A’Lure, The Call of the Ocean @ SeaWorld Orlando
A’Lure, The Call of the Ocean at SeaWorld Orlando is, by far, one of our favorite shows at the park! The flying athletic acrobats, beautiful costumes, gravity-defying aerial tumblers, and fantastic special effects make us feel like we’ve just experienced an expensive Cirque du Soleil and we never miss it!
The mythically inspired undersea-themed love story is based on a fisherman who falls overboard into a new world under the sea. The inhabitants of this mythical world show the fisherman their talents of rocketing themselves through hoops, spinning on wheels, jumping, diving, and flipping on trampolines, leaping onto towering poles in sequence, and soaring through the air on long hanging strips of silk. The fisherman falls in love with an underwater inhabitant and the mean queen doesn’t want him to be part of her world. She tries to keep them apart, but they are in love!
The performers have strength and flexibility like no other…it’s amazing!!
Here we are getting showered with magical bubbles while the acrobats march into the audience with the festive Chinese dragon!
A’Lure, The Call of the Ocean is held daily inside the Nautilus Theater. It’s the perfect show to watch to cool down from the hot Florida sun or to escape the occasional afternoon rain shower!
DO NOT….I repeat…DO NOT miss this show! You will not be disappointed!
Wizarding World of Harry Potter
Last month we spent a busy week in Orlando, Florida. We visited several theme parks, but I would have to say the highlight of the trip was our long awaited day visiting The Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Islands of Adventure! We’ve seen all of the movies and read all of the books, but stepping into this replica village was an experience that won’t soon be forgotten!
The Wizarding World of Harry Potter is located at the back of the park and as soon as you enter you will see the Hogwarts Express! It’s a great spot to take a photo!
Every little detail that they put into creating this magical world shows and you truly feel like you are in that world! It really is amazing!
Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey in Hogwarts Castle and is More Than Just a Ride
The main attraction inside the village is of course Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey inside Hogwarts Castle. We were really lucky the day we went (the last day of our Spring Break) to not have a huge crowd and we were able to ride a couple times without lines, but if you do have to wait in a long line, don’t fret, there is so much to see along the way! You’ll first walk through the green house and then enter the castle through the back doors where you’ll see many familiar places and items from the movies and books. The talking portraits, the Headmaster’s office, the Defense Against the Dark Arts Classroom, and the Gryffindor Common Room are just a few!
The height requirement for this ride is 48″ so both of my kiddos were good to go. Both of my girls LOVED the ride, we rode it twice! My 7 year old said she covered her eyes only one time which was when the dragon spit fire 
Another ride we enjoyed was the Flight of the Hippogriff which is very family friendly. It doesn’t go upside down and the height requirement is 36″. To get to this ride you walk past Hagrid’s Hut and come face to face with Buckbeak! This ride offers fantastic views of Hogsmeade Village and of Hogwarts Castle!
The last ride is called the Dragon Challenge, formerly known as Dueling Dragons. It’s an inverted coaster and we didn’t ride due to the height restriction which is 54″.
The only restaurant in this section of the park is The Three Broomsticks! We really enjoyed our lunch here and the food was delicious! For more on this counter service restaurant click here!
Honeydukes and Zonko’s Joke Shop are connected to each other, but they are very small. It’s fun to wander around the stores looking at all of the yummy candy and funny gags. Bring some souvenir money because like all theme park gift shops, things are somewhat pricey. My girls really wanted the chocolate frogs (mainly for the cards inside) and they were $10 each!
You Must Try the Butterbeer!
A trip to WWoHP is not complete without trying the smooth and sweet drink called Butterbeer! It really is delicious! It comes in two varieties, frozen and non-frozen. We tried them both and it was unanimous, the frozen was a lot better!
Writing this got me craving this frothy drink so I just did a search for the recipe…here is what I found! I’m not sure if it will be as delicious as the parks, but it’s worth a shot!
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons water
- 6 tablespoons butter
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon cider vinegar
- 3/4 cup heavy cream, divided
- 1/2 teaspoon rum extract
- 4 (12 ounce) bottles cream soda
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In a small saucepan over medium, combine the brown sugar and water. Bring to a gentle boil and cook, stirring often, until the mixture reads 240 F on a candy thermometer.
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Stir in the butter, salt, vinegar and 1/4 heavy cream. Set aside to cool to room temperature.
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Once the mixture has cooled, stir in the rum extract.
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In a medium bowl, combine 2 tablespoons of the brown sugar mixture and the remaining 1/2 cup of heavy cream. Use an electric mixer to beat until just thickened, but not completely whipped, about 2 to 3 minutes.
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To serve, divide the brown sugar mixture between 4 tall glasses (about 1/4 cup for each glass). Add 1/4 cup of cream soda to each glass, then stir to combine. Fill each glass nearly to the top with additional cream soda, then spoon the whipped topping over each.
Tips and Good Things To Know:
- When visiting any theme park in Orlando check the Crowd Calendar which is awesome at predicting crowd levels. This website is loaded with awesome tips, tricks, and inside info!
- There are three hotels that offer perks for the park. The Loew’s Royal Pacific Resort, Loew’s Portofino Hotel, and the Hard Rock Hotel all give you access to the park an hour early and also serves as a fast pass.
- In 2014 the Wizard World of Harry Potter is coming to Hollywood!
- There are plans to expand the Wizarding World of Harry Potter in Orlando, Florida!
- The wait time can get pretty long at The Three Broomsticks. Plan accordingly.
- At Ollivander’s Wand Shop roughly 20 people are admitted into the shop at a time so it’s often the longest line. Not everyone is “chosen.”
- You can get souvenirs at the main gift shop outside the Wizarding World of Harry Potter.
Three Broomsticks Restaurant – Wizarding World of Harry Potter
Three Broomsticks is the only restaurant inside of the Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Islands of Adventure, Florida and we were more than excited to experience it while visiting last month!
It’s part of the whole experience and not only was it fun to dine there, but the food was delicious!
Look at these yummy ribs and fresh salad! The roasted potatoes were the BEST!
The menu is subject to change, but here was what it looked like on our visit:
Main Dishes:
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Rotisserie-Smoked chicken
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Chargrilled Ribs
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Turkey legs
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Fish and chips
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Shepherd’s pie
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Cornish pasties
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Various Soups
Children’s Menu:
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Chicken Fingers
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Macaroni and Cheese
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Fish and Chips
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Turkey Leg
Platters available for Family Share.
Desserts:
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Strawberry peanut butter ice cream
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Deep-dish apple pie
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Chocolate-berry trifle
The food was reasonably priced and the portions were very filling.
Enjoy!!
2nd Annual Aloha Cup Stand Up Paddle Board Race
There was a great turn out at the 2nd Annual Aloha Cup SUP Race benefiting Habitat For Humanity! Over $2,200 was raised so thank you to everyone who participated!!
For more photos visit my Facebook Page! Make sure to “like” it so you will see more pictures as soon as they’re added!
Congratulations to all of the Racers, you did awesome!
Shamu Rocks @ SeaWorld Orlando
The nightly Shamu Rocks Rock ’n’ Roll Show is a high energy, fun, lively, and entertaining show where the trainers and killer whales show off in a spectical of lights, music, and killer performances!
It is the last show of the night and and one of the best at SeaWorld, you won’t want to miss it!
The preshow starts off with popular rock music that you can’t help but sing along to! You will feel like you are at a rock-and-roll concert!
Look at how beautifully amazing these creatures really are!
The Shamu Stadium seats about 5500 people. When looking for that perfect place to sit pay careful attention to the designated splash zones. If you sit in them chances are you may get hundreds of gallons of salt water splashed on you. They are, however, wonderful seats, a lot of fun, and offer the best views of the show!
Tips:
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If you have questions about the animals at the park, what the eat, how to become a trainer, etc. visit Ask Shamu!
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Get to Shamu Stadium early as it fills up quickly.
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Be mindful of the Splash Zone. It is the first 14 rows and if you have equipment such a camera or camcorder that can’t get wet this may not be a place for you.
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There are flashing lights and loud music during this show.
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The “Pre Show” is lively and fun. The camera scans the crowd for fun spectators singing along and dancing….look for yourself on the big screen!
Shamu Rocks is during Summer Nights and holiday seasons.
Cypress Pointe Grande Villas: Orlando
After just returning from a wonderful week in Orlando, Florida, I’m already ready to go back. I guess it’s because I didn’t want to leave in the first place. It might be because we were so comfortably settled into our hotel or maybe it’s because we still had things we wanted to do. Either way, I’m excited to share our action packed week with you…starting with where we stayed!! Over the past few years we’ve probably stayed at Cypress Pointe Grande Villas four times (because my wonderful in-laws are owners) and I’ve never been disappointed.
Good Eats at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay
Busch Gardens Tampa Bay has many yummy restaurants and snack stands to choose from. Here is a hamburger and carrots (something has to be healthy, right;) ) from Zagora Cafe.
Busch Gardens, Tampa Wildlife Photos
One of our favorite parts of visiting Busch Gardens, Tampa Bay is seeing and learning about all of the different wildlife in the park. After all, where else can you get up close with hippos, giraffe, cheetahs, lions, flamingos, bush babies all in the same day?!
The parks overall African theme (formerly known as Busch Gardens Africa) is divided into sections and each one has its own theme and animals living in large safe habitats mirroring their own natural habitat. This provides the perfect setting to really get to know the animals.
CityWalk: Universal Orlando’s Entertainment Complex
CityWalk at Universal Orlando is an Entertainment Hotspot offering an array of shops, restaurants, movies and nightlife!
