Barlborough Aug 2022

D
S Doorsteppa Magazines
40
TRAVEL
Many associate Orlando with Disney, but trust
me, there is so much more to explore! I have
travelled to Orlando twice during October and
the weather was gorgeous, an average of 30c.
Here’s my guide to exploring the SeaWorld
Parks and the beautiful beaches of St Pete and
Clearwater on the west coast of Florida. More
on Clearwater next month! SeaWorld Parks &
Entertainment is made up of four amazing
parks: SeaWorld, Aquatica, Busch Gardens and
Discovery Cove. You can either buy three parks
for the price of two or simply upgrade to
2explore all the parks with the Ultimate ticket
which includes Discovery Cove and a dolphin
swim too. You will experience exciting new
thrill rides, up-close animal encounters,
water-based activities with chilled out spaces
once you have visited all four parks.
SeaWorld
Besides all the rides and the new ride of Infinity
Falls, my main interest was finding out about
how the park cares for their animals. It was
amazing to see the state-of-the-art veterinary
facilities, learn how they rescue animals by
working alongside the US government and
have a non-profit conservation fund for
rehabilitation, research, and preventative
medicine. Of course, I had to try Infinity Falls
which was brilliant along with the shows and
famous coasters such as Mako and Manta. My
step count had a sharp incline on that day!
Aquatica
Compared to the fast pace of SeaWorld, this
park is a combination of a splashy watery park
full of super-sized slides, speedy splashdowns,
and sandy shores to relax in. We had great fun
trying all the slides and rides and there are
areas for little ones right up to big kids.
Aquatica is known as a thrill leader among
Florida waterparks, especially as they have
introduced Ray Rush and KareKare Curl.
Holding two passengers per raft, this new slide
delivers a high-adrenaline, weightless adventure.
Discovery Cove
Set in a tropical paradise, it has an aviary,
Serenity Bay beach and the Grand Reef, where
you can snorkel to your hearts content
surrounded by beautiful saltwater fish. Within
the ticket, you get all day dining, lockers,
towels, access to showers/changing areas,
wetsuit and snorkel hire for the full day. You
can choose from a swim or non-swim ticket
with the dolphins. Our first experience was
SeaVenture (This carries an extra charge).
Having never dived before I was a little cautious
but found it was something I could not miss.
With a full wet suit on and dive helmet, you go
on an underwater tour of the Grand Reef. It’s
an immersive underwater walking tour where
you get up close with sharks (behind a
panoramic window), watch beautiful stingrays
glide around you and see the feeding time
frenzy with schools of fish around you! Our
second experience of the day was swimming
with dolphins. The area is set in a huge lagoon
with large inlets, so you feel you are in a coastal
paradise but with the safety of experts on hand
to guide you through your time with the
dolphins. It was endearing to hear the dolphin’s
noises and watch them play with each other,
whilst getting time to play and stroke our own
dolphin, a young 3yr old called Reef. I won’t
ever forget that.
Busch Gardens
Busch Gardens is an African theme park and
combines animal encounters with thrill rides
such as the renown Falcons Fury which has a
102 metre drop and coasters such as Cobras
Curse. Not for the faint hearted of you! Ok, I
wasn’t brave enough to go on Falcons Fury but
enjoyed some of the animal experiences in the
Serengeti Plains area. We had a fabulous day
and got to feed everyone’s favourites, the
giraffes, one of the may experiences you can
book here. These guys were so funny, peering
over us and grabbing the lettuce out of hands
with their huge tongues. It was such great fun.
Another full-on day where my step count was
high!
Your next holiday to Orlando
So, you see, it’s not just Disney in Orlando. I
would heartily recommend booking your
flights, villa and car hire as a package and then
choose your combination of tickets. For your
second week perhaps take in Clearwater,
America’s Number One beach, and you have
the makings of a great holiday.
Why book with me?
You are fully protected under the Travel
Counsellors trust and we are ATOL licensed.
The in-house technology available to me is
incredible too. It means I can search through
thousands of suppliers for my clients, getting
the right flight times, booking your hotel, and
parking the night before to arranging the tours
when you’re in your chosen destination. No
other person will care about your holiday like
I will do – why risk booking it all online when
I can do all the hard work and ensure you have
a wonderful trip?
So, let me take the stress out of booking your
Orlando adventure. I can’t wait to hear your
ideas so please give me a call.
Contact details
Lisa Byers 07899 997070
lisa.byers@travelcounsellors.com
www.thedoorsteppa.com • 0114 418 5359