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| KIDOOKID! "Marineland in Antibes" N.B. 2006 Revisited in the height of the summer and they have dropped the Pirate show - entrance price still the same ..we were disappointed as the sparkle seems to have disappeared a little - bring back the Pirates and the magic! It was the last Saturday of July 2005 ... a hot and sunny day so what better way to entertain two toddlers than to take them to Marineland! We wanted to get our money’s worth and so we checked show times in advance to plan our trip. Having been told it’s important to see the Dolphins first before the killer whales so as not to be disappointed ... so we had an early lunch before heading of to the park arriving in time for the 2:15 show. We set off prepared for the worst - huge crowds and over heating however our experience couldn't have been better. Accompanied by our 1 ½ year old Daisy and our 3 ½ year old Louis and the pushchair loaded with lots of water, snacks for the kids to distract them when waiting between shows, sun cream and big hats off we set. They did have pushchairs you could borrow but they don't look very padded - still nice to know if you're suddenly caught short with a shattered kiddie. So onto the shows! |
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"Pirates Ahoy" |
In total we saw 2 dolphin shows; one in daylight the second at night with lights and acrobats, the sea lion spectacle was quite amusing and of course we were privileged enough to see the (3!) truly amazing Killer Whale shows including the pirate display which Louis loved and the Grand Night Time Finale complete with firework. Louis did fall asleep during the Grand Finale so we were glad to have the pushchair but Daisy stayed awake clapping with delight (don’t sit in the front row unless you have a towel!) There was a little bit of waiting time in between shows ..time to nip to the toilet (never a queue and one seemed to be on every corner!!) or check out the souvenir shops....August may be busier but we couldn’t believe how easy it was to get around, no queues, lots of toilets etc. in fact some of the park was partly closed so maybe August is the high peak period. |
"Watching you watching us" |
| There is also a play area that we stopped of at in between shows which was fine for Louis but of course not that brilliant for the enthusiastic but too tiny Daisy she soon got frustrated. So we went and checked out the aquarium and maritime museum between shows which provided a great respite from the heat and so best planned into the hottest part of the day. Its worth mentioning that we had planned to visit the previous weekend but the weather threatened rain and was overcast ... as a Mum it's always a worry to take the kids into the midday sun however I'm glad we went on the sunny day and used hats, shade and the aquariums ... I don't think the experience would have the same magic in the rain! While waiting for the Grand Finale we had a leisurely dinner at the Atlantis which has a nice view over the dolphin pool where you can actually now go (for an extra fee) and meet the dolphins.. The tickets certainly aren’t given away but by planning ahead we really got the most out of our day and we got a discount getting them through the Comite d'Entreprise at work. By bringing water and snacks (picnics aren’t allowed) we cut costs a lot and its worth keeping an eye out for the special deals they offer particularly for their year passes and you can also get multi passes into the other parks "La Petite Ferme", "Ile Magique des Oiseux" and "Aquasplash" All in all we had a fantastic afternoon and evening out its certainly suitable for all ages - we all were left dreaming of the magic of Marineland for many days after and can't wait for some more magic this summer! For more information check out the Marineland website. |
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