Could we do Discovery Cove after our cruise?

[Mastiff]

Have a few questions about Discovery Cove I am hoping you can answer.

We are taking a DCL cruise and I am wondering if we might be able to fit in a day at Discovery Cove on the day we disembark. Our flight leaves at 7:30 p.m.

So here is the deal, we are a family of 4. Mom, Dad and two kids, ages 10 and 6.

How old do the kids need to be to do the dolphin swim?
How far is Discovery Cove from the port?
How far is Discovery Cove from MCO?
How many hours do you normally spend at Discovery Cove?
What time do you think we would need to be at Discovery Cove by?
What if it is storming out? Do they close Discovery Cove or cancel the dolphin encounters?

We don't have to do DC, I was just trying to fill in time before our flight. BUT, I don't want to rush. It is a lot of $$ and we could certainly do it the next time we are in Florida. This is our first cruise so I don't know if we will be really tired the day we get off the ship. That in it self might make for a disasterous day!!!

Thanks for your help

 

[dolphingirl47]

Have a few questions about Discovery Cove I am hoping you can answer.

We are taking a DCL cruise and I am wondering if we might be able to fit in a day at Discovery Cove on the day we disembark. Our flight leaves at 7:30 p.m.

So here is the deal, we are a family of 4. Mom, Dad and two kids, ages 10 and 6.

How old do the kids need to be to do the dolphin swim?
Kids as of 6 years are allowed to do the dolphin swim, so your two would be fine
How far is Discovery Cove from the port? Ca. 90 minutes drive
How far is Discovery Cove from MCO? Ca. 30 minute drive
How many hours do you normally spend at Discovery Cove? We stayed from about 10:00 to 18:00 the last time we went. The park officially closes at 17:30 but you can still get changed, visit the shops and pick up your photo after that time
What time do you think we would need to be at Discovery Cove by? The park opens at 9:00, but check in starts about an hour earlier. The time of your check in determines the time of your dolphin swim. When we checked in at 10:00 I was allocated a dolphin swim time at around 14:00.
What if it is storming out? Do they close Discovery Cove or cancel the dolphin encounters? We have visited Discovery Cove 6 times so far and twice we were affected by storms. Once it went right over Discovery Cove and the second time it got within 8 miles and they closed all the water areas until the storm had blown over. The park does not close, just the water areas. Once the storm is over, they reopen and they try their best to accommodate everybody for the dolphin swim once the water areas have reopened. On our very first visit to Discovery Cove we were lucky that we had the very first dolphin swim of the day as they had to cancel most of the swims after ours. They offered the people who were affected by this to come back free on another date, but I am aware that this would not help you.

We don't have to do DC, I was just trying to fill in time before our flight. BUT, I don't want to rush. It is a lot of $$ and we could certainly do it the next time we are in Florida. This is our first cruise so I don't know if we will be really tired the day we get off the ship. That in it self might make for a disasterous day!!! Discovery Cove is a fantastic day and I can't imagine going to Florida and not going to Discovery Cove. Still, I would not do it the day I come off the cruise unless this would be the only chance I would get in the foreseeable future. We did two cruises in September and we were absolutely exhausted after both of them and needed a day to recover. Discovery Cove is a nice and relaxing day, but it is a lot of money and you will not appreciate everything it has to offer when you are very tired.

Thanks for your help

I hope this helps.

dolphingirl47

 

[Mastiff]

dolphingirl,

Thank you so much for answering all my questions and for the advice, it really helps a lot.

My fear is that we too will be tired after the cruise and might not enjoy it as much as we should.

We will have to think about this. Luckily our cruise is about 7 months out!

Thanks again

 

[kellymonaghan]

I wouldn't recommend trying it given the time constraints.

It's a good long way from the port to DC and what if you are delayed in disembarking? Then you have to get to the airport. Also, you can't book a dolphin swim until you arrive, so that could cause scheduling problems.

It's such a special experience, you should save it for a time when you can spend a full day there.

 

[Mastiff]

Thank you for your responses. I think you are right, we don't want to rush things or miss out on something. I think we will just plan this for our next trip to Florida.

From what everyone keeps telling me, we will be quite tired too from the cruise. I think I might just get a day room at the Hyatt so we can relax, swim and grab a dinner before our flight leaves.

Thanks again for your help.