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Ends Tonight: Enter to Win 2 Discovery Cove Dolphin Swim Day Resort Packages

April 6, 2014 by Liza

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**If you haven’t entered this giveaway yet, make sure you enter! This awesome giveaway is valued at over $600 and ends this Sunday, April 6th!

Have you been to Discovery Cove in Orlando, Florida? My family and I recently had the opportunity to go to Discovery Cove and we had the most amazing time. Once we arrived at Discovery Cove, I quickly realized that it is not a typical theme park. Instead, Discovery Cove gave us a resort-like experience as we didn’t have to deal with long lines, crowds or extra expenses. Your entry fee into Discovery Cove includes everything from parking to breakfast and lunch, to snacks to beverages (including alcohol). Even things like towels, sunscreen, snorkels, fins, swim vests and lounge chairs are available once you arrive! Make sure you read about my Discovery Cove experience HERE.

Discovery Cove has provided me with two dolphin swim day resort packages to give away! One Addicted to Saving reader will win two complimentary Discovery Cove Dolphin Swim Day Resort Packages. This prize is valued at over $600.00! Your passes will be valid for one day in May 1, 2014 – June 21, 2014 OR September 1,2014 – December 31, 2014 OR you can select a day in 2015 from January 1, 2015 – February 28, 2015. Please note – children must be 6 years old or older to swim with the dolphins.

To enter to win two complimentary Discovery Cove Dolphin Swim Day Resort Packages, take a look at the four pictures above and leave a comment on this post answering this question: Which of these four Discovery Cove experiences would you be most excited to discover? After commenting, make sure you fill in the Rafflecopter below! Please note: The winner selection process is random, and based purely on Rafflecopter’s automated system. It is important that you complete all entry fields in order to provide a valid submission. This contest ends Sunday, April 6, 2014 at 8:00 p.m. EST.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Florida residents – Discovery Cove has special pricing just for us! Go HERE for more info on Discovery Cove’s Florida Resident Special! If you purchase the Day Resort Package, prices start at $149. If you purchase the Dolphin Swim Package, prices start at $219. Blackout dates are March 17 – April 21 & June 1 – Aug. 31, 2014. Dates subject to availability. Proof of valid FL residency for each adult is required at check-in.

Dolphin Swim Day Resort Package includes:

A reserved 30-minute dolphin interaction
Hand feeding exotic birds in a free-flight aviary
Encounters with playful otters and curious marmosets in Freshwater Oasis™
Freshly prepared breakfast and lunch and unlimited snacks, drinks and alcoholic beverages.
Unlimited admission to SeaWorld® Orlando and Aquatica, SeaWorld’s Waterpark™ for 14 consecutive days.

Discovery Cove sent myself, hubby and son to the park. All thoughts and opinions are my own!

My Time at Discovery Cove & Special Rates for Florida Residents

March 26, 2014 by Liza

This post may contain a link to an affiliate. See my disclosure policy for more information.

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Discovery Cove sponsored this post and sent myself, hubby and son to the park. As always, all thoughts and opinions are my own!
Stay tuned – tomorrow I have an awesome giveaway for one Addicted to Saving reader courtesy of Discovery Cove!

This past weekend, we were given the opportunity to visit Discovery Cove. When Discovery Cove offered to send myself, hubby and son to Discovery Cove, I jumped at the opportunity. I’ve heard amazing things about the park and wanted to see everything for myself.

Did you know that right now Florida Residents can take advantage of special pricing? Go HERE to learn about Discovery Cove’s Special Florida Residents Rates (or scroll to the bottom of this post for more information). When you purchase a ticket, you will also receive unlimited admission to SeaWorld® Orlando and Aquatica, SeaWorld’s Waterpark™ for 14 consecutive days!

The main entrance to Discovery Cove.

First, let me say right away, originally, I thought Discovery Cove was a theme park. I knew that Discovery Cove limits attendance to around 1,300 people per day. But I didn’t realize that this is not your typical theme park experience. This is a resort experience. From the second we walked into Discovery Cove, we realized that we wouldn’t have to deal with long lines, packed areas and screaming children. Instead, we had tons of space to roam, there were pretty much no lines and while our 18 month old son missed his nap, he actually didn’t scream or cry at all! 😉

This was one of the first views you get as you walk into Discovery Park.

Once you register in the main building, you immediately walk into a lush, green cove that feels like a deserted island. My mom and brother went with us to Discovery Cove and my mom raved multiple times on the bamboo trees, lush plants and beautiful flowers.

Tip – get to Discovery Cove early. They open at 7:30 am. The earlier you arrive, the earlier you can explore Discovery Cove. And, you will get a better selection of dolphin swim times (if you are swimming with the dolphins).

Picture of my son exploring Discovery Cove.

Once you walk through the jungle-like entrance, the view opens up as you enter Discovery Cove. As you can see from the picture above, it felt like we were the only people at Discovery Cove! And yet at this point, the park was at capacity with guests!

When you purchase an all inclusive package for Discovery Cove it covers every expense you can think of! You will not have to pay for parking. (Most theme parks charge at least $10 to park if not more!) Breakfast, lunch, all snacks and all drinks (including wine, daiquiris and more) are included. The breakfast was impressive with scrambled eggs, bacon, sausage, waffles, yogurt, pastries and fresh fruit. Lunch was amazing. There were 5 or 6 entrees to choose from like baked fish, pork tenderloin, meatballs and pasta, chicken, hamburgers and so much more. Because my son was under two, his admission was free. Since he still only has four teeth, I stuck with easy to eat food for him like mac & cheese, meatballs and rice. The snacks they offer throughout the day were perfect for curbing our appetite. When we left Discovery Cove, we weren’t hungry. We were well fed and didn’t have to pay an additional cent towards all of the food we ate! (And we ate a lot!) Usually a soft drink and lunch for one person at a theme park is at least $15. So there was a huge value in getting all you can eat breakfast, lunch, snacks and unlimited beverages.

Tip – for lunch, you will experience waiting in a line if you get in line around lunchtime (12 – 1:00 pm). If you wait a little longer to get lunch, you won’t have to wait in line long at all! Try snacking when you first get there, set up your “base” camp, and have a late breakfast. That way you’ll be satiated and won’t need lunch until later on.

While you are at Discovery Cove, you will not have to worry about forgetting anything. They have life jackets and life vests, snorkels and fins, sunscreen, bottled water and even special strollers that you can push on the sand! The life jacket we brought for our son was a little too big, but fortunately, Discovery Cove really came through as they had life jackets in all different sizes (even in adult sizes)!

The highlight of our time at Discovery Cove was the dolphin swim. I cannot put to words how awesome it was to be up close to the dolphins. My hubby, mom and brother had a dolphin swim time that was different from mine. So I wasn’t able to swim with them. However, this didn’t detract from my experience at all. The dolphin trainers tell you all about the dolphin’s history, training the dolphin and the dolphin’s personality. The dolphin I swam with was named Akai. Akai is a male dolphin who had the sweetest demeanor. We were able to pet him, give him a kiss and watch him do tricks. Once it was time to swim with Akai, we were given the option of either doing the deep water swim or shallow water swim. I chose for the deep water swim and swam out approximately 20 yards. Akai met me there and after I hung on to his fins, he pulled me to shallow water. Such an awesome experience.

Tip – leave all of your jewelry (except your wedding bands) at home. When you swim with the dolphins, the only item they will let you wear is your wedding bands. You can’t even wear an elastic on your wrist. (don’t ask me how I know 😉 )

Photos with Akai (pictured above is my mom, son and brother. Just missing my hubby!)

Babies and toddlers are not able to participate in the dolphin swim. However, I was so thankful because the trainers saw my son and offered to do a family photo after the dolphin swim. So my son was able to touch Akai and get a photo with him. (The only bummer is that my hubby wasn’t in the photo!) While I know my son probably won’t remember that moment in his life, I have pictures to show him someday! And now he is making noises like a dolphin which is just adorable.

One of the entrances into the Wind-away River

When you are at Discovery Cove, you will want to go on the Wind-away River. It is basically a lazy river with both deep and shallow areas. We were able to take our son out on the ride with us! We were on the Wind-away River for about 25 minutes. It was so relaxing. At one point, you float through the Explorer’s Aviary. Tropical birds are literally flying overhead as you float through.

**Tip – if you are swimming with a young child, make sure you have either a life jacket on (to help you float) or the floating noodle. That will help you float as you are also watching your young child. Also – if you have an underwater camera, bring it! There are so many things to photograph as you float along the river!

Another highlight of Discovery Cove is snorkling through the Grand Reef. The reef is filled with tropical fish and stingrays! And, you can swim up to an area where glass separates you from sharks. When you go underwater and look through the glass, you will come face to face with sharks. When you are snorkling, head away from the sandy entrance to the reef. The further you get from the sand, the less people you will see. I snapped the photograph above of a man snorkling and he had so much space all to himself!

There is also a new part of Discovery Cove that features marmosets and otters. We watched the otters play for quite a long time. They were adorable.

Dolphin Swim Day Resort Package includes:

A reserved 30-minute dolphin interaction*
Hand feeding exotic birds in a free-flight aviary
Encounters with playful otters and curious marmosets in Freshwater Oasis™
Freshly prepared breakfast and lunch and unlimited snacks, drinks and alcoholic beverages.
Unlimited admission to SeaWorld® Orlando and Aquatica, SeaWorld’s Waterpark™ for 14 consecutive days.

Florida Residents – Aquatica After 2 p.m. Pass Is Back

June 6, 2013 by Liza

This post may contain a link to an affiliate. See my disclosure policy for more information.

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Aquatica, SeaWorld’s WaterparkTM, has reintroduced their After-2 p.m. Pass! Florida residents pay only $50 for children, ages 3-9, and $55 for adults. For the cost of a single day’s admission, guests can enjoy Aquatica after 2 p.m. throughout the rest of 2013 for FREE with no blackout dates! Now that is a great deal! To find out more about Aquatica in Orlando, go HERE!

My California Experience: Test Driving the New 2013 Hyundai Santa Fe

March 21, 2013 by Liza

This post may contain a link to an affiliate. See my disclosure policy for more information.

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new-santa-fe-2013-review

This past weekend, I had the opportunity to test drive the new 2013 Hyundai Santa Fe. Not only was I test driving this new car, but Hyundai sent me to San Diego to do it. I was excited to do this New Santa Fe 2013 review for two reasons: 1) I own a Hyundai Sonata and we are looking to get an additional car for our soon to be expanding family and 2) this east coast girl has never been to California!

I arrived in San Diego on Friday afternoon at Coronado Island. If you have never been to Coronado and you are in the San Diego area, I highly recommend you visit this beachside town. There are amazing restaurants, great shopping and a beautiful beach.

I stayed at the Hotel Del Coronado and was amazed by its beauty and history. Hotel Del Coronado is located on the Pacific Ocean and is just a bit north of where the Navy Seals train. In fact, many mornings you can see the navy seals working out and training on the beach from your hotel room. Hotel Del Coronado was built in 1888 and the legend is that it is haunted by the ghost of Kate Morgan. I don’t believe in ghosts but I will admit that I was a bit disconcerted Friday when the bathroom light in my hotel room turned itself on at 2 am and then again at 5 am!

Saturday morning I woke up excited to get to see and learn about the new Santa Fe. Hyundai had a jam packed day planned for us and it started an info session on the new Santa Fe along with a Q&A session. During this session, we learned about some of the awesome features of the Santa Fe.

If you are familiar with the Santa Fe Sport, you need to check out the new Santa Fe. It is larger than the sport (the sport is a 5 passenger vehicle) and depending on the model you choose, it seats 6 or 7 people. As many of you know, my husband and I are in the midst of adopting two kiddos with two separate adoption agencies. (With one of our agencies we are actually approved to adopt a sibling set.) So, we could technically bring home three children within the next two years. Because of this, we are looking for a larger vehicle to replace my hubby’s car (he has an old car that seats 4). The new Santa Fe has the seating that we need along with some awesome features that are perfect for families with children.

Hyundai really wanted us to experience the new Santa Fe so after the informational session, they sent us off on our way. We left Coronado and then left San Diego and headed for the mountains. I didn’t realize that Southern California has mountains! The scenery we saw was jaw droppingly beautiful. The Santa Fe handled the twists and turns of the mountain like a pro. I’m not going to lie, I was a bit nervous to test drive the Santa Fe in unfamiliar terrain – especially terrain that had sharp turns and dips. But when I got behind the wheel, I immediately felt at ease. I adjusted the driver’s seat and rearview mirror and set off. Looking at the two back rows in my rearview mirror, I could picture my future kiddos comfortably sitting in their car seats.

Below are some of the features that really stood out to me:

Two Seating Options

You can choose between two rows of standard bench seats (gives you a total of 8 seats) or the Santa Fe Limited has a 2nd row of Captain Chairs and a 3rd row of bench seats (gives you a total of 7 seats).

Trunk Space & Storage

The amount of trunk space you have is versatile depending on whether you fold your rear 3rd row seats. You can leave your 3rd row up and use the trunk space provided, or you can put down just one of your rear seats or both. I loved the flexibility of the rear seats. If I had two children in car seats in the 2nd row, I would have more than enough room for a double stroller, golf clubs, groceries and more in the trunk.

I also loved that there was extra storage under the panel in the trunk. I can picture placing emergency must-haves like extra diapers, umbrellas, extra toys and maybe even some beach blankets in case we took a last minute road trip to the beach!

Stain Resistant Seats

My hubby and I were always under the impression that when it comes to clean-up, leather seats were the way to go when you have kids. I was thrilled to learn that Santa Fe’s seats feature YES Essentials Stain Resistant cloth seats. These cloth seats are designed with repel-and-release technology so spills that would ordinarily stain most car interiors, bead up on the surface to be easily wiped away. And, dried ground-in stains can be removed easily with just soap and water. They also control odors and reduce static.

Manual Rear Window Side Window Sunshades

I LOVE this feature. I always notice cars driving by that have sunshades haphazardly stuck to their rear windows. With the Santa Fe, the manual rear side window sunshades are part of the car. And they fit the window! Just pull it down and the side window’s sunshade perfectly protects your child from the sun!

Standard Safety Equipment

The new Santa Fe has 7 airbags. If you drive in hilly terrain, it has Hillstart Assist (this prevents your car from rolling backward when you go from braking to pushing the gas pedal). It also has Downhill Brake control, Brake Assist and Traction Control.

Navigation System with Rearview Camera

I love both of these upgrades. The navigational system truly rocked. While I was driving on unfamiliar streets, the navigational system not only showed me where I was, when to turn, etc but it also showed me the speed limit! So, if I missed seeing or forgot the speed limit, all I had to do was look at the screen and it told me how fast I should be going.

The rearview camera is also an amazing feature. I loved that I can look at the screen and see if anyone or anything is behind me. This is perfect if you have children playing in your driveway or dogs running around (both of which happens to us on a daily basis even though neither the children or dogs are ours!).

Panoramic sunroof

The panoramic sunroof is a luxury that I could get used to! You can tell from the picture above just how far back the sunroof goes! Truly awesome.

Warranty

I love Hyundai’s Warranty. The new Hyundai Santa Fe starts at $28,350 so it is great to know that there are so many warranties covering my purchase. In fact, I can’t tell you how much peace of mind I have knowing that my Hyundai Sonata still has a few years left under its 10 year warranty.
10 Year/100,000 Mile Powertrain Protection: Covers repair or replacement of powertrain components (i.e., selected engine and transmission/transaxle components), originally manufactured or installed by Hyundai that are defective in material or factory workmanship, under normal use and maintenance.
5 Year/60,000 Mile New Vehicle Limited Warranty: Covers repair or replacement of any component manufactured or originally installed by Hyundai that is defective in material or factory workmanship, under normal use and maintenance.

5 Year Unlimited Miles: Effective from the date the vehicle is delivered to the first retail buyer, or otherwise put into service (in-service date), whichever is earlier.

7 Year/Unlimited Miles Anti-Perforation Warranty: Covers perforation (rust hole through the body panel from inside to outside) corrosion of original Hyundai body sheet metal due to defects in material or factory workmanship, under normal use and maintenance.

Power Outlets & iPod^®/USB and auxiliary input jack

The blogger in me LOVED these perks. The front dashboard has iPod/USB input jacks as well as power outlets. I am not going to lie, most Sundays on our way to church, while hubby drives, I am hyped up on Dramamine and blogging. So I love that power outlets come standard in the new Santa Fe. And – if you have kiddos, don’t worry! The back seat has power outlets as well! So, their electronics will stay charged too!

What can I say? I had an awesome time driving the new Hyundai Santa Fe and doing my New Santa Fe 2013 review for Hyundai. I highly recommend you take it out for a test drive. In fact, my husband and I are going to go test drive it at our local Hyundai because my husband wants to see first-hand what I’ve been raving about since I returned home from my trip! To learn more about the Santa Fe, go HERE To find a dealer near you, go HERE

**Hyundai sent me to California to test drive the Hyundai Santa Fe. The trip was paid for by Hyundai. As always, all thoughts and opinions are 100% my own

FREE Disney Cruise Line Vacation Planning DVD

January 7, 2013 by Liza

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Have you been on a Disney Cruise? We have friends who have gone and they LOVED it. Their kiddos had a blast and our friends said that the kids were in so many activities throughout the day that the adults felt like they were on a vacation by themselves! 🙂 Right now you can score a FREE Disney Cruise Line Vacation Planning DVD. Go HERE to request your DVD. You will then receive it within 3-4 weeks!

Enter to Win a Cruise Vacation in March Courtesy of Crafty

November 14, 2012 by Liza

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This March 23-30, 2013, Crafty will hold their first ever week-long Caribbean Quilt Cruise! Every month Craftsy is giving away one pair of tickets, so you and a guest may get to go on the Caribbean Cruise FREE! (Please consider taking me along if you win ;)) To view the complete itinerary, learn all about ship amenities, and enter to win this awesome vacation, go HERE!

Fine print: NO PURCHASE NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN. A PURCHASE WILL NOT IMPROVE YOUR CHANCES OF WINNING. Limit one (1) entry per person. Transportation is not included as part of the Grand Prize. Internet access is required to enter. Open to legal residents of the fifty (50) United States & D.C. age 21 years or older at time of entry. Void where prohibited. Starts 12:00:01 am MT on 07/01/2012, 2012 & ends 11:59:59 pm MT on December 31, 2012. For complete official rules, odds, prize details & limitations go to http://blog.craftsy.com/craftsy-quilt-cruise-official-rules/ Sponsor: Craftsy, Denver, CO 80211.

FREE Vacation Planning DVD to Better Weather!

November 6, 2012 by Liza

This post may contain a link to an affiliate. See my disclosure policy for more information.

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Make sure you sign up to receive your FREE Vacation Planning DVD! Can I just tell you that with the exception of this morning (it’s raining), we have had GORGEOUS weather down here in Florida. Wouldn’t you like to at least dream about coming down here for a little R&R? 🙂

Get your FREE Vacation Planing DVD HERE and plan away.

Check out other freebie offers by going to the FREEBIES page.

FREE Vacation Planning DVD

October 31, 2012 by Liza

This post may contain a link to an affiliate. See my disclosure policy for more information.

New here? Like us on Facebook below:

How about a FREE Vacation Planning DVD to you know where?

HINT: —->

Can I just tell you that even in maturing adult stage, I absolutely love the most magical place on the earth! I’m sure I’m not the only one.

Go HERE to get this fun freebie and plan your visit to my neck of the woods.

See other free offers by heading over to the FREEBIES page.

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Ends Tonight: Enter to Win 2 Discovery Cove Dolphin Swim Day Resort Packages

My Time at Discovery Cove & Special Rates for Florida Residents

Florida Residents – Aquatica After 2 p.m. Pass Is Back

My California Experience: Test Driving the New 2013 Hyundai Santa Fe

FREE Disney Cruise Line Vacation Planning DVD

Enter to Win a Cruise Vacation in March Courtesy of Crafty

FREE Vacation Planning DVD to Better Weather!

FREE Vacation Planning DVD

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