I've booked with Sunwing once years ago to some country in the Caribbean. I don't recall it being a bad experience, but I guess there was a reason why I hadn't considered them for travel since. "Sunwing Airlines Inc. is a Canadian low-cost airline headquartered in the Etobicoke district of Toronto, Ontario, Canada." Wikipedia
The booking process was very easy to do online. It was after they took my money that some issues occurred. First, I discovered that their online check in and seat selection was only available 4 hours prior to departure. I travel a fair amount and I have never experienced this before. Most air companies allow 24 hours prior to departure. Since my flight was scheduled to depart at 6:20 a.m. that would mean that I would have to complete the web check in and seat selection at two in the morning.
Second and this is a biggie, I received an email from Sunwing 3 days before the departure date notifying me that they were cancelling all flights to/from Orlando on Tuesdays for approximately a month. So, they gave me several options to choose from in lieu of this: 1) Change the travel dates from Thursday - Tuesday to Friday - Wednesday and receive a $100 per person future travel voucher; 2) Change the travel dates/destination at current selling rate and receive a $100 per person future travel voucher; 3) Cancel for a full refund. I chose option 1. This change in travel dates caused a ripple effect of hassles and stress. For example, I had already purchased my Disney's Animal Kingdom tickets a month in advance in order to book my Fastpass+. For those unfamiliar with Walt Disney World each admission ticket allows you approximately 3 Fastpass+. Most rides and shows at the Disney parks have two lines, one for standby and one for Fastpass+. With your paid admission you can select from a number of attractions with various times for the Fastpass+. This means that you will not have to wait in the often very long standby lines. Because Sunwing forced me to change my travel dates I also had to change my Disney date which in turn meant I had to change my Fastpass+ but now there were less attractions and times to choose from.
The Disney Fastpass+ thing was very annoying and frustrating, but dealing with Sunwing regarding this change in dates was incredibly stressful and exasperating. I was notified in an email that stated I was to either call or email them with my choice. I called them but the person I spoke to was of no help and told me to email them. So I emailed them. The next day I called again and was placed on hold for such a length of time that I eventually gave up and hung up. I finally received an email with the revised invoice, however the dates were incorrect for the hotel and car rental. So I called and emailed them again. I received another email invoice with the corrected dates for the hotel but the car rental dates were still wrong. So I called them again. Eventually all was fixed after many phone calls, emails, and a whole lot of anxiety. Have I received that $100 travel voucher yet? Nope.
Third, upon picking up the car rental at the Orlando International Airport I discovered that Sunwing only pays for a very small amount of the car rental. I had to pay all the taxes, plus I opted for insurance (this was my decision). Guess how much extra I had to pay for that car rental? Over $300 for only 5 days!
Fourth, the hotel included in the package was the Ramada Gateway. My issue with this hotel is that my room was not located in the nicer, newer, tower portion of the hotel, but rather in what I call the "motel" portion of the hotel. I'm really not a fancy person and my must-haves in a hotel are safe and clean. However, these were my problems with the room: 1) The beds were old and hard. I could not sleep for more than a few hours per night; 2) The fridge was defective. It froze the groceries I purchased. I had to call the front desk several times over a two-day period to get them to change it; 3) Daily cleaning of the room was sometimes questionable. One evening I was surprised to see that my bedding had been changed and the top sheet now had stains on it! You know it's pretty bad when your room is actually cleaner BEFORE they clean it.
Enough complaining about Sunwing. I actually did have a great trip. Over a 5 day period I completed the Orlando Eye, Skeletons Museum of Osteology, SeaWorld, Kennedy Space Center, Disney's Animal Kingdom, Universal Studios Florida, and Universal's Islands of Adventure.
Day 1: Orlando Eye & Skeletons Museum of Osteology
The Orlando Eye is a giant Ferris wheel very similar to the High Roller Observation Wheel in Las Vegas. It's fully enclosed and moves so slowly that you can board and disembark without it stopping. I expected to get amazing views of the big theme parks nearby, however, what I did see was a small portion of Universal Studios and Sea World. I'm glad I did the attraction but I wouldn't do it again. Overall, it was kind of boring.
Directly behind the Orlando Eye is Skeletons Museum of Osteology. I'm very much into museums of thematic subjects such as the Bata Shoe Museum in Toronto and the Mob Museum in Las Vegas. As stated from their website, "Skeletons: Museum of Osteology is a family-owned museum, and one of only two skeleton museums in America. Both museums feature the inner framework of hundreds of animals from all over the world."
As specified from their brochure with helpful coupon: "Skeletons has over 40 exhibits featuring more than 500 real animal skeletons!" This museum was a real gem. It was small enough to get through in a reasonable amount of time, but included plenty of interesting facts and details to make you wonder.
Look closely at the turtle in lower centre portion of the photo. It's a very sad example of the destruction humans cause due to pollution.
Real flesh eating beetles cleaning the bones!
I would totally recommend this attraction to anyone, young or older, who enjoys natural and scientific discovery. If you have a half-day to fill in Orlando such as I did, fitting in the Orlando Eye and Skeletons is an easy and interesting way to complete your day.
Day 2: SeaWorld
I admit that I thought Sea World was going to be similar to Marineland in Niagara Falls. It was pleasantly surprising to discover that SeaWorld Orlando is actually a rescue haven. They boast that they have rescued over 30,000 animals and counting. I also noticed something particularly great about the quality of life for animals by the way they interacted with visitors. When visiting the Toronto Zoo you are lucky to see an animal awake and moving. However, at SeaWorld the animals appeared to be happy and interactive with visitors, even showing off at times.
The park is comprised of rides, animal exhibits, and shows in addition to the usual shopping and eateries. My usual plan of attack as a first time park goer is to walk the entire park getting the lay of the land sampling any rides with brief standby lines and catching a show or two. That was exactly what I did at SeaWorld.
I gestured to these cuties to come over to the window where I was watching them and they surprised me with all three stopping by to see what I was up to.
It was actually very busy the day I went so I didn't manage to go on many rides. I did, nevertheless, watch several amazing shows. The first was the Shamu show entitled "One Ocean". It was a beautiful demonstration of killer whales and I thoroughly enjoyed it.
They aren't kidding when the seating sign warns you "Splash Zone".
The second show I watched was a dolphin presentation called "Dolphin Days". It too was an engaging representation of the relationship between the animals and their trainers.
The third show was a very cute and humorous take on sea lions and sea otters in high school, "Clyde & Seamore's Sea Lion High".
After getting my fill of shows, I decided to try something really neat like feeding sharks and California sea Lions. You pay several dollars for about 5 tiny fresh fish that you simply throw to the animals and watch them eat. The shark feeding was a big bust because every time I dropped my fish in the water every fish other than a shark ate it. The sea lions were much better to feed but there are aggressive birds to watch out for. One bird stole the fish almost directly out of the sea lion's mouth!
Who wants some fresh stinky fish?
Pesky birds!
This poor guy got nothing because I didn't even notice him until it was too late - all the fish were gone.
There were many interesting animal exhibits to visit as well. I took photos of some of my favourites.
This turtle kept swimming by the window closest to the spectators appearing to wave at us with his fin.
The penguin exhibit has five different kinds of penguins and the enclosure is maintained at zero degrees celsius. It was a chilly experience in shorts and a t-shirt, but they seemed so incredibly happy.
This penguin had swagger.
Overall, SeaWorld was a great experience and I would totally recommend it to others. I hope to return in the not so distant future to tackle the rides.
Day 3: NASA Kennedy Space Center
I have to admit that I found the topic of space and space exploration to be rather uninteresting and boring. So why would I spend an entire day at the Kennedy Space Center? Well, for the simple reason that I had never been there before.
You really need a car to get there from Orlando because it's a little over an hour's drive from Kissimmee. An interesting bonus is that the Space Center is actually on the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge. Driving to, around, and from the center I saw many awesome creatures such as four black boars, countless pink flamingos, and six alligators!
Mr. Alligator says, "To boldly go where no gator has gone before."
The entrance admission (approx. $50 U.S.) is about half the price of a typical park pass to other attractions such Disney, Universal, or SeaWorld. With your paid admission it includes: Heroes & Legends Featuring the U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame, Space Shuttle Atlantis, Shuttle Launch Experience, Rocket Garden, Kennedy Space Center Bus Tour, Apollo/Saturn V Center, Astronaut Encounter, Mission Status Briefings, Eyes on the Universe: NASA's Space Telescopes 3D, Journey to Mars: Explorers Wanted, and IMAX theaters "A Beautiful Planet" and "Journey to Space 3D". In addition to that large list you can also choose from a list of optional tours to add on to your experience, at an extra cost. As a first-timer, I stuck with the "already included" list of things to see and do which was more than enough to fill my day.
I did not accomplish every single thing on the above list, but I did complete most. The first to check off was the bus tour. In my opinion this is a must-see and I'd advise to complete it at the beginning of the day to avoid the masses and line-ups. According to the NASA Kennedy Space Center brochure, "Kennedy Space Center Bus Tour - The only way to get a glimpse of the entire working spaceflight center. Departs every 15 minutes, bringing guests to the Apollo/Saturn V Center with a drive-by of a launch pad and the Vehicle Assembly Building. Apollo/Saturn V Center - Touch a moon rock, witness liftoff of Apollo 8 and stand beneath the largest rocket ever flown."
Vehicle Assembly Building
Launch pads
The road/pathway the vehicle will travel to bring the rocket to the launchpad
Witnessing liftoff of Apollo 8
The largest rocket ever flown
Various suits used by astronauts
The photos below are the various rockets on display in Rocket Garden.
The Astronaut Training Experience was not available the day I was present.
"Journey to Mars: Explorers Wanted" was the only disappointment I had during my stay. Since I had been given such a vast amount of information on NASA's historical achievements, I was especially excited and intrigued to see what developments they've made for the near future. Unfortunately, I did not receive much of anything on the topic.
The Mars Rover
The next Mars Rover
"Space Shuttle Atlantis" was another fascinating building with many interesting facts as well as a monumental Canadian contribution to space exploration, the Canadarm!
The Canadarm - a robotic arm
"Heroes & Legends Featuring the U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame" was a perfect way to finalize my day at the center. In a way, it summarized NASA's journey from the past to present and focused in on the central aspect of it all - Why explore space and what does it really take to be such an explorer? In this building they display interviews with various astronauts answering questions as to what does it take to be a hero? They talk about their childhood, toys they enjoyed, and familial upbringing. I was so taken by their thoughts that I captured photos of each character trait they believed one should possess to be a hero. I'm not an astronaut and have no plans on becoming one. However, you can take these character traits and ask yourself which of them you possess in your life. Don't we all strive for some level of excellence?
All in all, the Kennedy Space Center was by far the show-stopper for this trip. I went in expecting little to nothing and came out with a great respect and curiosity. Will I be signing up for an all-inclusive trip to Mars? Forget it!
Day 4: Disney's Animal Kingdom
I went to the Animal Kingdom last year and enjoyed it, but unfortunately I ran out of time to see the entire park and complete all the rides. My goal this time around was to accomplish the brand new Pandora - the World of Avatar themed area and its two rides "Avatar Flight of Passage" and "Na'vi River Journey", as well as the unfinished sections missed in the past. To describe each new attraction, disneyworld.disney.go.com states:
A Family-Friendly Adventure
The adventure comes to a conclusion as the Shaman demonstrates her deep connection to the life force of Pandora—and sends positive energy out into the forest through the power of her music!
Otherworldly Aerial Adventures Await
Thankfully, I had one FastPass+ for Na'vi River Journey, but to sample Flight of Passage I would have to wait in the standby line. The park opened at 9 a.m. for the general public so I raced to the Flight of Passage ride just to discover that the standby line had an approximate wait time of three hours! There was no way I was standing in a line for three hours for any ride. The good news is that with some patience and compromise I did get to try both rides by the evening. How long did I wait? One hour and fifty minutes, and I hate to admit it but it was worth it.
Pandora - The World of Avatar: Honestly, this area really comes to life and has the "wow" factor at nighttime when it's dark; during the day it is not overly stunning.
These are on display as you're moving through the standby line awaiting "Flight of Passage".
The Na'vi River Journey is an easy ride where you simply sit and take in the beautiful wonders of Pandora. Flight of Passage is one of the best, if not best, ride/flight simulator I've ever tried. It was truly amazing in every way. Disney always does it right. I highly recommend it.
Other than Pandora, I watched several shows: "It's Tough to be a bug!", "Festival of the Lion King", "Finding Nemo - The Musical", and bits and pieces of "Rivers of Light". Each show was slightly different and enjoyable. "It's Tough to be a bug!" is a 3D film with a few hidden secrets when the lights go out. I really loved this show and it was my favourite. "Festival of the Lion King" is similar to a Broadway show, whereas "Finding Nemo - The Musical" is a puppet show. "Rivers of Light" is a nightly musical light show set on the lake with beautiful boats, etc.
The only other ride I ventured other than those mentioned in Pandora was a past favourite "Kilimanjaro Safaris". This is a safari jeep ride through the savanna where you will often see various African animals such as giraffes, lions, elephants and more. Sometimes the wait for this ride can be lengthy because the animals have the right of way. This means that jeeps can be backed up for several minutes at a time waiting for animals to move from the roadway.
In the centre of the Animal Kingdom is The Tree of Life which honors all living things. Most people who visit the park will capture a photo or two of this symbolic focal point. The tree is actually a 44m sculpture highlighting 325 animal carvings. I was pleasantly surprised to see a couple of live animals in front of the tree during this visit. Can you spot them?
Answers: There's a vulture in front of the centre of the tree and a kangaroo to the right.
In addition to the safari ride, animals are quite visible all over the park. For example, in the photo below you can see a few furry friends literally hanging around.
The unfortunate part of this day was some bad timing. The exact part of the park that I had hoped to complete from my last visit was actually closed. I guess it makes more sense to do their refurbishing during low season. Oh well. It's another excuse to return in the near future, right?
Day 5: Universal's Islands of Adventure & Universal Studios Florida
You may not believe how much this day cost. Mind you, I did not choose the cheapest option. After my last visit to both of these parks in the same day, I was bound and determined to do it right this time around. That meant to pay extra for the Universal Express Pass. Remember Disney's FastPass+ which is included with each admission ticket? Well, not at Universal Studios Florida or Canada's Wonderland, or many other parks I'm sure. The bonus with Universal's Express Pass is that you never have to wait in any standby lines. That sounds pretty great, right? Back to my opener - the cost of my day: 2 adult tickets for the 2 parks in one day plus 2 Express Passes = over $500U.S.! I'll tell you that it was really worth it. This isn't the kind of thing you do often and my last visit was extremely rushed with almost no time to get to many rides. I was on a serious mission this time around - to defeat every ride at both parks (excluding rides previously accomplished).
The first part of the day was at Islands of Adventure. The monster attraction at this park, in my opinion, is The Incredible Hulk Coaster. You simply can't miss this giant monstrosity. It's the type of ride that everyone stops, looks up at and says, "OMG!" Riders are launched up a hill at 64 km/hr in 2 seconds reaching a top speed of 108 km/hr with 7 inversions (upside down). This was my first ride of the day and it was totally awesome!
The Incredible Hulk Coaster
https://rcdb.com/557.htm
"Length, 3,700 ft. Height, 110 ft. Drop, 104.9 ft. Inversions, 7. Speed, 67 mph. Duration, 2:15. G-Force, 4.0. Elements, 150 ft long Tunnel · Tire Propelled Launch from 0 - 40 mph in 2.0s. Zero-G Roll · Cobra Roll · Loop · Corkscrew · Loop · Block Brake · Corkscrew and Loop"
Doctor Doom's Fear Fall was the second ride. Because this attraction reminded me of Canada's Wonderland's Drop Zone, I assumed it would be the same - you are slowly taken up to the top and then dropped at stomach-churning speeds. This was NOT like the Drop Zone. In fact, this is more like the opposite of Drop Zone. You are actually propelled up 61m at gut-wrenching speeds of 64 km/hr to the top of the tower and then dropped back down. It was totally awful and amazing all in one and I absolutely loved it!
Doctor Doom's Fear Fall
After these two mega rides there was definitely a lull in excitement for the rest of the morning. I finished off most of Islands of Adventure with The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man (3D simulator that was meh), the new Skull Island: Reign of Kong (what I'd call a part ride, part 3D simulator that was OK), Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey (a great 3D simulator although it gets nauseating after a while), Flight of the Hippogriff (a tame family friendly roller coaster), Poseidon's Fury (guided tour inside Poseidon's ancient temple with some exciting special effects), and Hogwarts Express - Hogsmeade Station (a train ride that takes you to Universal Studios Florida but simulates that you are in "Harry Potter-Ville").
This takes me to the second part of my day at park 2, Universal Studios Florida. The mind-blowing attraction in this park is Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit. This high speed roller coaster is like nothing I've ever seen. You begin seated and are taken vertically, 90 degrees to the top of the coaster where it all begins - an amazing thrill of dips and dives and loops. It was AWESOME!
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hollywood_Rip_Ride_Rockit
"Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit is a steel roller coaster at Universal Studios Florida in Orlando, Florida. With a height of 167 feet (51 m), a length of 3,800 feet (1,200 m) , and a top speed of 65 miles per hour (105 km/h), it is the largest X-Coaster ever built by German manufacturer Maurer Söhne.
Height restriction: 130 cm (4 ft 3 in)
Max vertical angle: 90°
Height: 167 ft (51 m)
G-force: 3.9"
Similar to the riveting high you get from the Incredible Hulk Coaster, after completing Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit everything else is uneventful. For the most part, the remainder of the day was filled with countless simulator rides which can become very boring and sickening if you fill your day with them. The list includes Despicable Me Minion Mayhem (3D simulator), Transformers: The Ride-3D (3D simulator), Race Through New York Starring Jimmy Fallon (3D simulator), Harry Potter and the Escape from Gringotts (3D simulator), Men in Black Alien Attack (interactive-shooting dark ride), The Simpsons Ride (3D simulator), Woody Woodpecker's Nuthouse Coaster (family roller coaster), and E.T. Adventure (bike ride).
Overall, the day and the entire trip was a total success. I know I had a great time because I was completely exhausted and ready to go home. My plan is to hopefully revisit Orlando over the December holidays. I'd like to return to Disney's Hollywood Studios for the new Toy Story Land opening this June. Also on the proposed list is Legoland Florida, Aquatica, and Busch Gardens in Tampa Bay. Maybe I'll give Sunwing another try and use that phantom voucher. Stay tuned!
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