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A killer (whale) of a meal at SeaWorld
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Since I dined with Shamu this weekend, a report on what it's like to eat with a killer whale seemed appropriate for my Monday restaurant and dining report. If you're wondering if you get as close to the whale as the family in the publicity picture at right (photo provided by SeaWorld), take it from me...you actually get much closer!
I'll back up a bit and start out with the Shamu show, "Believe." No visit to SeaWorld is complete without seeing everybody's favorite killer whale and his friends perform their antics for the crowd. I'll be posted another part of my sequential report tonight or tomorrow, but I think it's appropriate to link in the show with the dining experience. If you missed part one of the report, which covers the Kraken roller coaster (big thumbs up!) and some of the shows, click here.
Since "Believe" is the signature show, we got to the arena a little earlier than we had for the others. We arrived just a few minutes before they opened the doors, and I quickly realized that it makes more sense to go down a little farther and through one of the farther entrances rather than following the mass of sheeple into the closest one. We sat up in a high part of the arena, on the end of the row, because I thought it would be best for photos (I could stand without blocking anyway) and also to be far, far away from the splash zones. As you can see a few photos down, when they say you will get wet in the splash zones, they are not kidding. That mini tidal wave is being generated by Shamu, and I like to think he laughs a bit to himself as he soaks all the tourists.
"Believe" was very enjoyable. It tied in the usual aquatic show antics of leaps, jumps, and interactions with trainers with a cute little story line that tied in a child volunteer from the audience. The arena is huge so you shouldn't have a problem getting a sea except on the most crowded days. All of the others shows we saw were full, but there was still plenty of seating left on the far corners for "Bellieve." If you want the best view, though, or if you want to make sure you're not in the splash zone, either come early or buy the Quick Queue "head of the line" pass (click here to learn more about that).
But the show wouldn't be our only experience with Shamu. We had booked the Dinner with Shamu experience at 6 p.m., hoping for a much more up close and personal look. I am an animal lover and was looking forward to the private show that you get as a diner. The dinners (or lunches) are offered at 11:30 a.m., 3:30 p.m., and 6 p.m. each day. We chose the last one because we wanted to be sure that we got a full day in the park. It seemed like a nice, relaxing way to cap a busy day.
The dinner area is, of course, right by Shamu Stadium. You check in and have a free photo taken (it's delivered to your table later), and then you head to the dining area where you are seated at a pre-assigned table. I've heard that assignments are made in the order you make your reservations, so I recommend booking early. I had booked a few weeks out, and our table was perfect! I mean literally perfect, as we were right next to one of the areas where the trainer has a whale come over for tricks and feeding. We were nearly face to face with Shamu.
Once you are seated, you can head up to a sumptuous buffet. For $42 a head ($22 for children 3 to 9), I was wondering what the food quality would be like, as I know you are paying primarily for the ambiance. I have to say, I was very pleasantly surprised. There was a salad spread and hot items like chicken, turkey, mashed potatoes, rice, pasta with shrimp, corn, and other veggies. There was even a kiddie buffet table with hot dogs, mac and cheese, and the like. The desserts made me literally drool. I had to try both the red velvet cake and the freshly-made bananas foster. There were plenty of other options, including a bowl of black and white Shamu M & Ms for a topping.
We loaded up on both dinner and dessert in one fell swoop so we wouldn't have to get up during the show because we weren't quite certain how the timing would play out. That turned out to be a good choice, as the show started shortly after we began to eat. In the meantime, our server brought our drinks (unlimited Bud products are included, as well as standard drinks like pop, coffee, and the like) and checked back several times to make sure that we didn't need anything else. The gratuity isn't included in the price, so bring some money to tip your server. Ours was very attentive and definitely deserved his tip.
My husband grabbed some photos of the food, which you can see at the bottom of this article, but they were taken after the hungry hordes had descended so they're not as appetizing as the real spread looks. Hopefully you can still get an idea of the step-up and see why the desserts made me drool. All of the hot items were delicious too. I especially liked the seafood pasta.
The private show begins after "Believe," which was going on while we were getting our food (you can watch it on a giant screen). Then the whales come into the little cove by the dining area and put on performance of jumps and other maneuvers. Not all of the tables are waterside, but we had totally lucked out so ours was not only beside the water but right where one of the whales and trainers hang out. People just get up from the other tables and gather closer while the show is going on, but it's really nice to be able to sit in your own ringside seat.
We watched as the trainer on the other side of the rope fence put her whale through his paces and rewarded him liberally with fish. We had our dinner and he had his! The show is fairly brief but very, very cool since it's so up close and personal. I've always been a big fan of character dining at Disney World and Universal as a way to see the characters in a quiet, controlled setting as opposed to the usual chaos. I have to add Dinner With Shamu to that list. While you can see him in the show, it's so nice and relaxing to enjoy a delicious meal while the whales and trainers put on a command performance so close by. You're not way up in the bleachers, surrounded by a crowd. You're at your own table, noshing on a hearty lunch or dinner, while the show comes to you.
For more information, or to make reservations, visit the DIning With Shamu page on the official SeaWorld site by clicking here.
Meanwhile, I will be continuing my SeaWorld report soon. To be notified when it is posted, click the Subscribe link at the bottom of this article. To read myTuesday Theme Park and Attraction Secrets article on how to ride in the front of the monorail, click here. To read about my exclusive interview with the Imagineers who created the Kim Possible adventure at Epcot, click here.
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