Laughing Lindsay

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Ripley’s Aquarium of Myrtle Beach Review

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While visiting South Carolina in April, my mom and I decided to visit Ripley’s Aquarium of Myrtle Beach. So, I thought I would post a little review with some tips in case anyone is considering visiting.

Ripley's Aquarium of Myrtle Beach

Ripley’s Aquarium of Myrtle Beach

Years ago, my mom and I visited the aquarium in Gatlinburg, TN and enjoyed that experience. However, it was during Covid protocols still and we wanted to experience the aquarium during more normal times. So, when we visited Myrtle Beach back in April we decided to visit Ripley’s Aquarium of Myrtle Beach. We ended up spending a few hours here and really liked it.

It was fun to wander around the aquarium and not know exactly what was around the corner. My favorites were the penguins and spotting a sea turtle in the Dangerous Reef! I also enjoyed watching the sloth sleep in their tree. I think that since these are live animals, you never know what you are going to see. So, it definitely makes it more interesting and increases repeatability.

Tips

  • Arrive early – We rope dropped the aquarium and had it pretty much to ourselves for the first half hour or so. It was nice to look at the penguins without a crowd.
  • Use a coupon – There are loads of coupons to be had for this place. There’s some online codes as well as physical coupons in booklets in Myrtle Beach. I highly recommend using one to save a few dollars.
  • Take your time – This aquarium had lots of benches and places to sit and take a break. My mom had a hard time getting around this trip, so the benches were perfect for us. She was able to sit and rest while I continued looking at things of interest.
  • Consider add on experiences – They have several add on options available from meeting animals to riding a boat. We didn’t participate in any of those things, but they look cool.
  • You can be snacky – We noticed a few snack carts around the aquarium selling various snacks. So, you don’t have to worry about getting hungry here. You can get a snack and continue enjoying the aquarium.
  • Consult the schedule – I love penguins, so I was tickled to be able to watch them feed the penguins during our visit. You can learn so much and see something new by watching them take care of the animals here.
  • Spend the day at Broadway at the Beach – My mom and I spent a little more time exploring Broadway at the Beach after leaving the aquarium. It has lots of stores and restaurants. Plus, there’s a carnival type area with rides. You can easily spend a day here. We also appreciated that it was close to our Courtyard Myrtle Beach Oceanfront hotel.

Should you visit Ripley’s Aquarium of Myrtle Beach?

I think this is the perfect activity for animal/marine lovers. Plus, it’s a great way to spend a rainy day at the beach since it’s indoors. It can also be a great way to get out of the hot sun. Either way, I think people of all ages will enjoy visiting this location. Have you ever been?

Courtyard Myrtle Beach Oceanfront Review

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Back in April, I stayed two nights at the Courtyard Myrtle Beach Oceanfront hotel with my mom. I thought I would do a review of it in case anyone else is considering staying here.

Courtyard Myrtle Beach Oceanfront

Courtyard Myrtle Beach Oceanfront

This was only the second time I’ve visited the beach. My mom grew up going to the beach in New Jersey though. So, I thought it would be a great idea to book a beachside hotel for this trip. I have to say, it made for a unique experience that I wouldn’t mind repeating.

Standard Double Queen Guest Room

We booked a standard double queen guest room this trip. We chose the Discover Myrtle Beach package that came with free parking as there isn’t free parking at this hotel. In fact, the parking situation leaves something to be desired entirely. I think that the parking structure across the street with tiny spaces and an elevator that went out during our trip is probably the biggest drawback of this hotel.

Fortunately, the room was great. It was amazing to step into our room and immediately see the ocean! I loved having a balcony to sit and look out at the ocean. I’ve never been a beach person. However, sitting on the balcony and just looking out at the ocean made me understand people who are. It was very relaxing and beautiful. I loved watching the sunrise and set from the balcony. It was also cool to see how dark it was at night.

The room itself seemed recently refurbished. The only thing not in working order was the body wash holder in the shower. As you can see in my pictures, housekeeping just set the body wash in the basket on the wall. Everything else was pretty good in this room. The beds were more comfortable than the ones we slept in at a different hotel on this trip.

Really though, you are picking this hotel for the balcony and view.

Pros

  • Oceanfront view – Every room here has a balcony with a view of the ocean! I loved this and it makes me want to visit another beach lotion just to look out at the ocean.
  • Recently refurbished – The room was in mostly good working condition. I was happy with the number of plug ins as well.
  • Comfortable beds – We arrived here after staying one night at a different hotel in Myrtle Beach where we slept in hard beds. So, it was a noticeable difference how much more comfortable these beds were.
  • Good location – Yes, it’s on the beach. However, it was also reasonably close to everything we wanted to do in Myrtle Beach, like the Medieval Times dinner show.
  • Reasonable rates in advance – We booked this hotel a few months in advance. As such, we got a reasonable rate of $209/night! Granted, this was a Sunday and Monday night. However, we were happy with the rate considering it was on the ocean.

Cons

  • Parking – There’s a $20/day parking charge without the Discover Myrtle Beach package. This charge allows you to park in the parking structure across the street. Unfortunately, the parking garage is not as new as the hotel. It’s too small for modern vehicles. It was difficult to back up in this garage and to fit into the spaces. Additionally, the elevator went out during our stay without any explanation or apology from anyone. Walking up and down several stories with your stuff is not fun.
  • Limited TV channels – My mom enjoys watching tv before bed. Unfortunately, this hotel had a limited selection of channels for her to choose from. Not a deal breaker, but just something to keep in mind.
  • Check your bill – We booked the package that included parking. However, the final bill charged us for parking. So, we had to go down to the front desk to have it fixed. The front desk staff was friendly and helpful. Just pay attention to your bill.
  • Low chairs on balcony – The chairs on the balcony were a little difficult for my mom to get in and out of. It’s not a huge thing, just something to know.

Is the Courtyard Myrtle Beach Oceanfront hotel worth it?

While the parking situation is not ideal, I enjoyed the hotel and room itself. Maybe take a car instead of an SUV if you stay here so your car can fit the spaces better.

Medieval Times Myrtle Beach Dinner Show Review

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I recently took a trip to South Carolina with my mom. While there, my mom requested we see a dinner show, so I suggested Medieval Times Myrtle Beach since she had never done the experience. This is a review of that dinner.

Medieval Times Myrtle Beach

Medieval Times Myrtle Beach

My mom is a big fan of dinner shows. That’s why I’ve been able to review all of the dinner shows in Pigeon Forge: Pirates Voyage Pigeon Forge Dinner Show Review, Hatfield and McCoy Dinner Feud Show Review, and Dolly Parton Stampede Christmas Dinner Show Review. So, when we started planning our trip to South Carolina, my mom requested that we do a dinner show one night. Since she had done the Pirates show in Pigeon Forge, she wanted to try something different. That left Medieval Times Myrtle Beach Dinner and Tournament!

For those who are unaware, this is a chain of dinner shows that transport guests back to Medieval Spain! I visited one back in 2017 at BlogHer in Orlando, Florida. However, last year they updated the story. So, this was our first time seeing this story, but my second time visiting Medieval Times.

The Food

I think most people attending one of these dinner shows knows that you are mainly coming for the show. However, you want good food too. It appears that either the menus has been updated slightly since 2017 or perhaps they just use different spices in MB versus Orlando. Either way, it’s tasty and you still aren’t given utensils!

The meal begins with a tomato bisque soup that you drink. Then, you receive a slice of garlic bread to finish off the soup. Our waitress called it dragon’s blood soup and dragon scales! I have no idea why. That’s just what she said when she passed it out. Both items were tasty enough.

Next up is the main meal consisting of a roasted half chicken, sweet buttered corn on the cob, and a herb-basted potato. I recall eating a nice half chicken in 2017, but don’t recall a whole lot of spice. Rather, it was a basic chicken. This 2025 version had a good amount of seasoning on it. That made it more interesting than a regular piece of chicken, however I could see it being a little spicy for some folks. The herb-basted potato seemed to have more spice than I recalled having in Orlando as well. The corn on the cob was much the same as anywhere else. It was good.

Lastly, there’s the “Dessert of the Castle”. I honestly don’t remember what the dessert was in 2017, but this time it’s a mini eclair. Being used to the big turnovers (and pudding) offered in Pigeon Forge, I was a little surprised by how dainty the eclair was. It was a sweet little way to end the meal.

The Show

As I stated above, the vast majority of people attend these things for the show. I will admit that I didn’t catch it was a two hour long show. I felt that it was a little long, personally. However, the show was very entertaining. The horses are beautiful. The pageantry was awesome. Who doesn’t love some sword fighting and jousting?! I won’t give away any spoilers here, but it was neat to be assigned a knight to cheer on with your assigned section. We were team Black and White. Being able to identify with a team and cheer them on is the basis for pretty much all of these dinner shows. So, I imagine that aspect won’t be going anywhere.

This version’s story begins in peacetime, but these times are never peaceful for long. I mean times of rest and merriment don’t necessarily make for a good tournament, do they? However, I will admit that sometimes the story didn’t seem to make sense. As in, people would return when I thought they had been dealt with? It’s unclear how that type of thing happens. Regardless, you are mostly there for the horses and fighting.

Is Medieval Times Myrtle Beach worth it?

The regular rate for this dinner show is $72.95/adult. My mom and I pre-booked it using a coupon and got it down to $57.76/each. So, I highly recommend keeping an eye out for coupons to save some serious money. With food costs being what they are and the staff needing to be trained, I think the costs are fair. None of these dinner shows are cheap. This one seems to offer the most upgrade options. If we return to a Medieval Times, we might consider doing one of the upgraded packages to get a better seat and/or slice of cake!

Have you ever dined at the Medieval Times Myrtle Beach?