On our last day this trip, we stopped by SeaWorld to check out the new Penguin exhibit. Since we were leaving the park and driving home straight from here we didn’t wait in line for the ride, but instead walked around the area and checked out all the other things that had been added. the gift store was a nice addition, although there were no infant safe toys. Everything was for ages 3 and up. The one area they really need to improve was the food. The sausage dog was OK, the fries were edible. The chicken was awful. It was like the chicken you got out of a TV dinner when you were a kid. It tasted like it was fried, then baked to make sure it was dry and hard. Avoid the chicken at all costs. Other issues in the food area was the mayonnaise dispenser was sitting in direct sunlight, which always works out well for that. Plus, the one refrigerated building for you to eat didn’t have automatic doors. I understand it’s being themed to match an outpost in Antarctica, but if you’re by yourself getting the door open with a tray of food is annoying.
After we left the new section, we were walking over to Manta checking out the gift shops on the way. We stopped and looked at some Pelicans on exhibit. They were injured and couldn’t fly. SeaWorld can’t release them in the wild so they just keep them in the park. Well, turns out one of them can flap just enough to get over the fence and that thing just took off running through the park. I was amazed at how fast it could run and the park employees were following it while on the radios and few minutes later employees with nets came by looking for it. His bid for freedom was short lived though. We walked by the exhibit about 15 minutes later and he was back in it.
Afterwards, we wandered over to Manta and I rode it, then took a quick trip through the Manta aquarium. I could stay there all day and just watch the rays. It’s such an awesome addition to the park. I wish we had more time that day to go through the new ride, but it was over an hour and a half wait and we didn’t want to stay around that long since it’s a long drive home.
