Marineland – Niagara Falls

Everyone loves.. Marineland!  I had to say that  The husband, daughter, son and I all went to Marineland at the beginning of last week.  We stayed overnight in Niagara Falls to ‘test drive’ being away from home in an unfamiliar place, before our trip to Florida at the end of September.  Overall it went well.. except for dinner at a Brazilian steakhouse!  At least the toddler at the table next to us was also acting up (it took his mom 20 minutes to get him to sit in the high chair and then he was purposely throwing his cutlery at the dishes on the table) so that took some of the spotlight away from my cranky, loud kids, but I digress.. Marineland was a hit with my 2 1/2 year old daughter- she was just telling her teacher about the dolphins and whales yesterday.  And I really enjoyed it as well!

(Click on the pictures for a larger view)
Area: Niagara Falls, Ontario
Age Range: All ages
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Marineland was a good start to the beginning of a fun-filled, action-packed (crazy) week!  My daughter’s daycare was closed so I had both kids.  I decided to share the joy with my husband on the first day

Here’s what I thought of Marineland:

Overall Rating:		Loved it!  Looking forward to going again next season!
Activities:		Live show featuring dolphins, sea lions and a walrus (multiple show times throughout the day); Killer whale splash and jump sessions (also multiple times throughout the day); Killer whale above and underwater viewing at any time; Beluga whale feeding and touch sessions (need to purchase a ticket for this- $8.50pp); Beluga whale above and underwater viewing at any time; Rides for all ages; Aquarium next to the entrance with cool looking fish and retired seals and sea lions; Feed fish, American bears, elk and deer (~$2.25 for the food); Future development- dolphin and shark tanks, fresh water fish habitat and ocean fish.
Amenities:		Food and drink (pricey), public washrooms (standard baby care station), first-aid station where you can change and nurse baby on the beds and use their microwave and sink (strollers need to be left outside), free parking, strollers for rent ($9 for a single and $15 for double), locker rentals, picnic tables in Family Picnic Area.
Value:		$84 + HST for 2 adults plus we ended up getting the seasons pass (only $5 extra) since we went for 2 days.  Was it worth it? Well.. both my daughter and I really enjoyed it, so yes.  However you may want to wait until your child is at least 36″ so they can go on more rides.  Under 36″ and they can only go on 3 rides with an adult.

*Rating Guidelines

I loved the dolphin, sea lion and walrus show.  They had a guy “clowning around” before the show started and I thought it was pretty amusing (kids in the audience liked it too!).  Sea lions and dolphins did their tricks and they finished with a huge walrus coming out on stage to clap his flippers and wave.  Just looking at the walrus move made me laugh!  My daughter really enjoyed it as well.. Loved the killer whales!  We missed the show but they were very active in the underwater tank (see pics in the slideshow!). We just missed a feeding session but the beluga whales still stuck their heads out and I caught some nice shots. I liked the aquarium by the entrance.  It’s small but worth it to quickly check out. They have retired seals and sea lions in a pool on the upper floor (they used to perform but have developed cataracts in their eyes), and underwater viewing and some cool looking fish on the bottom floor.

Food and drinks are very pricey.  I paid $5 for a small sunny-d orange juice and almost $10 for a hamburger and fries.  At least they allow you to bring in your own food.  (There are picnic tables in the Family Picnic Area.) There were only a few rides that my daughter could go on – the ferris wheel (Tivoli Wheel), the Boat Carousel and Space Avenger (not in operation when we were there).  When she passes 36″ (definitely next season), there will be more 5 more rides she can go on.  The rides for smaller children are all in the same area of the park and close to the entrance so you don’t need to walk far.

I have to include this pic of my daughter eating a not-so-nutritious snack at Marineland.  I don’t give her ice cream that often so she was incredibly happy eating it

Marineland is pretty big so if you’re planning on walking the whole park, it’s a good idea to have a stroller for younger kids in case they get tired.  If you attend the dolphin show at Waldorf Stadium, you have to park your stroller on the side before you go into the stadium.  You can keep your eye on it if you’re seated on the side, but it’s better to bring a cheaper stroller so you don’t have to worry about it.

If you’re wondering what other things we did during my week at home with both of the kids, I also took them to the Metro Toronto Zoo, and the Earl Bales OEYC (York satellite) for the Gardening and Water Play program (now replaced by a story-telling session).  I love my kids, but by the end of the week I wanted to curl up in a ball and hide in the closet (with my BB).  Hats off to stay-at-home moms with more than one child!

And here’s some more information about Marineland (correct at the time of posting):

Do you love Marineland?