Gina
A little off topic, but you seem to be the resident expert on Discovery Cove. I'm breaking the bank to go there, and want to do it right. Do you have any advice on how to plan the day? We are early risers and will be there well before the park opens.
Any suggestions as to the order we should experience the attractions. The only things I know to do is: 1. Do the Dolphin experience early. We are going in July and want to schedule that experience before the afternoon thunderstorms hit. 2. Experience the Aviary in the morning while the birds are still hungry.
Besides that I am clueless. Any suggestions? Thanks.
You really have done a great job at planning so far. You have hit on all the things I would have suggested:
- arrive early....it makes the most of your day (because trust me...time passes so fast!), and it will help you snag that early dolphin swim (as a general rule, the earlier you arrive, the earlier your swim is scheduled for)
- have breakfast, then hit the aviary while you wait for your dolphin swim time
As for the rest of the day, its yours to enjoy and no planning is needed. Eat when you're hungry, rest when you're tired, and try out all the other areas of the park to see which one you enjoy most (we love the Wind Away River and the Freshwater Oasis, but many folks are partial to the Grand Reef). Its one of the reasons we LOVE DC....its so relaxing and unscheduled and very go-with-the-flow.
If you are doing the dolphin swim, I would encourage you to try and budget for one of the photo packages (either the Adventure package or the Discovery package, both include the photo CD). Trust me, you will want those dolphin swim photos (plus you can get other photos throughout the park as photographers can be found in the Wind Away River, in the Freshwater Oasis, in the aviary, etc.).
Bring a waterproof camera, if you have one, so you can get pics while you're snorkelling. They sell disposable ones for a very reasonable price at the park, too.
Seriously, though, you can enjoy the whole park with very little planning, as admission is restricted to 1300 or less guests per day. Its awesome. I think you will love it!!!
Edited to add.....also try to squeeze in a visit to SeaWorld and Aquatica if possible. Both fantastic parks, and 14 days admission to each is included with your DC tickets.