Guide to SeaWorld San Diego (including a 4-hour VIP Tour)

My family of three (with a 9yo) were in San Diego in early October for a conference my husband was attending. We decided to stay an extra 4 nights and turn it into a real vacation. I researched a lot of different activities for us. At first, my husband wasn’t too sure that he wanted to visit SeaWorld when I suggested it. But when I saw the VIP Tour online, I knew we had to do it. Again, my husband wasn’t thrilled because it’s not cheap. But I convinced him that since I was turning 30 this year and we weren’t going to do anything special for it, this was a great present.

The first thing I did was email to find out more information. My email read:
“I am interested in learning more about the VIP Tours. The date we were looking at is October 6th for my family (2 adults, 1 child age 9). We were thinking about doing the 4 hour tour. I was wondering if these happen at a specific time, or if they can be scheduled for any time in the day. I was also wondering which animal tours are offered. How much would the total be for the three of us after tax? Please let me know if this date is not available and with any extra information you can. Thanks.”

The response I received was very informative! It took them just over 24 hours to respond. The email I got back was this:
“Thank you for your interest in our VIP tours. We are able to accommodate a 4 hour VIP tour on October 6th. The total for 3 participants for a 4-hour VIP Tour is $1,210.47. We like to start the tours when the park opens at 10am but they can also start at 11am or even 12pm, depending on what works best for you.
The 2-Hour VIP tour offers encounters with 4 different animals from your choice of the following:
Dolphins
Sea Lions
Feeding Sea Turtles
Penguins
Sea Otters
The 4-Hour tour allows for encounters with 5 animals from your choice of the animals listed above with the additional option of either a Beluga Whale OR a Walrus (one or the other). There will also be time for lunch at one of our cafeteria style restaurants and special VIP reserved seating at 1 show. The show options are:
Orca Encounter
Sea Lions Live
Dolphin Days
The 6 -Hour tour also allows for encounters with the 5 animals listed above plus either a Beluga Whale OR a Walrus (one or the other) as well as reservations for lunch at Dine with Killer Whales and special VIP reserved seating for 2 shows of your choice during the tour. You also receive passes that allow you access to the Premiere Seating section of any open air amphitheater for any show after the tour.
We typically don’t include time for rides during the tour, but for the 4 and 6-Hour VIP tours, you will receive front of the line passes to use after the tour. These passes are valid for unlimited use on the Manta roller coaster, Electric Eel roller coaster, Shipwreck Rapids water ride, Journey to Atlantis water ride/roller coaster, and the Wild Arctic helicopter simulator ride. If you would like to substitute time for rides for a show or an animal meet, we can easily adjust your itinerary.
All three tours include a 2-day admission ticket as well as parking. Your 2nd visit must occur within 7 days after your 1st visit.
The total cost for the 2-Hour VIP tour including tax is $225.85 USD per person.
The total cost for the 4-Hour VIP tour including tax is $403.49 USD per person.
The total cost for the 6-Hour VIP tour including tax is $580.19 USD per person.”

That was a lot of good information, right? There was also a link to their website about the VIP tour, which I had already seen, and a phone number to call if/when I wanted to book it. I was even more excited after reading the email and I was ready to book!
I called the number I was given and talked to a very nice woman who told me the penguins were not going to be an option due to a virus that was detected in California that had the potential to wipe out entire flocks of birds. That was pretty devastating to us because my husband is obsessed with penguins. But I booked anyway because I still wanted to do everything else. My call lasted for less than 8 minutes. I was glad I had all the information I needed before calling. It made things go very smoothly.

We received an e-mail a couple days beforehand with instructions to meet just outside the entrance to the right of bag check about 10 minutes before they opened (at 10am).

Good information to know:
SeaWorld is located at 500 SeaWorld Drive.
Normally, parking is $22-$35.
Your bags may be inspected and you will be expected to go through a metal detector.
There are lockers available for $20/day for a large locker and $15/day for a standard locker.
There is free wifi inside the park (SeaWorldGuest).
Water bottles are aloud into the park, but no other food or drink is permitted.

What’s Included in a Private VIP Tour (4 hours):
$400 per person
Customize your tour to your group’s interests
4 hour walking tour
Personal VIP Guide
Animal Encounters
2-Day Admission to SeaWorld
Up-Close Parking (day of tour)
Choice of snacks in the park during the tour
Reserved Seating at Shows
Front-of-the-line access to rides
Souvenir cup and all day drink refills
Meal in park

Closures:
The Skytower was closed during our visit.

When we got there, we were able to park right up front because not only is parking included with your VIP tickets, but up front parking is included. This didn’t so much matter to us when we got there, but at the end of the day, after we had walked about 20,000 steps, we were thankful to have our car located right outside the entrance.

We arrived early because that’s just what my family does. We waited where we were told in that previous e-mail for a few minutes before Ricardo showed up and introduced himself. You guys, he was seriously amazing. He did everything he could to really make us feel like VIPs. I have definitely never felt so special at a theme park! It was so worth the money for us.
Since we were there early, Ricardo was able to take us right in. The looks from everyone waiting in line were oddly satisfying. Since we were in the park before they technically opened, we were able to stick our hands into the cleaner fish tank. That was an odd sensation.

We were also able to pet some bamboo shark. This was just so much fun without all the other people in the park being in our way. We walked around the park a little bit, looking at spider crabs and the outdoor penguin exhibit.
We soon heard people coming, meaning they had opened the gates and we could just see a flood of people stampeding into the park. This is when we decided to head off to our first animal interaction.

Our first animal was the beluga whale. They told us what to expect, and then we headed into their tank area. We stood and knelt next to the tank while we learned all about their bodies and diets and habits. It was amazing. These are truly amazing animals. We got to touch Klondike and feel her fatty head. I know that sounds weird, but it was amazing. This may have been my favorite animal interaction all day.

After that, we headed off to get our first snack. We settled on churros and they were surprisingly delicious. I don’t expect much out of park food, but these were really good. We ate them as we walked to our next animal interaction.

We walked through a closed off section into the dolphin arena. We played with Malibu. She was so much fun and my son just loved getting splashed by the dolphin’s tail. The trainers seemed fake nice, but whether they wanted us there or not, they did their best to not make it obvious so I guess I couldn’t ask for much more.

We had a couple minutes before our next encounter so we went through the shark walkthrough. In general, I wasn’t thrilled with how many people were in there all at once, but I’m not really one for crowds. I actually liked that you just get on the moving sidewalk and then don’t have to move until you get off. It makes it much easier to look around and it means that people aren’t just standing there so everyone gets a chance to look around. We also stopped to see the baby otter that was there. He was so cute!

Our next animal interaction was the sea otters! They were so adorable. This may have been one of my son’s favorites. We got to feed them treats through these little holes in this plexiglass wall. We were able to stay there for quite a while, watching the otters swim around, eat their snacks, and listen to the trainers talk about these special animals.

After we were done admiring the baby otter one more time, we headed off for lunch. We ate at Mama Stella’s, which you’ll read more about later. While we ate, our guide took his lunch break as well. He met back up with us just as we were finishing eating.

We had a couple minutes before a show, so we got some reusable cups. These were included in our VIP tour, so we did get one for each of us. If they hadn’t been included, we probably still would have gotten one. I always think the refillable cups are worth it. The last thing you want to do while walking around a lot is get dehydrated.

We then made our way to the sea lion and otter show. Since it was October, it was Halloween themed. My son thought it was seriously hilarious. He was cracking up. Plus side, since we were there on a VIP tour, we showed up only a couple minutes before the show and were given amazing seats! These aren’t just the seats you get when you pay for the passes, an employee was actually standing, waiting for us up close.

Then, we decided to see some more animals while we waited for our next animal encounter. We saw the beautiful flamingos. We pet and fed some rays. My son has always loved all kinds of rays. Yes, we’ve fed rays before, but it was still nice to do it again.

Then, we headed over to the seals and tossed them some fish. I’ve definitely never fed so many animals in one day. It was so much fun.

Finally, it was time for our sea lion encounter. We got to hang out with Diesel. We took pictures, we did some training. We threw some treats. It’s just such a fun experience. I can’t imagine someone doing one of these tours and not having the time of their lives.

The whole day, I knew our last animal encounter was going to be with the sea turtles. I, however, chose to keep that a secret from my son. You see, recently, he had really gotten into sea turtles. They were and still are one of his favorite animals. We walked over to the sea turtle area and saw them in their underwater exhibit with everyone else. My son was already so happy just looking at them. He was having the time of his life, but we had to pry him away so that we could go into the employee only area. The trainer was a little busy at first so we hung out and looked at some cleaner shrimp and some fish that spit in order to get their food. We had such a fun time just hanging out “backstage”.

Finally, the trainer returned and we were able to go above the enclosure. She talked a lot about these amazing creatures. My son was almost in tears he was so happy. We were able to throw a full box of lettuce out to the turtles to eat. It was amazing to watch them. It was also fun to see that their favorite part is actually that hard stem part that we humans usually throw away. It was amazing. We did eventually have to leave though.

After we left the turtles, Ricardo let us know that we still had a snack that we could get so we got some ice cream bars. Owen loved this. He had been asking for one all day. Then, we sadly had to say goodbye to Ricardo. It was obvious that he loves his job and I just couldn’t be any happier with our experience during this tour. One of my favorite parts was having someone to take our picture anytime we wanted. As someone always taking the pictures and rarely being in them, I definitely appreciated this!

We definitely wanted to see the Orca show and one was starting soon, so we headed over that way. Since we were given our front-of-the-line tickets to use the rest of the day, this includes a special area to sit in during shows, as well. It was a great show and we had a great time. Owen wanted to sit in the splash zone, but Tom and I did not.

Since we had spent all of our tour seeing animals, we decided it was time to ride some rides. We didn’t even come close to riding them all, but we rode a couple. I’ll talk about those below.

We also took time to change into Halloween shirts. We decided to do family costumes without actually getting costumes so we went as Taco Bell sauce packets. It was fun. And since we dressed up, we bought Owen a bag and he went trick or treating. He was able to get some candy. It was fun.

We also saw the dolphin show. We decided to sit at the top of the splash zone and honestly, got only a couple of drops. But it satisfied Owen’s want to be in the splash zone. It was a great show. We seriously loved it.

We also went to the arctic area. It was beautifully themed! We saw the belugas, walruses, seals, and penguins. It was so much fun and nice and cool. It was a great relief from all of our running around.

Before we left, we stuck our hands in the cleaner fish tank again. Our day was so full! We entered before the park opened and we stayed just past closing. And we still didn’t see and do everything we wanted. Our VIP tickets did come with a second day’s ticket, but we just didn’t have time in our schedule to make that work.

Our only negative experience the entire day happened when we went to the underwater Orca viewing. We really wanted to see the Orcas, but we could only see one Orca and it was sleeping in the back of the tank so we really couldn’t see it. But even this, isn’t really that negative. So if the worst thing that happens to you is that you don’t get to see an animal, I think you’re doing pretty good!

Overall, if you can afford it, DO THE VIP TOUR!

Rides:
Electric Eel
High Thrill
The tallest, fastest roller coaster in San Diego is here - a multi-launch coaster with high-energy twists, electrifying loops and inversions.
My husband rode this by himself and he thought it was fun, but the rest of us are not into going upside down.

Tidal Twister
High Thrill
Feel the thrill of this unique dueling roller coaster ride featuring high-speed turns and upside-down twists.

Journey to Atlantis
Water Rides, High Thrill, Quick Queue
Inspired by one of the sea’s favorite legends, this popular flume ride returns with an all-new look and smoother ride experience! Explore a lost civilization, and experience an action adventure with splashing thrills!
We got soaked on this ride. And personally, I loved it. My son enjoyed the large drop, but the rollercoaster part of the ride really freaked him out and he didn’t want to ride it again.
We did have to get a locker for this ride.

Abby’s Sea Star Spin
Good for small children, Low Thrill, Quick Queue Junior
Take the kids for some whirling, twirling fun on a classic spinning teacup ride. You control the spin with the wheel at the center of your starfish-inspired riding cup.

Aqua Scout
Good for small children, Low Thrill, Quick Queue Junior
Laugh out loud as six mini submarines spin, bump, and bounce you around.

Bayside Skyride
Low Thrill, Quick Queue
Take a break on this roundtrip skyride and treat yourself to beautiful views as you soar above the park and scenic Mission Bay on a gently gliding gondola. Guests under 56” must be accompanied by a Supervising Companion. Please note there is a $6 entrance fee for guests age 3 and older.

Elmo’s Flying Fish
Good for small children, Low Thrill, Quick Queue Junior
Younger kids love this up and down ride across an imaginary ocean - on a flying fish that looks surprisingly like a favorite Sesame Street character - Elmo.

Manta
High Thrill, Quick Queue
Buckle up for a multi-media family launch coaster that lives up to its name. Two thrilling launches send riders soaring and diving in the spirit of world’s largest ray.
My husband and son rode this right before the park closed and they loved it. It looked like a TON of fun.

Oscar’s Rockin’ Eel
Good for small children, Low Thrill, Quick Queue Junior
Oscar the Grouch might be grumpy, but his eel pal is one slippery character! Hang on as he spins and slithers you along on a side-to-side slide of an adventure.

Octarock
Low Thrill, Quick Queue Junior
Swing high and reach for the sky as the swing rocks back and forth.
Riptide Rescue
Medium Thrill
Set out on your own sea turtle rescue mission aboard a boat on this classic spinner ride. But hold on - like SeaWorld’s actual rescues, it can take quite a few turns.

Sea Dragon Drop
Good for small children, Low Thrill, Quick Queue Junior
Take an exciting ride on our child-sized shot-n-drop tower.

Shipwreck Rapids
Medium Thrill, Water Ride, Quick Queue
Cool off on one of Southern California’s favorite water rides. A winding river turns to rolling whitewater rapids before plunging through a waterfall finale.
We actually rode this one twice. It was a blast. And you never know who’s going to get soaked. That’s actually why we had to ride it twice. My son didn’t get wet enough the first time!

Tentacle Twirl
Low Thrill, Quick Queue Junior
Take to the skies in this exciting, jellyfish-themed swing ride.

Wild Arctic
Medium Thrill, Quick Queue
Flight simulator meets daring adventure as you embark on a thrilling jet-helicopter ride. Soar through the breathtaking, perilous, icy landscapes of the Arctic Circle. Put yourself in your pilot’s hands as he maneuvers treacherous frozen peaks and valleys en route to Base Station Wild Arctic.

Shows:
Dolphin Days
Outdoor, Some Splashes, Reserved Seating Available
Join our dolphin and pilot whale family as they show off their athleticism – and playfulness – in this favorite new show. Plus, hear what inspires their trainers.

Orca Encounter
See killer whales in the first experience of its kind. Dive deeper into the orcas masterful hunting techniques and complex communication codes. Learn about the role of family, the importance of play and what we learn from the whales in our care every day is actively helping whales in the wild survive. Witness natural orca behaviors while an expansive infinity screen brings their story to life. Leave with a deeper connection to one of the sea’s mightiest, most magnificent animals.

Sea Lions Live
Reserved Seating Available
Our wacky California Sea Lion comedy duo, Clyde & Seamore star alongside their Asian Small-Clawed Otter buddy, OP, in their very own TV variety show. The team performs their own versions of some of today’s most popular shows including, Super Seamore, Survival: Mission Bay and Dancing with the Pinnipeds!

Sea Rescue
Indoor, Inspirational, Educational
The award-winning Sea Rescue tells the stories of marine animal rescue, rehabilitation and return to the wild by the dedicated SeaWorld Rescue Team and partner organizations.

Sea Lions Tonite
No one knows how to steal the show quite like our resident comic duo, Clyde and Seamore. Catch them in this nightly spoof of our attractions and shows.

Halloween Spooktacular:
Watch silly and spooky live shows and presentations
Clyde & Seamore’s Big Halloween Bash (SeaWorld’s resident sea lion comedy team returns for some holiday fun. Clyde and Seamore spoof their favorite Halloween classics, with a little help from OP Otter of course, in Clyde & Seamore’s Big Halloween Bash. Be sure to wear your costume and dance along with Clyde, Seamore, and OP for this spooky celebration offered daily.)
Sesame Street Halloween Parade (1:30pm features 10 fantastic floats with Elmo, Count von Count, Bert, Ernie, Abby Cadabby, Zoe, Cookie Monster, Rosita, Big Bird and Telly)
Enjoy fun Halloween activities
Interactive Dance Floor (Come boogie on the dance floor with our candy and ocean-inspired characters.)
Enjoy a special themed area celebrating Dia de los Muertos.
Manta Madness (Climb aboard as you take an unexpected turn into the darkness. Spooky special effects and creepy sounds put you in the middle of the MADNESS.)
Trick-or-Treat for candy and goodies throughout the colorfully decorated park
Hours run from 2:30pm to 7pm
Bring a reusable bag (you can also buy one for as little as 99 cents at any park gift shop, which is what we chose to do)
Spooktacular Pumpkin Hunt
Search for animal pumpkins throughout the park!
Purchase a map and when you have found all of them, redeem for an exclusive pin.

Animals:
Killer Whales
Underwater viewing
Dolphins
Get inches away at this open water exhibit where you may get to touch, feed, or maybe even help give the dolphins training signals
Walruses & Beluga Whales
Penguins
Around 300 penguins in this exhibit
Sea Lions
You may even get the chance to feed them
Sharks
Underwater viewing tunnel
Otters
4 playful California sea otters (Clover, Coco, Mocha, and Pumpkin)
Turtles
Visit fresh and saltwater aquariums
Explorer’s Reef
Just inside the park entrance, you’ll find your first real amazing opportunity to interact with sea life. Explorer’s Reef is a series of touch pools, home to several species of reef sharks, and is a great way to begin your day.
Ocean Explorer Animals
Meet some of the sea’s most secretive residents, from the quick-camouflaging giant Pacific octopus to eerie moray eels to the massive Japanese spider crabs - the largest in the sea.

Where we ate:
Mama Stella’s Pizza Kitchen
Cafe line with outdoor patio seating
Pizza: California cheese, BBQ chicken, pepperoni, or the vegetarian
Pasta: chicken alfredo, chicken tender parm, meatball marinara, pesto shrimp, or spicy arrabbiata
Assorted desserts, chicken caesar salad, fries, seasonal fresh fruit, vegetarian caprese sandwich
I had the chicken strip parm, my husband had the pesto shrimp, and my son had the kids pasta. We also got a couple breadsticks and my husband and I shared a caesar salad. With our meal that was included in our VIP tour, we were aloud to get a lot more food than what we got, but we knew there was no way we could eat that much and we didn’t want to be wasteful. Everything was pretty good. It wasn’t amazing, but it was satisfactory.

Hopefully, all of this information helps you plan your trip to SeaWorld San Diego. And if you made it all the way to the end, I know you will because you thoroughly planned your trip.

Sheraton San Diego Hotel & Marina

Halfway through our vacation in San Diego, we decided to switch hotels. Our first hotel was paid for us by my husband’s company, but it was a little more than we wanted to spend so for the second part of our trip, where we paid for the hotel ourselves, we chose to stay at the Sheraton San Diego Hotel & Marina.

The facts:
Sheraton San Diego Hotel & Marina
1380 Harbor Island Drive
(619) 291-2900
Check-In: 4pm / Check-Out: 12pm

Free WiFi
On-site parking is $36/day or $45/day for valet
Buffet breakfast for $26/day
Free bottled water in the room
Amenities: coffee maker, iron, bathrobe, hair dryer

Food:
Room Service
Harbor’s Edge
Contemporary American dining
Open for breakfast, lunch and dinner
Quinn’s Ale House
Upscale, pub-style restaurant
Open for lunch and dinner
Harbor & Vine
Fine wines and artisanal flatbreads
Open for dinner
Marina Market & Cafe
Starbucks coffee, to-go snacks, wines and beers in the evening
Open for breakfast, lunch and dinner
Bay Tower Lounge
Comfort food, specialty cocktails
Open for breakfast, lunch and dinner

Activities:
Lagoon Pool
Lanai Pool
Bay Tower Pool
Whirlpool
Island Breeze Spa
Fitness Center

Our experience:
We stayed for four nights at the beginning of October. We had a king bed in the Bay Tower. Now, for some reason, I didn’t do my research well enough beforehand and didn’t realise that the Bay Tower was not just a tower off the main building. It was actually a completely separate building about a .5 mile down the road. That’s not really a huge deal, but it can be a little inconvenient at times.
There is a complimentary shuttle that is constantly running from the Bay Tower to the main building and to the airport.

The room itself was great. That’s actually the reason we chose to stay in the Bay Tower. The rooms in the pictures looked bigger and the king bed room came with a couch and a desk. Plus, we had a balcony overlooking the marina. It was everything we could have ever wanted.

Upon check-in, we were given vouchers for food or drinks. We ended up using them to buy food from room service our last night there. It was actually pretty good.

We never ran into any rude staff either. Everyone was very kind and helpful.
Tip: If you’re waiting on a shuttle and you’re super nice to the valet, sometimes they can radio to the shuttle drivers and ask how far away they are.

We only used the pool at the main building, but we used it twice. It was so much fun. The pool is huge. It was never busy while we were there, but even if it had been, I don’t know that we would have noticed. There are little sprayers that kids love to play in. There is a deep end, but most of the pool is just a couple (about 3?) feet deep. We also enjoyed the large hot tub located off to the side by the pool. The only downside of this pool was that it was located in the main building so we had to take one of the shuttle buses to and from our building.

Check-out was easy and we were able to take the shuttle bus to the airport upon leaving. It was very convenient for us. Overall, we loved this hotel and we would visit here again.

Coronado Island

In early October, we traveled to San Diego. Everything I read said that we just had to visit Coronado Island to go to the beach. Our hotel was within walking distance to the ferry (about ½ mile) to Coronado Island so while we could have taken an Uber for cheaper, we wanted to have a little boat ride in the bay so we opted for the ferry option. It cost us $30 for the three of us to get round trip tickets.
I feel like we made the right choice. Everyone loved the breeze as we crossed the bay. Plus, the great views and being able to get our sunscreen on during our trip was a great plus.

Once we got to Coronado though, we did still need to take an Uber to the other side of the island. We had them drop us off at MooTime Creamery so that we could grab some ice cream before hitting the beach. It was a cute little shop. The only seating was outside so if you plan to go here, hope that the weather is nice (although, it is California, so…). I had the grasshopper sundae. It was delicious! My husband had the low tide mudslide and my son had the dirt+worms sundae. I don’t think there are any bad options here. Everyone thoroughly enjoyed what they had.

When we were done eating, we walked down to the beach. It was beautiful. There were rocks where the beach met the sidewalk, with stairs down to the sand. We walked along the sand path to the edge of the water. Then, we found a place for our stuff. It seemed like there were plenty of people at the beach, but it still didn’t feel busy. I mean, we were there on a Saturday afternoon, but it was October. We stayed at the beach for about 3 hours. At first, we weren’t having very much fun in the water because there was just SOO much seaweed. But we soon discovered that if you just went out further, there wasn’t any seaweed. We ended up having a great time.

Eventually, we did get tired though, so we ordered an Uber to take us back to the ferry stop. There are 2 ferries that stop here. One goes to the north stop and one goes to the south stop. We originally got on at the south stop, but we wanted to take the ferry to the north stop so that we could go to a restaurant that was right there.
We were only on Coronado for about 4 hours, but we did really enjoy it.

Lake Geneva Ice Castles

We're going to take a short break from talking about our trip to San Diego to talk about an amazing experience my family just had.

Last year was the first year Ice Castles made their way to Lake Geneva, Wisconsin. That's only a couple hours from our house, so it was an opportunity we just couldn't pass up. We had an amazing time, so this year, when we heard they were coming back, we just had to go!

Here are the facts:
Located at the Geneva National Resort & Club
1091 Hidden Cottage Circle, Lake Geneva, WI 53147

In 2020, they opened on January 31st.

Ticket Pricing:
Weekday (Mon-Thurs): $16.99/adult (12 and up) and $11.99/child (4-11)
Weekend (Fri-Sun): $20.99/adult (12 and up) and $15.99/child (4-11)
Holiday pricing is the same as weekend (February 17th)

Typically, guests spend about 30 minutes to an hour enjoying Ice Castles, but they do not limit the amount of time spent there.
Once you have entered, reentrance is not permitted.

The daytime allows you to appreciate the deep blues that only the natural light of the sun brings out in the ice, as well as the details in the Ice Castles.
At night LED lights illuminate Ice Castles from within as you experience the majestic creations under the stars.
If you’re hoping to experience Ice Castles both during the day and at night, it is recommended to purchase a ticket with an arrival time just before sunset.

Dress warm so you can fully enjoy the time spent inside.
Recommended: coats, hats, gloves, scarves, winter boots, and even Hot Hands.

Arrival times are set to 30 minute intervals, so if you buy a 4:30-5 ticket, you can arrive at 4:32 or 4:59.

Slides may require kids to be 42 inches tall to ride.

Portable restrooms are located just outside the entrance/exit at each location.

Outside food and beverages are not permitted.

Here's our experience:
We decided that to avoid the weekend crowds (and avoid paying the weekend prices), we would visit on Monday, February 10th. They don't open until 4pm on weekdays so we were able to still work and school before we left. We bought our tickets online in advance (the only way you can buy tickets). We bought our tickets for 4:30pm-5pm so that we could see the Ice Castle in the daytime (since we only saw it at night last year), but then stay so that we could see it at night as well (sunset was set for 5:19pm).

**I noticed online that A LOT of people were complaining about there being no tickets available. So, here's the thing. This is a very popular attraction. There is no way they're going to be able to accommodate everyone. In order to make it a pleasant experience for as many people as possible, it can't be overcrowded so they can only let a certain number of people in at one time. It stinks that people weren't able to get tickets for the times they wanted to go, but truly, that's not something to complain about. I knew I wanted to get tickets and I saw that they were going on sale on January 27th. I didn't even buy them that day because I knew we were going to go on a weekday. That being said, when I looked that night, there were still PLENTY of tickets available on the weekends. They did sell out within a couple days, but people had time to get their tickets if they wanted them. Also, they only release tickets for a couple weeks at a time. People also complained that they would only be open for 2 weeks. But the Ice Castles have to work around mother nature and she's super unpredictable. They don't want to make tickets available for purchase for an entire month and then have to refund an entire week's worth. If the weather cooperates, they will release tickets for a couple more weeks. So if you're not able to get your tickets at first, be patient. They may release more! And if you're still not able to get tickets, then follow them on Facebook and be on top of the ball next year. Buy early and you won't be disappointed.**

Everything was beautiful, you guys! We've only been going for 2 years, but we will continue to visit the Ice Castles every year that we're able to. They're just stunning to look at and we just love wandering around and enjoying every corner. One of the most fun things to do is to find little hidden areas where there are hardly any people. We ended up staying much longer than we originally expected because our son wanted to do everything in the daytime and then everything again at night. He always enjoys the slide, but it is something that you have to wait in line for. That being said, it's one of the only things you HAVE to wait in line for. We did choose to wait a couple times to wait to get a specific picture with certain things, like a beautiful wall of ice or a sculpture. Something new this year for the Lake Geneva location was the addition of a drink bar. This was great! We got hot chocolate for everyone and I even got mine in a reusable mug to commemorate our time there. And let me tell you, this mug was great! It kept my hot chocolate warm for HOURS! Now, to the part everyone enjoys the most, the pictures:

USS Midway in San Diego

A couple months ago, we were lucky enough to spend some time in San Diego. I decided to incorporate some of the activities we would do into our homeschooling. Our hotel was fairly close to the USS Midway and quickly decided that museum would be one of our activities.
For homeschooling, I looked on their website and found A TON of information about the place. I typed up some questions about information I was able to find and then used that worksheet as a way to test my son's ability to find information on a website. Now, this may not be something learned in public school, but I definitely think it's a real world skill that should be learned.

Now, on to our experience. It was about a ½ mile walk (it took us about 15 minutes) to the USS Midway. Lucky for us, kids were free during the month of October so we were able to take advantage of that.
We walked onto the ship and immediately watched the 15 minute movie to the right. It was pretty interesting and told about the battle of Midway to show why the Navy fought so hard to name this carrier after the famous battle. Then, we walked over to the information desk to get Owen’s Junior Pilot quiz. They told us we needed to get the free audio tour lanyards so we did that. The questions on the quiz were labeled by location, which made it pretty easy to find the ones we needed. You point the little thing on the end of the lanyard at the audio thing you want to listen to and then hold it up to your ear like a cell phone to listen to it. Then, for Owen, he just had to answer a multiple choice question about something from that audio clip.
We walked around the hangar deck first and were able to get in some of the model aircrafts. I think that was Owen’s favorite part. We came across the Air-Combat 360, which is like a flight simulator where you get inside and one person pilots the aircraft while another person shoots at other aircraft. At first, Owen seemed skeptical, but then wanted to do it. However, he threw a huge hissy fit when he actually got in it. He was screaming about how he didn’t want to do it anymore and started whining big time. I was so embarrassed. I couldn’t believe he was acting like that. Fortunately, the employees there were super nice. They were very patient with him and helped us convince him that he would have fun. Tom would pilot the whole time and wouldn’t ever take him upside down. He eventually did do it though and seemed to somewhat enjoy himself. Now, normally, I wouldn't force my kid to do something he didn't want to do, but he had already told us he did want to do it and we'd payed for it, too. Plus, I knew it wouldn't actually be scary.

We grabbed ourselves a bottle of water from the cafe before heading down below deck. It was a huge maze down there. And there was so much to see! We climbed down lots of flights of stairs and then back up! We saw the galley, the sick bay, the chapel, the wardroom, the captain’s quarters, and everything in between. We even saw the brig (jail). It seriously took us over an hour to walk through the whole area.

We then made our way up to the flight deck where Tom and Owen took forever walking around the admiral quarters. I sat and watched some videos instead. My feet were getting tired. When they were back, we walked around some more where Owen was able to touch and get in some of the aircrafts. He loved it. I wish we had been able to see the bridge, but the only way you can see it is to take a 30 minute tour, which had a line of about 20 minutes, and we just didn’t have time for that.

When we were done looking at everything on the flight deck, we walked back down to the hangar deck and looked through the gift shop. Owen was able to find a replica USS Midway that he thought was really cool so he bought that.

Then, we walked back over to the information booth where Owen was presented (with a cute little ceremony) with his wings for getting all the questions right on his little quiz. It was adorable and he loved it.

Then, we walked back to the hotel. We were at the USS Midway for about 3 hours and we needed every second of it. We truly could have spent about 4 hours there if we had the chance. So when they say you need 3-4 hours to see everything, they’re not kidding.

Manchester Grand Hyatt San Diego

We started our trip to San Diego at this hotel, mostly because the company my husband works for was paying for us to be at a conference there. It was absolutely beautiful, though.

First, the details:
Manchester Grand Hyatt San Diego
1 Market Place
San Diego, California, 92101
(619) 232-1234
Check-In: 4pm / Check-Out: 11am
Valet Parking: $49 / Self-Parking: $35

This is considered a luxery hotel and surprisingly had complimentary wifi and 24-hour texting service.

Amenities: bathrobes and slippers available upon request, microwave ($20/stay) /refrigerator ($25/stay) /rollaway bed ($20/night) available upon request, hair dryer, coffeemaker

Hotel Activities:
Iconic, Marilyn Monroe Spa
Cabana Rentals (2 pools: 1 family and 1 adults only, hot tub)
Rooftop Cinema Club at Grand Hyatt (Doors open at 6:30 to enjoy the beautiful views, each person gets a personal set of wireless headphones, comfy deckchairs for one or love seats for two, blankets are available from the box office, bottomless popcorn, candy, full food menu, and drinks)
Fire pits for roasting s’mores and a children’s outdoor play area

Food:
Sally’s Fish House & Bar
Lunch is 11:30a-3p / Light Bite Menu is 3p-5p / Dinner is 5p-9:30p
For Kids: chicken tenders, filet mignon, pasta, and more at $12 per item
Plenty of seafood, but plenty that isn’t as well
Lunch is $18-$25/entree while Dinner is closer to $40/entree

Top of the Hyatt
Sky lounge 40 stories up with floor to ceiling windows
Open 3p-1:30a
Small shareables and desserts are available

Brew30
Selections from local breweries and distilleries with burgers ($14-$18) and salads on the menu
Open 11a-11p, daily (happy hour is 3p-6p)

Seaview Breakfast Buffet Restaurant
Fresh scrambles, made-to-order omelets, waffles, pastries, and other favorites
$28/Grand Breakfast Buffet or $21/Continental Buffet (Complimentary for children under 12 per paying adult)
M-F 6:30a-11a / Sa & Su 6:30a-11:30a

Market One
On-the-go meals and snacks (deli-fresh sandwiches, ready-made salads, pastries, and Starbucks coffee)
Open 24 hours

GrandEats
Room service
Breakfast: 6a-11a / Dinner: 5p-11p

Our experience:

We were able to check in right away when we got there. The guy at the front desk was very friendly and switched our room from a King bed to 2 Queen beds on a high floor. We were super excited to see what kind of view we would receive since we were located right on the bay.
We walked into our room and were greeted with a nice, clean room. It didn’t feel huge, but it also didn’t feel cramped. There was a nice huge window on the far side of the room with a table and two chairs in front of it. We immediately set everything down to look at what kind of view we had. It was amazing! We could see the city to the left, but we could also see the bay to the right. It was great and we spent some time taking pictures.

For the most part, our stay was pleasant. We had a couple issues with only having scalding hot water in our shower, but maintenance came to fix it pretty quickly. I had also forgotten a couple items at home (like a hairbrush). I called down to the front desk, and within 30 minutes, someone brought me the items I had requested. Now, that's service!
On our second day there, we headed down to the pool on the 3rd floor. We had a great time looking at the backyard play area. There was corn hole, giant connect four, Foosball, and ping pong. Then, we found a chair to put our stuff on. The pool itself is heated to 80 degrees all year round so it didn’t feel cold inside the pool, but if you kept your head out for too long, you did get quite chilly (in early October). Overall, we had a great time. We really enjoyed everything the hotel had to offer.

Our only slightly negative experience came at the one restaurant we decided to eat at on property.
When we got there, they said it would be a 25 minute wait to sit outside and I feel like, why are paying more to eat at a restaurant on the water if you can’t sit outside? So we waited for about half an hour. I’m not really sure why we waited though. There were so many tables empty, and while I understand that a lot of people had reservations, the people that were there when we got there were gone by 7, when all the people with the reservations came. It was annoying and we almost left, but they called us just as we were getting ready to leave.
We were seated and decided to just order a couple things because I wasn’t that hungry. However, we still ordered way too much food. Tom and I got some crab cakes to share for our appetizer. It came out fairly quickly, but our waiter was so distracted by other people (mainly his boss) that he didn’t come over to take our order until we were already done eating our crab cakes. That was annoying and when we were waiting for our food, I was so tired! I just wanted to go to sleep and it was taking so long to get our food. Eventually, it did come though. Owen ordered chicken strips and fries. He didn’t end up eating very much of it. I ordered a cup of clam chowder. It was pretty good, but I just wasn’t hungry. Tom got a new york strip with chimichurri on top. He seemed to like it, but it was a little under what he usually enjoys. He ordered it medium-rare and it was definitely more rare than anything else. He couldn’t finish his meal either, so we got a box for it. I hate having leftovers on vacation. We never eat them! But Tom didn’t want them to go to waste. Especially since we payed $120 (including tip) for our food.