Discovering Discovery Cove
Located just minutes away from the hustle and bustle of the
Orlando theme parks is the tranquil oasis known as Discovery Cove. I stumbled upon information on Discovery Cove
while researching Sea World, which owns Discovery Cove, and couldn’t believe
I’d never heard about it before. After
having the pleasure of visiting recently, now I know why no one wants the
secret of Discovery Cove to get out!
Discovery Cove is an exclusive, island retreat; an absolutely
amazing departure from the crowds and “go-go-go” mentality we often have when
visiting Orlando theme parks. It truly
felt like we were on a secluded island while we were there, and it was hard to
believe at times that we were still in Florida!
But before I get into our experience, let me first give you the basics….
Cost: Pricing
varies by date and by package. You can
purchase the resort package or the dolphin swim package (which has all the
benefits of a resort package but also includes a 30 minute interactive dolphin
encounter). Pricing for the date we
attended (May 29, 2016) was $199 for the resort package and $289 for the
dolphin swim (pre-tax). The SeaVenture
experience (a 20 minute underwater walking tour) is an additional charge,
starting at $49 per person. Note that there
is no separate child pricing available, as all guests can participate in all
park activities, though children 2 and under are admitted free. As
Discovery Cove limits attendance to approximately 1,300 guests per day, advance
reservations are highly recommended. You
are also permitted one complimentary “date change” should your travel plans
change, or in the case of inclement weather - and as all activities are
outside, you’ll want to watch the weather report closely as your date arrives! Private cabanas are also available for the
day, at an additional charge.
What’s Included:
Your reservation price includes breakfast and lunch, as well as unlimited
snacks and beverages (both alcoholic and non-alcoholic) throughout the
day. You are also provided with a free
wet suit or vest (which must be worn during all water activities), free
snorkeling gear, and free towels and locker rental. Animal-friendly sunscreen is also available
at no charge. Finally, your Discovery
Cove ticket also grants you free admission to both Sea World and Aquatica at
any time during the 14 days surrounding your reservation. Current pricing for Sea World is $79/ages 3+
and current pricing for Aquatica is $48/ages 3+ (a 2-day ticket is also available
for $99/ages 3+, which allows admission to both parks).
Hours and Location:
Discovery Cove is open from 9:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., daily. Check in and breakfast begins at 7:15 a.m. The park is located at 6000 Discovery Cove Way,
Orlando, FL.
Value: FIVE STARS
Value: FIVE STARS
My entire family agreed that our day at Discovery Cove was the best day of our 8-day trip. Though pricey (total cost of tickets purchased was $946.28), we would have spent at least $100 on food and beverages during the day at a theme park (probably closer to $200!). Plus, factor in the free admission to Sea World (where we had already planned to go, so saved us $316), and now the “cost” of Discovery Cove was under $500. Given the low crowds and amazing experiences, this is something we would definitely do again. Read on to hear all about our day!
Our traveling party for the day was myself, my husband, our
7-year-old daughter and our five-year-old son.
We arrived at Discovery Cove around 7:30 and were the 3rd or
4th family in the check in line.
There were perhaps a half-dozen employees working the check in counter,
so the line went quickly. At check in,
all members of your party are photographed and the photo is placed on an
identification card connected to a lanyard.
The lanyard provides admission to all areas of the park, and also included
a map for ease of navigation. My
daughter and I had purchased the dolphin swim package, and were assigned our
encounter time at check in. Ours was
8:40. We were fine with that, and had
actually hoped to do it early, so I don’t know if you could request a different
time than what you were assigned. Our
dolphin encounter time got printed on our card for reference, and my husband’s
and my card also indicated that we were over 21 (after an ID check, of
course!).
After check in, an employee takes a complimentary photo of
your family at the park entrance (this photo gets placed in a keepsake folder
that you can pick up when you leave).
Then you are left to explore on your own. Since it was nearly 8:00 at this point, we
headed directly to Laguna Grill for breakfast.
The meals are served cafeteria-style, with two serving lines available
(though I’m not sure everyone realized that, as the right line was always
shorter!). Breakfast offerings consisted
of fruit, pastries, bacon, sausage, eggs, potatoes, French toast, yogurt and
cold cereal. There was also a selection
of juices, milk, pop, water, tea and coffee at self-service stations
outside. Plenty of outdoor seating was
provided, some under cover and most with umbrellas for shade. All of the food was hot and fresh, and had my
dolphin swim not been in a half-hour, I could have easily eaten more!
We were asked to arrive to our dolphin swim ten minutes
early, dressed and ready to go, so my daughter and I headed immediately to the
locker rooms after breakfast. We got
fitted for our vests and made our way to the check in point. We were divided into four small groups (less
than a dozen participants each) and after signing our waivers and watching a
short video, made our way to the beach.
Each group had its own dolphin (ours was named Hutch) and separate area
of the cove for their encounter, so there was plenty of room for everyone. We never felt crowded, and the small group
size ensured that we all got plenty of one-on-one time with our dolphin. My husband and son (who were not
participating due to my son not being of age) were permitted to stand behind a
glass wall to watch our encounter and take pictures. While Discovery Cove did have their own
professional photographers in the water with us for the “posed photos,” my
husband was able to capture so many candid shots of our experience! The staff was extremely accommodating, and
made sure my “paparazzi” had a good view of my daughter and me at all times.
After getting acquainted with Hutch, watching him do a few
tricks and learning a few signals to get him to perform, we were each offered
the opportunity to do a dorsal fin tow ride.
The ride starts from water that is approximately 14’ deep, so you will
be required to tread water until the dolphin arrives for your ride. However, there is the option of a shallow
water experience for any non-swimmers or younger members of your party. (My daughter was determined to do have the
full experience, but did struggle a bit to stay afloat waiting for her
turn.) After the dorsal fin tow ride we
gave Hutch hugs and a rub down, and finished the experience off with a
kiss. It was one of the most amazing
things I had ever experienced! The
entire process (from watching the training video to viewing your pictures
afterward) lasted approximately an hour and a half. At the conclusion of the experience you are
offered the opportunity to purchase a video of the entire encounter, copies of individual
pictures, or a thumb-drive containing all pictures taken during the day
(additional photo opportunities are available throughout the park). As this was an experience I wanted to
remember forever, I opted for the thumb-drive.
Cost was $159.75 (including tax).
After the dolphin encounter, my entire family took a trip
down Wind-Away River, a slow-moving current that surrounds the park. The water depth goes up to 8’ at points, but
life vests and pool noodles are available (at no cost) to keep you afloat. Wind-Away River is everything you’d expect
from a “lazy river” with waterfalls and beautiful scenery. We were one of few families enjoying it at
the time (and after spending a day at Blizzard Beach earlier in the week, where
90% of my time in the lazy river was spent with a stranger’s foot in my face!),
the lack of crowd was a welcome change of pace!
Next we stopped into the Aviary, where the birds literally
eat out of your hands! You are given a small bowl of food, filled with fruits
and berries, then asked to stand still.
The birds perched on our hands, our arms, our shoulders, even our
heads! It was truly amazing and my
daughter may have enjoyed it more than the dolphin encounter! We probably spent an hour feeding the birds
in the aviary.
Upon exiting the Aviary, we made our way back to Laguna
Grill to refuel. Lunch consisted of
burgers and pulled pork sandwiches, pasta, fish, salads, cold sandwiches and a
selection of desserts. For the kids they
had hot dogs, chicken tenders, fries and macaroni & cheese. The same outdoor seating was available and
remained plentiful. Also available at
several booths throughout the day were multiple snack options – chips, soft
pretzels, chocolate chip cookies, pop, beer, wine and frozen beverages (both
alcoholic and non-alcoholic). My kids
may have drank their weight in lemonade icees!
After lunch we decided to explore the salt water Grand
Reef. We grabbed snorkeling gear on the
way (your get to keep the snorkel!) and made our way to the far end of the
park. Water depth in the Grand Reef
ranges from 1-12’, so it was great for all ages. My son couldn’t quite master use of the
snorkel, so he and I stayed in the knee-deep water of the reef, watching the
fish swim around our ankles. There were
many varieties of tropical fish and sting rays, which my son loved “petting” as
they swam by! My husband and daughter
ventured into the deeper waters, where they were able to view the fish up close,
and were also able to watch the reef sharks (from behind glass, of course!).
Around 4 o’clock a storm started rolling in, so my son and I
collected our belongings while my husband and daughter did a final loop on
Wind-Away River. The kids filled up one
last frozen drink for the road, and we stopped to pick up our complimentary
photo and thumb-drive on the way out.
Walking out of Discovery Cove I felt more relaxed than I had in MONTHS,
and definitely more relaxed than I have EVER been during a vacation in Orlando! If you are in the area, this hidden gem is
not to be missed…..just don’t tell too
many people about my new favorite tropical getaway!!
By Agent Alyssa
alyssa@traveltimetravel.com
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