Tuesday started not at WDW, but off resort and at SeaWorld. We cabbed into Orlando suburbia and were first in line at SeaWorld (cost us about $18 bucks in the taxi for the five of us). Getting off to an early start is so key to having a great day in any of these venues. We hit the ground "flying" full speed ahead, with the gang the first in line for the entry. The first ride was the Manta. I'd guess this is the newest ride at SeaWorld. It's kind of interesting as it's also located physically at the start of the park... Must've taken some real engineering to make it all work.

So... our day at SeaWorld started with taking care of all the nasty rides post haste. First the Manta, then Journey to Atlantis, then Kraken and Kraken again. We had great access and the rides aren't for the meek... In fact they are pretty serious and I'm sure park junkies would have them on the list of to-do's. I think Janie and the kids had the wobblies after this!!! Then we got to the heart of SeaWorld... the animals. We rode the escalator past the penguins, walked underneath the sharks in SeaWorld's Shark Encounter and straddled the stingray petting pool. Lots of flamingos too... They honk just like geese (I not so secretly wanted to see these birds - they're pink due to the shrimp diet).

We also managed two excellent shows, including Oceans featuring Shamu and a host of killer whales. Amazing complex with what I'd guess was a 1,000 seat viewing area mixed with some great technology perks (sound/lights/big screen). The second show, Blue Horizons, was just as entertaining, with divers and trapeze artists coupled with a parade of dolphins and a bird thingy... with tropical birds flying about. Hell of a lot going on!!! I always have mixed emotions seeing these animals in captivity... but they all seemed healthy and in excellent physical condition, not to mention very well trained.

Now I have to state that being in SeaWorld was a welcome breath of fresh air after two days of Walt's indoctrination. The pace was laid back, the rides were over and above, and the line ups for attractions, food, bathrooms and the lot were next to non-existent in comparison. We enjoyed the time there immensely. No "ears" was a plus too! Sorry if I sound like I'm griping but I'm really having a hard time getting my head around how vast the WDW corporation is!

That being said, after a stop for food/refreshment, we decided that we'd max out our Disney passes (by using all 4 days instead of just 3) and take in the Magic Kingdom for the remainder of the Tuesday. We hooked a taxi for the journey out and were there in no time. MK requires that you take the monorail in to the actual park from the vehicle area. Cool trip! We arrived smack in the middle of a Mickey Mouse Santa Claus Parade. Cameras, kids, music, laughter and lots of people having a huge amount of fun. We settled in to watch the remainder of the procession, really having little choice anyway as the area was bogged to any substantial movement. Incredible costumes and colors... sights and sounds. All was perfect.

I guess we arrived open to whatever we could see. That worked out well as we got to see the Magic Castle by day and night, while squeezing in a variety of rides and shows. After a 30 minute stop at the Hall of Presidents, we spent a hunk of time in Frontierland. The kids got on Big Thunder and Splash Mountain rides while Eileen and I wandered off for Tom Sawyer Island. We then snaked our way back through the crowds to Tomorrowland and a variety of rides as well as Mikey and Roz arguing at Comedy Inc. The people watching opportunities here were something else!

By 8:00 pm we had hit the wall! Really good when you consider the ground covered. We caught the first cab home and basically dropped! Monica went directly to her pillow and sunk below the sheets with Ellie... A huge day of rides, shows, and over the top stimuli! Everyone did great.