| 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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