Shamu Show (One Ocean) at SeaWorld Orlando

A couple of weeks ago we visited SeaWorld in Orlando.  

One of the highlights for the day for us was watching the Shamu show.  

Photography tip: Set your camera on sports mode with burst or rapid fire to capture some stunning actions shots.

A positive experience with TSA security at Orlando International Airport

We had been advised to allow plenty of time for security checks at Orlando International Airport so decided to join the line two hours before departure.  

At first glance the security line looked huge and we wondered if we would ever get to the end of it.  After a couple of minutes an officer came up to us and asked if we would like to join a shorter line at another entrance.  We thanked him and joined the other line.  Our passports and boarding passes were checked and we joined the next line for the screening.  

Again this looked like a very long line and we wondered how long it would take to get through.  We were getting slightly anxious as a number of passengers were being very vocal in the line.  We patiently waited our turn and quickly moved to the screening area.  The actual screening took a matter of seconds and we were though the line.  The only small confusion being an officer asking me to take off my Sweater, which my wife had to remind me meant my jumper!  The officer was perfectly happy with my sons Epipen and small 75ml bottle of antihistamine. I decided to carry though my DSLR, lenses, iPad, iPhone as part of my hand luggage.  I simply left all of this in my bag which was scanned.  If you are bringing a laptop you will need to take it out of your bag.

I appreciate that a large proportion of the screening takes places long before you arrive at the airport via flight lists etc but we found the whole process very painless.

The whole experience could not have taken more than twenty minutes and at all times we were treated politely by all the officers.  I definitely got the impression that if you were calm and polite and followed instructions the process is simple and there is nothing to worry about.

Before we travelled we had read the documentation suggesting that all suitcase locks as TSA compliant.  We followed the instructions and made sure that our suitcase and bag straps were able to opened by TSA if needed.

When we arrived at Gatwick we saw a couple of cases which had been opened by TSA and had to have the locks forced.  

When we got home we found neatly placed inside our case a "notice of baggage inspection".  This was my son's bag so we wonder what might have triggered this inspection or if it was just a random sample.

Top Tips.

1. Read the TSA advice here before you travel

2. Be polite and wait patiently in the line

3. Delays were caused by people taking more than 100ml through their hand luggage - don't do it!

4. If you are going to lock your suitcase use a TSA approved lock

Jeweled Dragon Acrobats at Epcot - photo collection

While you are visiting the World Showcase you must pay a visit to the China pavilion to see the Jeweled Dragon Acrobats.  Their show is full of energy, character and amazing acrobatics.

Photography tip: Switch your camera into sports mode and take lots of photos!

Canadian Lumberjack Show - Epcot

We recently saw the Canadian Lumberjack Show at Epcot.  This is a relatively new show which has replaced the previous Off-Kilter show at the Mill Stage in the Canada Pavilion.  This engaging show sees the blue team pitched against the red team in a contest of skill and strength.

We watched most of the show and would have stayed longer if it hadn't been for our FastPass+ booking.

This was a very engaging and funny show with a good sprinkling of humour mixed in with the physical competition.  Depending on the time of day there is limited shade in front of the Mill Stage so can get vey warm.

Lake Buena Vista Resort Village & Spa Review August 2015

We have just come back from a great holiday in Orlando where we stayed at Lake Buena Vista Resort Village & Spa. They are located very close to Disney and about 25 mins drive from Universal Studios so provide a great location for visiting all the parks. 

Do check out their website here



The condo was very clean and well equipped and we had great service from the staff there. If you are looking for a good location not too far from the airport and close to all the parks this is an excellent choice. 

There is plenty of parking both covered and outside. The complex has a great pool with pirate slide and a very nice poolside bar area.

A little more detail ...

Following a delayed flight from Gatwick we arrived at 1.30am and had a very warm welcome when we checked in. We were in building 1 on the fourth floor and could see the Disney fireworks from our windows! It was a lovely touch the big bottle of juice on arrival and really helped us. The next morning we went down to the bar for the complimentary breakfast (Virgin package) which was very well received. Our boys loved the pool - especially the water slide!

You are not allowed to take outside food and drinks into the pool area and this will be checked by the security guard.  Food and drinks are available at the poolside bar and was set at a reasonable price.  There is a second pool between buildings 1 and 2 which provides a quieter swimming experience.

A number of people have commented on trip advisor that the furnishings look tired and dated, we didn't find that all.  The accommodation was clean and tidy and the appliances in the kitchen were more than adequate for our self-catering needs.

A couple of highlights ...

- Our cooked breakfast in the Irish bar was really nice, great service with a smile and at a good price.
- The shop (whilst being more expensive that Walmart) had a very good selection.
- The WIFI was fast and I had no problems connecting our devices to it.
- The staff on reception were extremely polite and helpful and genuinely cared about what we needed
- The room was very clean and tidy on arrival and contained everything we needed to cook

We are very pleased we stayed there, it was an excellent choice in a very good location. 

Can't fault it!

CityWalk Hot Dog Hall of Fame - Trip Report

During our recent vacation in Orlando my sons became obsessed with eating hot dogs.  Everywhere we went all they wanted was a nice hot dog, so an obvious choice for us had to be the CityWalk Hot Dog Hall of Fame at Universal Studios.

Check out this link from Universal Studios CityWalk.

Do check out their website here with menu details.

Current opening times are Sunday to Thursday 11am - 10pm and Friday to Saturday 11am - 1am.

They are a quick service restaurant with plenty of outside seating in a nicely themed ballpark style area.  The food is priced in the $9 - $14 range and we thought that it was definitely very good value for money.

Our experience was really positive, it was very clean and tidy, service was excellent and the food was freshly prepared quickly.  Ordering the food was very efficient and we were talked through all the different options and toppings available.

I had the legendary 2 foot long dog with extra pulled pork.  It was beautiful, tasty and so well presented!

This is definitely a place to eat and I would thoroughly recommend it.

Lake Buena Vista Resort Village & Spa - Room Tour Summer 2015

We have just come back from a great holiday in Orlando where we stated at Lake Buena Vista Resort Village & Spa. They are located very close to Disney and about 25 mins drive from Universal Studios so provide a great location for visiting all the parks.  

The condo was very clean and well equipped and we had great service from the staff there.  If you are looking for a good location not too far from the airport and close to all the parks this is an excellent choice.  

There is plenty of parking both covered and outside.  The complex has a great pool with pirate slide and a very nice poolside bar area.

We hope this room tour gives you a flavour of the condo. We would definitely recommend staying here.

Check out their website here http://www.lbvorlandoresort.com

We will be adding a more in-depth review and trip report later.

Wizarding World of Harry Potter - Hogsmeade - trip photos

Having spent an amazing day at Diagon Alley we spent our second Universal Studios day at Hogsmeade.  We arrived with very high expectations and were not disappointed at all.

To make our day more memorable we started at Kings Cross in Universal Studios and took the train to Hogsmeade station.  The train ride was really good and we loved the video and the shadows on the compartment windows.

Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey is a great ride experience which includes a huge amount of theming during the ride line.  It was quite scary and intense in places!


Check out our trip photos below and click on any to enlarge.