Discovery Cove

[r2girl]

We were there on Dec. 28. This place is amazing and well worth the money. If you are still trying to decide if you want to spend the money or if it is worth it, it is. My daughter is 9 and we both loved every minute of it. We were there from 8:30 to 5 and the time flew by. Awesome place!

[moopdog]

I am still waiting and hoping for a discount to come out that I can use!!

[r2girl]

Remember to figure in the price you get a breakfast buffet, lunch buffet, both of which we thought were very good. snacks and drinks are unlimited through the whole day, they give you wetsuits to wear, you get a free photo just inside the gate( not w dolphin), and you get to take your snorkel home.

[Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina]

Originally Posted by r2girl

We were there on Dec. 28. This place is amazing and well worth the money. If you are still trying to decide if you want to spend the money or if it is worth it, it is. My daughter is 9 and we both loved every minute of it. We were there from 8:30 to 5 and the time flew by. Awesome place!

Agreed! We love DC....its our favourite park in all of Orlando.

Originally Posted by r2girl

Remember to figure in the price you get a breakfast buffet, lunch buffet, both of which we thought were very good. snacks and drinks are unlimited through the whole day, they give you wetsuits to wear, you get a free photo just inside the gate( not w dolphin), and you get to take your snorkel home.

Plus, in addition to all the great inclusions that you listed above, you also get 14 days of admission to both SeaWorld and Aquatica with your DC admission (can be used either before or after your DC day, or both). Parking is free at DC, and they supply everything from sunscreen to shampoo and conditioner.

[r2girl]

Yep. Forgot to mention that huge perk of the AQ/SW park passes!! A great deal!

[janinca]

Originally Posted by r2girl

We were there on Dec. 28. This place is amazing and well worth the money. If you are still trying to decide if you want to spend the money or if it is worth it, it is. My daughter is 9 and we both loved every minute of it. We were there from 8:30 to 5 and the time flew by. Awesome place!

Yup EVERY minute! Best day of our trip!

[PetePanMan]

No doubt that DC looks great but let's face it, even with food etc., this is a very expensive day if you do dolphin swim, have a large family (we have 5) and you still plan to do Disney Parks. We are still waffling but think we'll need to have a deal if we go. We always look at what else we could do with $ - for example, for us $1500 could get 3 return air tickets to Hawaii for future trip.

[greenclan67]

Originally Posted by PetePanMan

No doubt that DC looks great but let's face it, even with food etc., this is a very expensive day if you do dolphin swim, have a large family (we have 5) and you still plan to do Disney Parks. We are still waffling but think we'll need to have a deal if we go. We always look at what else we could do with $ - for example, for us $1500 could get 3 return air tickets to Hawaii for future trip.

You saw that, when I see it as the most budget friendly! We love Seaworld and we love Aquatica. So for us, depending, we have been fortunate and done the dolphin swim for $189. But even at $259 per person, and that includes 3 parks total. I couldn't complain. Now if I was a family of 5 and doing the dolphin swim, and it was sitting a $300 or something a day, I would probably look at getting a Passport for the savings. I find Disney expensive when most times we spend those days standing in a lot of lines. With 14 days at eithier of the parks, if it is busy I can leave and come back that day or another. Just my opinion!

[PetePanMan]

Originally Posted by greenclan67

You saw that, when I see it as the most budget friendly! We love Seaworld and we love Aquatica. So for us, depending, we have been fortunate and done the dolphin swim for $189. But even at $259 per person, and that includes 3 parks total. I couldn't complain. Now if I was a family of 5 and doing the dolphin swim, and it was sitting a $300 or something a day, I would probably look at getting a Passport for the savings. I find Disney expensive when most times we spend those days standing in a lot of lines. With 14 days at eithier of the parks, if it is busy I can leave and come back that day or another. Just my opinion!

But are you doing Disney as well? My point is that given we are doing disney, DC would be a large additional cost for us (as we would not be able to take advantage of 14 day Seaworld/Aquatica). I agree that DC is a good deal if you only plan to go to DC, SW and Aquatica.

[greenclan67]

Originally Posted by PetePanMan

But are you doing Disney as well? My point is that given we are doing disney, DC would be a large additional cost for us (as we would not be able to take advantage of 14 day Seaworld/Aquatica). I agree that DC is a good deal if you only plan to go to DC, SW and Aquatica.

No we are not doing Disney, so I can understand the cost of both!

[moopdog]

Originally Posted by greenclan67

You saw that, when I see it as the most budget friendly! We love Seaworld and we love Aquatica. So for us, depending, we have been fortunate and done the dolphin swim for $189. But even at $259 per person, and that includes 3 parks total. I couldn't complain. Now if I was a family of 5 and doing the dolphin swim, and it was sitting a $300 or something a day, I would probably look at getting a Passport for the savings. I find Disney expensive when most times we spend those days standing in a lot of lines. With 14 days at eithier of the parks, if it is busy I can leave and come back that day or another. Just my opinion!

I thought the passport was only for residents?

[greenclan67]

Originally Posted by moopdog

I thought the passport was only for residents?

I am Canadian and I have a passport for Seaworld and Busch Gardens. I don't think you can do the ez payment plan but house can buy a pass.

[Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina]

Originally Posted by PetePanMan

No doubt that DC looks great but let's face it, even with food etc., this is a very expensive day if you do dolphin swim, have a large family (we have 5) and you still plan to do Disney Parks. We are still waffling but think we'll need to have a deal if we go. We always look at what else we could do with $ - for example, for us $1500 could get 3 return air tickets to Hawaii for future trip.

And that's what is skewing the numbers for you.......its an expensive day. Some of DC's inclusions (for which you are paying in the per person rate) are 14 days admission to both SeaWorld and Aquatica. If you choose not to use the inclusions for which you are paying, then certainly the balance does seem costly.

Your best value is doing Discovery Cove on a SeaWorld/Aquatica/Busch Gardens trip. And quite honestly.......if you are looking at what else you could do with dollars saved, you would save a PILE by doing a SW-based trip as opposed to Disney.

Our SW-based trip over Christmas was half the cost (for room, tickets and food) than what we would have paid at Disney. I priced it out before booking. And I'm not knocking Disney here.......but if you are comparing "hey, DC is expensive when compared to Disney" then its fair to compare other angles. You could easily do a SW trip in larger, more inclusive accomodations (having extras such as a daily breakfast buffet and free front of the line passes) with tickets and save enough to pay for a day at DC.

If you add a single day at Disney when doing a SW trip, its ridiculously expensive. Your family of five would be almost $500 just to walk in the gate for one day at at Disney park, if admission was purchased as a stand alone. That's no food, no parking, no drinks, no souvenir photo, no extras of any kind. The same would be true if you decided to do just one day at Universal.

I hope you are able to get a deal on Discovery Cove admission. It really is a wonderful place like none other in Orlando.

[Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina]

Originally Posted by moopdog

I thought the passport was only for residents?

Originally Posted by greenclan67

I am Canadian and I have a passport for Seaworld and Busch Gardens. I don't think you can do the ez payment plan but house can buy a pass.

We are also non-US residents, and had no problem purchasing an annual pass for Aquatica .

[greenclan67]

Originally Posted by Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina

We are also non-US residents, and had no problem purchasing an annual pass for Aquatica .

Why my comment says House I have no idea except I was using my kids tablets. When I first, 3 years ago, bought my AP at SW I did the EZ pay, and mine (both of them) are still on EZ pay, but I had to put the Busch Gardens one in my hubbies name as well, because he already an AP for SW they wouldn't let me do EZ pay when I wanted to buy it for myself so I could take more people to DC last year under the passport. (You are allowed 6 under each pass) They said only residents could do the EZ pay! That being said, we are debating cancelling both of them when we return from our trip in March, as the discounts for DC aren't nearly as good as the $69 they used to be. The only sticking point I have right now, is I won't be able to do an EZ plan again, and we may do a trip for Christmas. I have from now til the end of March to decide what we are doing. Good luck, DC really is a beautiful park, we are returning for our 4th visit in March and it is still our favourite day of vacation. If they would have offered the $69 day again this year, we would have done a day the first week, and the 2nd week, just for the relaxation part of it!