Drive from Disney to Discovery Cove?

[jenhelgren]

We will be staying at Disney this October. I have always wanted to do Discovery Cove, but we never stay off-site Disney. Does anyone visit Discovery Cove while staying at Disney and how is the drive? We will have a vehicle but I have read the traffic can be a nightmare in the area. is it so much easier to book a Seaworld hotel for just one night? Thanks!

 

[TomD]

We stayed at BWV's this past April. It was a non Disney trip. We did Seaworld, Aquatica and Discovery Cove.

It was about @ 20 minute drive and traffic was not bad.

Discovery Cove was awesome. Headed back over Thanksgiving

Any questions just ask

 

[saintstickets]

We stayed at BWV's this past April. It was a non Disney trip. We did Seaworld, Aquatica and Discovery Cove.

It was about @ 20 minute drive and traffic was not bad.

Discovery Cove was awesome. Headed back over Thanksgiving

Any questions just ask

Sounds similar to our trip in 10 days! We are staying at VWL but going to Seaworld, Discovery Cove, Harry Potter and Kennedy Space Center. I am expecting DC to be the highlight of the trip. Tell us about your experience there please.

 

[DOOM1001]

Don't get scared by stories of bad traffic,it's really a very easy drive,if you want you can even avoid taking I-4 by taking Palm pkwy which becomes Turkey Lake rd and making a right at the Central Florida parkway which takes you directly to Sea World and Discovery Cove.To do this exit by the Downtown Disney Hotel Plaza blvd exit turn left at the 535 light,get on the right lane and turn right at Palm Pkwy which like I said becomes Turkey Lake.I guarantee you you will not have any traffic on Palm or Turkey lake rd.Then turn right on Central Florida Parkway which might sound like an expressway but it's really a ground street,15-20 minute drive at most.

(ACTUALLY PALM DOESN'T BECOME TURKEY LAKE UNTIL AFTER THE CENTRAL FLORIDA PKWY,WHICH YOU COULD ALSO TAKE DIRECTLY TO UNIVERSAL)

 

[jenhelgren]

Thank you for the detailed directions

We are just planning on relaxing there for the day-not the dolphin swim. Do you still recommend being there by 9am? How long do they serve breakfast? The only thing we will have planned for that day will be DC so we will be able to stay until close. My kids are not early risers so I am wondering how early we should get there and how much of the day we will need to spend there.

 

[jpeppers]

Get there early so you can take full advantage of your day. Your kids might whine a little when they get up but they will thank you later. It will be the one day of your vacation where you truly feel you are on vacation. It is such a relaxing day with no waiting in lines. I told my daughter we were going a couploe of years ago for a once in a lifetime thing but we will be doing our 3rd visit this month. As far as traffic, Palm Parkway is a great alternative but anyone who thinks Orlando freeway traffic is bad has never really been in traffic, the best Seattle traffic is equal to the worst Orlando traffic I have ever seen. I have been approximately 15 times since 2000 and I have never been slowed by traffic between Disney and Seaworld/Universal. Have fun!

 

[jenhelgren]

Thank you to everyone for all the helpful suggestions! I should have known better about the traffic stories! We are from just outside Chicago so traffic has a whole new meaning to us and I try to avoid it at all costs on vacation, since we are trying to destress not restress!!

Traffic to me is hours of barely moving cars with a whole lot of road rage and not what I want to do on a relaxing day!!