pjlla
DIS Legend
- Joined
- Oct 21, 2003
- Messages
- 11,654
We had our day at Discovery Cove on Friday, April 18, 2008. Thanks to many here we had a great day and I knew what to expect, so I am coming here to share what I learned in the hopes of helping others enjoy their first experience at DC.
First... the mini-report of our day:
We arrived about 8:35 am and were about the 50th group/family in line. They opened promptly at 9 am and everyone seemed to be processed promptly and efficiently. (We had a choice of 11:55 or 1:10 pm dolphin swim time.) We moved right along to our group photo and our "orientation" speech. Then we were on our own. We kind of just find a row of beach chairs where I thought there might be afternoon shade. Personally, I wouldn't fret too much about where to sit, since we hardly spent any time in our chairs. It was more just a home base and a place to meet up.
We hustled along to get our wet suit vests (it was about 50/50 that day of people who chose vests versus wet suits), masks and snorkels. We changed into our swimsuits, locked up our stuff and slathered ourselves with the provided sunscreen.
We took a family "trip" down the tropical river to start. It was fun and relaxing and gave us a good overview of the area. Since the morning started a bit cool it was a nice warm start.
We all headed over to the coral reef next. I am NOT a fan of salt water (and neither is my DS) so we only spent about 30 minutes paddling around. Plus I must admit, I found swimming in the deep areas with HUGE rays below me a bit creepy. DD and DH LOVED, LOVED, LOVED it!! So DS and I took another trip down the river while DD and DH made their way around the coral reef.
By then it was time to have a snack before the kids dolphin swim time. We hadn't positioned ourselves very close to a snack bar, so we waded across the tropical pool area to the nearest snack bar. The selection was limited, but okay. The kids and DH had soft pretzels and soft drinks (DH also had a beer). I had a diet soda and an apple and some Baked Lays chip.
Next we had to find the cabana that the kids were to report to to get ready for their dolphin swim. We did get a little confused by the map, but did find the right spot. It was about a 30 minute orientation/video, etc to get ready for the dolphin swim. Then they got into the water with their group. DH and I were able to position ourselves on two sides of the dolphin lagoon for photographing the kids. Not sure that either of us got GREAT pictures, but the DC photographer got some good shots.
The kids LOVED their swim and it looked like fun. It was the moment of a lifetime for DD (this was her early 13th b.day present). Wish it could have been longer for DD, but it was probably long enough for DS.
After the dolphin swim, the group photographer took us to the cabana where they show you your pictures and you decide what to buy. It was an easy decision to buy the package for us. It was kind of a once in a lifetime day for us, so we certainly weren't going to skimp and not spend a few more dollars on photos. We also ordered a poster sized print of DD kissing the dolphin (for her room at home). I actually teared up when I saw the poster.... it was so adorable and the fulfillment of a lifetime dream for DD.
We headed to the Laguna Grill for lunch. The line was a bit longer than I thought it would be at that time (after 1:30 pm), but we all got lunch. DH and I both got the Maine lobster salad (a scoop of lobster salad on a bed of salad greens with a large croissant on the side) and a piece of cheesecake to share. DS got a hotdog (kind of the theme for the week for him!) and DD got a bacon cheeseburger. I thought my lobster salad was very bland... and coming from New England, I know what a lobster salad should taste like. But the line was too long for me to want to wait for another selection, so I just ate it (admittedly, I did get it WITHOUT the salad dressing it is supposed to come with). The cheesecake was good, but not superb. DD didn't care for the bacon on her burger and my DS didn't like the chocolate cake. But again, he decided the line was too long to go for a different dessert. I think that overall the food quality was good, but we just made bad selections. If the line had been shorter I probably would have made a different selection, because there were other things on the menu that interested me. Oh well... we weren't there for the food!!
After lunch we let DH have a nap while the kids and I took another ride down the tropical river with a stop in the aviary. Both of the kids got a bowl of fruit to feed the birds, but the birds didn't seem too hungry. But there were certainly lots of pretty, exotic, interesting birds to be seen. Unfortunately, the aviary area is very shady and we were very chilly standing around in our wet bathing suits... especially since we had just gotten out of the warm tropical river. So we didn't spend as much time in there as we might have liked. Plus, since we swam instead of walking to the aviary, I didn't have my camera with me.
On the recommendation of a Dis-er, we decided to go pay for our photos at that time (3-3:30pm). There was NO line, plus they held the photos for us so that we didn't have to worry about them getting icky or wet before we left. The attendant told us at the end of the day to just bypass the line and find him and he would give us our photos without having to wait for other who are ordering/picking up orders.
Anyhow.... the rest of the day we spent between the ray pool and coral reef. DS was content to find a pail and shovel and make sand castles for the most part. He was getting a chafed spot from the vest he was wearing, so he was happy to take it off for a while.
We WERE smart enough to hit the showers just a few minutes before they closed the pools. Even just the 5-10 minutes we headed out ahead of the majority was an enormous help. We grabbed our bag of clothes from the locker around 5:20 and headed into the showers. We were all able to get a shower stall and then a changing stall without waiting. By the time DD and I were done showering, the line for a shower was about 10-15 people long. We were probably one of the last families to leave DC at the end of the day. The number of snorkels that they throw away at the end of the day was depressing! Why would you not take a freebie along with you?? Wish I had thought to take some extras along. A run through the dishwasher or a wash with some bleach and they would have been fine. Oh well. We definitely took ours home!
Okay..... here are my tips/tricks/bits of advise.......
1. You don't need to take much with you. Almost everything is provided. If you show up with a swimsuit, ID, credit card (for photos and souvenirs only), maybe watershoes... that is all you need! All of the food and snacks are provided and the selection was adequate... even good. And there is no limit to how much you eat or how many times you go back for more.
The shower stalls all have big pump dispensers of good quality shampoo, conditioner, and body wash. My suggestion would be maybe you might like to have a bath poofy-thing to suds up the body wash. But there were also washclothes available, so that would probably do just as well. But you will definitely need to suds up to remove the sunscreen they provide. It clings.
There are PLENTY of towels and washclothes. There are hairdryers, plastic bags for packing up wet suits, mouthwash, mirrors, sinks, etc. We were going out to dinner at Epcot after our day, so we took our time getting ready.
2. Watershoes are optional. I made sure that we had some for everyone in our family, but the only one who wore them was DS. I did scuff my toe once or twice in the tropical river because the elevation of the bottom changes, but nothing dramatic. Every place was comfortable to walk in. But if you wear them on other beaches, you will want to have them.
3. They have wet vests and wet suits in MANY sizes. DH is a big guy and he had no trouble with it... and there were certainly many people there much larger than DH and they were all wearing wet suits and vests. We all chose vests, but lots of other chose wet suits the day we were there.
4. There are life jackets available all over the park in lots of sizes. DS decided after a few hours that he would like to wear one to float easier (he is not a strong swimmer) and we just grabbed one off the rack.
5. There are sand pails and shovels available on the different beaches. DS was able to grab a few later in the day that other kids had abandoned on the beach and had fun building a castle. The sand is so nice and fine.
6. When you arrive in the morning they take your photo for an ID and give you a cool ID and plastic map on a lanyard that you wear all day. It has your dolphin swim time on it and it identifies those over 21 (for the alcohol). It is also your admission ticket to either SW or BG later on. It is also a cool souvenir! For some reason I found the map difficult to follow (not usually a problem for me), but it was helpful. They only gave maps to the adults, but I asked for one for each of the kids and they gave them to us without any problem. DS's lanyard also came undone during the day and we went to guest services for another one.
7. Leave your jewelry at home. They only allow snug-fitting wedding bands and a snug waterproof watch in the dolphin swim area. EVERYTHING else has to be taken off, so make life easy on yourself and leave it at home or in the hotel safe. EVERYTHING.... toe rings, piercings, earrings, etc.
8. FREE lockers are large enough to hold clothes for four people, four pairs of shoes, pocket books, cameras, etc. And the key is on a nice long lanyard, so just hang it around your neck with your DC ID and forget about it.
9. Pay for your photos EARLY! When we went back at 5:30 to pick up our photos, the lines to pay were probably 20-30 people deep.... and there were about 6 lines!! That is over 100 people waiting to pay for their photos. It was so nice to be able to just waltz up and pick up my photos with no wait!
10. First aid is easy to find and very friendly. DD was having trouble with some chafing (mostly due to walking around in wet shorts the day before after riding Kali River Rapids). They gave her some A&D ointment to put on it and it definitely helped. **Kids under 18 MUST have a parent with them when they go to First Aid. DS also had a chafed spot on his arm from the wet vest, so we made a second visit to First Aid later in the day. Again, friendly, no problem.
I would be HAPPY to answer any questions you may have. Either respond here or PM me. Thanks for taking the time to read this far!...............P
First... the mini-report of our day:
We arrived about 8:35 am and were about the 50th group/family in line. They opened promptly at 9 am and everyone seemed to be processed promptly and efficiently. (We had a choice of 11:55 or 1:10 pm dolphin swim time.) We moved right along to our group photo and our "orientation" speech. Then we were on our own. We kind of just find a row of beach chairs where I thought there might be afternoon shade. Personally, I wouldn't fret too much about where to sit, since we hardly spent any time in our chairs. It was more just a home base and a place to meet up.
We hustled along to get our wet suit vests (it was about 50/50 that day of people who chose vests versus wet suits), masks and snorkels. We changed into our swimsuits, locked up our stuff and slathered ourselves with the provided sunscreen.
We took a family "trip" down the tropical river to start. It was fun and relaxing and gave us a good overview of the area. Since the morning started a bit cool it was a nice warm start.
We all headed over to the coral reef next. I am NOT a fan of salt water (and neither is my DS) so we only spent about 30 minutes paddling around. Plus I must admit, I found swimming in the deep areas with HUGE rays below me a bit creepy. DD and DH LOVED, LOVED, LOVED it!! So DS and I took another trip down the river while DD and DH made their way around the coral reef.
By then it was time to have a snack before the kids dolphin swim time. We hadn't positioned ourselves very close to a snack bar, so we waded across the tropical pool area to the nearest snack bar. The selection was limited, but okay. The kids and DH had soft pretzels and soft drinks (DH also had a beer). I had a diet soda and an apple and some Baked Lays chip.
Next we had to find the cabana that the kids were to report to to get ready for their dolphin swim. We did get a little confused by the map, but did find the right spot. It was about a 30 minute orientation/video, etc to get ready for the dolphin swim. Then they got into the water with their group. DH and I were able to position ourselves on two sides of the dolphin lagoon for photographing the kids. Not sure that either of us got GREAT pictures, but the DC photographer got some good shots.
The kids LOVED their swim and it looked like fun. It was the moment of a lifetime for DD (this was her early 13th b.day present). Wish it could have been longer for DD, but it was probably long enough for DS.
After the dolphin swim, the group photographer took us to the cabana where they show you your pictures and you decide what to buy. It was an easy decision to buy the package for us. It was kind of a once in a lifetime day for us, so we certainly weren't going to skimp and not spend a few more dollars on photos. We also ordered a poster sized print of DD kissing the dolphin (for her room at home). I actually teared up when I saw the poster.... it was so adorable and the fulfillment of a lifetime dream for DD.
We headed to the Laguna Grill for lunch. The line was a bit longer than I thought it would be at that time (after 1:30 pm), but we all got lunch. DH and I both got the Maine lobster salad (a scoop of lobster salad on a bed of salad greens with a large croissant on the side) and a piece of cheesecake to share. DS got a hotdog (kind of the theme for the week for him!) and DD got a bacon cheeseburger. I thought my lobster salad was very bland... and coming from New England, I know what a lobster salad should taste like. But the line was too long for me to want to wait for another selection, so I just ate it (admittedly, I did get it WITHOUT the salad dressing it is supposed to come with). The cheesecake was good, but not superb. DD didn't care for the bacon on her burger and my DS didn't like the chocolate cake. But again, he decided the line was too long to go for a different dessert. I think that overall the food quality was good, but we just made bad selections. If the line had been shorter I probably would have made a different selection, because there were other things on the menu that interested me. Oh well... we weren't there for the food!!
After lunch we let DH have a nap while the kids and I took another ride down the tropical river with a stop in the aviary. Both of the kids got a bowl of fruit to feed the birds, but the birds didn't seem too hungry. But there were certainly lots of pretty, exotic, interesting birds to be seen. Unfortunately, the aviary area is very shady and we were very chilly standing around in our wet bathing suits... especially since we had just gotten out of the warm tropical river. So we didn't spend as much time in there as we might have liked. Plus, since we swam instead of walking to the aviary, I didn't have my camera with me.
On the recommendation of a Dis-er, we decided to go pay for our photos at that time (3-3:30pm). There was NO line, plus they held the photos for us so that we didn't have to worry about them getting icky or wet before we left. The attendant told us at the end of the day to just bypass the line and find him and he would give us our photos without having to wait for other who are ordering/picking up orders.
Anyhow.... the rest of the day we spent between the ray pool and coral reef. DS was content to find a pail and shovel and make sand castles for the most part. He was getting a chafed spot from the vest he was wearing, so he was happy to take it off for a while.
We WERE smart enough to hit the showers just a few minutes before they closed the pools. Even just the 5-10 minutes we headed out ahead of the majority was an enormous help. We grabbed our bag of clothes from the locker around 5:20 and headed into the showers. We were all able to get a shower stall and then a changing stall without waiting. By the time DD and I were done showering, the line for a shower was about 10-15 people long. We were probably one of the last families to leave DC at the end of the day. The number of snorkels that they throw away at the end of the day was depressing! Why would you not take a freebie along with you?? Wish I had thought to take some extras along. A run through the dishwasher or a wash with some bleach and they would have been fine. Oh well. We definitely took ours home!
Okay..... here are my tips/tricks/bits of advise.......
1. You don't need to take much with you. Almost everything is provided. If you show up with a swimsuit, ID, credit card (for photos and souvenirs only), maybe watershoes... that is all you need! All of the food and snacks are provided and the selection was adequate... even good. And there is no limit to how much you eat or how many times you go back for more.
The shower stalls all have big pump dispensers of good quality shampoo, conditioner, and body wash. My suggestion would be maybe you might like to have a bath poofy-thing to suds up the body wash. But there were also washclothes available, so that would probably do just as well. But you will definitely need to suds up to remove the sunscreen they provide. It clings.
There are PLENTY of towels and washclothes. There are hairdryers, plastic bags for packing up wet suits, mouthwash, mirrors, sinks, etc. We were going out to dinner at Epcot after our day, so we took our time getting ready.
2. Watershoes are optional. I made sure that we had some for everyone in our family, but the only one who wore them was DS. I did scuff my toe once or twice in the tropical river because the elevation of the bottom changes, but nothing dramatic. Every place was comfortable to walk in. But if you wear them on other beaches, you will want to have them.
3. They have wet vests and wet suits in MANY sizes. DH is a big guy and he had no trouble with it... and there were certainly many people there much larger than DH and they were all wearing wet suits and vests. We all chose vests, but lots of other chose wet suits the day we were there.
4. There are life jackets available all over the park in lots of sizes. DS decided after a few hours that he would like to wear one to float easier (he is not a strong swimmer) and we just grabbed one off the rack.
5. There are sand pails and shovels available on the different beaches. DS was able to grab a few later in the day that other kids had abandoned on the beach and had fun building a castle. The sand is so nice and fine.
6. When you arrive in the morning they take your photo for an ID and give you a cool ID and plastic map on a lanyard that you wear all day. It has your dolphin swim time on it and it identifies those over 21 (for the alcohol). It is also your admission ticket to either SW or BG later on. It is also a cool souvenir! For some reason I found the map difficult to follow (not usually a problem for me), but it was helpful. They only gave maps to the adults, but I asked for one for each of the kids and they gave them to us without any problem. DS's lanyard also came undone during the day and we went to guest services for another one.
7. Leave your jewelry at home. They only allow snug-fitting wedding bands and a snug waterproof watch in the dolphin swim area. EVERYTHING else has to be taken off, so make life easy on yourself and leave it at home or in the hotel safe. EVERYTHING.... toe rings, piercings, earrings, etc.
8. FREE lockers are large enough to hold clothes for four people, four pairs of shoes, pocket books, cameras, etc. And the key is on a nice long lanyard, so just hang it around your neck with your DC ID and forget about it.
9. Pay for your photos EARLY! When we went back at 5:30 to pick up our photos, the lines to pay were probably 20-30 people deep.... and there were about 6 lines!! That is over 100 people waiting to pay for their photos. It was so nice to be able to just waltz up and pick up my photos with no wait!
10. First aid is easy to find and very friendly. DD was having trouble with some chafing (mostly due to walking around in wet shorts the day before after riding Kali River Rapids). They gave her some A&D ointment to put on it and it definitely helped. **Kids under 18 MUST have a parent with them when they go to First Aid. DS also had a chafed spot on his arm from the wet vest, so we made a second visit to First Aid later in the day. Again, friendly, no problem.
I would be HAPPY to answer any questions you may have. Either respond here or PM me. Thanks for taking the time to read this far!...............P
Thank you so much for your recap! It is exactly what I have been looking for to get a good overview of the day. Your tips are great.
