DC with 1yr & 4yr

[Coodie5]

Honest opinion...would it be worth it to go to DC with our 1yr old and 4 yr old? My dh and I want to both do the dolphin swim so we would have to get our times staggered. Is it worth it to pay $160 for my 4yr old to play with the fish?

 

[SandrainNC]

We went this past November. My son was 3 at the time. I had already decided next time I went to Florida I was going to Discovery Cove no matter what. I really enjoyed going there, but was it worth $160 for my son? Not really. But I wanted to do it, so we went. We did what you plan to do - one watches him while the other does the dolphin swim. He really did enjoy swimming in the area without the fish, but that was really all he was able to do. It was a little chilly that day, so we didn't put him in the water where the fish are because it was colder than the pool. He played in the sand, ate lunch and swam in the pool without the fish. I think it is crazy that they charge that much for children that young, but what can you do? They interviewed us at the end of the day and asked if the price was worth it and I said yes for the adults and no for my child. We will go again at some point, but when he is older. If it is something you really want to do, then I say go for it.

Sandra

 

[spiceycat]

you and husband do it - hire a baby sitter for the children.

 

[robvia]

I also say to leave the kids at home.
DC is like a tropical paradise. Picture a beach chair, toes in the sand, drink in your hand. Now add a cranky 1 and 4 year old and it turns to madness. The thing is, kids at that age don't realize how expensive, or how much trouble parents go thru to make a trip happen. Plus they won't remember it years later. I know parents want to do the best for their kids, I have one too. But if you bring them to DC, you'll end up chasing them around the entire time, you won't relax.
Leave the kids with grandparents at home.
The age you bring kids to DC is when they are 8 or 9, old enough to swim and enjoy everything.

 

[HLester3]

Hi. I have the same problem as you do, I was trying to decide whether to take our twins who will be turning 4 years old on the trip. I am basically going to Florida for their Birthday, so it is not an option to leave them at home. I have decided that we are going. It cemented it, when I watched some footage on Discovery Cove on the Travel channel when they showed Best Family Beaches.

I am really looking forward to the Aviary. They had a great time feeding sugar water to the birds at San Diego Zoo, I think this is going to be even better. I have read that you can feed all sorts of birds. There are also animals in the Aviary for them to pet.

I figured that the great pictures of them at Discovery Cove, will make this worth the day. I have wanted to go for 3 years, and we don't get to Florida that often. I don't want to wait another 3 years to go.

I also justified it because I figured we would go to Sea World and the discovery cove includes a pass, so I subtracte that off the price. It would be $200 for us to go to SeaWorld alone, so that made it easier.

Good Luck!

 

[airhead]

It is pretty pricey for kids that young. And,its a long day for little ones.