Orlando Swim With Dolphins

Fun and fear in Florida

Cian Nihill

GO USA:  There were many is-this-actually-happening moments for vertigo sufferer CIAN NIHILL  on a visit to some of Florida’s top theme parks, but it’s the animal encounters – like swimming with dolphins – that he will remember most

WHILE STUMBLING for balance aback an open top truck, flashbacks of childhood trips to the then legal turf bogs of Galway were quickly forgotten as 15ft giraffes cantered towards us beneath the scorching Florida sunshine.

It was a case of ‘Is this actually happening?’ as we petted and fed these icons of Africa while still being able to hear the screams of thrill seekers who had evidently ventured onto one of the park’s roller coasters a few hundred feet away.

Bizarrely at Busch Gardens, amid its world class rides, there lies a large and thoroughly entertaining “safari” that is home to numerous animals such as lions, tigers, rhinos, zebra and antelopes.

A trip spent sampling the attractions at Florida’s SeaWorld family of parks (SeaWorld, Busch Gardens, Aquatica and Discovery Cove) can leave you with that sense of disbelief at times, as there is far more than just stomach-churning roller coasters for entertainment.

Three of the parks in Orlando are within walking distance of each other with Busch Gardens the exception, about an hour’s drive away in Tampa.

Visitors can choose to either buy individual park tickets at the various entrances or can purchase a package deal that will include entry to a number of them, often for an unlimited amount of times for two weeks.

Each park offers something different: Discovery Cove is geared towards relaxation; Aquatica is a classic water park; SeaWorld meshes both being a theme park with big roller coasters and an aquarium that includes dolphin and killer whale shows; while Busch Gardens is everything roller coaster enthusiasts could hope for as well as offering a zoo-like experience with countless animals on show.

My first ‘Is this actually happening?’ moment of the trip occurred while in Busch Gardens as I sat at the bottom of a newly designed and totally unnecessarily high roller coaster.

Like many with a fear of heights, I had long ago committed to never go on any attraction that included a massive drop as one of its selling points.

New to the park (opened to the pubic in late May), the Cheetah Hunt ride is slightly different to most roller coasters in that there is no painfully slow climb prior to that inevitable drop. Instead it launches you at high speeds from the start and sends riders up its towering heights at speeds of 60mph.

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