A day at Seaworld - I love coasters …

I visited SeaWorld Adventure Park last week with my wife and two children. I have a daughter 13 and son 10. We live in Celebration, FL so we have the good fortune of being able to visit the parks often.

We got to SeaWorld and went directly to Kraken. The wait said 30 minutes so we got in line. I use to love roller coasters but the older I get, the less I like them. And, I would classify Kraken as an “extreme” roller coaster. I would strongly recommend it to all roller coaster enthusiasts as there are no less than three 360 degree loops along with twists and turns that will give you a good adrenaline rush. As I said, when I was younger, I would have ridden Kraken time and time again because it is an incredible ride but once is good enough (my kids went for a second time as once was not quite good enough for them). Another fun thing that the kids like to do is to make a goofy face when SeaWorld takes your picture on the ride. The photo is taken right after the first 360 degree loop so you see some pretty funny pictures of people freaking out. However, my kids have ridden it so many times that they are able to look like they are bored, while everyone else has their mouths wide open with excitement or fear.

We did not have time for Believe - the show with Shamu nor the Clyde & Seamore show that features sea lions. I have seen both of them before and they are both fantastic. However, the Clyde & Seamore show needs updating. It is basically the same show that has been going for the last decade. I highly recommend Believe. This show was totally updated last year and is outstanding.

The other show that we attended was Blue Horizons that features dolphins and birds. Again, SeaWorld has done a great job with this show. The dolphins jump so high into the air doing flips, it is amazing. I did not realize how fast Dolphins can swim, it is so cool to see them dart around in the water. At one point, two dolphins take their nose and push one of the trainers about two feet below the surface of the water. The trainer extends one arm straight out as he is being pushed through the water at a fast pace - it was really neat. The trainers also ride the dolphins, one on each foot. The birds, mostly cockatiels, add a special touch as they fly above the audience.

All in all, SeaWorld is one of the best parks in Orlando and is my favorite of choice.

Universal to open “Harry Potter” theme park.

With the latest installment of the insanely popular Harry Potter movies due out in weeks, Universal Orlando announces a Harry Potter theme park. I’ll be the first in line for the Quidditch ride!!!

This comes as good news for visitor to Orlando and locals alike. Universal Studios Orlando is feeling a little dated these days (why is the Bill Paxton still introducing a flying cow?) and the park(s) need some improvement. With the already announced Simpsons ride, Universal is poised to spend upwards of $260 million to complete the “park within a park” and is committing 20 acres to the project.

Opinion: This is going to inject some much needed buzz into the Orlando vacation industry and should bring up Universal Orlando’s attendance numbers - something that Disney doesn’t have a problem with.

- Bill D.