotic birds at SeaWorld's sister park Discovery Cove (http://www.discoverycove.com/default.aspx) where Freshwater Oasis is just opening, giving you a chance to wade and float and discover marmosets and Asian otters along the way. This place is all inclusive and only allows 1,000 guests a day -- no worries about lines here -- so reservations are a must. (Prices start at $199 a person and include the dolphin swim, food and drinks and unlimited admission to either SeaWorld or SeaWorld's water park Aquatica or Busch Gardens Tampa Bay for two weeks -- not a bad deal since SeaWorld daily admission alone is $81.99 for adults.)

I even had the chance (for an extra $59) to take an underwater walking tour -- wearing a dive helmet to get up close to nurse sharks, baby rays, octopus and schools of tropical fish -- a lot more than you likely will see snorkeling or diving. "You don't even have to try to look for them, they're all right there," said Constance Critchlow, visiting from London.

All of Orlando's parks offer new attractions this spring and summer, like SeaVenture and TurtleTrek. (For details, see http://www.takingthekids.com/eileens-blog/theres-something-about-orlando/.) If you are considering a trip, come in May or June before the parks get too crowded and the weather too hot. You might snare a better hotel deal too, with rooms under $100 a night. (Visit www.visitorlando.com for the latest deals.)

Families visiting SeaWorld, meanwhile -- and yes, Shamu is still a top attraction -- get that this is more than a place for rides, though there is Manta, the flying roller coaster, the first of its kind, Kraken, Orlando's only floorless coaster, the water-coaster Journey to Atlantis and, for younger children, the popular Shamu's Happy Harbor.

"So much better than just rides," offered Erin Hollenbacker, here with her sons from Ohio for their first visit to SeaWorld. "This is completely different and all of the animals really capture their attention."

"It's been very educational," added Sheila Burnett, here from Illinois with her granddaughters.

Education, of course, is as big a part of SeaWorld's mission as is conservation. The entertainment -- whether it's One Ocean, SeaWorld's killer whale show, "Clyde and Seamore Take Pirate Island," which showcases sea lions, otters and walrus or the chance to visit the Dolphin Nursery -- is all designed to nurture interest in marine life and how we can protect it.

 

Park officials like to remind visitors that just by coming, guests are helping to rescue and protect animals all over the world, since SeaWorld and Busch Gardens have contributed $50 million to conservation, wildlife rescue and environmental programs.

"You have to keep your eyes on the dolphins," advised 10-year-old Morgan Jones from Chicago. "They are really funny! I like SeaWorld best of all the parks."

Who says learning can't be fun -- even on vacation!

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For more Taking the Kids, visit www.takingthekids.com and also follow "taking the kids" on www.twitter.com, where Eileen Ogintz welcomes your questions and comments.


(c) 2012 DISTRIBUTED BY TRIBUNE MEDIA SERVICES, INC.

 

 

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