Tell me about Discovery Cove--have you gone???

[hellokitty]

We are trying to decide wether to surprise my now 8 yr. old with
a once in a lifetime swim with her all time favorites--
DOLPHINS.
We will be Orlando on her birthday and thought this would be
awesome
I am imaging it to be like being in Hawaii??

any words??
thanks in advance:)

[Cindy B]

The absoluete best.

We went in August 2001 and it was the highlight of our tenth anniversary trip.

I'm going to dredge up my trip reports and post those for you...

[Cindy B]

Here are the trip reports from August 2001, there are two parts to it.

This is part one

CAST

Myself, Cindy (30)
DH Jeff (38)

August 26th Discovery Cove

After a 630 am Mickey Mouse phonecall, we were up and at 'em for DC today...

We drove into the lot the night before so we knew where to park and all that. We just couldnt wait for 830.
First stopped off at Guest Services to talk about a king room. They told us to pack up our stuff and it would be moved that day.... to our king room that afternoon while we were gone.
After a quick breakfast in the food court after packing our stuff up... we were on our way... to DC!

We got there about 835, quick drive, with the top down of course... There was a slight line at the checkin hut. There was a DC employee with a two toed sloth outside, and we had fun petting it and talking to the employee. Ok, now checkin time.
First it is similiar to like a hotel with little workstations and all. WE got our badges, and sunscreen. (they do little individualper family bottles now instead of free flowing pumps in the locker rooms). We got the first available swim in the am at 1005 at the Sand Dollar Cabana. So we had a little over an hour to kill.

First we got our little tour, and our free picture taken, then we were encouraged to get our gearlocker. I am glad we got a 1000 swim because this does take some time. We got the shorts wetsuit, but then decided to return it.. It was getting warm.. we opted for the vests...Then locker rooms for getting ready. The nicest bathrooms i have even seen in my entire life... and then the lockers to put everything. We were given on small locker for the two of us.. the attendent said it would be enough room and sure enough it was... Sunscreen on.. and we were ready to explore for about 35 minutes

The first stop was to claim a chair, which we did right in front of the center dolphin lagoon. and then we were trying to get to the aviary.. but we got sidetracked at the juvenille stingray lagoon. They were getting fed by the trainers, and were very funactive. They swam right around us and flapped their sides at us, thinking we were feeding them! Wonderful clear water with beautuful yellowblack fish as well.

Dolphin swim time.. off to the cabana. After a short, and very cool videosafety presentation we were going to our swim. The trainer who did the video also was our swim trainer, Christine I think. We were in a group of 8 with DASH. First we started in shallow water as he swam by, we all did kisses. Dash loved my DH, he did an extra splash for him, and made some extra noises! He did swim by again, and we got to touch him again and become familiar. Then 2 by 2 we went into the deep water. We did all sorts of things. DASH still loved DH! He kept on focusing on him, which was fine. WE got a tow ride back to shore holding onto the right flipper. (which was slower than I had imagined) at the end all 8 of us got into a circle and yelled shark... dash just swam really fast around all of us, everythime stopping and smiling at DH. The time went by slowly, and it was wonderful!

Picture time.. my pictures didnt turn out so well, so we would uo buying only on 5 x7 with both of us in it with DASH. The salespeople were no pressure, and it was a relaxing experience

Now here is Part two...

Myself (cindy) 30
DH (Jeff) 38

Date August 26th, Discovery Cove Part two...

After the purchase of pictures, we were able to pick them up, we got the one with Dash and our free picture then. I also got my free camera. The camera was part of a coupon which was in the Philadelphia Inquirer two months back in conjunction with a article on Discovery Cove. The camera was a small 15 exposure Fuji one time use, and hey it was still nice. Put them back in the locker and set off to explore.

We went back to the juvenille stingrays with the snorkel and masks.. It was more crowded then, before it was just us and the the trainer, now maybe 15 people were in there. From then a few quick steps to the aviary...WOW! It was very lush and tropical. We got two cups of Mealworms... and my DH was a bird magnet as well. They were perching on his shoulder, and all. The birds are wonderful, and there was also a small deer like creature as well. It was very peaceful, and fun to walk around and explore.

Then we went off to the coral reef. I thought it would be a gradual deeper water, nope! It comes up quick, but the vest makes you float really nice. I've never been snorkeling before, so it was a great first experience swimming hand in hand with Jeff. The colors of the coral and the fish were astounding. There were larger rays on the bottom of the pool as well. We swam around the grotto area, and it was wonderful. There werent that many crowds, and actually snorkeling was easier than I thought.

Then we decided to get my underwater camera and do some more pictures in the coral reef and the juvenille stingray lagoon. Back to the avairy again for some pictures, and then from there decided to snorkel off the edge with the small current.
Now that was wonderful, they had a "theme" to it, like a sunken treasure. first some "clay" pots, and some treasure type containers, with some crystal/quartz like items inside., then there was a bas relief type thing with a dinosaur skeleton... it was pretty neat. Then we came along a glass wall on the left which was the coral reef on the other side... we exited after about 3/4 way, and decided to head for lunch.

Laguna grill...wow! there were many entrees to choose from ranging from kid fare hot dog (nice Polish sausage type things) to Pineapple salmon, chicken stir fry, chicken pesto, and wonderful salads. My DH decided on the fajitas, he requested all beef, and it was given to him gladly. I got the chicken pesto, which was fabulous. I was leaning towards the salmon, but I dont like fries that much.. they had some kind of hushpuppy/fries type things with the pineapple salmon. We also got (included) a small garden salad, the entree, and drink, desert... We both chose carrot, mango cake for desert... amazing! And the drink sizes were huge!

WE rested for a bit watching other swims on on chairs on the beach. The bar had some live music playing...so we rested a bit listening to someone singing Don McLean, Kenny Rogers, Dave Matthews, Otis Redding songs.....

Then back to finish up the lazy river, there is a neat beginning where you go through a cave, you see stalagtite/stalamite formations which was neat, and then on through the circuit... its hard snorkeling on full stomach!

We decided to walk around some and back to the juvenille ray lagoon (Can you tell DH really liked it?), and then back to the avairy again... (this was a hit on DH's scale as well). We wound up chatting with the trainers for a while. I tried doing the coral reef by myself but the water was getting colder, so I stopped.

By then the crowd was thinning out, its about 4 pm or so. WE do one more look around, take more pictures, get changed. There were some crowds in the locker room, but showers were still available. The had shampoo, body wash, and conditioner, but my conditioner was empty... put all stuff in bags, and started to return vests, and snorkel gear, no real lines.

WE take even more pictures, a cast member takes a wonderful shot of both of us, and we exit through the wonderful lobby again. Now its about 5 pm, and we are beat.... we say goodbye to Discovery Cove with the convertible top down!

[BVC4us]

Thank you so much for the in-depth report. We're going in April and I am so excited. I just hope we get a nice warm day to do it.

[The Hunt]

It's worth every penny of the cost. That's the highest praise I can give.

[Lyon_King]

We were there in mid-september and it was chilly and raining but we still had an incredible time. Never even noticed the inclement weather. Most of the day your head is underwater in the snorkling lagoon anyway.

The best part of the day was seeing the smile on my girlfriend's face the first time the dolphin swam up to her. In my opinion, it was well worth the price.

[ivanova]

BCV4us

What day in April are you doing DC??

[hellokitty]

thanks for all your input, the trip report was terrific
we booked tonight for june 3rd!!

hey is the water cold??

[starryide02]

Thanks so much for the report! This sounds incredible. I have never been that close to a dolphin. We are definitely going to try to do this on our next trip!:)

[Bobrow]

Can't wait to go now . My husband saw something about it on the travel channel and decided to treat us when we go in August. We have 3 boys,13,11,and 7. I'm sure they will love it! Thanks for the info!

[madcoco]

Thanks for the great report.:D Going on July 1st. Sounds wonderful!

[ivanova]

Just got home from Orlando tonight ... did our Discovery Cove day on Tuesday 04/16 ... DD and I swam with the Dolphins, DH went for the non-dolphin package. Must say, it was the #1 highlight of the trip!! I would DEFINITELY recommend it as an activity to do at least once (for the $200 price tag it's hard to recommend making it an annual activity).

As cheap as I am, I didn't even mind shelling out the money for the pictures they were selling (but I wouldn't pay the $59.95 for the video, I'm still cheap in that regard).

[madcoco]

Glad you had a great time:)We are taking one of those disposable water cameras.Question: Did you or anyone else use video cameras,digital cameras.I know they are not allowed in the Dolphin Lagoon but on the beach. Just wondering if we should leave them in the room or(going to sound really dumb now) are the lockers locked?Thanks Mike

[The Hunt]

The lockers are locked.

[ivanova]

Yes, the lockers are locked and free. You pick the locker you want to use (and they were generously sized), and you keep the key with you all day (you have unlimited in & out privileges). We didn't take the digital camera or camcorder, because we didn't think the zoom on either was going to do us any good. In hindsight, the camcorder may have been useful since we opted to not buy the DC video for $60.

We did take a Canon EOS SLR camera with a 200M zoom lens. It stayed in the locker until just before our dolphin swim was scheduled to start.

My DH had opted out of the dolphin swim package, so he was the designated camera man. He found a good location near the dolphin pool. Only problem is when we finally go into the water, our group (out of 4 groups) was furthest from where he'd positioned and had our backs to him most of the time. We don't have the pix back yet, but he doesn't think he got anything really good.

As for waterproof one time use cameras. You can take those & use them in the sting ray pool, river, and tropical fish pool. You can NOT take ANYTHING (including a camera) into the dolphin pool. They claim if you accidentally dropped a disposable camera a dolphin could swallow it. They even make you take off water moccasins, ALL jewelry, etc. before getting into the water.

So don't get your hopes up that you can snap some close ups of the dolphins while you're out there ... you can't. Best you might be able to do is have someone on the beach taking pix with a zoom, and then pray they come out.

[madcoco]

Thanks.:) One other question if you don't mind.
Is the video one they shoot personally that day, or is one of these mass produced"generic" park videos?
My mother went on some kind of Glacier cruise in Alaska and was told it was a custom video made during "your cruise days".It was pretty high priced.She was all excited when she got it home and popped it in for us to watch.It ended up not even being her ship but a sister ship with not even the same stops they made.:(

Sounds like it is going to be a great time.Glad you enjoyed it.:)

[ivanova]

The video is a combo - the first 20-30 minutes is "canned" footage around the park. Then the tack on the footage from your specific swim. But remember, there's like 8 people in your swim group. So you'll have footage of you with the dolphin, and 7 other folks with the dolphin. If all 8 people are "yours" then that's great, otherwise ya got some strangers.

[The Hunt]

For what it's worth--I think the dolphin swim is so much fun that nobody should pass it up in order to take pictures from the shore--which is pretty far, as somebody said. The pictures they take are pretty good, and were enough (for us, anyway).

[ivanova]

My DH passed on the dolphin swim when we made our ressies a year ago ... it's because he passed on the swim that he got photography duty. Up until we showed up I was trying to talk him into doing the swim ... he steadfastly refused (I'll probably never know why). I would never recommend missing the dolphin interaction just so you can take pictures ... it is a once in a life time opportunity. Like you say, they take decent pix (I spent $50 on 2 5x7 pictures and 2 keychains), and I would've spent a ton more if my DH had been in there with us.

[madcoco]

Thanks once again.:)

[Cindy B]

AS for cameras, we brought two of them. One NICE Minolta 35 mm (an oldie but goody from DH)

and two FUJI underwater cameras I bought at Target. The Fuji cameras were wonderful

[kentdebbie]

We, [being me, my mum, daughter, 2 sisters and son's girlfreind] went to D.C on the 8th may 02. The weather was fantastic, the place was fantastic, the food was fantastic all in all everything was fantastic. My daughter who is 13, has dreamt of swimming with Dolphins for ages, she was in her element. She spent 2 days in our villa pool practising snorkling and she done well. We bought a few of the photos and a video of us, which is good, a little bit expensive, but is a good keepsake and 1 to show her friends. We also took a waterproof camera, which was cheaper in Wallmart and they came out good. As the men didnt go with us, my DH says next time we go he wants to swim with the dolphins ect because all he got was the video to watch. This was our first time to WDW and we had a great time and will be going back again, we've caught the bug.

DEBBIE

[hellokitty]

WE WENT TO DISCOVERY COVE ON JUNE 3RD.
IT WAS UNBELIEVABLE. THE KIDS HAD A SUPER TIME.
THE FOOD IS VERY GOOD AND WE STAYED FROM 9 AM UNTIL
5 pm. the sunscreen did a good job keeping us from getting burned.

i cant say enough about the place. the stingray feeding was
so cool. the bird avaray (sp?) was neat, too. you get to feed the birds right out of your hands. the lazy river was fun and there are two waterfalls you go through. swimming / snorkeling with the fish was great, as well.

all of it was fun and well worth the money. it was a once in a lifetime experience.

we got to spend more time than i would have thought with the dolphin, during our swim. and i would recommend getting to the park early to ensure a morning swim when it is not so scorching out. the water is very very cold feeling when it is so hot out....
it didnt feel so cold when the temp was closer to that of the water. but later in the day we had a hard time swimming in anything but the warm lazy river!!

[pattyT]

:)
Thank YOU!
I have been hesitating if we made the right choice to spend one of our ten days at disney going to Discovery Cove! I saw thinking of cancelling! NO WAY DD is going to love it!

[Pixie_Dust]

Originally posted by ivanova
They even make you take off water moccasins, ALL jewelry, etc. before getting into the water.


Even wedding rings?!? That's good to know as I would not want to get there and be told I had to put them in a locker!

[WebmasterBarry]

If you need a preview of Discovery Cove, Robb Alvey has a video called "Robb Alvey's Coaster Season 2001." It has a few minutes and photos of Discovery Cove video. It also has coasters from around the U.S., including IOA, Sea World, BGT, and someplace called WDW. :)

Check it out at *************************

[madcoco]

Discovery Cove was wonderful! Thanks for the tips.Was very well worth it and the 7 day pass to SeaWorld was an added bonus.DD loved feeding the stingrays.We could have stayed in the Dolphin pool all day.The water wasn't as cool as we thought it would be.The aviary was a wonderful surprise.They do open the doors for swim registration early. We were there 40 min before "official park opening" and the first time slot was filled already. IMHO It is nice to do the swim early and relax the rest of the day especially in the summer when the afternoon fun/thunderbusters let loose. Also the new snorkels they are using were leaking quite a bit.Had ours replaced 3 times before they gave us old models which worked fine.

[experiment 626]

i think it's an awesome idea to take your 8-year-old! swimming with the dolphins is awesome!:) you get kiss them, do tricks, and even take a ride! there's also the stingray pool, where you can pet, and sometimes feed smaller stingrays (their barbs are shaved). there is also a much larger lagoon where you can swim with many schools of fish, stingrays, and view baracudas and sharks through glass under the water. also there's the aviary which you can swim into(or you can walk) through a small river. the aviary is amazing! some birds will perch on you arms (or even head!) when you feed them!:p the scenary is beautiful!

[MCazer]

Can you bring your own snorkel and mask? What about fins? My husband is a size 13, will he have any trouble?

We will all have our own snorkel equipment with us, just wondering if we need to bring it.

Thanks!

[vickyBaby]

This sounds so great. Do they have wet suits for you to wear if it is cold weather?

[hellokitty]

they do have wet suits to wear but get there early as
they run out, not sure about big feet, my husband has 11
but, we did not use flippers, just the mask
and snorkel.
they give everyone a snorkel they get to keep!!

[alexandra uk]

We ( me, dh, & 14 month old ds ) go to Dis. cove on 3rd Dec.
After reading this I really can't wait.
What exactly can my ds do there ? Would he be allowed in the lazy river, or to float around the coral reef with me and his Dad ?
It would be lovely to experience it as a family, and not to have to keep swaping the baby over ( obviously we would have to for the dolphin swim. )

One more question - How much footage is actually taken of the group dolphin swim?

:jester: 116 to go :jester:

[cslogg]

I visited DC in January this year with two other "mature"adults and readily agree with all the comments in this thread its a not to be missed day.A bonus for us was the fact that the day we went there was only 300 visitors and the weather was surperb.
One of he first things we saw once inside the park was the sight of about a dozen trainers with dolphins out on the water.Each trainer was holding on to a dolphin which was laying on its back,the trainer appeared to be stroking the dolphins belly.We all thought how sweet it was that they were doing a bit of bonding.We were told later that the trainers were taking urine samples,lovely!!

cslogg:D

[madcoco]

Thanks for a laugh to start the weekend cslogg.:)I heard that will now be part of the new Dolphin Swim.Let the Tourists do it.;)

[pattyT]

:)
DO IT!
Don't hesitate! We called it a once in a lifetime thing - but my DH has already said we will go there again!

We were in the 'sand dollar' cabana with a 10:15 swim! The weather was beautiful - our dolphin Tyler was awesome! The trainers were great! DH got awesome pics and video footage! We also chose to buy the $100 cd of 5 pictures (split with friends we were with!) so we have the 'rights' to our photos.
They even let DH and DS (2) come down for a pic with the dolphin and DS loved petting the dolphin! Guess what I'm sending out for christmas cards! :p

DH loved the lazy river! even though they had to close it for a while (first we heard something about a snake:eek: then it looked like they were replacing a broken light fixture or something:confused:

the food was excellent - well exceeded our expectations of 'buffet' LOVED the oroe cheesecake!:D

all in all it was a great r-n-r day! My only regreat is that we didn't take better advantage of the Sea World days! 10 days was not enough for us! WE only got to spend 1/2 a days at sea world - but loved it!

I think if you figure out the actual price including sea world - lunch, one free picture, etc. youll realize it isn't that bad! WEll worth every penny!

fell free to ask any questions - I'll do my best to answer!

[corvair]

My DD would love to do DC. I still am unsure. A couple questions. When do you make your reservations? I can get tickets through the goverment a little cheaper. Do I book the day through them when I buy my tickets. Or do you call DC to set up a date? Also how far in advance do you need to book? Thanks for any help or info you can offer....amy

[pattyT]

Hi Amy!
I called Discovery Cove directly - the number is on their website. I know they only allow 1000 people a day. If you have a specific date you want I would book early! When you call you can book for those swimming with the dolphin (199 or so) and those who are not (119ish). I believe it was 25% down the remainder 30 days before.
I don't know how the government discout works - but I am sure if You called DC they could answer your questions!
They mail you a confirmation that you bring with you - (everything is prepaid 30 days out usually) - when you arrive you check in they take your photo for id and assign you to a swim area and swim time.
There are many things to do BESIDES swimming with the dolphins! Our whole family loved it!
If you decide to do it I hope you have as good a time as we did!
Patty

[corvair]

Thanks for your help. It sounds like I will not be sorry if we decide to do this... thanks again...amy

[Granny]

We have done Discovery Cove twice, so I guess that speaks for itself. The first time, we all went on the dolphin encounter. The second time, just my two daughters.

If you stand on the beach, you can get some pretty good pictures if you've got some kind of zoom. My camera only has a 3x zoom and took this picture of my girls' dolphin "CJ" leaping:

<img src="http://home.earthlink.net/~readers4/_uimages/Dolpinleap.jpg" width=450>


It's a great experience...and the best "vacation" day of our vacations!!

[>>^..^<<]

Hello,

I took my 8 year old daughter to discovery cove last august.

It is a very lush and tropical place and the staff was very friendly and efficient in checking us in. Our dolphin swim was for 1:30pm.

We had a brief tour of the facilities and were given our gear and life vests. They also take a photo of you at this point and it is free if you want it. We then found a nice spot on lounge chairs on the beach so we could watch the dolphins.

The lazy river through the aviary was alot of fun and when we left the water we had the opportunity to feed the birds. They are very used to humans and sat on our heads!

The water in the ray lagoon was cold - so we got out real quick. But there were lots of snorkellers in there swimming around.

Lunch was great - I had fajitas and my daughter had chicken fingers. There was lots of food and great desserts. They also had a live band playing calypso music while we ate.

There was a birthday at the next table and there was a cake with a dolphin on it for a little girl. The band played happy birthday to her and everyone clapped.

Our dolphin swim was with Rose.. a sweet six year old dolphin... she did some tricks and gave us all the dorsal tow.. My daughter does not swim- but she was fine with the life vest even in the deep water. We were with her for about 40 minutes - only 5 minutes one on one time.

My only complaint was the hardsell tactics after the swim to try and make us buy photographs. Whe did buy one and then later it was a mad house trying to pick them up from the photo processing desk. There were so many people and lines forming everywhere - people were cutting in and it was very disorganized.

THe washrooms and lockers are fine, there are plenty of extra towels should you need more. The changing area and locker area is very busy at the end of the day - som many people trying to leave at the same time.

Other than the photo sellers - it was a wonderful day and I would go back... I hope you decide to go - I am sure you will not regret it.

[ryanhill21]

I want to go, but i can't find any contact info, or a website. How long of a wait should you expect for reservations. I am a procrastinator, and im leaving in 2 months any chance?
Ryan

[cslogg]

www.discoverycove.com

[>>^..^<<]

Hi there... go if you can and you will not regret it.

My 8 year old loved it and still talks about "her" dolphin ~ Rose.

There are some photos of discovery cove on my link below...

>>^..^<<

[tmq2766]

My 8 year old daughter and I did the dolphin encounter on 12/9/02 It was a very chilly and rainy day and it was still the most AMAZING experience of our life!!!!!!!! It is a feeling that you cannot describe, almost like it is life altering. They gave us a full wet suit and that really made a difference. Our encounter was at 1:30 with LaToya and the day just seemed to fly. We spent 3/4 of the day with our faces under water while waiting for 1:30 to arrive. The stingray lagoon was so cool, they look as if they are flying under water. We were the only 2 in the stingray lagoon when it was feeding time so my daughter got lots of extra attention and really enjoyed feeding the rays. As far as the aviary goes I think we would have enjoyed it more had it not been raining, the bird and small animals were still out but not as friendly as they would have been had it been a nice sunny day. There was this Ibis that was so friendly, I turned around to find my daughter standing there smiling while this bird is picking at her teeth...... She thought it was the funniest thing.
It was finally time for our dolphin encounter, WOO HOO..... My daughter did the dorsal tow and I did a belly tow...... 30 minutes does not seem like a whole lot of time but you really do get alot of interaction with the dolphin..... I can't describe the feeling you get when you are looking into the eyes of this 500 lb gentle giant who has a permanant smile on her face..... INCREDIBLE!!!!! We are really considering booking this again for this December..... It was definately one of the few things in life that I can truely say is worth every penny we spent....... One thing that I would recommend for anyone taking younger children is to have them practice with a snorkle before you go it really paid off, my daughter shocked me with how well she did. She was able to stay under for about 5 minutes at a time.......
Thanks for reading by babbleing....

[skinnylinny]

:p :Pinkbounc tmq2766 thank you so much for sharing your experience with me I am definately going to book dc, I'm just trying to do my homework first and find out about so many things befor we go in October. I am a bit worried about the snorkling bit for me, as I dont generally like masks or things over my face, but we do have a large swimming pool in our garden, so maybe I could practice this summer. do you have to ask for a wet suit or do they supply them automatically? thanks everso lynne:Pinkbounc :bounce: :Pinkbounc

[pattyT]

Hi Skinnylinny-
I know you asked tmq but I just rad it and wanted to tell you that -
Yes they supply your choice of wetsuit - or just the vest-
and I wanted to tell you not to worry about the snorkeling thing-
We had 6 of us there - and I was the only one who actually snorkeled - you can see the fish clear as day because the water is so crystal clear-and the stingray lagoon (I would not go it past 4 or five steps out of a 'fishphobia') was so shallow you could stand off to the side and see them!
I don' t think DH or kids even went over to the area where you would snorkel - they LOVED the lazy river/pool area!

[skinnylinny]

patti thanks very much for info, the more Info I get the more I can't wait to book, we are going October 9th seems such a long way of compared to most guys that have replied to me they all seem to be going sooner than later (lucky things) my turn will come though, when would you recomend we book the date we want? thanks again talk again I'm sure regards lynne

[pattyT]

You will LOVE it!

WE went this past October and we booked it 8 months in advance. They only allow 1000 people in per day - and I wouldn't take the chance and not get to go (I have friends who couldn't go last minute - then I have read on DIS boards about people going last minute!)
Besides for me - I had an OK from DH and I had to put it on deposit before he could rethink it!:p
He even said that we will go there again - it was one of our favorite day (and believe it or not - most relaxing day too!) We went in the middle of our vaca and it worked out great to have such and R-n-R day!

[airhead]

....Discovery Cove can't be missed! Our trip isn't until 7/04,but its
never too soon to start planning!!
I have a couple of questions,what's the "cabana"? Is this a resort you can stay at?
Do you have to be a good swimmer?
Can you stay there the whole day ?
Has anybody been there the beginning of July?

Just LOVE reading these posts!! Hope to read more !!
THANKS!!!!!

Airhead:Pinkbounc :Pinkbounc :Pinkbounc

[Cindy B]

The caban is where you do the trainign film before you have your swim...

Yes, you stay the whole day.. we got there at 830 and left when they closed...

No, the vest keeps you afloat (dont worry about swimming ability)

I went at the end of August and it was wonderful...

[tmq2766]

Hi skinnylinny,

Everyone gets a wet suit and depending on what the weather is like you can choose between a vest, a full suit or a suit that is short sleeved and shorts. Actually the day we were there the air temp was only about 65 degrees and raining and believe it or not the wet suit really cuts the cold or we were so excited we didn't feel cold.
One thing to keep in mind is they really get you on pictures and the video at the end of your dolphin encounter. The video is 60.00 and if I remember correctly each 5 x 7 was right around 15.00, believe me it is very hard to resist.
Another nice thing is you do not have to bring anything but your I.D. and credit card. They take your picture at the beginning of the day and put it on a lanyard whenever you want to purchase anything they just scan your I.D and it automatically goes on your credit card. They have thought of everything. They even supply sunscreen that is dolphin safe.

Tina

[D&D's Mom]

About the wetsuits? Are they only for those doing the dolphin swim or can everyone use one? Is the water in other areas cold enough that you would need one? What about size, one person in our group is a women's size 22, will there be something to fit her?

[tmq2766]

The wet suits are for everyone and the come in a wide varietyof sizes. I was very self conscious at first about wearing one but by the end of the day decided that that is all I ever want to wear again.... It hold everything in if you know what I mean.LOL
The water temp in the lazy river is like bath water but the tropical and stingray lagoon is like 70ish and the dolphin lagoon is a little cooler. The day we were there the air temp was only about 65 degrees and my 8 year daughter never complained one time about being cold!!! I think your so amazed that your actually swimming with these awesome creature that you don't even notice the temp.
Make sure you bring an underwater camera for everywhere except the dolphin lagoon you will not regret it. I look at my pictures today and could fool anyone into believing we were somewhere in the caribbean. My daughter and I are booked for the Disney Cruise in October with 5 nights at the Caribbean Beach resort and we are really considering doing Discovery Cove again...... It is worth every penny!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[skinnylinny]

:bounce: :Pinkbounc thank you all for the input on discovery cove, I can tell you I have now booked it for October so no going back, I cant wait! I will still read on for any new ideas or insperation thanks again lynne x

[Ware Bears]

Hi there, have loved reading all your tips. We are going to book soon to go in April 2004 and are all getting very excited. There are 5 of us and we are all going to do the dolphin swim.

I have three questions - (1) when you say you have to remove all jewellery before the dolphin swim, does that mean wedding rings as well? and (2) I wear glasses, will I be able to wear them or my prescription sunglasses to do the dolphin swim and (3) is there room to wear them under the snorkelling mask?

I look forward to reading your advice!

[tmq2766]

You are allowed to wear wedding bands, anything else can distract the dolphins when they see the glistening in the water and they think it is something to play with. (This is what they told me) I think it would be difficult to wear them under the mask. The mask fits over your nose and eyes so if your not under water it tends to get fogged.

[epicureangirl]

Just wondering if the dolphin experience (or stingray) pool is too overwhelming for a 6-year old...

Has anyone out there had a positive/negative experience bringing their young ones here.

I'd hate to spend that kind of money and have my daughter too scared of the fish/stingrays/dolphins. She's a good swimmer, but hasn't had any interactions with sea-life.

[tmq2766]

Hi Epicureangirl,

When we went my daughter had just turned 7 and had the best time.... She is such a dare devil though. She has been going on the Tower of Terror since she was 5.
The thing with the dolphin experience is that they are such gentle creatures that children seem to be drawn to them..... The day that we were there she was just 1 of many many small children and to be very honest I don't think I ever heard any of them crying or throwing a fit about anything. It is paradise what more can I say.

[Tandyc]

We are scheduled to go on Saturday May 10th. This is the only day Magic Kingdom is doing FIS. Will we have time to get to MK? I don't want to cut DC short but really want to see FIS.

What do you all think? Is it possible?

Thanks!

[Minniespal]

Hellokitty,

Went to Discovery Cove for the first time in July. Have always wanted to swim with Dolphins and this park certainly did not disappoint. Would love to go in October but since I'm travelling with a non-swimmer, it is unfair to expect them to watch you whilst your enjoying yourself plus cost for non-swimmer is quite high.

Hope you have a great experience.

[msdisney53]

We spent the day in Discovery Cove last month(4/18/03) and it was awesome. It was my daughter's 11th Birthday so I booked the Birthday package. For $100 the dolphin swam out with a buoy for her that was personalized. It also includes the video,a5x7 print,a t-shirt and a birthday cake. Because we had the birthday package our dolphin swim time was pre-arranged. It was wonderful. She was totally surprised and then at 3:00 we went for the cake and she was surprised again. My 12 year old DD, who is a anxious child wouldn't interact with the dolphin at all. They credited me the $100. It was totally unexpected. Now my DH and DD want to go back and do the Trainer for the day program. This is an experience not to miss!!:Pinkbounc

Denise

[skinnylinny]

:bounce: :bounce: :Pinkbounc :Pinkbounc Denise thank you for sharing your experience with my I;m so jealous, we dont go till October but are going for 3 weeks and staying in all star movies. last time we visited was October 2000 for my 40th birthday year. Mind you it will fly by as we are already nearly to end of May.I have booked DC so no going back now. thank everso lynnexx

[Eclpz314]

Hi. I'm new to these boards. I've just recently plannned a July trip to Universal that includes a day at Discovery Cove. I am even more excited about the trip after reading all of the discussions here! It really sounds like the swim with dolphins and snorkeling is worth the $$. Two sons (17,14) and I will be doing the dolphin swim, husband will watch that part. Thanks for sharing all of the helpful info on these boards!

[offtheice]

Cant wait to ck this out in july

[ukeeyorelover]

Both me, my mum and my younger brother went to Discovery Cove. It was the BEST ever!!!!
Every single part of the day was amazing!!

:Pinkbounc :Pinkbounc :Pinkbounc :Pinkbounc :Pinkbounc

[nataliesdaddy]

discovery cove is awesome for grownup and child alike - at least for us it is - my little girl said to me two nights ago - "so lets stay at discovery cove for a week next time"... even though you can do everything there in one day... she wants to do a lot of time there...frankly so do I... I could have snorkeled in that lagoon for hours

[KSH]

I'm headed to Discovery Cove and SeaWorld in a couple of weeks and I can't wait! I do have one concern about DC and I'm hoping some of you who have already been can help. Can you wear sunglasses during the dolphin swim? I can not see in bright sunlight at all without my sunglasses. I haven't found any pictures on the web that show people wearing sunglasses...please tell me they'll let me! I'd like to be able to see what is going on.

Thanks!!

[skinnylinny]

:cool: :D :bounce: :bounce: :Pinkbounc :sunny: I am really excited about dc my children want to go and because my dh didn't want to I thought I had better, although I can't stand the thought of fish swimming around me, but listening to you all it is defo one not to be missed and although a lot of money well worth everypenny. I keep getting mixed replys about camera and video shots, can I use my cam corda to view the dolphin experience some say yes and others say no! also how much in sterling is tape? only thing with tape you get loads of view with other people, when at the end of the day I'm sure I would rather just have my 2 and me on film, any views on this. KSH will be pleased to hear from you when you return from holls, have a good one, regards lynne

[Eclpz314]

We were at DC on the 21st. My husband videoed my sons and I during the dolphin encounter with no problem. He wasn't allowed right in the water but our video is wonderful!! I don't know why you wouldn't be allowed to wear sunglasses just like regular glasses during this time. The only things they are concerned about are loose items such as jewelry (one wedding band is allowed to stay on) and cameras dangling from you wrist. Also loose strings on bathing suits that the dolphins might want to play with! We had a blast!!! The whole day was absolutely worth every penny we paid!

[skinnylinny]

thank you for sharing your trip tips to dc, its nearly 2 months on 9th August going for 3 weeks I'm so excited just cant control myself, i'm worse than the kids. I know from all your replys that the experience is going to knock our socks of. I'm sure I will post more questions at some point. many thanks. xx

[Bobrow]

Wow,its been almost a year since my family went to Disney and DC. Time flys. We loved DC. and will go back again the next time we visit Orlando. My sons were 7,11,and 13 at the time and my 7 yr old had a broken leg. He had a waterproof cast and was still able to do everything. I was alittle uptight and would like to go back again when I'm not concerned about something like that. Next time I will do DC in the middle of the vacation instead of the beginning as it is a great day to relax. I recommend doing the swim as early as possable in the morning or late in the day so you don't have to keep checking the time. I also felt the swim with the dolphins was alittle too orchastrated,if that makes sense. I understand some of the others have more of a " not so planned" feel about them. Regardless, I think it was well worth the money and would do it again in a heartbeat.

[madcoco]

I also felt the swim with the dolphins was a little too orchestrated,if that makes sense.Yes it does. We really enjoyed the Dolphin Swim but it seems like the "script" was way too rushed. We actually enjoyed being able to relax and snorkel at our own pace and loved the Aviary even more. Do agree about signing up for the swim early especially during the summer months. (Afternoon thunderstorms) We are planning on visiting again in 04'. It is well worth it.:)

[airhead]

,,,for July 4th '04. We can hardly wait especially after reading all the posts here! We picked July 4th because we felt of all the
places to be that day,DC would probably be the least crowded.
And,its actually right in the middle of our vacation! AKL for a week,then check into the Dolphin resort and the next day,swim with the dolphins!! Probably visit Sea World the day after!!

[madcoco]

Enjoy your trip.:) For those of you who went recently, Are they still opening up reservations for the Dolphin swim before official park opening? We got there 20 mins before "official opening" and the 1st 2 time slots were already full. Thx.:)

[Kathtot]

Just got back today from Universal. We did Discovery Cove on Tuesday and absolutely loved it!

[prymsu]

just completed my second trip to Discovery Cove last week. It was awesome! I could never get tired of going there!

[hellokitty]

i cant believe this post is still around!!!

we are going back to disney this summer and may
go to discovery cove w/o dolphin swim, prices have increased
by $50 since we went last!

great to see people love this place!

[SoRealBoy]

Does anybody have any photos of the park? How large is the snorkeling lagoon and is it seperate from the stingray lagoon?

[hellokitty]

yes they are seperate.

[2BoysMum&Dad]

We will be in Orlando for the first time this year. Have got tickets for a day in Discovery Cove and to swim with dolphins. Unfortunately, both my sons know it was something we were thinking about doing so it won't be a huge suprise. My plan now is not to talk about Disney/SeaWorld/Discovery Cove etc at all until we are on the plane!! Don't suppose it will work, but I can try. I am sort of hoping they might forget that I booked flights and hotel in WDW! It is still a few months before we go. Our day in Discovery Cove is my elder boy's 11th birthday (he doesn't know that is booked definitely).

2BoysMum&Dad

:hyper: :hyper: :earsgirl: :earsboy:

[dbail2]

Which day of the week has the lowest attendance? We have swam with the dolphins twice and hope to go again this year. Our last swim was in 2002. The price went up alot since then. Has anything changed there?:bounce: :Pinkbounc

[2BoysMum&Dad]

dbail2 - there is a daily limit of 1,000, I believe. 1,000 is probably not a lot of people for a theme park and therefore won't feel like the Disney Parks when they are busy. At peak periods, the limit will still be 1,000 people - you will just need to make sure you get your tickets well in advance if you are going at a busy period.

Zoe

[msdisney53]

Zoe, We did Discovery Cove last Easter. It was wonderful. It was also my DD's 11th birthday so we did the birthday package. because we had the package we had a prearranged time for the dolphin swim and at the end the dolphin swam out to her with a buoy float that said " happy birthday" (you can put whatever you want on it) She also got the video, a tshirt, birthday cake, and the band sang happy birthday. So even though they know you are going you can make this a surprise. It was really great!

Denise:wave2:

[2BoysMum&Dad]

That sounds a great idea Denise! Funny that your daughter had her 11th birthday there when my DS will be having his 11th birthday there too - obviously great minds think alike. Many thanks for the tips.

Zoe

[dbail2]

msdisney53

About the birthday....We are thinking about it this August.

what was the video like? Does it still have many other people on it besides your group? When we bought one 2 years ago and we noticed so many other people on it and they even missed part of our swim..

[2BoysMum&Dad]

dbail2 = we have tickets to swim with dolphins on 10th August which is my son's 11th birthday. If you happen to be there on the same day as us that would be great! You never know, we might end up in the same group and that would be better with regards to a video - at least we'd feel like you weren't total strangers!! LOL. Regarding your other questions, sorry can't help there. We have never been ourselves.

Zoe

[tomerin]

scheduled for the dolphin swim this july 12th. myself DW, DS(16) DS(14)

can anyone tell me the actual time the park opens, i have read that it opens at 830 but i am not sure of that info.

i also would like to know is the dolphin swim time assigned to you or is it a first come first swim basis?

i have read that there are birthday pacakges offered but i would like to know if anyone has ever heard of something offered in the way of a honeymoon package. well second honeymoon package. when planning this vacation the only thing that my DW wanted to specifically do is swim with the dolphins. when we did the actual planning for this vacation i could see just how excited and happy she was about the dolphin swim. so i would like to make this trip extra special for her.


i am just full of questions this morning!


thanks
tom:wave::sunny:

[dbail2]

The dolphin pushes in a buey with anything you want written on it.to you, This happens at the end of the dolphin swim.
It is first come first serve when it comes to the dolphin swim so get there early to get an early one just in case it rains later in the day. I would go on there site and read more. I thought it opened at 9:00. But we did get there early to get the picture taken for you ID cards , get your introduction (small groups) , Family free photo taken, Get an overview of the park explained to you, get your equiptment (goggles,snorkles jacket suntan lotion,etc.)

http://www.discoverycove.com/vi_dcpackages_special.aspx

We loved the dolphin swim and hope to do it again this year. The family talks about it quite often. What a memory.

[maine_jennifer]

Originally posted by tomerin
scheduled for the dolphin swim this july 12th. myself DW, DS(16) DS(14)

can anyone tell me the actual time the park opens, i have read that it opens at 830 but i am not sure of that info.

thanks
tom:wave::sunny:


You should be getting a confirmation letter in the mail. I waited about 6 weeks and still hadn't received mine, so I called and they resent it. It arrived about a week later.

My nephew and I are doing the trainer for a day program and our confirmation letter says that normal park hours are 9am-5:30pm, though we have to be there at 8am for our registration.

HTH,

[tbck1993]

If you are even considering Discovery Cove, all I can say is - GO FOR IT! This place is awesome. My good friend is a dolphin trainer there and took us on a behind the scenes tour earlier this year. We only wished we would have set aside an entire day to be there. We will make a point of it next time - no matter what the cost.

I'm not a big bird fan, but they have the most awesome aviary here. The beautiful birds eat right from a cup in your hand. You very much feel like you're in the jungle.

Our kids even learned some hand signals that the trainers use and they were able to have the dolphins do tricks. I'm not sure if anyone can do this, but I'll bet if you have a one on one with a trainer-they might teach you.

The white sand beach is also awesome and every person is treated like a family member there. Plus, they only let in a certain number of people in a day, so it's never overly crowded!

Hope this advice helps. :teleport:

[highlander447]

I second that thought its great we where so impressed we are going back this january its worth every penny and then some

[2BoysMum&Dad]

Our trip in August was brilliant! My son had a wonderful birthday and it was very relaxing for all of us. If you are not strong swimmers, this is not a problem as you can get life-vests which make you float like a cork in water. Both my boys used these even though they can swim short distances, it meant we didn't have to worry at all about them.

[Reems]

Hi!

I'm going to discovery cove in early Jan, will it be freezing? Take into consideration I'm used to English weather!

Has anyone taken part in the trainer package or know anyone who has? If so, id it worth it?

Reems
xx

[2BoysMum&Dad]

Hi Reems,

Sorry I can't tell you about the weather in January (I went in August), but the water for the dolphins, rays and fish is fairly cool but the water in the main snorkle area and "river" is warm. I don't know how the temperature of these different areas is regulated. Maybe someone can confirm? If the weather is cool then the water in the dolpin, ray and fish areas might not seem so bad!

[highlander447]

Someone a few months ago did a report on the trainer package and they thought it was great, try looking through some of the old threads on this forum it should still be there.We also will be at DC in early jan I've looked at the previous january weather patterns and I think it should be ok for us brits
anyway

[boatergal]

This was by far the most incredible experience. It was beautiful and exotic. I totally forgot that I was in the middle of a city. The atmosphere was like being in a tropical getaway. I was snorkeling in the big lagoon when a huge school of 40+ fish the size of a dinner plates came up from behind me and swept around me and kept going. I tried to catch up but couldn't. I had to laugh and smile. Then I dove down to the bottom and swam with these stingrays that were 5 feet across. I have never in my life had an experience like that. You will absolutely love it!

My DD (7) wants to go but I am waiting until she is really great and handling the mask and snorkeling. I don't want to spend the whole experience fixing two sets of masks. Maybe get a mask and snorkel for the bathtub to give your child a lot of practice a head of time.

The only drawback was the water temperature. We had our dive at 9:00 am and it was so COLD. We went the first weekend in May. Pick an 11:00 time.

Have a fantastic time!!!!!!!!!!

:boat:

[nataliesdaddy]

We are trying to decide wether to surprise my now 8 yr. old with
a once in a lifetime swim with her all time favorites--
DOLPHINS.
We will be Orlando on her birthday and thought this would be
awesome
I am imaging it to be like being in Hawaii??

any words??
thanks in advance:) Well it isn't Hawaii that is for sure. But it is a great place !! We liked DC so much after one trip that we planned our next trip entirely around DC. WE have done two days back to back there before. Just one hint - if you don't want to smell like fish then do not be in the Ray pool during feeding time. Personally, I don't mind so I get in and feed them.

The place is a wonderful respit from the normally high energy rush of doing the Universal, Disney parks...and there are no crowds at DC - even when they are fully booked.

We have been four times - your kid will love it! Unless she hates fish..

[DaisyMoM]

My sister & family will be in Orlando in FEB. and added discovery cove to thier vacation plans due to the awesome reports on the boards! Thank You.

[Swan]

I have given the kids the option of flying to Disney or doing Discovery Cove. And while thwy decide I am looking for more info.
I was wondering if the kids(10&12) can do the Dolphin swim without an adult(we would be on shore).

[highlander447]

We did the DS and there was a girl of 10 or 11 doing it herself and her parents where on the shore videoing it so u will be fine

[Swan]

Thanks for such a quick response. :goodvibes

[pammypooh]

We were at DC on 2/21 and found it to be completely relaxing. My DD calls it paradise. We loved the lazy river and practiced our snorkling there. The swim with the dolphin was great. We had Capricorn. He is a big sweetie. Just wished we could have been with him longer. The meal that we had there was very good. The free photo they took when you entered the park was the best picture of our whole family the entire vacation! It was a great day and we will plan to do it again on a future trip.

Pam

[cjckclan]

We went to Discovery Cove in May 2003. It was fabulous. My DS (now 12) just reminded me of it again the other day and said it is still the best vacation he's ever been on. The day at DC was relaxing and something very out of the ordinary. We actually planned it because we had moved to FL and our DD's favorite thing was dolphins. We knew she would love it, but was pleasantly surprised how much DS enjoyed it. That says a lot when they are both coaster fanatics. We actually threw in a day at Busch Gardens just so we could all get our coaster fix!! It was certainly worth the expense for some wonderful memories. Our dolphin was Rascal....and had just a little rascal in him.

The only thing I wish I had known before we got there was how much the photos/video cost. I was quite surprised when I walked out of there nearly $200 poorer with a video and a CD with photos on it. There wasn't any way I was leaving without the photo memories though. Worth every penny; just wish I had known ahead of time.

[edjbiologist]

I was a apprehensive about going because I dont feel comfortable with extended periods under water.

I am so happy I went, I had a blast and conquered a big fear. The best part was how warm the water was, a luxury you won't find anywhere else.

I elected to not to the dolophin swim. While it looked awesome, I enjoyed watching others. The lunch was very good, too even for picky eaters.

It was so nice to be somewhere in FL that wasn't crawling with people.

[TinkTatoo]

We are going in August with DD7 and DS8 would an early morning dolphin swim be best (thinking of all those thunderstorms in the afternoons)

[Ware Bears]

Yes it would be, but not just in case of thunder storms. If you have an early dolphin swim, you can then relax and enjoy the place without constantly clock-watching, terrified that you will miss your time slot!:teeth:

[leight]

I just went this past saturday and it was wonderful. Dh & I got married last year at the WDW Swan- so this was our 1st anniversary. We had wanted to do DC last year but it would have been too expensive for many of the folks who came to our wedding. I'm glad we waited and did it together -alone.

Get there early to choose your spot-get an umbrella! We were given a 3:35 time slot for the swim- so we got our feet wet in the warm water in the lazy river. We enjoyed swimming with the schools of fish and the sting rays. They were feeding the rays so asked that we not get too close. But after doing a stingray swim in the caribbean I was fairly comfortable with these- although still surprised by the size of them!

It was neat swimming up to the shark area-hope Dh's pictures come out. Several fish swam right up to me so that I could stroke them and rather large one stayed right under my belly for several minutes as I snorkled-the woman feeding the rays said she was shocked to see this. I thought it was cool.

We had lunch around 1:30. I had heard so many good things about the food that I was really looking forward to it. I was disappointed in that they ran out of Caesar dressing for the caesar salad and really gave us an attitude when we questioned if there was any expected later. I had the lobster salad instead and it was fairly good. But it was hard to get past the attitude the server gave us.

We had our swim at 3:35 and they were running late so we didn't get out there until 4:15. I was so thrilled to be near a dolphin- this was a dream my whole life. We had Hutch- he was awesome. I was the first to kiss him and he curled his tail much higher than he did with my husband. Riding back with him was a thrill and I loved rubbing him down-what an incredible experience. well worth the money for me and dh thought it was pretty cool too.

[Matterhorn Girl]

I DID NOT GET TO THE END OF THE POSTS BEFORE POSTING THIS...SO I AM SORRY IF I REPEAT ANYTHING.

MY FAMILY WENT LAST YEAR TO DC AND IT WAS AMAZING. I BOUGHT THIS AS A SURPRISE, BUT BY THE TIME WE GOT TO MCO, EVERYONE KNEW! I KNEW ABOUT THE EXPERIENCE, AS A FRIEND WENT THE YEAR BEFORE - SO I WAS MOSTLY PREPARED FOR EVERYTHING. (I ALSO WATCHED HIS VIDEO FROM HIS EXPERIENCE) I GOT THREE DOLPHIN SWIMS, AND ONE NON-DOLPHIN SWIM. I FIGURED I COULD TAKE PICTURES. I HONESTLY DIDNT WANT TO BUY THE OVER PRICED PKGS. HOWEVER, THOSE OF YOU WHO ARE SAVING UP FOR THIS EXPERIENCE - YOU HAVE FIVE...YES FIVE YEARS TO BUY THE PICTURES THEY TAKE OF YOU AT DC. THE VIDEO NEEDS TO BE PURCHASED ASAP. THEY DO NOT HOLD THAT. I CHOSE TO BUY IT AT A LATER DATE.

Items Prices
8x10 Photo $29.99
5x7 Photo $15.99
2 Keychains $15.99
4 Wallets $15.99
Photo CD (5 images) $100.00
Video (avail. no longer than 40 days after date of swim) $59.99
Shipping Fee $7.00

YOU JUST NEED THE FOLLOWING INFO, WHICH IS ALL ON YOUR PASS FOR SEA WORLD/BUSCH GARDENS:
NAME, DATE OF SWIM, TIME OF SWIM, CABANA AND DOLPHIN. THEN THEY SEND YOU THE "PROOFS" OR THUMBNAILS ONLINE. THEY ARE TINY...SO MAKE SURE YOU LOOK AT THEM PRIOR TO LEAVING THE PARK.

ON TO THE EXPERIENCE: WE GOT A 2:15 SWIM TIME - SO WE HAD TIME TO STROLL AROUND AND CHECK STUFF OUT. WE IMMEDIATELY WENT INTO THE LAZY RIVER. WE JUST SWAM AROUND. HONESTLY, I WAS A LITTLE SHAKY BECAUSE THE DEPTH OF THE WATER DRASTICALLY CHANGES. WHEN WE SUITED UP IN OUR GEAR, I MADE SURE I TOOK A LIFE VEST FOR MYSELF AS WELL AS MY SON, BECAUSE I HAVENT BEEN SWIMMING IN A LONG TIME, AND KNEW ABOUT THE WATER DEPTH (I THINK IT WAS 8 FEET IN PLACES...AND IT REALLY DROPS!!) AT THE WATERFALL, I GOT HIT IN THE HEAD THE WRONG WAY WITH SOMETHING...THAT MADE ME LOOSE MY BREATH. I HAD TO HOP UP ON THE EDGE OF THE ROCKS, AND CATCH MY BREATH BEFORE CONTINUING INTO THE AVIARY. WE SAW ONE BIRD FLY OVER...BUT DIDNT STOP THERE. ALTHOUGH I WISH I HAD. AFTER GETTING OUT OF THAT...WE HEADED OVER TO THE STING RAYS. OMG...THIS IS AWESOME. MY SON DECIDED TO HANG BACK WITH MY DAUGHTER, BUT ME AND SCOTT (HB) DECIDED TO STAY FOR THE FEEDING. THEY COME RIGHT ON YOU! THE INSTRUCTORS TELL YOU HOW TO FEED THEM, WITH FISTS SO THEY DONT TRY TO TAKE YOUR FINGER WITH IT. THEN WE WENT TO EAT LUNCH. I ENJOYED THE FOOD VERY MUCH. THE CHEESECAKE... TO DIE FOR. THEN OFF TO THE SWIM. IT WAS A VERY CLOSE ENCOUNTER FOR US. I GOT TO SWIM INSTEAD OF TAKING PICS, MY HB WANTED TO INSTEAD. OK. SURE! THE WATER IS QUITE COLD, AS THE DOLPHINS NEED TO BE IN COOLER WATER. TAKE A FEW SECONDS TO GET USED TO THE WATER...OR JUST DIVE IN! YOUR CHOICE. :) YOU SIT IN THE SHALLOWER WATER, DOING THINGS WITH THE DOLPHIN, I WONT SPOIL THAT. THE PHOTOGRAPHER CATCHES ALL THE KEY MOMENTS. THERE ARE ABOUT FOUR DOLPHIN GROUPS AT THE SAME TIME. I GOT HUTCH. (SO DID MY FRIEND WHEN HE WENT!) THEN THEY BRING YOU OUT TWO AT A TIME TO "SWIM" WITH THE DOLPHIN. IT WAS AMAZING. THEN AFTER THAT, WE WENT INTO THE LARGER PART OF THE WATER AND HUNG OUT...AND WENT BACK TO THE HOTEL (AFTER SEEING THE SLOTH! LOL)

[doccath]

Has anyone done the twilight program yet at DC? I am going with 9 people for a Thurs pm show. Starts at 3pm, dinner, dolphins etc.
It cost about the same but it sounded great with the dinner.

[laudan14]

matterhorn girl

You said you have up to 5 years to purchase photos. We swam a couple of weeks ago and bought a couple of photos but I wish we got more. Can you view your photos on the web site.

[sunedaze07]

It was such an amazing experience.. I think everyone should go at least once :)

[ginger/fred]

Just got off the plane from Disney. Went to Discovery Cove for my birthday on June 16th.My kids were just mesmerized and laughed sooooo hard visualizing literally hundreds of fish in their path in the salt water pool and many 6 foot rays swimming below. What an experience! :flower:
My son (8 y.o.) .....said it the best...It was just "Awesome Mom" !..... :Pinkbounc :bounce:

Can't wait to go back again and be a "trainer" with the kids...my kids can't stop talking about it. Going back to disney again at Christmas!!!!!!!!

One of those moments which will forever be with them.
:cool1: :Pinkbounc :bounce: :cheer2:

[snoopy_mom]

Glad to hear you had fun, we are scheduled to do the Trainer program in August with the kids (daughter 8 and son 10). I can't wait, it is a surprise for them - the trip is in celebration of my husband passing the nursing exam (RN) this week! Everyone I have talked to said it was worth every penny.

[LizziesMommy]

[QUOTE=laudan14 Can you view your photos on the web site.[/QUOTE]

No, they have a number to call. I don't remember it, but if you call (407) 351 3600 ext 6515, they can give it to you.
Jessica

[LizziesMommy]

Video (avail. no longer than 40 days after date of swim) $59.99
I GOT HUTCH.

Actually, the video is only available for 2-3 weeks after the date of your swim. They also offer magnets and poster sized photos.
P.S...Hutch is my fiancee's favorite dolphin!! We swim with him everytime we go! (We used to work at DC, so we know all the dolphins. lol)
Jessica

[mej]

We are going on 20th July! It will be our 15th wedding anniversary - aww! My mum is not swimming, but my dad, husband, daughter (10), son (7) and me are swimming. Can't wait! A real memory for the kids to share with their parents and grandparents!

[weeyore33]

:banana: I just booked this for my family as a suprise! we will be in Orlando for thanksgiving, my husband has always wanted to do this, so i booked it for thanksgiving day... boy they will be suprised!!!!! i can not wait
my 2 ds are 12, 8! they are going to flip! :bounce: i hope i can keep the secret for 5 months! ugh ;)

[windcarver]

We did Discovery in 2001 and one of our daughters who did the dolphins considers it the most profound experience of her life. She has since that time won numerous science fair and regional exposition fair awards with her current project being a general study of the use of some sea creatures, (sorry I'm just the dad) in cancer research. She is only 16 and the cost of college and hope of scholarships looms large! I credit the fact that schools are romancing her to the inspiration she gained at Discovery. Our investment is already worth it, hopefully it will have been a very good expenditure indeed.

[mej]

It was amazing - we all loved the whole day and spent far too much money on pictures and the DVD! But those wheelchairs for the sand - boy are they hard work!!!!

[silverangel879]

I went on July 29th with my boyfriend :love2: and it was the best experience ever! :goodvibes I cried when we got to touch them. For me being abel to be so close to them if a lifetime dream, so you could imagine the emotion :blush: :goodvibes . It worth every cent spend.


PS. I couldn't resist to buy the photos and the DVD. So, calculate a little extra cash for that :teeth:

[Funniebunny]

Hi,

I have been twice now and you will love it.
I went in 2000 and again last year. I didn't swim with the Dolphins the 2nd time but paid for my boyfriend to as it was his birthday. He thought it was fantastic. I have never seen such a big grin on a 26 year old before, he was like a little boy in a sweetie shop.
He bought a waterproof camera whilst there and took loads of pics of the fish in the snorkle lagoon. As for the Dolphin swim, I was able to watch from a nearby rock and he thoroughly enjoyed himself. It was well worth the money and he thought it was the best birthday present ever.

[lbarnes]

Discovery Cove is the ULTIMATE in relaxation!!! We absolutely loved all of it. :love:

[DIS NURSE]

WOW! So glad I stumbled onto this thread!
We are going on our second 7 night Disney Cruise in Nov,2006 and we thought our kids are old enough now (9 and 7) to try DC!

Hmmming and hawing about the $$$ is tough......until you read this thread! :goodvibes
Thanks to everyone! I know the prices have gone up even further since these last posts!

.....but then, again, a one day Sea World entrance fee is about enough to make you choke! So, in that regard, I can justify it! ::yes::

[LAURHOPE]

My daughter will be one week away from her 6th birthday during our next Orlando visit. How strict is the age restriction at Discovery Cove? She is a level 2 certified swimmer and would love to swim with the dolphins but I would hate to book it and get turned away. Any suggestions?

[Randy K]

How deep is the water in the different areas. I have an 11 year old daughter a little tall (5') but she isn't a very good swimmer at all. Needs some lessons but just hasn't got around to it. Would she be able to do DC. Is being at least an average swimmer a must or could you do o.k. with very little swimming ability?

[discoverycovegirl]

I hope you tell by my name How much I liked Discovery Cove. When I went I was 8 years old (I am now 11) It was the best day of my life. Being so close to dolphins was an amazing experience. Please please please take your daughter. She will never forget it.

[DIS NURSE]

Okay, you have officially convinced me! We have an 8 year old daughter and a 6 year old son. We were waffling, but not anymore! :goodvibes

We are booking today! :cheer2:

Thanks for your inspiration! :cheer2:

[MinnieSummer]

Can someone explain the pricing to me. Either I'm dense or there are only packages available. I can't find a "one day" price. Also, how much time do you really get to spend with the dolphins? I'm trying to get information for my parents nurses daughter who is handicapped but high functioning. She has wanted to do this for years now and I promised I would research it for her. I'm also looking into the various programs at Epcot. Any opinions on those? Thanks for any help you all can give.

[Squirlz]

Can someone explain the pricing to me. Either I'm dense or there are only packages available. I can't find a "one day" price. Also, how much time do you really get to spend with the dolphins? I'm trying to get information for my parents nurses daughter who is handicapped but high functioning. She has wanted to do this for years now and I promised I would research it for her. I'm also looking into the various programs at Epcot. Any opinions on those? Thanks for any help you all can give.
Not sure what you're looking at, but the prices are for one day either with or without the dolphin experience. It's very simple really.

[Capt_BJ]

is that the problem? does the price seem high? yes, those prices are for 1 day; the dolphin experience being an 'optional' part.

the dolphin exprience is approx 30min and you are in a small group, not alone, so your 1 on 1 time is measured in minutes.

don't get me wrong, we loved it .... but it isn't for everybody @ the price

Here's the link to the Disney Dolphin experience @ EPCOT

http://disneyworld.disney.go.com/wdw/parks/tourDetail?id=DolphinsInDepthTourPage

I have not done this, but did the scuba dive in the Living Seas and that was great.

[PrincessG]

Can someone explain the pricing to me. Either I'm dense or there are only packages available. I can't find a "one day" price. Also, how much time do you really get to spend with the dolphins? I'm trying to get information for my parents nurses daughter who is handicapped but high functioning. She has wanted to do this for years now and I promised I would research it for her. I'm also looking into the various programs at Epcot. Any opinions on those? Thanks for any help you all can give.
I did the Dolphins in Depth program at Epcot....I cannot swim at all. Actually, I am petrified of water that is over my head. I loved the dolphin encounter at Epcot. It is a small group, 6-8 people. Basically you are in waist deep water (I am only 5ft tall) you do not swim at all. You kneel on a platform at the top of the tank (which is very, very deep) in the Living Seas, the dolphins come to you, you hug them, give them a kiss, rub their backs. They are gentle creatures, but are very large. Disney is wonderful about accomodating people with disabilities, I would call them. You say she is high functioning? Can she walk/stand/balance on her knees, understand basic safety instructions? if she can, I would think she should be able to participate, of course I would make sure another adult would be with her
I guess there is some risk of losing your balance and falling in the water, which could happen to anyone, disabled or not and I'm sure it has happened.
Discovery Cove is a one-day all-inclusive with 2 price plans the higher priced option includes the dolphin swim, it is $279 per person and you need reservations. I don't know much about the actual dolphin experience as
I have not been to Discovery Cove yet (going in May)
I would call Disney. Good luck, I hope this info helps.

[TyNicJen]

Hi I'm new to the boards but I am very interested in DC. No one has really answered the questions as far as how old you meust be or if you must swim etc. Anyone know the deal? It sounds great1 and you do geet the free seaworld for7 days at the same time right? Anything else? Thanks for all the info.

[silverangel879]

Hi I'm new to the boards but I am very interested in DC. No one has really answered the questions as far as how old you meust be or if you must swim etc. Anyone know the deal? It sounds great1 and you do geet the free seaworld for7 days at the same time right? Anything else? Thanks for all the info.

Hi, Welcome to DIS :grouphug: !

I went to DC on July 05 and the min age for the swim is 6 yrs old. I don't think they have a max age ;). The half hour of your swim is basically in no too deep area. But There was a part in which you'll ride on a dolphin. They'll ask me if I felt confortable with deep waters. Then we move there and ride till the shore where the rest of the group were. In my group was an 11-yrs-old kid. He did the ride near shore. I think there will be no problem if you can't swim. About, the Sea World ticket, I remember that they had exp date, but not so sure about it. If you plan to visit Sea World BEFORE DC (like I did), you have to bring your reservation letter (DC send you one) and present it in the SW ticket areas. They give you a pass for that day. If you go AFTER DC, you use your DC ID (DC gave a picture ID).

Hope I answered your questions, if you had more...keep them comming! :wizard:

The DC experience worth EVERY PENNY SPENT...It was the purpose of my July trip, after a got my DC reservation, I planned everything else :teeth: ....

It was just great....I'll post some photos later....

HAVE A NICE DAY!

[TyNicJen]

Thank you silverangel879. It sound worderful. I'll be looking for the photos. My dd is just 6 so I think I may go in a year or two so she can fully enjoy it. I'll have fun planning in my head till then though.
thanks again

[DadtheKid]

For a family that has snorkeled in the Keys and a number of Carribbean islands, would you still reccomend DC?

[curlybop]

Are the Seaworld passes for everyone who visits DC or just those who do the swim w/ the dolphins? I'd LOVE to do it, but DH would have to be onshore w/ DD. If all 3 of us received passes, that would be an extra bonus.

[silverangel879]

Thank you silverangel879. It sound worderful. I'll be looking for the photos. My dd is just 6 so I think I may go in a year or two so she can fully enjoy it. I'll have fun planning in my head till then though.
thanks again

TyNicJen: Sorry for making you wait! Here are some of the photos...Enjoy!

http://i60.photobucket.com/albums/h28/silverangel879/DC_Jul2905/DC.jpg
Complementary Foto

http://i60.photobucket.com/albums/h28/silverangel879/DC_Jul2905/P7290001.jpg
Lobby

http://i60.photobucket.com/albums/h28/silverangel879/DC_Jul2905/P7290090.jpg
Partial View of DC

http://i60.photobucket.com/albums/h28/silverangel879/DC_Jul2905/P7290007.jpg
Waiting for our turn...picking the other group!

http://i60.photobucket.com/albums/h28/silverangel879/DC_Jul2905/Obyyo.jpg
Snorkeling in the pasive river!

http://i60.photobucket.com/albums/h28/silverangel879/DC_Jul2905/Ourlittlebaby.jpg
One of the photos bought in there...My DB and I with Yoshi...a baby dolphin!

http://i60.photobucket.com/albums/h28/silverangel879/DC_Jul2905/SweetKiss.jpg
Sweet Kiss - Kissing Yoshi...

http://i60.photobucket.com/albums/h28/silverangel879/DC_Jul2905/Ridingwithafriend.jpg
A dream come true...Here ridding Capricorn. One of the oldest dolphins...

We were lucky. We had two dolphins in our half-hour. Yoshi was one of the youngest. They "used" us to practice with Yoshi...Then for the ride, they brought Capricorn...It was amazing....A DREAM COME TRUE :wizard:

As I said before...It was worth every penny!!

[silverangel879]

Are the Seaworld passes for everyone who visits DC or just those who do the swim w/ the dolphins? I'd LOVE to do it, but DH would have to be onshore w/ DD. If all 3 of us received passes, that would be an extra bonus.

curlybop, the SW tickets are complemetary with you DC tickets (Dolphin or non dolphin). For more info you can visit their web: www.discoverycove.com.

[samkj]

Could someone tell me which to choose, trainer for a day ($449) or the all-inclusive ($279)? What is the difference in time with the dolphins? The group will be two men and their sons, ages 7 and 8. The girls will be at WDW visiting with the princesses!

Thanks!

UPDATE!! They decided to skip the trainer for a day program and just do the regular DC plus dolphin day.

[tam012864]

Can someone tell me about the "lazy river" Is it like the one at Typhoon Lagoon where you get in inner tubes...or what??? Any help is greatly appreciated!!!

[whackamole]

Its been 5 yrs since I've been there but at the time the lazy river was actually for snorkeling. I don't remember tubes being on it. Depends how well you float I guess.

[Lava124]

The lazy river does not have any tubes.I have always just worn the vest instead of the wetsuit and this pretty much keeps you afloat without much effort.The lazy river does not have any wildlife in it but it does give you another way to enter the bird sanctuary.

[ciship]

I know that they just started to include breakfast. Does anyone know what they serve?

Also, does everyone have to wear the vest or the wet suit, or is it just an "option"?

[TyNicJen]

Thanks silver angel 879. The pictures were great! Makes me want to go now! :banana:
I'll wait though, my daughter should be swimming this year and we will work on the snorkling with the boys.
Did I read in the thread that they give you snorkel gear? They made it sound like you can keep it. :confused3
Anyway still planning on WDW and the nick hotel this year. Then start saving again! :cool1:

[Julia Ann]

We are booked for November 1st this year, couple of questions.

1. Can any tell me how much the photos and dvd costs to buy when you are there.
2. Would you recommend wear anything on your feet when walking around, maybe in the aviary?
3. the latest in the year we have visited orlando is mid october - so do you think the water will be cold on Nov 1st?

[lynnemo]

DVD $69.99
5 x 7 photo $15.99
you also get a complimentary photo that they take as you are entering the park
We didn't wear shoes, although my daughter wished she had them on in the afternoon when things got hot

[disneyfreak75]

Loved Discovery Cove. Went for our honeymoon. it was expensive but 100% worth the cost. Get everything you need, food was very good, swimming with dolphins was short but very cool. Bought the professional pictures and thought they were great, you get to pick which ones you like most.

We didn't have much time to go to Sea World but took a shuttle across to SW just before it closed and got to see Shamu.

[debi5475]

Are the Seaworld passes for everyone who visits DC or just those who do the swim w/ the dolphins? I'd LOVE to do it, but DH would have to be onshore w/ DD. If all 3 of us received passes, that would be an extra bonus.

I went on September 10th, 2001. I had already done the dolphin encounter my first visit. So I did just the visit. I got the free seaworld passes.

Course the next day, I wasn't in the mood, and they closed all the parks anyway. Florida was shut down.

When they opened seaworld again, I had the weirdest time. I walked from the curve at the entrance, to shamu's stadium, without seeing a person. Just birds and chipmunks. It was so sad.

email them and ask. But I expect you still do get them for free with the non-dolphin encounter.

[disneyfreak75]

You get passes for everyone who goes to DC. it is a multiday pass too but I forget how many days. You should check out their website: http://www.discoverycove.com/default2.aspx

[Lava124]

Youd do get a 7day to pass to SW or Busch Gardens.You get to pick one of these parks,not both.

[debi5475]

I just booked my 3rd trip to Discovery cove, August 16th.

They told me that you can use your 7 days at SW before/after Discovery cove. The days just start counting from when you first activate them. So we will arrive on the 12th, go to seaworld on the 13th, then ours are good till the 20th. Which is when we leave.

I tried to book tickets at Discovery Cove yesterday, they had tickets on the 14, 15, today they were sold out till the 16th.

My goodness.

[disneyfreak75]

I had heard that you have to book early. We totally lucked out because we booked while we were in WDW. just so happens that 2 people cancelled (probably due to the hurricane that was predicted to hit orlando while we were there) so we got to go. Must have been fate!

[tam012864]

I just booked mine last week for May 30 2007.. :cool1:

[tnt2cu2]

We went to DC 2 weeks ago, and we loved it so much, at the end of the day on the way out, we signed up to return 2 days later. The first day we did the dolphin interaction, and loved it. But it was something that we didnt want to pay to do again. The actual time was very short, but we still loved it.

Everything was taken care of, towels, vests, wetsuits, food and drinks. The second day we showed up with nothing more than our swim suits and cover ups and sunscreen. (our credit card info was still on file to shop with).

Our 6 year old son loved it and had a great time feeding the rays, and snorkeling. Seeing the sharks behind glass in the coral reef was amazing. My husband loved the lazy river (water was warmer and no fish) He said it was relaxing, I thougt it was okay, and wanted the interaction with fish.

If anything bad could be said, I guess it would be the staff (lifeguards, animal experts, and cleanup staff) could have been nicer. I understand it is a job for them, and they were cordial, but that was about all. And we were kicked alot in the reef area due to people learning to snorkel, or diving down to grab the rays wings (WHICH WAS NOT ALLOWED). A few times I had a persons booty in my face due to small traffic jam in one area or another. It was not due to crowding in the park itself, it wasnt empty, but definatly not overcrowded. We had trouble finding a table when we went to eat, but we just walked around until the area cleared out some. It was crowded in the table area due to thunderstorms.

But overall it was so wonderful and we loved it so much. And if for no other reason than seeing my sons face when a 5 foot ray swam next to him, and him snorkeling for the first time and seeing a shark and not knowing glass was seperating us. LOLOLOLOL

I hope this is helpful to someone. Happy travels.

[Dislifer]

We went to DC 2 weeks ago, and we loved it so much, at the end of the day on the way out, we signed up to return 2 days later. The first day we did the dolphin interaction, and loved it. But it was something that we didnt want to pay to do again. The actual time was very short, but we still loved it.

Everything was taken care of, towels, vests, wetsuits, food and drinks. The second day we showed up with nothing more than our swim suits and cover ups and sunscreen. (our credit card info was still on file to shop with).

Our 6 year old son loved it and had a great time feeding the rays, and snorkeling. Seeing the sharks behind glass in the coral reef was amazing. My husband loved the lazy river (water was warmer and no fish) He said it was relaxing, I thougt it was okay, and wanted the interaction with fish.

If anything bad could be said, I guess it would be the staff (lifeguards, animal experts, and cleanup staff) could have been nicer. I understand it is a job for them, and they were cordial, but that was about all. And we were kicked alot in the reef area due to people learning to snorkel, or diving down to grab the rays wings (WHICH WAS NOT ALLOWED). A few times I had a persons booty in my face due to small traffic jam in one area or another. It was not due to crowding in the park itself, it wasnt empty, but definatly not overcrowded. We had trouble finding a table when we went to eat, but we just walked around until the area cleared out some. It was crowded in the table area due to thunderstorms.

But overall it was so wonderful and we loved it so much. And if for no other reason than seeing my sons face when a 5 foot ray swam next to him, and him snorkeling for the first time and seeing a shark and not knowing glass was seperating us. LOLOLOLOL

I hope this is helpful to someone. Happy travels.


It's helpful to me!!! Sounds fantastic! Thank you for sharing your experience! I can't wait!!! You know what would be soooooo sad???? What if they had to cancel it because of bad weather???!!! That would be awful!!! I mean we are traveling from CT and really looking forward to swimming with the dolphins and ugh!!! Ok, Ok...positive thinking I know!!! :)
Thanks and I'm glad you and your group had a great time!

[craZ4diznee]

Hi there, We are going down the week after Thanksgiving as we do every year. We are going to try DC for the 1st time with our 8 and 4 year old. My husband plans to take the 8 year old swimming w/the dolphins, while I hang out with the 4 year old. If I buy tickets without the dolphin swim, will we be able to access everything else...like the reef, beaches, etc.?

[tmq2766]

You have access to "EVERYTHING".... We did it about 4 years ago with the dolphin swim.. This year we are considering going back and spending the day there and enjoying everything without the dolphin encounter... It is soooooo worth the $$$$.. Be prepared to pay big $ for pictures though... how can you say no... I know I couldn't!!!

[Dislifer]

We just went on our Dolphin encounter at Discovery Cove on Thursday. It was the best day of our vacation. The place is beautiful and they really seem to manage everything to perfection. After going there, I do NOT think it is unreasonably expensive. The price included tickets to SeaWorld (which by themself for one day is approx. $62), breakfast, lunch, all snacks and drinks during the day.
I was so happy to find out that they had (at no additional charge) perscription goggles. This made my day!!! My contacts were bothering me, so I was wearing glasses. First, I tried wearing the goggles over the glasses, but this was not working out too good. Then one of the employees told me that perscription goggles were available. The girl working there simply looked at my lenses and knew my perscription!!! It was great-I could see!!!
I loved the dolphin encounter but I equally loved snorkeling with the tropical fish and stingrays. It was awesome!!!

[iHEARTflorida]

im looking in to DC and its says stuff about a photo ID can u just take your passport???

[bazzanoid]

im looking in to DC and its says stuff about a photo ID can u just take your passport???

Certainly can - it has your name, photo and date of birth so it qualifies :thumbsup2

[iHEARTflorida]

The price included tickets to SeaWorld (which by themself for one day is approx. $62), breakfast, lunch, all snacks and drinks during the day.

I was so happy to find out that they had (at no additional charge) perscription goggles.The girl working there simply looked at my lenses and knew my perscription!!! It was great-I could see!!!
I loved the dolphin encounter but I equally loved snorkeling with the tropical fish and stingrays. It was awesome!!!

Dislifer, i wanting to go to DC and i tohu if was just lunch included in the price, i didnt know there was breakfast too????

perscription goggles, where do i go??? i was thinking i cant reallyl wear my contacts, and glasses would get annoying, perscription googles tell me more please

so i just bring my glasses a long with me and they will give me p. goggles, my mum wears glasses too will they give her p. goggles and do they let you keep them?

PLUS i cant find the email addy to email DC, does anyone have it???

[FLParadisevilla]

We went to Discovery Cove in March 2004, I was getting married the next day and this was my bachorlett party!
We loved it completly!!! I think it was one of the best days! Who needs a stripper when you get to kiss a dolphin!

[highlander447]

Dislifer, i wanting to go to DC and i tohu if was just lunch included in the price, i didnt know there was breakfast too????

perscription goggles, where do i go??? i was thinking i cant reallyl wear my contacts, and glasses would get annoying, perscription googles tell me more please

so i just bring my glasses a long with me and they will give me p. goggles, my mum wears glasses too will they give her p. goggles and do they let you keep them?

PLUS i cant find the email addy to email DC, does anyone have it???
Hi heres an email contact DCO-GuestRelations@DiscoveryCove.com

[Dislifer]

Dislifer, i wanting to go to DC and i tohu if was just lunch included in the price, i didnt know there was breakfast too????

perscription goggles, where do i go??? i was thinking i cant reallyl wear my contacts, and glasses would get annoying, perscription googles tell me more please

so i just bring my glasses a long with me and they will give me p. goggles, my mum wears glasses too will they give her p. goggles and do they let you keep them?

PLUS i cant find the email addy to email DC, does anyone have it???

Yes there is breakfast too! Bagels, pastries, coffee, juice...that kind of thing. We really weren't interested so didn't stay too long to eat breakfast...we wanted to go see what there was to see!!!

The perscription goggles were great! Just ask anyone who works their and they will direct you as to where you should go to get them...it's no big deal, it won't take you any time at all! You don't have to do it in advance or anything.
You cannot keep the perscription goggles or the regular ones.
Have fun! If you have any other questions, ask away!!!

[bazzanoid]

Yes there is breakfast too! Bagels, pastries, coffee, juice...that kind of thing. We really weren't interested so didn't stay too long to eat breakfast...we wanted to go see what there was to see!!!


Yummmmmmmm.. i was contemplating how i was going to get up early enough to have breakfast before going, but now i don't need to worry :cool1:

[silverangel879]

We went to Discovery Cove in March 2004, I was getting married the next day and this was my bachorlett party!
We loved it completly!!! I think it was one of the best days! Who needs a stripper when you get to kiss a dolphin!

Amen, sister!...That was a cool idea...maybe...I can stole it from you...scratch chin :scratchin

[iHEARTflorida]

You cannot keep the perscription goggles or the regular ones.
Have fun! If you have any other questions, ask away!!!

shame you cant keep them. thank you

[silverangel879]

Here are some photos of my past trip...

http://i60.photobucket.com/albums/h28/silverangel879/DC_Jul2905/P7290001-1.jpg
^The Lobby

http://i60.photobucket.com/albums/h28/silverangel879/DC_Jul2905/P7290038.jpg
^"What???" can you see the resemblance? Hehehe

http://i60.photobucket.com/albums/h28/silverangel879/DC_Jul2905/fish.jpg
^Underwater @ Coral Reef...With a Waterproof camera... :teeth:

http://i60.photobucket.com/albums/h28/silverangel879/DC_Jul2905/P7290090-1.jpg

[FLParadisevilla]

Discovery Cove was worth every penny that it cost and then some!!
Here is a slide show of our trip.
http://www.flash-slide-show.com/share/flash_album_1/2006-09-09/{83299179-E356-4F76-B455-62C7D2D96A0F}.swf

[Pirata]

Discovery Cove was the absolute highpoint of our trip.

[Gizmo1951]

We recently returned from our trip.
I took my 2 Grand daughters ages 7 & 11 and it was the highlight of our trip.
Just to see the excitement on their faces (and mine) was worth every penny.
We plan to do it again but not for a few more years.

[MouseGirl]

I just booked our Discovery Cove visit for March 2007 - the countdown is on! It will be my husband, me, and our two DDs aged 11 and 10. We are all so excited about swimming with the dolphins and experiencing the rest of the park. We're doing it in the middle of our two-week trip as a nice, relaxing day.

My daughters have read all the posts on this board and I think this is the part of our trip that they are looking forward to the most...thanks for all the great information and reports.

MouseGirl

[louey]

We just visited Discovery Cove on 12/27/06, and it was very chilly lets just say 50 degrees. When we arrived they greeted us, they had heaters throughout the park and steam was coming off the water. When they told us the water in the tropical river was 80 something degrees and the dolphin/coral reef water was in the seventies we were so happy. This park was absolutely AWESOME!!!! The food, atmosphere and friendly help made this day Perfect :) The dolphin encounter was so much fun, our dolphins name was Yoko. She gave us a ride, so cool! We will definately be back. I would highly recommend this park :thumbsup2

[jodnareb]

Looking to go in early February - anyone know if this is a good time? To cold?

[Jules123]

I would love to surprise my family with a DC trip while we're in Florida this summer. We have a 2 year old and a 5 year old. Would they enjoy it? What would our 2 year old be able to do?

[louey]

I would love to surprise my family with a DC trip while we're in Florida this summer. We have a 2 year old and a 5 year old. Would they enjoy it? What would our 2 year old be able to do?


I would call them to ask, the thing you may be able to do is hang out at the lazy river/beach area, the bird aviary is right off of the river, the coral reef (snorkeling) and the dolphin encounter was awesome but they wouldn't be able to get a ride (I don't think). You also have the stingray encounter where you walk in. You don't have to do the dolphin encounter you could just pay and do the other. Definately give them a call it really is a great place. Hope you get to go :)

[mrsklamc]

Can someone tell me about the breakfast? Is the park open during the "breakfast" time? If so it seems like it would be worth it to eat ahead of time and not waste your park time?

[louey]

Can someone tell me about the breakfast? Is the park open during the "breakfast" time? If so it seems like it would be worth it to eat ahead of time and not waste your park time?



You get a continental breakfast, danish/coffee/juice after you check in. Plus they start serving lunch between 11:00-3:00, I would save your appetite for Discovery Cove the food is pretty darn good :thumbsup2

[Louissa]

We went last spring, myself, DH and two DD's aged 6 and 15. The food was great, all snacks and drinks provided, the different areas to swim with rays and sharks was fantastic and most of the staff were fabulous.

The downside for me was the dolphin interaction, very short, almost awkward feeling, and they push photos and dvds on you which I really didn't like although I ended up purchasing a dvd and wasn't happy with the quality.

Saying that it was our best vacation day, and if you take out the dolphin swim and hard sell eveything else was wonderful.

[mrsklamc]

I was there on Thursday and we didn't feel it was a hard sell at all. Maybe it just depends on the employee you get? :confused3

[TyNicJen]

It sound great. What does it cost with the dolphin swim now and is the food included?

[mrsklamc]

The price depends on the season- I believe it ranges from $249 to $279, and sometimes you can find a discount code if you dig around online. Ours was $220 including tax. (low season + discount code.) Included is a welcome photo, snorkel and use of a mask, parking, a sample of dolphin-safe sunscreen, continental breakfast, lunch served anytime from 11-3, and any snacks and drinks you want. Drinks available were various pepsi products/ bottled water, hot chocolate, anheiser busch products, and coffee. There may have been others but that's what I saw. Snacks were chips, cookies, crackers, etc. in individual bags.

[TyNicJen]

Thanks! What is the low season? Like Disney? Where do you find the codes?
I'm hoping to go either this year or next so it's time to start the research. Thanks for all the help!
All the food and drink were included? Sounds like a great day! Did you also get to go to Seaworld for 7 days? I heard that was included anytime you book.

[mrsklamc]

I imagine the seasons are probably similar to Disney's, but their website will tell you for sure. Someone had posted that they had codes on the Discovery Cove area of the DIS and I just PM'd them. I believe the thread is still there as "New Discount out for Discovery Cove"

[Lorix2]

I would love to surprise my family with a DC trip while we're in Florida this summer. We have a 2 year old and a 5 year old. Would they enjoy it? What would our 2 year old be able to do?

My kids are much older, but I know if I had kids the ages of yours, I know they would have fun playing in the sand by the resort pool. It's a zero depth entry beautifully landscaped pool with a sandy shore. The photo ops are plentiful throughout the park as well.

They can wade in to the snorkeling pool, fish swim right in between and around you at the ankles as you stand there, I was never hit by any of them and they are so gorgeous. With the life vests and wet suits, they can go in any water way with you, the lazy river is so cool too, as is the bird aviary with a huge peacock and a fawn that runs around.

I believe kids have to be 6 y/o to interact with the dolphins, but you can watch the interactions all day long as the dolphins jump and twirl and obey commands of the trainer.

I wouldn't let their ages stop me from going as you will enjoy just being there and lunch is extremely good as well, they even had live music while we ate.

This place is worth every penny and the highlight of our trip in 2005.

[DiscoverUSF]

The twiligh session was the way to go for us. We enjoy ALL the benefits and dinner was included. They had a wonderful spread and live entertainment. It really sets the mood at sundown.

[SharonLowe]

Can someone tell me about the "lazy river" Is it like the one at Typhoon Lagoon where you get in inner tubes...or what??? Any help is greatly appreciated!!!

There are no innertubes but they do have some noodles you can use - get them at the beginning. And, lazy river is a misnomer - they call it the Tropical River Swim. There are places where it is very deep and you do have to swim to get through it all. You can get off in places to see the birds and things. There are no fish but there are a few "treasures" under the water. Watch your toes in shallow water - easy to stub them on some of those treasures.

[SharonLowe]

I know that they just started to include breakfast. Does anyone know what they serve?

Also, does everyone have to wear the vest or the wet suit, or is it just an "option"?

Yes, everyone must wear one or the other and you cannot use your own; you must use theirs.

[EasyEddie]

Hoping to go to DC next week if we can get the 20% discount code.

If we can, wondering if the dolphin encounter is really worth the extra $100

please give me some feedback.

Thanks all.

[Louissa]

We are going to DC on 26th Feb and 5th March (my b'day pressie!). When we went last year it was April/May and nice and warm and I'm slightly worried about the park temperature so early in the year. Has anyone else been this time of year and how was the weather? Were you shivering all day or was it warm enough?

Thanks

[TyNicJen]

Hoping to go to DC next week if we can get the 20% discount code.

If we can, wondering if the dolphin encounter is really worth the extra $100

please give me some feedback.

Thanks all.

Where do you get the 20% off code? Can you use it for the Dolphin swim?

[disneyfreak75]

I really think it was worth the extra money. I'd rate it as the highlight of our trip!! it is short but fun.

[louey]

We are going to DC on 26th Feb and 5th March (my b'day pressie!). When we went last year it was April/May and nice and warm and I'm slightly worried about the park temperature so early in the year. Has anyone else been this time of year and how was the weather? Were you shivering all day or was it warm enough?

Thanks


We went in December and it was quite chilly that morning like in the 40's but they have heaters throughout the park and the water in the dolphin and coral reef is in the 70's and the river part is in the 80's (like bathwater) ahhhh... It is such a wonderful place. We loved it!!!!!!!! Have FUN!!!

[d4est]

I am already thinking about our 2008 trip. It is going to be a split between Sea World/Discovery Cove & Universal. Probably 2 or 3 days at SW/DC & 4 days at Uni.

The price for the Day experience w/dolphin swim is $259--does that include the "all inclusive" package?


All-Inclusive detail description

30 minute Dolphin-swim session
Snorkeling with thousands of tropical fish in the Coral Reef.
Wading with the rays in the Ray Lagoon.
Hand-feeding birds in the free flight Aviary.
Relaxing in the Resort Pool and swimming along the Tropical River.
Continental breakfast, sumptuous lunch, plus all snacks and beverages throughout the day.
Snorkel gear, swim vest or wet suit, towels, lockers, sunscreen, beach chairs.
All day self-parking.
Complimentary photo portrait of you and your party as you enter Discovery Cove.
Admission to either SeaWorld Orlando or Busch Gardens Tampa Bay* for seven consecutive days. Or a combination pass with admission to both parks for 14 consecutive days for $30 more.

[singingpixie]

Hi everyone!
I'm thinking about our honeymoon in August or September '08 (getting married in June, but waiting till value season for the honeymoon). I think DC sounds like a great R&R day, and I've always wanted to swim with dolphins (grew up visiting Sea World San Diego yearly when visiting my grandparents, so I've always loved whales, dolphins, etc).

If I'm going to bill this to my fiance as an "R&R day" though, it's going to have to be a bit of a later start than our usual theme park days. How awful would it be to arrive between 10:30 and 11am? I'd love to hear your experiences about not arriving at opening. Thanks!

[Dislifer]

If you have reservations for a dolphin swim...which you must have anyway...you'll be fine...you just won't get one of the earlier swims. It's a definite must do. We had a wonderful day!!! The place is great and it is managed very well!

[d4est]

I am already thinking about our 2008 trip. It is going to be a split between Sea World/Discovery Cove & Universal. Probably 2 or 3 days at SW/DC & 4 days at Uni.

The price for the Day experience w/dolphin swim is $259--does that include the "all inclusive" package?


All-Inclusive detail description

30 minute Dolphin-swim session
Snorkeling with thousands of tropical fish in the Coral Reef.
Wading with the rays in the Ray Lagoon.
Hand-feeding birds in the free flight Aviary.
Relaxing in the Resort Pool and swimming along the Tropical River.
Continental breakfast, sumptuous lunch, plus all snacks and beverages throughout the day.
Snorkel gear, swim vest or wet suit, towels, lockers, sunscreen, beach chairs.
All day self-parking.
Complimentary photo portrait of you and your party as you enter Discovery Cove.
Admission to either SeaWorld Orlando or Busch Gardens Tampa Bay* for seven consecutive days. Or a combination pass with admission to both parks for 14 consecutive days for $30 more.


I am repeating myself, lol, still looking/hoping for an answer.

[mrsklamc]

Yes, that's what's included. Sorry, I thought I had answered that already!

[d4est]

Beautiful! Thank you very much!

[eeyoreforever]

We are planning on going in June and I am wondering about the photos they take. Do they take serveral shots of you to choose from or to they take one picture per person? Anyone know the current price of photos? Also, if you take your own photos (I am not swimming with the dolphins - just my dd's), are you close enough to get some good pictures?

Thanks for any info - I am still having a really hard time justifying the cost of this and am trying to figure out if I'm gonna pay another arm and leg for pictures.

[DiscoverUSF]

Discover Cove offers one photo as a group which is included in the cost, or at least they did last year. They take individual photos of your party kissing a dolphin. In the bird area, their are photographers taking photos of you if the birds land on you. Yeah, they get a bit pricey. But we still bought 5 of them, and got the free one because it was they were great photos and it was a great day to remember.

You can bring your own camera (get a disposable water-proof one) but you can not bring it into the dolphin lagoon. You can take pictures from the shore. If you bring your own camera, get a locker to put it away at times so it won't get wet. A good zoom can get you some good photos.

Remember, they take the photos anyway. So you can see them before you buy. If you like one enough, it may be worth your purchase.

Despite the cost, the park is only so crowded, food, drinks and snacks are included. For our family of three we thought it was definately worth it.

[HopperFan]

We are planning on going in June and I am wondering about the photos they take. Do they take serveral shots of you to choose from or to they take one picture per person? Anyone know the current price of photos? Also, if you take your own photos (I am not swimming with the dolphins - just my dd's), are you close enough to get some good pictures?

Thanks for any info - I am still having a really hard time justifying the cost of this and am trying to figure out if I'm gonna pay another arm and leg for pictures.

We did not swim with dolphins. I had about 4 water cameras that I kept with me in reef area and lazy river. A couple disposables to take beach etc pictures. Got some great shots and it was a very cloudy (rain at times) day. I bought one photo they took of us on the lazy river....the one they took for free when we entered was terrible.
http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f306/bmozmumy/698621-R1-14-11A_015.jpg

http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f306/bmozmumy/698615-R1-05-20A_006.jpg

http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f306/bmozmumy/698617-R1-09-16A_010.jpg

http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f306/bmozmumy/FL000001.jpg

[SharonLowe]

When my DD and I went last October, I was really disappointed with the photos and DVD. We still bought some but they were pretty horrible! I'll see if I can find how much we paid for them. There will be a number to choose from for each person but not a ton. We had way better ones done last year in Mexico.

If someone has a good zoom, they should be able to get decent shots. You will have to figure the best place to shoot from though.

[Hollybh]

We went to DC this past December before going on a cruise. This was the absolute best day we have ever had as a family. I cannot recoomend it any higher. DEfinately worth every penny. My husband was worried that it was too expensive. He later said it was very worth it. Definately buy the video and pictures, very pricey, over 100 dollars for the video package. But it is sooo worth it to have that memory to watch when you get home and years to come.

[mhcueball2]

A lot of great info here.

How long were you in with the dolphins (the full 30 minutes)? And did everyone just get a kiss and a 'dorsal/fin pull'?

We are also going to Jamaica, but want to avoid the 4 hour round-trip to get to the dolphin cove.

[Hollybh]

The Dolphin swim is at least 30 minutes and you are in contact with the dolphin all of that time. We spent a lot of time petting Lester before our actual swim. We kissed and fed him. VERY VERY worth every penny. I havent heard anyone say otherwise. I just love this place.

[MouseGirl]

I completely agree with hollybh's endorsement of DC. We visited on March 10 and our family is still talking about it. It honestly was the best experience we have had out of our many holidays together. The dolphin swim is amazing, but the rest of the day was too...from start to finish. We couldn't believe how quickly the time went! Our dolphin swim was mid-morning, so we had time to get oriented, have a bite to eat and check out the park a bit first. Everything is so well organized, high-quality, and the staff are so friendly and helpful. We were very impressed with it. The dolphin swim was outstanding, as was the interaction over the whole half-hour with our dolphin, Diego. We had a delicious lunch afterwards, then snorkelled and swam together for hours, visited the bird aviary and just relaxed. It was time to head home before we knew it...

Can't recommend it highly enough!

[budbeerlady]

Food, food, food... Is there a list anywhere of what is offered? DD is kinda picky (loves her chicken strips, can tolerate a burger if she has to ) and I am a vegetarian so I was curious as to what food is available?

Thanks!

[HopperFan]

Food, food, food... Is there a list anywhere of what is offered? DD is kinda picky (loves her chicken strips, can tolerate a burger if she has to ) and I am a vegetarian so I was curious as to what food is available?

Thanks!

Here you go :thumbsup2
http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1372504

[SharonLowe]

Food, food, food... Is there a list anywhere of what is offered? DD is kinda picky (loves her chicken strips, can tolerate a burger if she has to ) and I am a vegetarian so I was curious as to what food is available?

Thanks!

they have vegetarian options available but if you have special needs/allergies, make sure you let them know in advance. I'm vegetarian and allergic to all dairy products and they were able to accomodate me.

[budbeerlady]

Wow, thanks for the fast help on the food info!

[WDW Princess]

I am taking my DH for his B-day to DC in September 07 and have purchased a standard birthday package. When a dolphin pushes out the happy birthday sign, does anybody videotape this? I am quite sure we are going to buy the video but want to make sure that we are in it at least at the most important moments.

Also, a b-day cake is included in the package – how does this all work? Do they bring it out to the birthday boy/girl or do they just slap a piece of it on your plate?

I know it’s been talked about many times, but if I am not a good swimmer, is swim vest enough to allow me to float? I mean to not having to kick and just hang vertically in the water?.. I know it’s a ridiculous question, especially from a person who lives by the beach:rolleyes: !!

[Hollybh]

I do not know the answer to the birthday questions but I'm sure if you call, they can tell you. I know that they do video tape your entire dolphin experience even without a birthday so Im SURE they will for something that special. What a great idea! Have a great trip!!

[Kath2003]

I know it’s been talked about many times, but if I am not a good swimmer, is swim vest enough to allow me to float? I mean to not having to kick and just hang vertically in the water?.. I know it’s a ridiculous question, especially from a person who lives by the beach:rolleyes: !!

For the most part, when you're with the dolphins, you're in the shallows. You go out "deep" once - but you don't have to, they'll give you a "shallow ride" if you prefer. The water is very salty so floating is easy and the vest helps. There is a trainer in the water with you when you're with the dolphins who will help you if you need it.

In the other areas, I'm afraid you will have to keep yourself afloat.

[DisGal520]

Discovery Cove was worth every penny that it cost and then some!!
Here is a slide show of our trip.
http://www.flash-slide-show.com/share/flash_album_1/2006-09-09/{83299179-E356-4F76-B455-62C7D2D96A0F}.swf

hi there fellow Marylander,

would love to see the slide show but when I post it to web browser, get a 'page cannot be displayed'.

Can you post some pix?


thanks
DisGal
:cool2:

[Arielbabe104]

hey this place is the best went when i was 8 i will never forget it! the name of our dolphin was rascal! the most memorable part when i got to kiss the dolphin! i really do recomend it!

[sbp59]

These boards helped a tremendous lot...thanks for all the great info...it is just a perfect day and the staff goes out of their way to be so accommodating that sometimes I did a double take. We arrived by 8:15, stood in line about 15 minutes and then off to the entry speech, lockers, wetsuits, vests and hung around until our kids dolphin swim at 9:45. So many on here suggest the wetsuits but it was so hot that most people got the vests for the day. I got a wetsuit and it helped me get in the water to snorkel really fast -- but the rest of the time it was hot. I could have switched to the vest but just kept it on and my family didn't complain about the vests:banana: at all. They had the smallest dolphin Nate but we got a family picture with Capricorn. We got the photo CD with pictures for $143 with tax and glad we did that because now the pictures are all uploaded at home.

The food was fabulous and plentiful - new things to try - the snorkeling was fantastic and loved the lazy river. The aviary was ok - the guides seem to be catering to the little kids when we were there (don't forget that teens still like attention too!) but we just got back in the water. Taking pictures along the river and the mini cave was great. We were done by 3 but waited to get some pictures from the stingray lagoon swim so by 4:30 we were back in the parking lot and on our way back home.

It took 3 years to convince my husband to make this trip/day and now we are all glad we did. It is worth every penny (and yes, they take a lot of them!) - but it is a special day for the entire family. The grounds are lush and very easy to get around. And yes, someday we will return!

[DisGal520]

[QUOTE=sbp59;20241269]These boards helped a tremendous lot...thanks for all the great info...it is just a perfect day and the staff goes out of their way to be so accommodating that sometimes I did a double take. We arrived by 8:15, stood in line about 15 minutes and then off to the entry speech, lockers, wetsuits, vests and hung around until our kids dolphin swim at 9:45.. We got the photo CD with pictures for $143 with tax and glad we did that because now the pictures are all uploaded at home.

The food was fabulous and plentiful - new things to try - the snorkeling was fantastic and loved the lazy river. The aviary was ok - We were done by 3 but waited to get some pictures from the stingray lagoon swim so by 4:30 we were back in the parking lot and on our way back home.QUOTE]

When I phoned them this week I asked if they picked people up at local hotels to bring to DC for the swim package. (We won't have a car). DC said no they do not do that. I read somewhere - maybe on this board - that DC did come pick them up. Anyone know about this from a recent trip?

Second question for you all - if you do the early swim with dolphins and then do not do snorkeling, can you shower and change back into street clothes to finish walking around the place??? We don't want to spend rest of day in wetsuits.

thanks
DisGal
:cool2:

[louey]

I am not sure about Discovery picking you up, but your hotel would probably take you? Or you can always take a taxi, I don't believe it it too expensive, I have read on here that some people will take a cab throughout the parks maybe to get to a dinner etc...

After your done swimming with the dolphins and snorkeling you can shower and change anytime you want. We stayed in snorkeling and swimming a pretty long time after our swim with the dolphin it is so much fun.

Enjoy! it is a wonderful place, I am so glad we went there. :)

[DisGal520]

louey - thanks for the fast reply.

We will be on Disney property, and Disney said no they don't take you to anything SeaWorld. Makes sense of course. Disney sugested taxi.

Two years ago we stayed at Universal's Royal Pacific Hotel and they had a once -per-day free motorcoach to SeaWorld. I recall that was a very long bus ride - about an hour. Unfortunately we did not think to book the DC during that stay.


thanks
DisGal
:cool2:

[sbp59]

We saw quite a few guests being dropped off by taxi, one by limo and the parking lot was not full. Remember, they do serve a continental breakfast - mostly pastries - so get there early. I would imagine some hotels might offer a shuttle service but couldn't see Disney doing that!

Flexibility is key in this park. You can change as many times as you want and swap out vests and wetsuits all day long - so if you don't want to snorkel then you can change back into clothes. There isn't a lot to walk around -- except for the aviary - and past main pool, snorkel area and stingrays. My husband just liked sitting at the snack bars and getting the "free" beer. They also had new slushie type juice packets that I hadn't seen before and plenty of snacks and soft pretzels. He compared it to a cruise as the food was good and plentiful and since you don't have to have $ on you, the lines, but there weren't any, move fast.

It's a day you won't regret. My dd wants to create poster-sized pictures from several of the photos with the dolphins as they are extremely good quality and not to be missed. We are taking the one picture of my son and putting it in his dedication page for his senior yearbook. Too bad -- our day is over!

[Kath2003]

You can get the 50 Lynx bus from the TTC for $1.50 - takes about 15 minutes, drops you off at Sea World. From there, Discovery Cove offer a free shuttle which takes 2 minutes :thumbsup2 Much cheaper than a cab.

[DisGal520]

You can get the 51 Lynx bus from the TTC for $1.50 - takes about 15 minutes, drops you off at Sea World. From there, Discovery Cove offer a free shuttle which takes 2 minutes :thumbsup2 Much cheaper than a cab.

wow - this is wonderful news. I'll have to pay closer attention to the Lynx bus stops at the TCC. Do you know if there are bus schedules posted there?

DisGal
:cool2:

[Kath2003]

wow - this is wonderful news. I'll have to pay closer attention to the Lynx bus stops at the TCC. Do you know if there are bus schedules posted there?


A CM gave us a copy. They're every half an hour. You can check them out at www.golynx.com - timetable for that bus is here (http://www.golynx.com/schedule.cfm?route=50) (you're going to Sea Harbor Drive)

Also I lied, it's the 50 bus (the 51 doesn't go to the TTC!).

Kids are 75cents btw :)

[DisGal520]

thanks again! Everyone on these boards is so helpful.

DisGal.
:cool2:

[rluey29]

We are visiting DC next summer and are taking our DS8 and DS1. My oldest son and I will be doing the dolphin swim while wife watches the baby. Afterwards, is the baby allowed to float with us in the lazy river? Do they have lifejackets that are small enough? Is he allowed in the aviary?

This is our first time there so any tips would be appreciated!

Also, do you get to pick the time of your dolphin swim?

[dpwright]

you do not get to pick your time with the dolphins, but the first ones in the gates in the morning get the first times, so show up early.
we were there just about a year ago. it was not cheap, but it was one of those things you need to do once in your life. It was a fantastic day. About $250 per person when we went. But the buffet lunch came with it, unlimited snacks and drinks all day, the dolphin swim, manta pool, regular pool (so warm it was like a bathtub), the lazy river, the aviary, all your snorkeling equipment, etc. It's a must do for everyone at least once.
The dolphin swim water was much colder but bearable.
you can also get an option that comes with free entry to sea world that week. We spent most of the day at discovery cove then by late afternoon, 5:00 ish, headed over to sea world for the rest of the day after we changed our clothes. Fantastic.

[DisGal520]

Reading this made me think to ask a question. If there is heavy rain on the appointed day, do they have an indoor dolphin area where they can still go on with the interaction and swim?

Sometimes vacations are so tightly planned that it may not be possible to go on a different day if there is a stormy day on our appointed day. Does anyone know?


DisGal
:cool2:

[Gailie]

Just got back from Discovery Cove - my 9 year old thought she was in heaven. It is absolutely beautiful, our time with the dolphins was absolutely wonderful. The whole day was great, dolphins, swimming with the stingrays, snorkleing in the coral reef, the aviary with all the birds, the pool, etc. etc. I would go again tomorrow if I could !

[JohnnySharp2]

Reading this made me think to ask a question. If there is heavy rain on the appointed day, do they have an indoor dolphin area where they can still go on with the interaction and swim?

Sometimes vacations are so tightly planned that it may not be possible to go on a different day if there is a stormy day on our appointed day. Does anyone know?


DisGal
:cool2:

We last went in March 2005 and our swim was delayed by a thunderstorm, we all were just asked to sit inside and we had a video and breifing on dolphins/conservation etc

If there is heavy rain or a storm, the swims are stopped and they start again once the weather has cleared.

[muffinman71xx]

I went in October 2005. It was okay. the best parts were not the dolphin swim.

DC says the swim is 90 minutes, but the actual time in the water is about 30. you sit in with a group of about 15 and watch a video about how wonderful DC is and the dolphin swim will be. then you break into groups of 5 with your trainer and head to the lagoon. you walk out into the water so you are on a underwater rocky ledge waist deep, and the dolphin is in the deeper part. I had "lemon lips" for a dolphin. the dolphin lay in the water, so we could learn about dolphins. the trainer did various hand motions and then each one of us did the motion individually and the dolphin did the trick. the final part we walked out a bit further and then swam about 10 feet into the deep part of the lagoon. the dolphin then came under me and I grabbed his side fin to be tugged the 20 feet back to the group.

it was neat, but I had a sense of 'is that it?' afterwards. Everything in the commercial, does not happen with the guests. it is merely to make you think you will.

of course, there are photographers and videographers covering your every move. we went to the photo building. the videos were completely out of my financial reach, so I opted for the pics. most of them were great. I ended up with a CD of ten pics for about $100. a jail rape would have been more less painful. at least they put on the cd some pics of the park, dolphins, and birds.

lunch was halfway decent and good portions. there was a steel drum band playing while I ate.

the 'lazy river' snorkeling part was a complete waste. there is HUGE lagoon that is about 2 feet deep. wasted space since you could not swim or even float in it. I walked through it all to get to the deeper part of the 'river'. there was nothing exciting, you just floated pushed by the gentle current looking at the concrete bottom. at the places where the it was shallow, you had a walk or face a nasty scraping on your chest and stomach.

the bird sanctuary was my favorite. lots of beautiful birds. an attendant gave out small cups of foods. the birds landed right on my shoulder, arm, and hand to eat. it was incredible.

the stingray lagoon was okay. you could walk amongst them. you cannot leave your feet or be spoken to by the attendants about the 'no swimming or floating' rule.

the coral reef was incredible. lots of color and tons of fish. there were sting rays the size of my rental car. the only complaint was that the face mask was hard to get a good seal on my face. it kept fogging and then leaking water. every so often I had to tread water, empty mask, unfog it, and then put it back on.

of course, the other cool part of the DC was the 7 days admission to SW. I went for 2 days after DC.

so, overall. it was pretty good.

[KiKi Mouse]

We did DC on Dec 1, 2007.
There was DH, myself, DD9 and our 10 month old baby.
DD9 was the only one to do the dolphin swim as it is expensive.
We were able to be quite close to her and watch and listen to her experience. After he swim we asked the photographer to take a couple of pictures of our whole family with a dolphin....that way the baby could be included!
We did not buy the CD of pictures but we did buy a basic package and spent about $60 total.
Breakfast was okay...lots of carbs such a pastries etc. Lunch was good. Snacks are provided throughout the day as was beer which made DH happy.
The ray lagoon, the coral reef, and the aviary are all very cool and we loved them all. The "beach" was nice too and the water was warm.
I am not sure if we would do it again because it was expensive but it was a great day. I would tell others to go if they can afford it.
We did go to Seaworld the next day as admission was free with our DC passes. We were there for 4 hours and saw the Shamu Believe show. It was okay but I expected a lot more from the show and the park in general. I am glad we did not buy passes to go to Seaworld as I would have felt ripped off.

[momtotwoteens]

KiKi Mouse- Was the resort pool warm enough to get in without wetsuits? We have reservations at DC on Dec. 17th, but I'm waiting until the last minute and checking the weather because I am going to change our reservation to the warmest day that we are in Orlando. How were the crowds? I'm hoping they're not bad since it's colder now.

[KiKi Mouse]

Yes the resort pool was warm enough. I am a person who can't handle the cold and I found the pool nice. The pools with the fish/rays/dolphins are cooler for the animals.
The resort pool was warm enough for our 10 month old baby.

If anybody is going with a baby I highly suggest you ask for one of their beach strollers. It has big wheels and you can push it through the sand easily.

[LegoJediMom]

Anyone know how imperative it is to arrive early? Our son sleeps until 7:30 usually and I don't want to wake him early if I don't have too since we'll be going to bed late. A later swim time isn't a huge deal for us. DC is all we have planned for the day. So if that's the only consequence of showing up at 9 ish, I'll take it.

Thanks!

[Gailie]

The earlier you arrive, the earlier your Dolphin swim, that's all. We arrived at 8:00, our swim was at 9:30. I kinda wish we had asked for a later morning swim at it was chilly in the water at 9:30. Don't worry about stuff to do while waiting for your dolphin swim, the Aviary is a hoot and the ray pool was absolutely fabulous. Do it all !!

[hahmood]

We are going to be at WDW in March. We have been to the Cayman Islands with our DS9 a couple times where he snorkels and he has been to stingray city (he loves it!) a couple times to swim with the rays (we are going again in June - Godparents have a condo there), so would it be worth it for us $$$ to take a day to go to DC with a dolphin encounter?

[airhead]

We were there July 4,2004,and are returning July 4,2008! This place IMO,is the best place to spend any day but especially the 4th. With limited admittance(1000 people/day)I'm not worried about it being so crowded you can't move. The staff is so nice and they really make you feel welcomed. Its just an awesome experience! We can't wait to get there!!!

[GrumpyMom]

We just went in January and although we started the day at around 47 degs and the high was in the high 50's low 60's it was still the most memoral and relaxing day of our trip definately worth every penny. I'm sure it will be perfect no matter the temperature. Just remember to take off the top part of your wetsuit and dry off and you will stay warmer.
They did tell us this but I didn't see alot of people doing it. It really does work. And by listening to the podcast and Julie's recommendation to visit the aviary first I can only tell you that we literally covered in birds within minutes of entering whereas later in the day we went back and they just weren't as interested in us.

[holcomb-mania]

I'm planning a June09 trip (stop laughing!), and I called today with a few questions.

It's not shown on the web-site, but "all-inclusive" includes free Anheuser-Busch products. :thumbsup2

I was leery of the cost, but after reading this thread and calling Valerie, I think I would be stupid to not do this next year.

Also, I asked about the cabanas (they are under refurb now). She said they were $150-$175 for the day. Has anyone gotten a cabana? Was it worth it or even necessary?

[craigs bride]

ok i would like to buy a ticket for my other half as a wedding present when we get married in 2009.........do i need to buy tickets for us all even though we wont be swimming with the dolphins ourselfs

how much are the tickets and what else is included if you dont swim with the dolphins

i know that these questions have most probably been answered already so please bear with me

many thanks Michelina

[darrellynn]

HELLO WE ARE TAKEING OUR GRANDDAUGHTER FOR HER 10TH BIRTHDAY ON OCT 28 2008, I HOPE SHE LOVES IT AT DISCOVERY COVE WE ARE DOING THE BIRTHDAY PKG FOR HER. I AM OLD AND FAT SO WHEN SITTING ON THE SAND I PRAY THE LITTLE KIDS DONT TRY TO ROLL THE WHALE BACK INTO THE WATER TO SAVE IT. BUT I THINK IT WILL BE FUN TO TURN 10 IN DISCOVERY COVE... THANKS MISSOURI:scared1:

[DixieDolphin]

Ah, Discovery Cove. How I love thee!

I've been as a guest about seven times. First time was opening day in 2000. I'd been a Sea World passholder for years and the hype-inducing packets they kept sending me were driving me mad with excitement! I went by myself, but had an amazing time. It was, without doubt, the best visit I had. That was back when the dolphin swim had more deep-water interaction than it does now. Dorsal tows and such.. it was much better then, if you ask me. It still didn't compare to the far more involved experiences I'd had at other facilities (like Theater of the Sea in the Keys), but it was a lovely time! I can't recall which dolphin I swam with that time, but I still have the photo in my box-o-Sea World stuff.

Next time was in 2003, right after I'd moved back to Orlando after a three year run living on the coast. Although the swim portion had been reduced and was less satisfying, other parts of the park had been improved upon and expanded. The aviary was much better than the first run through, for instance. I was a little miffed by the whole dolphin-photo-BUY-BUY-BUY setup after the swim (I don't recall it being quite so pushy in 2000), but it was only a minor annoyance.

Later that year, I got a job working at the park as a photographer (yes, I was one of those waterlogged souls in the Ray Pool, Aviary, and by the waterfall!) Loved every minute of the job.. which was, undoubtedly, the most enjoyable job I've ever had, but unfortunately couldn't keep it long once the winter hit and hours were cut back to a point where I couldn't pay my bills.

But, I did end up with quite a few comp tickets which I used for several solo trips, a trip taking my much younger sister (11 years younger, to be precise), and one taking my longterm boyfriend before he left Florida for Seattle.

I didn't do the dolphin swim on all my trips there, as that wasn't covered by the comp tickets at the time (not sure what the policy is now)... but the most memorable time was when I swam with CJ, the Bottlenose / Common Dolphin hybrid. The little rascal tried to bite me, but he was still very endearing. And hey, after being kicked by horses, bit by dogs, and attacked by fish... it's nothing one doesn't expect when it comes to animals. ;)

I haven't been back since 2004 and I'm itching to go again. I love the relaxed nature of the park, the amazing landscaping, the quiet laziness, and.. above all.. the incredibly high standard of customer service. If only all parks were that way!

The price has jumped considerably since the last time I went, but I also hear that now you get free food and drinks throughout the whole day. (When I last went, you had ONE shot at Laguna Grill.. and anything from the snack bars or other drinks were extra!) That sounds like a sweet deal and I was pleased to hear that bit of news!

So, when the extra cash presents itself, I'll be back again... hopefully later this year.

Just sharing my little tale. =)

[xmas16]

Just booked for next january, yes I did it early but it is during a holiday time MLK day and could not miss out. It is VERY EXPENSIVE:scared1: , $279.00 each for my wife and 8yo daughter. If anyone can suggest any ways to save I am really listening. I'm hoping that after they do it the money thing will not be an issue.

Steve

[frogh8er]

I went last year with my family - age ranges 42 years to three months- and we had the most amazing day.

I was not really interested in going, but went because the others in our party really wanted to. I was so glad I did. There was enough to do so as not to be bored. The dolphin encounter left me truly in awe. The staff are so friendly and helpful and cant do enough for you. I wear glasses, and they gave me a prescription mask so i could see without them - and there is a lot to see!

The food was the biggest surprise of all. You can eat all day if you want, and the food is very superior in quality, with even lobster on the menu.

I'm already looking forward to the next time I can go. Even my 3 month old daughter loved the warm water in the resort pool, so much she fell asleep in it!

Go and love it!:yay: :cheer2: :yay: :cheer2: :yay: :cheer2:

[heatherbabydoll1]

We have booked to go for the first time on dec 19. We are truely excited about it but I still have a few questions?

Does anyone have or know the updated video and picture prices? I budget for everything on the trip and I want to make sure I have enough alot for that.

What do they serve recently for lunch? My boys are picky eaters and eat alot? Also what are some of the snacks? Is it just chips or is there pretzels ect.

I saw beer is included is there anyother adult beverages included? I don't care for beer but I like sweet things.

With the stingray lagoon can my family kneel or sit down to interact with the rays. We are bigger people and bending over sometimes can be a challenge.

Can we have a wet suit and a a vest at the same time? I like the fact that my son can wear a wet suit to keep him warm and help keep the sun off but he is not a strong swimmer and I would like him to have a vest on too. Will that be possible.

Being that we are larger people should we plan on buying extra sunscreen? We are very fair skinned and usually wear coperton sport waterproof/sweat proof 30+ and waterparks all day!

Thank you for your help!:flower3:
Heather

[wysbcc]

Hi ya
I sent DC an email regarding the pic/dvd package prices and they responded very quickly, but I can't find the email :)

Anyway, I remember discussing it with the wife and we have agreed a budget of $200, that should cover the cd full of pics, the dvd and a couple of prints if I remember rightly.


With regards to the sunscreen, as far as I'm aware, you will get complimentary sunscreen and you can buy more if you need some, but you can't take your own with you in case it harms the dolphins.



We are going on the 31st August, will be able to answer the rest of your questions after then, or why don't you just give them a call? They are very friendly. I called them today to add the ultimate parking package to my reservation as apparently you can't do it at the seaworld parking booths.

[wysbcc]

I found the email, so here are the latest pic/dvd prices :
The photo package prices and individual prices are:

Adventure Package-:$139/ $148.04 (with tax)
(5) 6” x 8” Prints
(2) Key chains w/ choice of print
(1) Digital Photo CD

Basic Package- $59/ $62.86 (with tax)
(3) 6” x 8” Prints
(2) Key chains w/ choice of print

Additional Items With package / With Tax or A la carte /With Tax
4” x 6” and Wallets $10 $10.65 $20 $21.13
6” x 8” Print $10 $10.65 $20 $21.13
16” x 24” Poster $25 $26.63 $35 $37.28
24” x 36” Poster $35 $37.28 $45 $47.93
Interactive DVD $50 $53.25 $75 $79.88
Digital Photo CD $75 $79.88 $125 $133.13

* All prices are in USD.

[heatherbabydoll1]

I can't wait to hear back from you in your report! Please anything you can find out from any of my questions would be great! We have never been and can't wait to go but are wanting to know about as many details as we can get! Thank you again! I hope the surprise works out for your kids. last year we surprised my son with the Laua for his birthday and it was great he thought we where leaving the park when I made him put his hat over his face and then we had him open his eyes when they put the lai around his neck it was awsome! Good Luck!!!!
Can't wait for pics and report enjoy!!!!!
Heather:banana:

[cesariofamily]

The trip was awsome and worth every penny. I will post a portion of my trip below. One word of caution. Most of the water is very deep. Life vests are available. We spent the entire day swiming in deep water and I would be uncomfortable with a child that is not a strong swimmer and confident in the water. Imagine someone clinging to you most of the day. I hope you have a magical vacation.

Also here is my report,
Players,
Myself 32 and my daughter 14, my friend 30 something and her daughter 17.

Discovery Cove is owned by Sea World and has exclusive animal interaction including a swim with dolphins. The large price tag includes, breakfast, lunch, snacks, beverages, beer, snorkel equipment, lockers, sun lotion, shampoo and towels. Only 1,200 people are admitted on any given day so unlike other parks there are no crowds or long lines. We got to Discovery Cove around 8:30. It was an easy drive and easy to find. The lobby was cool and a trainer had a sloth we were allowed to pet on the back. It had a cute little face but not real active. We went to the desk and got our pictures taken and a lanyard. We were assigned our Dolphin swim time and head off for a tour. After the tour we went for our included breakfast. We had a nice meal of pastries, juice, milk and tea. Then we got our lockers, vest and snorkel gear. We were so excited and we headed over to the fish. It took us a little while to figure to the snorkeling. We never did figure out how to laugh underwater. After a bit Elizabeth wanted prescription goggles so we went and got her a pair from customer service. She tried several pairs and in the end got a strong set. She was able to see very well in the water and I was pleased that she could enjoy the experience. She was allowed to wear her glasses in with the dolphins. This was my first experience with snorkeling. It was a huge tank with rock formations and I think it was about 20 feet deep. The entire tank was connected but the rock formations kept it from feeling like one big pool. It had the feeling of small lagoons. In some sections you could look into the rocks and see sharks swimming. The time flew by as we swam and swam with the fish. It was so quiet and relaxed when your head was underwater. The tank also had huge manta rays. I think the manta rays are as big as a compact car. There were also sting rays swimming around. They look so graceful in the water like they have wings and are flying. They also had a much less deep tank where you could touch the sting rays. It was a little challenging to touch the rays they have learned to avoid the tourists. When you did get one they felt like slippery rubber. We took a break from swimming and went to lunch. We had a beautiful lunch in a lush tropical setting to the sound of a steel drum band. The Elizabeth’s had salmon and Mary Beth and I had a roasted chicken. I also had vegetables and mashed potatoes. The Elizabeth’s got a side of Macaroni and cheese that I sampled. I also took a small Caesar salad that was very yummy. Everyone had a dessert. Elizabeth had cheesecake and I had key lime pie. After lunch we went over to the aviary to let our food digest. I am afraid of birds and I was very nervous. The birds are in 3 smallish areas all connected by doors. When you enter you can pick up small cups like plastic ramekins and feed the birds from it. The first set of birds we meet were large white birds with black markings around their eyes. Two landed on Mary Beth’s arms and one on her head. He liked her head and wanted to stay. I was getting so worried about her that we got a worker but then the bird flew away. Mary Beth’s head did hurt from the bird and it felt like small cuts. We headed off to a smaller room and robin sized birds were hoping onto Elizabeth’s and Mary Beth’s cups and hands and happily ate out of the cup. I held the cameras and took pictures. We also took a spin through the lazy river. It goes through the aviary and I saw some very pretty birds up in the trees. I much prefer them up in the trees. I was surprised by the lazy river because at points it was 8 feet deep and at different points it was only 3 feet deep. Also to enter and exit the aviary section there is a strong waterfall to keep the birds in/out. We got drenched going through those areas. We decided to spend another hour snorkeling before our dolphin adventure. Since no jewelry is allowed time is hard to keep track of and we asked the lifeguard the time about 4 times. Discovery Cove should add a big clock on the beach. We went to our cabana and signed our liability waivers and watched a video. We were assigned to the D group. We were a group of four and we were joined by two groups of two. A mother and daughter from the UK and a couple from Scotland. There were a lot of people at Discovery cove with accents or speaking a foreign language. We headed down to the water and meet Gary our Dolphin’s trainer. Next we meet the star of the day Coral. Coral was 8 years old and was born at Discovery Cove. Her mother Jen was captured in the wild and brought to Discovery Cove. I asked if they did a lot of breading there and I was told the Dolphins bred themselves. As soon as we were introduced to Coral we were lined up and allowed to touch her from behind her blow hole. She felt rubbery like the sting rays but not as slick and she felt very solid. Pretty quickly after touching Coral we were each allowed to give her a kiss and a squeeze. Coral seemed to like the attention and the plentiful fish. As we kissed and hugged they took pictures in the water but a good bit away from our group very unobtrusive. They must have a powerful lens because the pictures turned out like they were standing beside us. They gave us each a turn individually then took pictures in groups. Our group of four got pictures of all four and one of each mother daughter set. They asked if we wanted more and the Elizabeth’s wanted a picture together. I never felt rushed and we were encouraged to ask questions and take more pictures. They then talked some about Dolphins. It was interesting to learn that dolphins are born with hair around their mouth that helps to alert their mothers when they want to nurse. As they grow out of nursing the hair falls out. Coral did some clever tricks, waving hello, signing in her best Dolphin voice and splashing us with her tail. Then we headed out two at time to the deep water. Elizabeths went first. Mary Beth and I went second. Mary Beth went first so that I could watch her. I was worried that it would be hard to hold on or that the Dolphin would go real fast. It was fairly easy to get a hold on the Dolphin and it was a smooth gentle ride. It was a very different experience. After each group took a turn they had all the Dolphins jump out of the water. It was very neat to see all 4 dolphins jumping together. It was the first time during our swim that I had paid much attention to the other 3 groups and their dolphins. We were reluctant to leave Coral but they had us point back to the deep water and Coral took off without even a flip of the flipper. We went back and enjoyed some more snorkeling. We decided to get out around 4:15 so we could enjoy the locker room stocked with Crabtree and Evelyn products. I particularly wanted a nice hot shower without interruption. The first locker room was packed but the second one was empty and we did indulge in a long shower. Smelling good we wandered out slowly and took more pictures. Some of the dolphins were frolicking close to shore. I asked a lifeguard if I made the hand gestures we learned if they would do tricks. He said probably not it was their time off and they know the difference between work times and play time. The dolphin did seem to be enjoying himself and gave us a cute show. As we left we stopped at the photo store and picked up our pictures, photo CD and video. The photo and video products have an additional cost. The clerk was nice and gave us two extra key chains for the girls. We also stopped at the gift shop and purchased discovery cove pins for our lanyards.