Tag Archives: Florida

A Perfect Pairing of Food and Art at the Busch Gardens Tampa Bay Food & Wine Festival

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Busch Gardens Tampa Bay launched its third annual Food and Wine Festival this past weekend. And it’s better than ever with expanded entertainment offerings and of course delicious food and spirits! With expansions to the comprehensive food fare and concert lineup, the festival has something for everyone. During my unofficial guided tour by one of the individuals who helped build many of the sets, I learned just how much time, care, and attention went into each and every element right down to the lightbulbs. Best part about the festival is just how much like a festival it feels. While Epcot’s International Food and Wine Festival is by far larger, more comprehensive, and boasts a larger variety of food and alcohol, the Busch Gardens Food and Wine Festival includes the quaintness that non-theme park food and wine festivals have–or at least the very idea of food and wine festivals as it appears in our mind. Virtually the entire area from the front of the park to the flamingos is filled with artisan kiosks, food and wine vendors, and performing artists.

Coca-Cola makes a huge splash at the food and wine festival this year with its beautifully decorated sponsor area on the far side of the main festival thoroughfare adjacent to the flamingos. Debuting this year is this new expansion featuring Coca-cola products and more food! Some guests from Howl-O-Scream may remember this as a scare zone last year. I absolutely adore the brilliance of the nighttime display in the Coke area. It’s incredibly stunning and just goes to show the increase in quality at this young festival. A great deal of attention was put into the design of the decorative light and luminary fixtures. Lots of glass Coca-Cole bottles with light inside along with exposed string lights help to create a warm, inviting atmosphere. Be sure to checkout the Coke-flavored chocolate dessert in the Coca-Cola area; I’ve heard it’s delicious! And, I am definitely going to try it when I return to the festival throughout the event.

Before taking a stroll down the main festival walkway to procure some delectable goodness, I desired to check out the topiaries and performing arts. The two entertainment offerings that impressed me the most were the ice carving and Living Fountain. The Living Fountain is located near the main festival grounds in the gorgeously landscaped garden area between the festival grounds and the Australian animal encounters. Busch Gardens takes the concept of living statues to the next level. Living statues are a little all-too-common around Central Florida, so Busch needed to find what others were doing and perfect it–they did just that! More than living art (which is beautiful in and of itself), the Living Fountain turns a breathtaking living statue and transforms it into a show including water effects. Watch as the statue comes to life and dips her fingers into the enchanted fountain of crystal clear refreshing water and sprinkles it around on the earth allowing life to grow abundantly.

Just down the walkway, past the main entrance into Gwazi Field is the ice sculpture exhibit and show. Twice a day (once, during the day and again in the evening), watch as one or more ice sculpture artists turn a block of solid ice into a work of art. As I understand it, the artist never repeats a design (at least in the same day). The experience between the day and night differs only slightly. During the day, the ice sculpture artist takes his time in creating the sculpture and you can casually enjoy the evolution from an expressionless block of ice to a beautiful creation. The process of turning the ice into a sculpture takes about 1.5hrs from start to finish. If you choose to walk by the ice carving area at night, then you’ll witness a slightly more invigorating experience because you’ll watch as two ice carvers dual one another. You’ll be amazed at how drills, chainsaws, and jigsaws are used to create incredibly works of art. Enhancing the experience at night are added lights that illuminate the ice.

But what about the food?!? Whatever kind of food you are in the mood for, you will likely find something to satisfy even the most discerning of palettes. Many of the food and drink offerings can be found along the main walkway, with a handful of kiosks sprinkled around the outside of Gwazi Field. Lobster, venison, shrimp, chicken, and more can be found at the Busch Gardens Food and Wine Festival this year. From new twists on good old-fashioned comfort food to trendy foodie delights, there is no shortage of variety for the park guests this year. The food prices are on par with pricing at similar events including Epcot Food and Wine. With the city of Tampa becoming increasingly known for its foodie and craft beer scene (presently ranked as a top foodie and craft beer locale according to several travel blogs and magazines), it was important for one of the most visited places in Tampa to uphold that growing reputation. Busch Gardens does precisely that with the sheer variety of food, wine, cider, and beer at this year’s event. Since I frequent the event several times over the course of its run, I typically have one or two food items and a glade of wine or two as to not break the bank (haha). This past weekend, I had the highly recommended grilled cheesecake sandwich and key limmen wine. As I am not a food critic nor sommelier, I can only tell you that the dessert was just sweet enough without being too rich, and the wine is mostly dry with a hint of sweetness that paired perfectly with my dessert. I appreciated how the combination wasn’t too sweet, thus allowing me to enjoy the full body of favors. While you are enjoying your food and beverages, be sure to catch the Busch Garden’s jazz cover band at the Peacock Stage.

A big draw to the Busch Gardens Food and Wine festival is the concert lineup each evening! Such a wide variety of music that should pair nicely with anyone’s taste. I did not stay for the concert, but I’ve heard the concerts are packed, and the park guests are thoroughly enjoying their time. On the topic of concerts though, there are three different concert packages that are available for purchase. Two out of the three include food and drink punch cards that give you a fixed number of complementary selections of the food and wine at the festival. The third package does not include food but does include a reserved seating section. Depending on which package you purchase will correspond to the reserved seating section. Sitting closest to the stage is the Tier 1 package and it goes back from there. The concerts are FREE; however, to ensure that you have a seat at the event, you may want to purchase one of the packages. For those who just cannot justify that additional expense in their respective budgets, there is an open seating section as well as plenty of standing room. You can even sit on the ground should you choose.

Food and Wine at Busch Gardens is going on now through April 30th. Don’t miss it!

“Race Through New York Starring Jimmy Fallon” attraction review

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img_9103A cute, fun ride, but ultimately a generic experience. The anticipated new Universal Studios Florida attraction Race Through New York Starring Jimmy Fallon began soft openings this past weekend. If you are unfamiliar with that term, a soft opening is when the attraction is essentially in tech rehearsal operations, meaning that it can start, stop, or turn off certain components at any time. With the successful run of Universal Team Member (staff) previews during the latter part of last week, the attraction went directly into public soft openings. When an attraction goes directly from staff previews to public soft openings, that is usually a good indicator that the ride is in prime operating condition. From the time I entered the queue to the time I exited through the gift shop, it was a flawless experience! Everything from the innovative virtual queue to the ride operation went off without a hitch. Due to the park being in the middle of Mardi Gras and the news of a soft opening of a new attraction, this combination certainly brought in the crowds. With a wait time of a little less than 60mins, it was all-in-all a pleasant experience during the ride’s preview. But, I wouldn’t wait more than 30-45mins for this attraction in the future.

Outstanding queue! Ever since Islands of Adventure opened in 1998 and increasingly so since the Wizarding World of Harry Potter opened in 2010 at Universal Orlando, there has been a demonstrable trend in elaborate queue designs and experiences. Not only are ride designers focussed on the ride itself, but now are nearly equally focussed on creative an immersive experience in the queue. Evidence of this can be found in many of the attractions at Universal, Disney, and Busch Gardens that have opened in the last few years. But I digress. Without question, my favorite part about this new attraction is the queue design and experience. Although I have not been to the Rainbow Room, NBC Studios, or 30 Rock (aside from taking the express elevator to the observation decks), I felt like I had just walked off the streets of New York City and into the studio complex to be part of The Tonight Show‘s live audience. Much like a museum, there are exhibits featuring television production equipment over the decades as well as the evolution of NBC’s iconic peacock logo. Clearly the central figure of the attraction is the current host of The Tonight Show Jimmy Fallon, but there are also exhibits that dedicate a showcase to each of the hosts as well as a mural of all of the hosts together. I spent several minutes just walking around the–what amounts to a–museum.

The reason for the ability to casually stroll through the sequence of showcases: a virtual queue. When you enter the attraction, you are given a colored ticket. Each of the colors for the tickets are taken from the six colors of the NBC peacock. The queue is composed of an entry hallway, NBC/The Tonight Show historic exhibits and showcases, and preshow room. Light fixtures and ambient light, in the various rooms, correspond to the colored tickets that determine what group goes next. When the light changes to the color ticket you hold, then you may proceed to the next waiting area. Making it easy to know where your group is in queue, the order of the colors called are the order of colors on the peacock’s tail. The entry hallway features the evolution of the NBC logo from it’s earliest days to the present. A similar exhibit can be found at the NBC Sports Grill and Brew at CityWalk. Making your way from the entry hallway to the first large waiting space, the next room features tributes to The Tonight Show‘s hosts over the years all around the room in addition to some television production technology over the years. With so much to look at, the time really flies by! This is the first room in which you wait for your color to be called; from this room, you walk upstairs to the next waiting area that truly has the guests in mind in terms of creating a pleasant waiting experience.

As much as I enjoy a museum-like experience in a queue, the next room is definitely my favorite! Enjoy Ragtime Gals and Hashtag the Panda? Then, you’ll be delighted to know that you get to be entertained by them in the final room before entering the studios for your exclusive taping of The Tonight Show. In addition to the live entertaining–which I’ll get to in a moment–there are several sofa-like chairs along the wall with ample USB ports for charging your personal electronic devices. Definitely a convenience if you’re like me and are catching Pokemon, listening to music, texting, and taking pictures while at the park. IMPORTANT: bring your own sync cable! If you are carrying a portable charger, then you already have your sync cable; but if you just have your phone, remember to bring your USB charging cable with you into the queue. In the area of the charging chairs, there are large flat panel displays that offer a variety of games to pass the time. Even with all the people in the waiting area, if I wanted to play the games, it wouldn’t have taken long for one to open up. This is partly due to the various offerings in the room as well as every 10mins or so (on that day), one of the colors would be called. The most entertaining element in this final room before getting on the ride is the Ragtime Gals! Their combination of traditional Atlantic City a’cappella mixed with covers of pop songs and a little lip sync battle thrown in makes them a show not to be missed! The sheer stamina alone was impressive. There had to have only been a few minutes between each set and the cast did not change (as long as I was in there). Furthermore, the repertoire was vast, considering that I never heard a repeat for the 30mins or so that I was in there. After the sets, Hashtag the Panda came out dancing and entertaining the audience. Honestly, this is probably the best queue experience I’ve ever had.

Up to this point, you may be wondering why my opening line included “but ultimately a generic experience” because everything up to this point makes for an exceptional attraction experience! That’s because the ride itself leaves a lukewarm “meh” in your mind. In terms of the race, the studio audience is pitted against Fallon in a race through New York and ultimately to the moon and back. Along the journey, you get to listen to the house band Roots, run into some familiar characters from Fallon’s show, and get to see some of the most visited sites in New York. Much like a video game race, there are checkpoints along the way and plenty of laughs to accompany your zany race through The Big Apple. Rumor had it that the attraction platform would be similar to Epcot’s Soarin’ Over the World (formerly Soarin’ Over California), but that is unfortunately not the case–at least, for the most part. If I were to compare this new attraction to a similar experience at Universal Studios, it would be closest to Despicable Me: Minion Mayhem and at Disney, closest to Star Tours: the Adventure Continues. There are some shared elements with Soarin’ but very few. Essentially, it’s a glorified 3D moving theatre with some water effects to add that 4th dimension to the experience. And that’s just it. What Universal Studios did not need was another 3D theatre attraction; granted, the technology is impressive and the movement of the bleacher style seating is impeccably timed with the movement on the screen. The attraction has some length to it, and it is mildly entertaining; but it simply fails to leave a lasting impact on the park guests. Like I said earlier, the queue is the best part!

What’s missing is more physical movement. With the massive integration of 3D immersive technologies into attractions at most major theme parks, the line between movie and ride is becoming blurred. And that’s not a good thing. Yes, feeling like you are IN the movie instead of learning about the magic of filmmaking (considering there is little magic left in the process) has been the trend for the last decade or so; but, when the experience on the ride feels like just a step above watching a movie, therein lies the problem. The MainStreetMouse on Twitter posted an article recently about how technology is ruining Disney rides, and I think there is a lot to be explored along those lines. Seems like with prolific amounts of mapped projection, elaborate 3D technologies, and synced movement, the unique experience of a “ride” is becoming lost. Physical movement is sacrificed for visual simulation. Not that every ride in a theme park has to be some version of a coaster or dark ride–not the case at all–but when the experience bares little significant difference to watching a movie, the magic of the theme park experience begins to mitigate. Had Race Through New York Starring Jimmy Fallon been closer to Soarin‘ then I would have enjoyed it immensely more, or if it had been closer to Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey then the experience would have been memorable, impactful. Since the entire ride experience consists of a moving 3D theatre, it just lacks qualities that make it truly memorable. Theme parks need to lay off the massive integration of 3D and spend more time on how to integrate significant physical movement into future attractions.

LEGOLAND Florida Resort’s Beach Retreat & Ninjago

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beachretreatWant to visit the beach and Legoland while in Florida? Well, Legoland Florida Resort will be opening their newest resort hotel property in April. The Legoland Beach Retreat combines the best of scaled LEGO designs with many of the amenities and features of staying beachside. Whereas the actual beach is over an hour away, Legoland pulled out all the stops to create that beachy atmosphere for future guests.

The Beach Retreat is a more affordable option for larger families or those families who are traveling together to Legoland. Since the resort hotel accommodations are in the form of beach bungalows, there is plenty of room for you and the kids! Each bungalow is placed in a cove with other bungalows with a playground in the middle. Located off a large lake, this resort property feels every bit as close to the ocean as the Polynesian Resort does at Walt Disney World. Incredibly colorful! I loved the feeling of being a LEGO figure amidst a beachside neighborhood. For those who want to dine at the resort or simply grab a drink, then head to the Lighthouse!

Although the resort is still under construction, I was able to attend a media day the other day. Once the hotel is completed, I will definitely return to take more photos. But, I have a couple photos included with this article so you can get an idea of what the hotel will look like.

Legoland Florida is expanding rapidly, and that is exciting indeed! With a theme park, water park, deluxe hotel, and now moderate hotel, where will it expand next??? Oh yeah, don’t forget to check out the newly opened Ninjago World as well!

‘Welcome Christmas’ with a Holiday Who-bilation at Universal Orlando

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image1“Welcome Christmas!’ From haunted houses to a holiday Who-bilation, Universal Orlando Resort transforms from a macabre landscape of familiar and endearing horror IPs to a bright, cheerful Christmas spectacular! Grinchmas and the Macy’s Holiday Parade offer a fabulous opportunity to experience the joy of the Holiday Season with friends and family. With both Universal Studios Florida (US) and Universal’s Islands of Adventure (IoA) theme parks providing ample opportunities to enjoy this festive season, you will find it hard to get it all in one day. With many of the events not beginning until after 3:00pm, the parks offer moderately extended hours until 9/10pm most nights with some later evenings between Christmas and New Years. IoA is home to the live show How the Grinch Stole Christmas and US houses the Macy’s Holiday Parade. Although those two events are the headliners, there are other smaller opportunities that are also very much enjoyable. From toy soldiers and elves handing out candy to many photo opportunities with large, familiar Macy’s balloons, there is sure to be something for everyone to enjoy.

While many people are all about parades and character meet and greets, my favorite parts of any Christmas limited engagement event at a theme park are the shows, lights, decorations, and music. I love seeing how the theme parks that I visit regularly transform into memorable fantastic holiday celebrations. For those who attend both the Halloween and Christmas events in the parks, it’s incredibly fun to experience the sensation of being in the same building or standing in the queue area that once housed a film/tv-based haunted house, but now is overflowing with colorful Christmas cheer. Both US and IoA are a bountiful buffet of holiday experiences that ARE INCLUDED with general admission or your annual pass. If you are traveling to the area or simply do not have an annual pass, I strongly suggest a 1-day park hopper ticket or a 2-day one park ticket. With happy holiday offerings going on in both parks concurrently, you’ll definitely want to enjoy both for a dynamic experience. Planned well, you can definitely watch both the Grinchmas show and the Macy’s Parade. The holiday season is the busiest time of year in the parks, so you’ll want to note that if you have a brief visit to Universal Orlando, there is a high degree of probability that you may not get to experience all the holiday offerings and the regular operating attractions. Just like the Christmas season creates hustle and bustle in the stores, there is quite the holiday hustle and bustle in the parks as well. All in all, this is the most magical time of year to visit theme parks! Unless you prefer Halloween, then September/October is your most wonderful time of the year!

Seuss Landing at Islands of Adventure is home to the official Grinchmas celebration! One of Dr. Seuss’ most beloved stories–if not THE most beloved–is the story of How the Grinch Stole Christmas published by Random House in 1957. Written as social commentary on the commercialization of Christmas, Dr. Seuss’ words in this story have impacted generation after generation through the original narrative, the animated classic, and Universal’s live action film starring Jim Carrey as The Grinch. You don’t have to be a Whovillian to feel a special tug at your heartstrings during the live performance of this most beautiful story at Seuss Landing. Many literary professors feel strongly that The Grinch was Dr. Seuss’ favorite character (followed closely by, if not on par with the Cat in the Hat). Being fond of the Christmas of year’s past, Dr. Seuss was growing irritated at the focus shifting from giving to selling. How the Grinch Stole Christmas was his way of cathartically getting these feelings off his chest. He essentially slid the mortal in sideways. Much like with most of Dr. Seuss works, this story is a creative social commentary on the state of Christmas in a post-modern society.

The best part of the Grinchmas show is how it brilliantly combines the efficiency of the storytelling found in the animated classic with the humor of the live action film. It’s neither adapting the animated movie for stage nor is it adapting and abridging the live action film for a theme park setting. The writers of the show, along with the music Chip Davis & Mannheim Steamroller, combine their efforts to create a whole new experience for park guests. There are scenes, jokes, and narration that you won’t find in the book, animated classic, nor live action film. So, just because you have read the book or seen either screen adaption, does not mean that the live show will feel redundant. I see the show every year and absolutely enjoy myself. This year, my friends and I had VIP seating so the show was all the more exciting. With a fantastic narrator, outstanding chorus, and excellent lead characters, this show will keep you entertained and touch that special Christmas place in your heart. “Where are you Christmas?” Right here! As this IS the story of The Grinch, the show includes familiar songs from the animated movie and live action film. The show is greatly helped by the characters not attempting to recreate their respective screen counterparts but borrowing from the book and both movies to create all new characters who embody the best of what the former had to offer. Even the Grinch is a combination of both Boris Karloff’s and Jim Carrey’s Grinches. Don’t miss the opportunity to enjoy the show while the season begins to come to a close.

Across the lagoon from IoA is Universal Studios’ Christmas celebration with Macy’s Holiday Parade as the headliner! From Hollywood Blvd to The Garden of Allah to New York City, US has truly decked the halls across the park. Guests can experience the parade during the day or in the evening. With multiple runtimes, there is definitely a chance for everyone to get to enjoy the festivities. Prior to the running of the parade, elves, sugarplums, and other colorful holiday characters interact with guests. You may even get some candies and mints from Santa’s little helpers along the way. The parade floats are larger than life and effectively provide a comparable experience to that of the official Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. If you want a good spot from which to view the parade, be sure to line up at least an hour in advance if not a little more so.

There is so much to see and do as Universal Orlando celebrates the holiday season culminating with a top-notch New Year’s Eve celebration this year. As the festivities are included with general park admission, this is an event that anyone visiting the park can enjoy with their friends, family, and loved ones.

 

Holiday Magic at SeaWorld’s Christmas Celebration and Busch Gardens’ Christmas Town

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img_8142Central Florida is definitely not short on places to spend the holidays! From the theme parks to the zoos, aquarium, and large resorts, there is something for everyone. Last weekend, I experienced Christmas Town at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay and Christmas Celebration at SeaWorld Orlando. Both events feature Rudolph and his friends as well as Santa and his elves; however, the parks differ in the shows and other offerings. So, even though you can meet Rudolph and Santa at both parks, you will find that both are well worth a visit and will both contribute uniquely to your Christmastime celebrations! Since SeaWorld Orlando and Busch Gardens Tampa Bay are only one hour from each other, they both essentially pull on the majority of the same local population. Therefore, as similar as many of the experiences are, the offerings have to be different enough in order to convince locals to visit both. Having experienced them within the same weekend, I’ve been able to analyze the similarities and differences while both are fresh in my mind. If I had to sum up the experience at both Christmas Celebration and Christmas Town respectively, the one word that best encapsulates the overarching theme is nostalgia. From the Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer characters to the music, shows, and lights throughout the parks, the individual elements are combined to showcase a more traditional Christmas blend of carols, [Florida] snow, light-covered buildings, nativities, and live shows…For the full article CLICK HERE!

Such a variety! I think that is what I like best about how Busch Gardens and SeaWorld created this year’s Christmas limited engagement events. Whereas Disney’s Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party is a pricey hard ticketed event, SeaWorld, Busch Gardens, and even Universal’s holiday celebrations are included with with either your annual pass or day-ticket. That in and of itself, makes the SeaWorld and Busch Gardens events that much more fun! Why? Because it is quite difficult to fit everything in one night. Although the Christmas Celebration and Christmas Town events ARE included with your annual pass or day admission, the majority of the magic does not begin until the latter part of the afternoon. Unlike during Howl-O-Scream when Busch is opened until 12-1am, it closes at 9-10 during Christmas Town. SeaWorld keeps similar operating hours at Christmas to that of the Spooktacular. With the relatively abbreviated Christmas hours (as compared to Halloween), you may find yourself planning a return trip to the parks respectively or contemplating an annual pass. Since I go to the parks regularly, I have efficient time management down to a science and even I cannot get it all in. Even as I write this, there are some offerings I was unable to experience at both parks this past weekend. So, I am definitely going back! If you are only planning one trip to one or both, get there early and do your best to plan out the order in which you and your friends/family are going to experience everything.

Christmas Town at Busch Gardens is an annual event that has been going on since 2012. For the first two years it was a separately (hard) ticketed event but since 2014 has been included with day admission and annual passes. Since the event went from hard ticketed to complementary, there has been a mitigation in specialty offerings; however, the event is still full of holiday cheer and a great assortment of character meet and greets and limited engagement shows. There are so many wonderful photo opportunities throughout the park with beautiful and fun backdrops. The entire park is open with a few exceptions, meaning that you can ride all your favorite rides at night! For those who are familiar with the late Pinky [the dancing flamingo], there is a tribute to her near the front entrance with lots of pink Christmas lights. If you enjoy hearing traditional Christmas hymns, then be sure to stop by Christmas From the Heart in the old Madagascar stage. It’s a classy show with small band, and a moderately sized chorus. Perhaps you prefer traditional and contemporary pop hits! Then, stop by the Christmas Celebration show in the Pantopia Theatre. With a wide range of hits featuring some of your favorite singalong tunes and of course Santa himself, this show is incredibly fun and festive. The cast and crew at the Moroccan Theatre put a Christmas spin on the daily iceskating show that is certainly not to be missed. Don’t forget to stop by the Crown Colony restaurant across from Cheetah Hunt to watch thousands of dancing lights move to the beats of Trans-Siberian and Mannheim Steamroller. Think of it as Osborne Lights lite. An incredible assortment of shows that feature lots of different kinds of music and acts with the central theme of Christmas. I love the variety of shows because they do not feel like something that you can get everyday. Feels truly like a special seasonal event.

Headlining Christmas Town (and Christmas Celebration) this year is Rudolph and his friends from the Rankin-Bass holiday classic. Even before meeting the characters, the queue is filled with little vignettes from the movie–great for photo opportunities. You get to meet Yukon Cornelius, Bumble, Clarice, and Rudolph! There are also some wonderful plushies (I bought one) and ornaments to choose from in the gift shoppe. A staple at Christmas Town is Santa’a House sponsored by Coca-Cola. Appropriate because the whole idea of the red jolly Santa we all know and love comes from a Coca-Cola ad campaign. Even before meeting the big man himself, you get to spend time with elves and Mrs. Claus. One elf in particular–Curley–she was incredibly friendly and created a warm inviting atmosphere from the time she opened the door! It’s more than a meet and greet, there is an entire show element to the Santa experience. Lastly, no review of Christmas Town would be complete without mentioning the Singalong Train! Boarding at the North Pole station outside of Santa’s house, park guests can ride the train (normally used for the safari) and ride around signing Christmas carols and songs with one another. Takes the idea Christmas caroling to the next level! The singalong train is always my favorite activity at Christmas Town.

Just a hop, skip, and a jump away from Busch Gardens is SeaWorld’s Christmas Celebration. At Christmas Celebration you’ll find Rudolph and his friends as well as Santa Claus but there is so much more that is truly different from Christmas Town. SeaWorld transforms their seasonay operating Ports of Call into a Christmas Village! From a miniature train sets to live acts, the Christmas Village is incredibly festive and fun! Be sure to get some hot cocoa. So many wonderful places to take selfies and group photos. I love all the lights! Speaking of lights, you will definitely be able to watch the Sea of Trees light up and dance to some of your favorite Christmas songs. You can either catch the show shoreside or take a stroll along the boardwalk across the lagoon. Over one million lights! Much like Busch Gardens, SeaWorld also has some stunning seasonal show offerings to delight everyone young and old. Although not part of daily operations, SeaWorld also has an iceskating show at Christmastime. Winder Wonderland on Ice is a terrific show featuring talented figure skaters moving to many different carols and songs. Preceding the show is SeaWorld’s answer to Straight No Chaser. The male quarter entertains the audience for about 20mins with excellent harmony and jokes. If you’re lucky, you’ll time it just right to watch the Sea of Trees while you are waiting on the ice show to begin. Although I miss The Polar Express overlay on the Arctic Adventure, there are still many other rides available when you want a break from shows and character meet and greets.

Both the Clyde & Seamore and Shamu shows receive holiday overlays during Christmas Celebration. Since I did not experience the Christmas Miracle show at Shamu Stadium, I am unable to comment on that, but the Clyde and Seamore show’s Countdown to Christmas was fantastic! Even on a regular park ops day, it is one of my favorite shows at SeaWorld. Clyde and Seamore are back and funnier than ever in this holly jolly holiday show. Countdown to Christmas is about Clyde and Seamore’s goal to meet several requirements so Santa can visit! The most popular Christmas show a SeaWorld is not Clyde & Seamore nor Shamu, but O Wonderous Night located in the Nautilus Theatre. Not your typical nativity story, O Wonderous Night centers around the animals located in the stable where Mary and Joseph took baby Jesus more than two thousands years ago. We get to here the nativity story from the perspective of the animals who each played a special part in that wonderous night. If you plan to watch that show, you need to know that it is important to queue up at least an hour before showtime. It consistently fills up prior to curtain. Although Busch Gardens also has a Christmas Village in Gwazi Field, the village at SeaWorld seems to have more to offer.

Well, there ya have it! Two phenomenal ways to spend the holidays with your friends and family. Or, be like me and experience it Han style–solo. Although you might think that it isn’t as much fun on your own, you can still have a blast celebrating Christmas at SeaWorld Parks and Entertainment this holiday season. Lots of opportunities to sing, dance, and even meet some favorite characters along the way. Especially for those who enjoy a more traditional Christmas, these parks are the place to be. I guarantee that it will feel Christmassy from the time that you enter the park. It is so important that the parks make seasonal events feel special and unlike what you can typically get as part of daily/regular operations, and Busch Gardens and SeaWorld know how to create that holiday magic to warm your heart.