THEME PARKS A FabulousFamily By Abby Jenkins AT SEAWORLD ® ORLANDO Thrilling coaster rides, dolphin encounters, an icy penguin habitat and an orca show make for a wonderful experience. Experience Sea Lions Up-Close Tour ©SeaWorld While Emily rode Manta a second time, I took the younger girls, Ella, 8, and Evie, 5, through the nearby Manta Aquarium, which is filled with all kinds of rays and fish, and we touched rays at Stingray Lagoon. So cool! ©SeaWorld, Antarctica Empire of the Penguin Rainbow Room Dolphin Cove Halfway through our ride on Manta at SeaWorld® Orlando, I realized my face was covered in sweat. I was swirling, looping through the air, narrowly missing the treetops— or so it seemed. On Manta, you ride facing downward, like a giant ray. At 41, and with two daughters too little to ride most roller coasters, I’d forgotten just how thrilling thrill rides could be. Strapped in next to me was Emily, my girls’ 14-year-old babysitter, who’d accompanied us to the park. She laughed gleefully through the whole ride, and when it ended, she wanted to go again, this time with my husband Rick. It was exciting for sure, but once was enough for me. 16 Kissimmee Destination Magazine We’d all been looking forward to our next experience, which must be reserved in advance—SeaWorld’s Dolphins Up-Close Tour—and it managed to exceed our expectations. We were mere inches from a beautiful, powerful dolphin. We got to stroke her fins, tail and body and watched her twirl, dive and splash… so much so that she soaked us. The experience was as thrilling as any coaster. Still damp, we rode the “wild” version of Antarctica: Empire of the Penguin®. Ella, a penguin-lover, was elated when the ride ended at an icy habitat where we saw
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