A sneak peak of SeaWorlds latest coaster – Manta

I was invited to the VIP opening of Manta, SeaWorld’s new adventure roller coaster, that is taking place on May 24th.  However, the ride opened earlier than expected to the public and my kids could not wait so we went and rode Manta today.

All I can say is WOW.  The entrance to the ride is pretty cool, literally, as much of it is indoors and nicely air conditioned.  There are aquariums along the route for viewing – nice for taking your mind off the long wait.  Fortunately for us, the wait was only 10 minutes.

You enter the ride and sit in a seat, very similar to Kraken (SeaWorld’s other roller coaster).  However, before you take off, the seat tilts forward so you are parallel to the ground.  The ride is called Manta because it mimics a manta swimming and gliding through the water.  However, this ride is a bit extreme – defiantly not for people who do not like roller coasters.  The g-force is pretty intense, especially the second drop where you roll through a full frontal loop – very extreme.  There are many twists, rolls and loops.  One part that is especially fun is where you drop down towards the water, nearly skimming it with your body.  We went on the ride 3 times, once in the front, once in the middle and once in the back.  The front has the best view while the back has the most g-force.

Huge kudos to SeaWorld as this is an awesome ride.  If you’re traveling to Orlando, make sure you check out.www.globalresorthomes.com for your lodging needs.

A visit to the Magic Kingdom: What was old is new again

As a local, it’s rare that I would spend a full day in any Orlando theme park. This is especially true of the Magic Kingdom. While a ‘must see’ for any first timer, I’ve been there 30 times (at least) and these days it’s enough to visit for a few hours or attend a special event such as Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween. Perhaps we’ll have dinner with visiting family, hop on It’s a Small World or just watch the fireworks. Whatever we do, we are in and out. However, when visiting relatives want an escorted trip through the park it’s hard to say no.

Such was our trip this past Friday to the Magic Kingdom. My 13 year old daughter was off from school so she accompanied my mother, father (he’s never been to the Magic Kingdom) and myself for 10 hours of retro Disney magic. When we go with first timers around the park (any park) it’s hard not to say, “Oh, that’s not worth a 60 minute wait” or “That show isn’t worth seeing”. Sure, for the 10th time, it’s not worth standing in line for Space Mountain but if it’s your first time and you can’t come to the park like you were going to a local mall it is very much worth it. We keep our mouths shut.

So we did it all! Every ride and nearly every show. In the process I checked off the few remaining things that I hadn’t yet experienced in the Magic Kingdom and ate dinner a ‘new’ restaurant - The Liberty Tree Tavern. To my own surprise, the day was a lot of fun. For once, the weather was very cold (for Florida) and the crowds were light. Most rides were less then a 15-20 minute wait and it wasn’t a problem getting a table for dinner. As we walked out of the Liberty Tree Tavern (highly recommended – $150.00 for 4 adults with tip) at 8pm the sky was filled with fireworks which was a nice touch for my parents.

At the end of the day I was beat. Miles of walking and shuffling in line takes it’s toll. My daughter fell asleep in the car as she did the first time we took her to Magic Kingdom. The whole thing had a deja vu feeling to it. Even after so many visit to Disney, this place never truly wears off and thats a nice feeling to have.

With no one due in town until the summer, I doubt we’ll be going back to MK anytime soon. Certainly, it will be ‘in and out’ if we do. This full day trip was a little easier because we got to skip the children’s rides (too uncool for a 13 year old) and just concentrate on the main attractions. I have a feeling that in the coming years we’ll be spending much more time in the Magic Kingdom though. My one month old daughter hasn’t been there yet! I’m going to need some comfortable shoes.

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