Sunday, August 9
Tim, Samantha, Laura and Carson
From Mesa, AZ
have a lot of fond memories of Sea World, and was looking forward to creating some new memories with my family. It was our first visit to Sea World in three years, and I was anxious to see some amazing animals. Imagine our surprise when we were approached by Laura, a Sea World employee, shortly after we entered the park. After asking us a few questions (which I initially assumed she was going to try to sell us something – sorry, Laura!), she told us we had been selected as the VIP Group of the Day. Who knew we were going to win the Sea World lottery when we arrived at the park that Sunday morning? And to think my main goal was to finish off the day without anybody getting a sun burn. (I was the official sunscreen applier that day. It is a tough job, but somebody has to do it).
Our day was amazing! Laura escorted us to a facility behind the scenes where we were allowed to meet the newest members of the Sea World family – two week old dolphins! We also learned Sea World takes in and nurtures rescued sea lions. In addition, we learned that Sea World has successfully bred their animals for over 30 years. They haven’t had to collect any animals from the ocean since the early 1970s. I knew I liked this place!
The Dolphin Encounter was the highlight of the day, and we have the photos to prove it. What an incredible experience to not only touch a dolphin, but to interact with this magnificent animal! We followed the lead of Kenna, our enthusiastic trainer. As a family, we asked Captain, our new dolphin friend, to squeak, whistle, dance, play dead, and even have a water fight with our daughter, which she loved. Did I ever think our family would do something like this? The answer is simply no. We consider ourselves to be extremely fortunate to have had this wonderful experience.
We loved all the shows, and appreciated the reserved seating. Knowing we didn’t have to rush to the next show allowed us to explore some of the “quieter” places in the park. We strolled through the aquariums, held starfish in our hands (my son’s favorite activity), touched California bat rays (my daughter’s favorite activity), and explored every inch of the park. We rode the Sky Tower during the day and again at night. We laughed at our photo being shown on the big screen at the Shamu Stadium. We appreciated the Sea World staff ensuring we were enjoying our visit and making us feel welcome. We basked in the excitement of the special day as a family. As we headed out of the park after our adventure was over, my son told me, “Mommy, this was the best day of my entire life.”
We are so grateful to have been recipients of this incredible gift, and to have created memories that will last a lifetime. Thank you to our friends at Sea World. I’m sure we’ll see you again very soon! And my son wants you to know if you ever have trouble finding a VIP Group for the day, we’re more than willing to help you out. (I told him you probably won’t have a problem in the future, but he insisted I let you know).
Laura
