| Evelyn Hannon
SeaWorld
is both fun and educational...
After
the fun of four days in Disney World, it was hard for us to leave
sunny Florida immediately. Instead my family weaned itself with
one last bit of play at SeaWorld
and a short, luxurious stay at the Renaissance Orlando Resort
at SeaWorld. It was the perfect ending to a perfect holiday. SeaWorld
provides great entertainment and learning opportunities for the
whole family. In fact, there is so much to see and do that we
had a hard time choosing which shows and rides we would concentrate
on first. After much discussion we went to see the star of the
park, Shamu the killer whale. You can imagine the impression that
made on the little ones. Then we all laughed ourselves silly at
the hilarious sea lion and otter show. Finally, simply by meandering
through the park we found penguins to observe and new born dolphins
to coo about. We talked about the huge polar bears and sharks
with very big teeth. A clown made fun of one of the dads in our
family. The kids howled.
By
two o'clock when the hot Florida sun was high in the sky, we left
the park, crossed the road and made our way by foot back to the
hotel to recharge our batteries. First on the agenda was a short
nap in air-conditioned comfort followed by some rest and relaxation
around the beautifully landscaped pool. All stress was eliminated
as everything was so perfectly close to everything else. There
was no need for a car, we eliminated all parking problems and
were able to get the kids into bed as soon as they needed it.
The Renaissance Orlando Resort at
SeaWorld...
Imagine an enormous,
sunny, 10-story atrium lobby with indoor waterfall, tropical plants,
koi pond and aviary filled with brightly coloured birds. That's
what greets visitors as they step through the doors of the Renaissance
Orlando Resort at SeaWorld.
That visual pleasure was just a beginning for my family. I really
liked the attitude at this multi-award winning hotel. Everybody
worked hard at catering to the sophisticated needs of adult guests
yet they never compromised the services offered to the smaller,
younger set. My grandkiddies loved the small plush dolphins they
were given at check-in and felt very grown-up drinking the cold,
sparkling cider provided by the staff. We, grownups, were impressed
with the size of the guest rooms (at 500 square feet some of the
largest in Central Florida) while the children were terribly excited
with the bathroom televisions in our two-bedroom suite. Our budgets
didn't have to take a beating in the hotel's kid-friendly dining
room and on one occasion a meal was simply replaced without question
when my grandson didn't enjoy his original selection. The children
splashed to their hearts' content in a wading pool, we luxuriated
around an Olympic-sized swimming pool wishing we didn't have to
leave the following day.
Atlantis, a AAA four-diamond restaurant...
The last evening
of our holiday, my daughter and three-year old granddaughter,
Lotus were invited by management to sample specialties at Atlantis,
the resort's signature AAA four-diamond restaurant. When I checked
with the maitre' d whether it was appropriate to bring such a
young guest to dine, he assured me  that
he could have fish sticks and chips brought in for her from the
hotel's informal restaurant next door. And, he kept his promise
in a most charming way. Lotus's meal arrived under a silver dome
exactly the same way as our meals did.
Atlantis is a most
elegant, formal dining room that specializes in fresh Florida
seafood... and boy, do they do it well. Expect to find lovely
treats like Crab Summer Roll in Rice Paper, Szechwan Pepper Crusted
Tuna and heavenly Basil and Boursin Mashed Potatoes. Each dish
we chose was prepared to perfection and served beautifully without
the least hint of pretension. To Lotus's credit she behaved beautifully
and when the chef visited our table she told him that 'she liked
the ice cream the best.' We lingered until almost nine o'clock,
enjoying the pleasant atmosphere, fine wine, decadent desserts
and a selection of scotch served from a trolley that featured
some of the world's smoothest single malts. It was unanimous that
our family would return to the Renaissance Orlando Resort at SeaWorld
in a minute. From the oldest to the very youngest, we thoroughly
enjoyed the accommodations, the food, the facilities and the fabulous,
friendly service.
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