I know, I know. The end of the year doesn't quite match up in dates. But, trust me, you do not want to be at Disney, Universal Studios, SeaWorld or even the new LegoLand the week between Christmas and New Year's.
Why? The parks are zoos. During Christmas week, the parks often cut off admission due to capacity (usually by 12 noon to 2pm) so arrive at park opening if going. And, be prepared for lines that will be 2+ hours long for popular attractions.
Our last holiday adventure (well, for 2011... Disney holds over some of their holiday special events until the first week of January) was SeaWorld.
I'll just say it. SeaWorld for Christmas is awesome.
We were there for 12 hours and started by buying the SeaWorld all-day dining pass. Yes, we did it again. First stop, Voyagers for breakfast:
Next, we headed over to my favorite SeaWorld Christmas attraction - The Polar Express. I still can't believe they transform this "ride" just for the holidays. Awesome virtual experience.
Classic Christmas music played all through the parks making our hand-in-hand strolls romantic and full of holiday cheer. After much walking around, enjoying the details of all the decorations, we had lunch at Mango Joe's. My lunch was a "holiday special" of roast beef, mashed potatoes and gravy in a bread bowl topped with cheddar cheese. Good, but the roast beef was a bit chewy. And, a bit pricey at $15 (but, it was included in the eating pass).
From our lunch spot, we had a daylight view of the "Sea of Trees". A really cool idea that lights up at night to music. Fun!
We strolled around more, taking in the full experience of a SeaWorld Christmas and found ourselves hungry again. So yes, it was time for dinner. And, I'm happy to report it was one of the best chicken and ribs meals we've ever had at Voyagers. The chicken was so moist and meaty. The ribs were hot and not too fatty. The "holiday meal" which included ham and turkey was pretty good, but not awesome. If it was not included in the meal deal, we would not have paid the hefty $15 price.
After dinner, it was time for the SeaWorld Christmas at night. We started with brand new show, "The Greatest Christmas Story Never Told". Puppets, choir singers and live animals put on a heartwarming holiday performance.
One of my favorite decorated areas was the Pizza and Pasta Buffet area. It was decorated with brilliant red Christmas trees. Really looked amazing:
Next we grabbed a spot for the SeaWorld ice skating show (we were almost too late for a seat). The stadium filled up quickly. Get there early! We loved the skating show. It was a really warm night (still in the 70s) so the ice had many puddles. Luckily no one took a fall!
Last, but not least, the evening at SeaWorld ends with spectacular fireworks and multiple performances of the Sea of Trees. The entire waterway is filled with Christmas trees that light up and change colors to music (similar to Disney's Osborne Family Lights). Really fun.
Well, that does it. 52 weeks (sort of) of Disney. I didn't exactly meet my goal of one visit per week, but I sure did come close. And, I made many more than 52 visits total so I'm going to count this year as "goal met". Thanks for joining me.