Cost of Discovery Cove -- YIKES!

[invalid_char]

Hi
We are interested in visiting Discovery Cove the next time we go to WDW. Friends who have gone had very positive things to say.

I must say though that I was shocked at how much it cost for a one day visit, which is more than 1/2 the cost of an annual pass to WDW!!! I'm sure it is a wonderful place, but are there any strategies for reducing the cost? It would cost a family of 4 $796!

 

[MartDM]

I'm not aware of any discounts.

It's important to note that you get a whole lot more at DC than you would at a regular park. The animal interactions are priceless and you also have no crowds, lunch, and 7 day access to SeaWorld.

If you think about it, most parks are about $50 per day. Given that, and the added feature of the animal attractions, it's really a bargain for all you get in return.

 

[jdm]

but we decided to go ahead and do it anyway. We are buying the girls (9 & 11) the dolphin package and we are getting the basic admission. After wieghing out what it included (and Sea World was a big plus in that) and the fact that it is the experience of a lifetime.... we decided it was worth it. I was on the fence about us doing the dolphin swim but with neither of us feeling overwhelmed by it-- decided to sit it out and watch / photograph/film the kids.

If you get a chance, go to Kelly's website and either buy her book or read the excerpt about Discovery Cove. This helped to convince me.

Good Luck
Jenn

 

[invalid_char]

Thanks. Who is Kelly and where is her website?

 

[robvia]

Yes, it's worth it, even if it is expensive.

You could save some money by having the grownups skip the dolphin swim. It only lasts 20 minutes and people watching from the shore are very close to their kids, about 20 yards away. You can touch a Dolphin at the Key West area at SWF, and then you'll know what it's like.
The only discounts I've heard of are for season pass holders, but since you get 7 days at SWF, having the season pass would not be needed, unless you're coming back a few more times this year.

You kinda have to change your mindset when justifying the cost. It's a special trip that you save up for.
For example, we have plans to visit Vail for a ski trip next year, and we're already saving up right now. With plane fare, lodge, rental car, ski rental, and food, the trip will cost over 2k for our family of 3. I'm ok with that because it's worth it and I'm saving now.

Here's a link to my web site with pictures.

http://www.pompano.net/~robvia/SeaWorld1.htm

 

[Cindy B]

Kelly is a HE!!!!!! He has written a lot of books, up on the Universal board, his books are RAVED about...

I have seen about 4 or 5 of them in my library, all about traveling. Two are just on Universal, one was on all around Orlando, and one was on courier travel.

I think his website is www.theotherorlando.com, but its just a guess...

 

[BarryHom]

The only discounts to Discovery Cove are for AP holders.

 

[jdm]

I bought both of (ahem) HIS books thinking the whole time it was a woman. Why did I think that? Oh Well, Great books! If you don't go to the web site, you can scroll down this page and click on the post "DC $200- Is it worth it?" Kelly responded to this post with a link to his thoughts about it. Very good points, I thought and convinced us to go!!
Jenn

 

[ivanova]

We booked for this April for 5 of us (4 swimmin' with the Dolphins, 1 nonswim) -- believe me, that's a HUGE chunk of change to part with. But when we did the math the 7 day pass to SW averages out to $25 per day per person. Add in the exclusivity of DC (1,000 people max per day), chance to interact with a dolphin (ok for a couple of minutes...but that beats never interacting with them), lunch, all the snorkeling equipment, rafts, etc. So we were able to convince ourselves that it really was a worthy expense.

 

[Pitter]

I know everyone says it is worth it to spend the money for Disc. Cove, so I am thinking of trying it, but I can't help but wonder, why do they give you a 7 day admission to Sea World? Who really wants to go to Sea World for 7 days? I would rather they give you a one or two day admit, and charge less. People say it is worth it because of what it would cost to get in Sea World 7 days, but think about it, do you really need 7 days at Sea World? I think they could cut cost by doing away with this "unnecessary perk".

 

[MartDM]

The cost is really for the Discovery Cove experience. The care, training, and upkeep of the dolphins is astronomical. I don't think many people take into consideration how much it costs to run such an unusual park properly (I paid over $100 just for a dolphin interaction in the Keys and it was nowhere near as good as the DC experience and had none of the perks DC offers). The Seaworld admission is just a "gimme" for all the folks who complain that such a special interaction costs so much.

One really needs to consider that this is not the average park and to have such a special experience is not something you can do for the cost of a regular park admission (at least I wouldn't participate in one that was less expensive because that would indicate that the dolphins are not being properly cared for). The bulk of the cost covers the dolphin swim and the rest covers the additional offerings (the rest of the park, equipment, lockers, towels, toiletries, lunch, etc.). To me it was worth it to have that close an experience with a dolphin & to know that they and the rest of the non-human park residents are well cared for with my admission money.

 

[ivanova]

By giving you 7 consecutive days admission I don't think they really expect everyone to take advantage of the full 7 days (if guests did, SW would probably lose money). But if you want to go 2 days, you can. If you want to go 3 days, you can. If you are really nuts and want to do 7 days, you can. It just provides guests a lot of flexibility, which is part of the attractiveness of the whole thing.