Debi and her family arriving at SeaWorld!
I have a friend who is nuts about SeaWorld. For the past several years she has purchased season passes for her family of five and they visit the park several times a year. You probably think they live in San Antonio, right? Nope. They are in Houston and make a road trip to see Shamu every spring and fall and several times in the summer.
In fact, Debi, her husband and three kids just got back from a visit over Thanksgiving break. While I went to SeaWorld during Halloween (which was awesome!) I wanted to hear all about her trip and what’s new and different during the Christmas holiday.
(I decided to do this post “interview style” and I’m not gonna lie….I felt all Katie Couric – ish)
Still Living The Dream (SLTD for short….that’s ME!): Debi, you’re nuts over SeaWorld. What’s up with that?!
Debi: We LOVE SeaWorld. It’s one of the few places that my 16 year-old daughter, nine-year-old daughter and seven-year-old son all enjoy.
SLTD: Even though you live in Houston, you have purchased season passes for the past several years. Is it worth it?
Debi: I’m very frugal. SeaWorld gives you a lot of bang for your buck. Since we go many times a year…it’s very affordable.
SLTD: How else do you save money when you visit the park?
Debi: We get great deals on hotels through priceline.com and a lot of hotels have shuttles to the park so you don’t have to pay for parking.
A while back we bought the refillable drink bottles and popcorn container and we bring them each time for free ice-water or $1.00 soda refills and $1.00 popcorn refills.
SLTD: Don’t you get bored after going to the park so many times?
Debi: No….there’s always a new show or attraction and the park does it up for Halloween and Christmas with special events and entertainment.
SLTD: I went to SeaWorld for Halloween and had a blast. They had trick or treating, special decorations and shows that my kids loved. Tell me about what’s different at SeaWorld for Christmas.
Debi: First of all, while we love summer time at SeaWorld, fall and spring are great times to go because the park isn’t as crowded.
SLTD: I know! My kids loved that the lines were shorter and the park was calmer when we went at Halloween.
Debi: We rode The Great White in the front seats three times in a row without waiting and only had to show up about five minutes before the Shamu show to get a good seat!
SLTD: Was the Shamu show Christmas related?
The Sea Lion Show
Debi: Yes – so cute. All of the shows were. My favorite was the sea lion and otter “countdown to Christmas” show. So stinkin’ cute! But there were a lot of other cool things there, too.
SLTD: Tell me more! (picture me with my hand on my chin as I inch up in my seat and give an inquisitve look to Debi!!)
Debi: Jenn, you’re a dork.
SLTD: Yes. Yes, I am. But go on.
Mrs. Dolphin Claus!
Debi: Well, different areas are decorated in different themes. By the park entrance there was the pathway of lights where you can stroll along and meet different characters dressed up and take free pictures.
Candy Cane Forest
By the Shamu roller coaster was the candy cane forest and there is a little, cute cartoonish type house where you can get hot cocoa.
SLTD: Cute!
Debi: And there are a lot of strolling entertainers like people on stilts dressed up like elves and nutcrackers, carolers and Christmas marachi band.
Sheriff Snowman
SLTD: And what about the big guy? Was he there?
Debi: Yes, Santa is at SeaWorld and for just $11 for two people, you can have milk and cookies with him.
SLTD: My kids would love that!
Debi: We had a blast and stayed all day on Friday (from noon to 9:00 p.m.) then came back on Saturday. The park is SO pretty at night with all the lights.
SLTD: Anything else?
Debi: Oh, be sure to check out the 4D movie featuring Polar Express. It’s about 20 minutes long and so cool. The “ride” moves and the room gets foggy . It’s like you’re really on the train.
SLTD: Will you be getting passes again next year?
Debi: YES! Especially since Aquatica is opening in the spring. My kids are SO excited.
SLTD: I know! We checked out SeaWorld’s unique water park in Orlando a couple months ago and it’s unbelievable. I’ll be posting more about all that the water park will offer on my blog soon.
Debi: I’m jealous!
SLTD: Of my good looks or charming personality?
Debi: We’re through here!
SLTD: Love ya, Debi
Debi: Loving ya, back!
Did I miss my calling or what?! I should be on 60 minutes with my “in your face” interviewing techniques that probe for the honest answers. I swear I saw Debi cry during our talk. Tears of joy, no doubt!
This is my friend Chuck (the trainer, not the whale). If you go to SeaWorld, tell him I said hi.
A Giveaway!
So are you ready to kick the holidays into gear with a trip to SeaWorld? I have a family four-pack of tickets to offer one lucky Still Living The Dream reader. All you have to do is leave a comment about your favorite holiday tradition. Tickets are good until January 2012 for the SeaWorld San Antonio location only. One winner will be selected at random on Wednesday, December 7, 2011, at 11:59 p.m. CST.
More chances? You know it. Leave a separate comment for each item you do below.
- Follow me on Twitter at @jpatrickcomm
- “Like” Still Living The Dream on Facebook
- Follow me via Google Friend Connect
- Sign up to receive Still Living The Dream posts via email (see top of this blog)
- Tweet this giveaway daily for another entry each day by using the following language: “I entered to win four tickets to SeaWorld San Antonio. You can, too! http://bit.ly/sYAxEq @jpatrickcomm”
My favorite holiday tradition is my family’s annual cookie decorating party! We usually do it a few days before Christmas and everyone loves doing it, and we have plenty of cookies for Santa!
I went this past summer for the first time. A girlfriend and I took 5 kids(4 teens) and one younger. It was so fun we only wanted to kill the teens a few times…lol. My husband hasn’t been yet and I’m hoping to fine a weekend we can sneak away, as a family and enjoy the park at Christmas. Maybe even create a new tradition.
Our family hosts a New years Eve party every year for all the other families in our neighborhood with small children. We have a pot luck soup supper, and an early NYE countdown for the kids.
I follow you on Facebook too.
I am subscribed in email too.;)
One of our favorite traditions for Christmas is , we load up in my AWESOME minivan, wearing our PJ’s , drinking hot cocoa , playing Christmas music too load ( windows down-of course) , and we go through Copperfield and look at as many Christmas lights and decorations that we can before someone needs to go potty!
Its a great time and I’m hoping my kids ( ages 5&7) will not only remember the fun times, but will continue to enjoy it with us through junior high and beyond…..
My favorite holiday tradition is making sugar cookies (from scratch) and decorating them (with icing that is also made from scratch!) SO much fun!!!
I follow you on twitter as @Doodle741
I like you on facebook – Sara P!
I get your emails! (That’s how I knew about this contest!)
Tweeted! https://twitter.com/#!/Doodle741/status/142000847553953793
oh wow- this would be so awesome- we love San Antionio….my favorite holiday tradition is taking the kids to see the lights around town- we go almost every night the last 2 weeks and the other tradition i like is our work cookie swap
tcogbill at live dot com
i follow gfc-tcogbill
tcogbill at live dot com
i get your emails
tcogbill at live dot com
My favorite holiday tradition in getting together and making christmas fudge and cookies with my momma. He is the most amazing person I know. She is so crafty and helps me save so much. I love the amazing smells that fill my house. And not to mention the amazing goodies that will fill my belly. I do have two small children we now have been including in our tradition, my son (2 years) and my daughter (8 months). Watching them try to help melts my heart. I love every minute of my day with them.
I like you on facebook too
I follow your GFC – Doodle741!
i follow you on twitter-katychick123
tcogbill at live dot com
i like you on fb-tess c
tcogbill at live dot com
http://twitter.com/#!/katychick123/status/142068111724642304
i tweeted-katychick123
tcogbill at live dot com
I love watching my boys wake up each morning and search for the elf! They get so excited to look for him each morning and it keeps them in check for a month, since the elf flys back to Santa every night to report in! I think I need to implement the 365 day visiting elf!
http://twitter.com/#!/katychick123/status/142434192800747520
i tweeted
katychick123
tcogbill at live dot com
Tweeted! https://twitter.com/#!/Doodle741/status/142443498887577600
http://twitter.com/#!/katychick123/status/142592424282296320
i tweeted
tcogbill at live dot com
so awesome
Tweeted! https://twitter.com/#!/Doodle741/status/142807266788261888
http://twitter.com/#!/katychick123/status/142963302048346112
tweeted-katychick123
tcogbill at live dot com
My favorite tradition is decorating the tree. We pull out all the ornaments and the boys dcorate as high as they can reach and we plug it in. My mom itches with anxiety over the three large ornaments on one branch and forces herself to wait until the kids have gotten over the initial wonder and awe to redistribute the ornaments in a balanced way.
Miss seeing you around by the way.
Tweeted! https://twitter.com/#!/Doodle741/status/143176557618409472
http://twitter.com/#!/katychick123/status/143504737269067776
tweeted-katychick123
tcogbill at live dot com
i really want to go!!!!!!!!
Tweeted! https://twitter.com/#!/Doodle741/status/143534524557557760
http://twitter.com/#!/katychick123/status/143781487337148416
tweeted-katychick123
tcogbill at live dot com
Tweeted! https://twitter.com/#!/Doodle741/status/143894703451017216
http://twitter.com/#!/katychick123/status/143936686085251072
tweeted…katychick123
tcogbill at live dot com
We went to corpus with the whole family – great time, though as a kid, we used to go to our beach house in the cape – fun times
I follow you on Facebook – Adventuresof8(at)yahoo(dot)com
I follow you on Twitter – @adventuresof8 – Adventuresof8(at)yahoo(dot)com
Tweeted! https://twitter.com/#!/Doodle741/status/144256243333214208
http://twitter.com/#!/katychick123/status/144520525283205121
i tweeted-katychick123
tcogbill at live dot com
i cant wait
Tweeted! https://twitter.com/#!/Doodle741/status/144586868116303872