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Abby’s Pre-Orlando Adventure

Hey Thrill Seekers,

Its nearly time…….

If you watch our bi-weekly Facebook Lives you’re bound to know that i’m due to go on a ‘Super Fam’ trip and in particular, how excited I am about it! Well it’s time and i’m finally leaving tomorrow to embark on what is sure to be the best trip EVER.

If you follow our Facebook or Instagram accounts you’ll be seeing loads of videos and photos from yours truly over the next week including all things Disney, Universal and SeaWorld. Before I start packing (yes I know I’ve left it very last minute) I thought I would give you guys a run-down of what my trip is going to involve.

Soooo.. I arrive in Orlando at 5pm -ish on Sunday and by 9.30pm i’ll be at Universals Halloween Horror Nights!! Nothing like throwing us in at the deep end aye?! I’m absolutely terrified but also mega, mega excited for this (I do feel sorry for the people who are going to have to keep picking me up off the floor in the houses though) The house i’m most excited for is SAW: The Games of Jigsaw, SAW hasn’t featured at HHN for 8 years now and i’m pretty eager to see what’s going to be involved this time around.

For the first few days i’m going to be staying at Universals Cabana Bay Beach Resort which I’ve heard is very nice indeed. 😛 On my first full day i’ll be visiting the Wizarding World of Harry Potter Diagon Alley, Hogsmede Village and Universal Studios. I’m absolutely buzzing to visit The Wizarding World of Harry Potter – I’ve heard so many amazing things about it and I just can’t wait to see it all for myself and i’m especially excited for  Harry Potter and the Escape from Gringotts™.

On to the next day.. On this day I will be visiting Volcano Bay in the morning and Universals Islands of Adventure in the afternoon, woooo!!! I can’t wait to ride Krakatau™ Aqua Coaster and teeny bit scared to do Ko’okiri Body Plunge™ I feel like this is going to be a fantastic morning and I can’t wait to get loads of snaps of the Volcano! For Islands of Adventure I’ve been warned not to wear white tops or any denim and this is because i’m bound to get ABSOLUTELY SOAKED on the water rides.. Hopefully it’s a warm day (oh I forgot to mention, the weather forecast for next week is BEAUTIFUL.) Oh i’m also very eager to ride The Incredible Hulk Coaster We have a surprise evening with Universal on this day and i’m super excited to see what this is going to be, of course, i’ll keep you updated!

Day 4 is the day i’m most excited about… anyone who knows me will understand why. Ever since I can remember, I’ve wanted to swim with a dolphin and now i’m lucky enough to have the opportunity to do it YAY!!! If you haven’t guessed already, i’ll be visiting Discovery Cove in the morning. I’m not going to lie there will probably be some tears buy hey, who cares it’s a once in a lifetime opportunity! After Discovery Cove i’ll be travelling over to Busch Gardens where I cannot wait to ride all the big coasters and ALL of the pressure is on me to ride Falcons Fury.. i’ve got this!

On day 5 i’ll be visiting SeaWorld in the Morning , Aquatica in the afternoon and back to SeaWorld for the evening! 😉 Very excited to ride Manta and Mako at SeaWorld as everyone in the offices always raves about how good they are. Especially excited to be lucky enough to ride them in the dark also! Psyching myself up for Ihu’s breakaway falls at Aquatica!

I’ll be staying over night at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge, ready for day 6.. On day 6 i’ll be visiting EPCOT in the morning and Animal Kingdom in the afternoon. Can’t wait to visit all of the different countries at EPCOT and i’m so buzzing for Pandora – The World of Avatar at Animal Kingdom, the reviews i’ve read about Avatar – Flight of Passage have all been great so I cannot wait to experience it for myself too.

On the 7th Day i’ll be off to Hollywood Studios and Magic Kingdom, I am really looking forward to seeing Cinderella’s Castle, meeting all of the characters and getting to experience the iconic rides and attractions such as The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror and Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster. I also hope I get to watch Happily Ever After, could possibly shed a tear or two here as well!

On my last day I get to go SHOPPING at the Orlando International Premium Outlets and the Florida Mall, I’ve got all my pennies saved up for this I’m just hoping i’ll have enough room in my suitcase!! After that it’s home time 🙁 🙁

Only 1 more sleep to go and i’ll finally be off!! If you would like to follow my action packed week make sure you keep checking our Facebook and Instagram as i’ll be trying to post as much and as often as possible.

See you all soon!!

Smiles Included,

Abby

 

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Top Secrets at SeaWorld Orlando

Hey Thrill Seekers,

We’ve looked at Universal, we’ve looked at Disney and now we’re gonna have a look at SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment. I’m looking forward to this one because so many people don’t know about all the great things that SeaWorld get up to and how good they really are!

What you may not know, is SeaWorld actually rescue hundreds of animals, treat them and then release them back into the sea when they are ready!

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SeaWorld have a talent for providing attractions for everyone and by that I mean if you’re a thrill seeker you’ve got Kraken, Manta and Mako. If you’re not so much of a thrill seeker you have Journey to Atlantis and Antarctica: Empire of the Penguin which are smaller, fun rides. If you don’t like rides at all, SeaWorld cater for you too with all of the animal exhibits! There really is something for everyone at the SeaWorld parks.

For those of you that aren’t thrill seekers at all and prefer to visit the animal habitats, while your party are on their way to Manta, you can pop into the Manta Aquarium just opposite. Holding more than 3000 marine animals, including a Pacific octopus, you will be amazed by the 360-degree aquarium.

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Similarly, Journey to Atlantis has the Jewel of the Sea Aquarium inside the rides gift shop. The colour and luminescence is waiting to be explored. This aquarium also has an interactive back-light to keep the kids entertained for ages!

If you haven’t had enough of aquariums yet, there is another one. My favourite one. The Shark Encounter is alongside the Sharks Underwater Grill. You don’t have to be eating in here to visit but it is one of the worlds largest underwater viewing tunnels filled with sharks!

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Most people that visit SeaWorld will walk straight past Sea Garden not realising what it actually is. Here you can experience close-up encounters with some beautiful animals and learn about how SeaWorld care for the natural world. Here is where you can learn more about the rescuing of animals that SeaWorld takes part in too.

When the park opens, SeaWorld employees get the pleasure of walking the flamingos through the park from their home behind the scenes to their in-park exhibit. If you’re there early enough you might get to see them on their walkies!

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When someone says there’s a show on at SeaWorld, most people think about One Ocean or Blue Horizons etc but I bet you didn’t know that they also have street shows on throughout the day?! You can catch these around the waterfront area near the gift shops!

What else do you know about SeaWorld?

Smiles Included…

Louise

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SeaWorld’s Top Attractions 2016

Hey Thrill Seekers,

SeaWorld is renowned for its hugely thrilling coasters as well as its incredible shows so there’s a lot of competition within this park. Storming in at first place is the unique Manta.

manta

Manta is a one of a kind coaster on which you will experience a impressive amount of G’s! You’ll glide like a Manta Ray experience inverted nosedives, loops, twists and turns all whilst laying flat on your back , parallel to the track. You will sometimes be above the track and sometimes below as you continue to switch orientation throughout the whole ride.

It’s known to be one of the smoothest tracks in the world and totally different to your every day coaster which is why I think it has been voted as the top attraction at SeaWorld this year!

Second Place: Mako – Its Orlando’s tallest, fastest and longest coaster and is named after one of the oceans fastest sharks, Mako is our offices favourite coaster at SeaWorld.

Third Place: Kraken – This is Orlando’s only floorless roller coaster and is based on a underwater mythological beast. Your feet will dangle as you speed your way around this enthralling track.

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Fourth: One Ocean – Watch majestic killer whales tell a story and be careful if you opt to sit in the splash zone you will get VERY wet!!

Fifth: Dolphins Up-Close Tour – This hands on experience lasts around 60 minutes and allows you to interact with the beautiful bottlenose dolphins and even learn some of the hand signals used to communicate with them!

Smiles Included,

Jess

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Lauren Vs Mako at SeaWorld Orlando

Hey Thrill Seekers,

So I know I’ve been back a while now, but trying to get 5 minutes to tell you about my FAM trip has proven to be more difficult than I thought! I’ve decided to start off with my review of Mako at SeaWorld.

Mako is now my favourite ride ever. This is the first time I’ve been on a hypercoaster as there are only a few in the whole world,  and my gosh it was amazing.

Representing a Shark chasing his prey along the 4,760 ft track at 73mph, you’ll feel like you’re floating. (Well I did sitting in the middle of the coaster). Rumour has it the front feels the fastest! Standing at 200 feet tall, Mako is the tallest, fastest roller coaster in Orlando so it’s definitely one for the thrill seekers.

mako

You’re probably thinking ‘what is a hypercoaster?’ A hypercoaster is a type of coaster that is known for high speeds and steep drops creating a feeling of weightlessness throughout the ride. As you reach the crest of each hill along the tracks, you will feel yourself floating out of your seat, hence the feeling of weightlessness.

Some roller coasters can be quite rough and rickety, maybe even make you feel like you’ve got a headache when you get off; Mako on the other hand is so smooth that you barely feel where the track has been joined together – unreal!

Not only have SeaWorld built in Mako the coaster, they’ve redesigned the whole area surrounding it fully themed to sharks. There is so many more educational activities about sharks as well as the shark encounter and shark interaction pool.

sharks

In case you haven’t already realised, I wasn’t joking when I said Mako is now my favourite coaster. You just can’t beat it! I was lucky enough to ride the coaster twice in a row and it’s fair to say that I had so much adrenaline running through my body afterwards! If you haven’t already, you have to try it out. Don’t be put off by the lap bars!

Smiles Included…

Lauren

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SeaWorld’s Mako Has Soft Launch Over The Weekend

Hey Thrill Seekers,

One of this years most anticipated coasters, Mako at SeaWorld Orlando, started a soft launch trial last week. Meaning it basically launched but with modified opening hours.

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The hyper coaster tagged socially with #nothingfaster and #nothingtaller is under a tiny bit of pressure to produce…. and it seems to have delivered.

Here’s a selection of comments about Mako taken from twitter and facebook;

Twitter

 

Facebook

I looked for some negative reviews to balance it out but I really couldn’t find any. 1 review stated that the breaking was quite hard but then went on to say that they rode it again and it wasn’t as bad…

So at the moment its well done SeaWorld looks like along with Kraken and Manta you’ve got another hit on your hands!

Can’t wait to ride it.

Smiles included…

Jamie

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Mako Hard Hat Event

Hey Thrill Seekers,

Yesterday SeaWorld Orlando held a hard hat event to introduce Mako to the gathered media.

Here’s what happened..

We’ve also broke down some of the information below.

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Mako, Orlando’s tallest, fastest and longest roller coaster will surface at SeaWorld on 10th June and will be the centrepiece of Shark Wreck Reef – a newly designed realm that blends education and thrills, while immersing guests in an underwater world.

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The two-acre realm will be fully shark themed and include Mako, Shark Encounter, Sharks Underwater Grill, shops, shark and shipwreck theming and educational experiences featuring sharks.  

Shark Wreck Reef is designed to make guests feel they’re underwater and part of the group of sharks that have taken over a shipwrecked reef. 

Inside the realm, guests will learn about the impact humans are having on sharks and why these animals are critical to the environment. Sharks are hunted for their fins — considered a delicacy in certain countries — and in addition, tens of thousands are caught accidentally in nets. Several species of sharks are on the verge of extinction.  

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As guests venture further into the realm and into the queue line they’ll discover a unique sound system that will enhance their experience.  An original Mako score can be heard and follows guests as they enter the loading bay and emerge from the station aboard Mako and up the lift hill.  

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At night, specialty lights will accent the coaster trains, realm and track, flickering and shimmering, simulating fish being scattered by a mako on the hunt.

Mako will be a hypercoaster, designed for speed and relentless “air time” and lures guests to brave it’s tight turns, steep drops and predator power speeds. Riders will climb up to 200 feet high – offering tremendous views of the surrounding area – before plunging to reach speeds up to 73 mph.

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I can’t wait to see this new area and of course ride the mighty Mako Hyper Coaster… I have to wait until October hopefully your visit will be sooner…

Smiles included…

Jamie

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SeaWorld Orlando Reveal Closer Look At Ride Cars

Hey Thrill Seekers,

The opening of a proper, real life roller coaster for me is the most exciting thing to happen at a theme park. I like some motion rides and I’m partial to a cool drop ride but nothing beats a brand new roller coaster.

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This summer SeaWorld will be unveiling its brand new hyper coast MAKO… Eeeeek!!! Today SeaWorld gave us a little sneak peak into what we can expect from the ride cars well be strapped to when it launches.

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As you can see you’ll be restrained in the ride car by a lap belt, which may cause some to launch into a complete panic… for me it raises the adrenaline level to 10!!! 🙂

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Here’s some Mako facts;

Coaster Train Design Facts Include:

  • Mako-Inspired Custom Car – In a collaboration between SeaWorld’s animal experts and ride engineers, the car is inspired by the physiology of an actual Mako shark, including five gills on each side, eye placement and sleek, hydro-dynamic look.
  • Fast Wheels– Comprised of a special compound that reduces friction — providing a smooth, relentlessly fast ride from beginning to end.
  • Upper Body Mobility – With only a lap guard on their lower body, riders’ upper bodies are free for added mobility and “airtime”

The coaster will boast a total of 21 cars – including 3 trains of 7 cars per train.

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We’ll keep you updated when we learn more.

Smiles included…

Jamie

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Could The New SeaWorld Orlando Coaster Be Called Mako?

Hey Thrill Seekers,

A few weeks ago SeaWorld sent out a media email hinting at a new coaster they had planned for 2016. Apart from the hint that it will be long, fast and tall SeaWorld are playing their cards very close to their chest however…

That hasn’t stopped the internet from popping on its deerstalker, lighting up its pipe and getting its Sherlock Holmes on… and what have we found. Well if this Trademark application is anything to go by we might have found the name!?

mako

 

Why Mako?

Well a Mako is a type of Shark, it’s also sometimes called a Blue Pointer which works well as SeaWorld’s corporate colour is blue.

Why I like it

The Mako is the fastest of its species, reaching speeds of up to 60 mph, which fits very well with SeaWorld’s hashtag #NothingFaster which seems to feature heavily in its marketing. Also the Mako is a leaping Shark, when you see pictures of Sharks leaping out of the water it’s usually a Mako, which again fits in with SeaWorld’s claim that it will be tall (over 200 feet tall) and obviously it’s a Shark… is there a more terrifying animal in the sea’s?

mako

The name Mako, isn’t set in stone though, theme parks often buy up trademarks and never actually use them. A great example of this was when Busch Gardens launched Cheetah Hunt, for months people expected the name to Cheetaka due to a very similar trademark application, so take it all with a pinch of salt.

EDIT: One more thing that might hint towards the new Coaster being called Mako… try typing in www.makocoaster.com

However as names go, I like it. What do you think?

Smiles included..

Jamie

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