So the hubby and I are thinking about going to Discovery Cove, but we really don't care about the dolphin swim. Plus it's much cheaper without it, but is there still plenty to do and worth it? How is the food at DC and since were not doing the dolphin swim do we need to check in as early?
The dolphin swim portion of your day really only takes up about an hour, tops. The actual dolphin interaction time is approximately 30 minutes, then there's a short orientation session before you enter the water and your photo viewing afterward. So to skip the dolphin swim really only shortens your daily activities by 60 minutes at best.
While I highly recommend doing the dolphin swim package if the budget allows (it really is a wonderful experience and worth the $$'s IMHO), its still an amazing place even if you have day resort only admission. We did the dolphin swim package on January 1st of this year, and are gonig back as day resort guests (without the swim) on August 29th.
You can feed the birds in the free flying aviary, snorkle with the fish and rays in the Grand Reef, check out the otters and the marmosets in the new Freshwater Oasis, and there's a fantastic lazy river that takes about 20 minutes (more if you are really taking it easy) to completely circle. There's fabulous beach areas with tons of loungers to catch some sun and just relax. Food and beverages (including alcohol) are unlimited, so you can snack and dine and drink to your hearts content. You can sit on the beach and watch the dolphins as the interactions are taking place. They have some wonderful musicians playing some Carribean inspired music near the restaurant, so you can grab a drink and sit under one of the umbrellas and totally kick back. My guess is you will be shocked at how fast the time goes by, and you will have no problem filling an entire day from open to close.
I would still plan to get there early. We enjoyed the included breakfast. We plan to arrive by 8:30 for our August trip, just so we can get the most time there as possible.
As for the food, we found it good (and a great selection). Everything from salads and fruit to burgers and pulled pork and macaroni & cheese. Delicious desserts. Frozen lemonade. Snacks of every description. Breakfast is eggs, sausage, bacon, french toast sticks (they are soooo yummy), and all your regular morning fare. Nothing gourmet, but tons to pick from and something for every taste.