Cold temps and Discovery Cove

[MacII]

Hello,

Our Discovery Cove day is this Friday and the forecast has high temps in the upper 50's. Has anyone ever done Discovery Cove in temps this cold? How was it?

Thank you,

 

[HopperFan]

I've gone four times in hot hot September. Once when I was talking to the staff I said I couldn't imagine going in the winter because the water is so cold as it is, how? They assured me that the folks in the winter complain much less than folks in the warm months.

WELL ... I got a great rate for our week in December for the whole family (one DS had never been) and I was so worried because it was cool that week/day. We all got wetsuits (I usually do the vest) and I was shocked that the cold water wasn't bad at all. I was in and out all day without much flinching or the gradual torture trying to force myself in the water. It was great!

It was in the 40's when we arrived. The wetsuits really kept us warm in and out of the water. Have fun, it's one of my favorite places!

 

[Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina]

Like HopperFan said, its great no matter what the temperature. Definitely utilize the wetsuits (they really do keep you warm). Some of the water features.....in particular, the FreshWater Oasis and Wind Away River are super warm (think bath water temperatures!) so they are wonderfully comfortable places to be. There are large heaters in and around the restaurant for quick dry-off when needed.

Our first visit was on New Years Day 2012, and we loved it. I would not hesitate to book a winter visit again.

 

[NorthshoreTigerFan]

HF and GGBG, thanks for the info as I was wondering the same thing. I have a question going the other way. My family is going on Memorial Day so I assume the temps will be getting pretty warm then. I'm a natural furnace (my wife loves snuggling on me in the winter but avoids me in the summer LOL) and was wondering how warm do the wet suits make you? Do y'all think I would be uncomfortable and wanting to peel the suit off in the FreshWater Oasis and Wind Away River, or is it not that big of a deal?

 

[canadiankim]

If you are that warm just wear the vest. Your arms are in the open and it only comes down to your waist so isn't that hot.

 

[Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina]

HF and GGBG, thanks for the info as I was wondering the same thing. I have a question going the other way. My family is going on Memorial Day so I assume the temps will be getting pretty warm then. I'm a natural furnace (my wife loves snuggling on me in the winter but avoids me in the summer LOL) and was wondering how warm do the wet suits make you? Do y'all think I would be uncomfortable and wanting to peel the suit off in the FreshWater Oasis and Wind Away River, or is it not that big of a deal?

Wet suits, by design, are supposed to regulate your body temperature in whatever direction is needed....cool you if you are hot, warm you if you are cold. So you should be able to wear it in the summer and be equally comfortable (temperature-wise....getting it on and off is another story!!).

canadiankim is correct, you have the option of wearing either a vest (sleeveless) or the wet suit, whichever is your preference.

My son feels most comfortable in the wet suit versus the vest. Even in the 110 degrees of August (with humidity to boot), he chose the wetsuit over the vest....and was perfectly comfy. He's a "hottie" too, like you.....me, I'm always cold (except maybe in August, in Florida ).

You can see in this pic the basic difference. Short sleeves/short legs/higher neck on the wetsuit, or just a light sleeveless/neckless vest. You will have to pick one or the other, though, as they are mandatory for whenever you are in the water.

 

[MacII]

I arrived in Orlando today, unfortunately Discovery Cove is closed tomorrow as I'd gladly switch to tomorrow (temp expected to be about 72 degrees.) I'm still on the fence, on Friday, the day we are supposed to go, it's forecast to be 61 but on Tuesday, our last full day down here, it's forecast to be 77! I'm going to wait till tomorrow and call to see if there is even availability. But I do appreciate the posts so far and I think they do make me feel much better about Friday if we can't switch or decide to just keep our plans as they are.

 

[jpeppers]

I had to switch my date once while there because of weather and it was done with no issue. We were there on a day in the 60's and you will love staying in the water because it is where you will be warm. The only place the water was cool was while swimming with the Dolphins but you get so excited about the experience that after the initial shock in the water it is all good.

 

[NorthshoreTigerFan]

Gina, thanks for the info! Seeing your husband wearing the shirt reminded me that if I went vest I would be wearing a swim shirt underneath for sun protection (my dainty Scottish skin doesn't get savagely tan, it gets savagely BURNT). If you son prefers the wetsuit and he's warm tempered too, then I'll go that route. Does he complain about wearing a swim suit under the wetsuit (bunching, chafing, etc)? I'm wondering if I should bust out the Speedo or just go with my standard swim suit

 

[Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina]

Gina, thanks for the info! Seeing your husband wearing the shirt reminded me that if I went vest I would be wearing a swim shirt underneath for sun protection (my dainty Scottish skin doesn't get savagely tan, it gets savagely BURNT). If you son prefers the wetsuit and he's warm tempered too, then I'll go that route. Does he complain about wearing a swim suit under the wetsuit (bunching, chafing, etc)? I'm wondering if I should bust out the Speedo or just go with my standard swim suit

Absolutely bust out that Speedo! The less you have to manage underneath that tight-fitting suit, the better .

And yep, I totally hear you on the dainty white skin. We have a family joke that we're true Canadians....we're either red, or white . No shade of beautiful bronze tan in between. Without the t-shirts in the dead of summer, we'd be burnt to a crisp. Learned that lesson the hard way on August trip #1 .

Enjoy your day at DC! Its an INCREDIBLE park!

 

[kathy884]

Hello,

Our Discovery Cove day is this Friday and the forecast has high temps in the upper 50's. Has anyone ever done Discovery Cove in temps this cold? How was it?

Thank you,

Probably too late at this point.

I would have advised you to see if you can change your day to a warmer one. One March we were down in Orlando for a full week and had wonderful sunny weather in the upper 70s for the first five days of our vacation and on our last day (our Discovery Cove day) it was cold, rainy, and miserable with a high in the low 50s. The rain was constant and didn't let up all day. Really and truly Discovery Cove is so much better in warmer weather. We only stayed for a 1/2 day as we were cold even with the wetsuits and really and truly just wanted to warm up and go back to the condo. The staff were encouraging everyone who come in to change their day, but for us that wasn't an option, as this was the last day of our vacation and we were flying home the next day. Lesson learned: Book Discovery Cove early in your trip so you can change your day if weather is bad.

 

[MacII]

The fates decided for us, my Daughter brought a little cold from up north down with us and she wasn't feeling great this morning so we had to switch. Our only option was Monday which should be 10-12 degrees warmer than it ended up today. Overall we are very happy that the folks at Discovery Cove were able to make the change the very morning of our reservation. I'll post up how our experience goes after Monday...

 

[MacII]

Well, I don't think it's possible come away from a day at Discovery Cove feeling anything but totally happy. The park is amazing. The weather worked out well for us on Monday. High temps were about 75 degrees and, while it was cooler in the morning and we did have our Aquaventure at about 10:30am, I really didn't think about the cold in the water. If anything, the cooler temps just kept us in the Freshwater part of the park where the water was nice and warm...very warm actually. Our dolphin swim was around 1pm so we were at or near the high temp of 75 and while the water there is a tad cooler, being so close to the Dolphins kind of takes your mind off the temp...it was a truly wonderful day and a great park.

 

[canadiankim]

Glad you had a great day MacII. I can't wait for our trip in August where I hope we are spending parts of the day hunting for shade and trying to cool off in the colder water! Last time we were there (June 2012) it rained the whole day. Can't say it made any difference, in fact in some ways it was good, I am so fair skinned I burn if I look at the sun too long!

 

[chiamarie]

I am probably a little late in this. But we were there the first week of December; and the highs that day were 45-50. My family had their dolphin swim and seaventure first thing in the morning. So after that was finished around noon, we took a few laps around the river; went and saw the otters/marmosets; and we all changed (showered, and got dressed and were done with the water portion) and ate lunch, and just relaxed. A few of us fed the birds in the aviary and watched the otters. Before we knew it, it was 5; and time to leave.

My sister (who had a disney wedding, and is DVC, and basically loves everything) proclaimed after her day there that Discovery Cove was her favorite orlando park. I can only imagine how much more she'd love it, on a day that it wasn't freezing cold.