Discovery Cove Day

[AlixaLock]

We are planning a Discovery Cove day during our August 2014 trip. I've never been though, so I'm having trouble planning the day, fitting it into the schedule etc ... I would love to hear some summaries of a day at DC. When did you arrive, how did you pass the day, what did you eat, when did you leave? Anything to get the planning off the ground! Just FYI, we'll be 4 adults, 3 kids over age 6 and good swimmers. Staying on property at Disney! Thanks I'm advance!!

 

[mjohnson96]

We always get there early around 8:00 to check in. They started checking in early this year and so really no lines on our last trip which was nice.

It is all inclusive and we get a cabana so we head over to get breakfast. Consists of hot items do bacon, eggs, potatoes, juice, etc. and then check in for our cabana.

After our cabana attendant helps us with getting our snorkel/masks etc we relax before heading into the water.

When you check in they will tell you the time of your dolphin swim/sea venture.

Lunch around noon them, I liked the blackened tilapia they had with rice this time but lots if options. More relaxing and drinks too after noon (beer/wine)

We usually head out around 4 back to the hotel. If you did the swim and want pictures check them out early since the line can get huge and last trip do couple was mad that they were catching a flight out and didn't have time to buy them due to the rush.

 

[Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina]

We are planning a Discovery Cove day during our August 2014 trip. I've never been though, so I'm having trouble planning the day, fitting it into the schedule etc ... I would love to hear some summaries of a day at DC. When did you arrive, how did you pass the day, what did you eat, when did you leave? Anything to get the planning off the ground! Just FYI, we'll be 4 adults, 3 kids over age 6 and good swimmers. Staying on property at Disney! Thanks I'm advance!!

The most wonderful thing about a day at Discovery Cove is that you really don't need to plan much of anything . Food is included, activities are included, and admission is capped at such a small number (meaning no crowds) that you really can just show up and enjoy.

I would definitely expect to arrive by about 8 am and stay the entire day until parking closing (5:30, if I remember correctly). You will be amazed at how quickly your day will pass.

I would plan on having nothing on the agenda for the evening except chillin' at your Disney resort. With all the water activities coupled with the heat and sun of August in Florida, you will be VERY tired. I would also avoid booking a large buffet meal anywhere for dinner as you likely will have eaten A LOT during the day.

If you want to take full advantage of the unlimited alcohol, be sure you have a designated driver or take a taxi.

Personally, I would also be sure schedule your DC day fairly early in your trip (within the first third of your stay) to ensure you have the flexibility to rebook if a hurricane or other severe weather happens to come to town. DC allows one complimentary date change per person, pending availability.

I would also strongly encourage you to take advantage of the free admission to SeaWorld and Aquatica that comes with your DC admission. Both are fantastic parks and offer some neat experiences that Disney doesn't.

As for planning which activities you will want to do, plan on trying them all out then spending the balance of your day at your family's favourites. Many posters' favourite location is the Grand Reef (for snorkelling). My family particularly loved the lazy river and the Freshwater Oasis, and sometimes just sunning ourselves on the beach.

 

[heidibilotti]

I have been twice and have found going to the aviary section first a good idea as the birds are hungrier on the morning. After too many people feed them they don't come down for visits too often

 

[kreckl]

DC was our favorite day we've ever had in Orlando! I am trying to decide if we might do it again or just stay at Disney since we are staying at WDW and it's a little hike to do the Seaworld Parks ( we don't get rental cars).
Get there as early as you can, and stay until it closes. The only crowd we experienced was in the breakfast line, so if you can eat a little something before you go then hit the breakfast at DC after you've been there a bit that might help.
Lunch was excellent- all you care to eat and you can go back for more. There were great snack stands with frozen lemonade, chips, cookies...My son had about 6 lemonades
The swimming was fun, the dolphins...snorkeling-wear the vest even if you are a good swimmer so you can just float around. Also, there is a sudden deep part.
It is so peaceful and relaxing. We weren't going to drink but then there we were sitting for a bit while the kids played in the pool....frozen margaritas are nice

 

[justustoo]

I have been twice and have found going to the aviary section first a good idea as the birds are hungrier on the morning. After too many people feed them they don't come down for visits too often

I agree - we didn't go to aviary until afternoon and none of the birds were hungry. My favorite was snorkeling in Grand Reef - we actually went there first thing and was awesome because almost no one was there- much more crowded when went back in the afternoon. We loved our DC day- so beautiful and relaxing!
Another tip- bring a watetproof camera. They sell disposable ones there for $20 ( I'd left mine in hotel room).

 

[kkmcan]

Our day there was the best one the entire vacation! We were just there on May 30th.

Checked in, went and got breakfast.
Then went to stake out a couple of loungers.
Then picked up our wet suites and changed into those and lathered up.

Went immediately to go do some snorkeling. There was no one in there yet. There were people hanging around there but no one really wanted to be the first to get in. Got and swam around a couple of times. Lots of fun!

Then went to grab a snack and get ready for our dolphin swim (9:45).
Did the swim which was fantastic! I felt we really got lots of time with our dolphins (yes, we got to meet 3 of them!).
Turned in our wet suits for vests.

After our swim we decided to go do the lazy river. Man, that was fun too! Around at least a couple of times.

Then off to get some lunch.
After lunch we went to do some more snorkeling.

Back into the lazy river for a bit.
Snacks and drink time!
Took a snooze on the loungers. We were all worn out and all four of us ended up falling asleep for a bit.

Then we decided to hit the lazy river one more time. Kids kept going and dh and I got out to go pick up our pictures. I also went into the gift shop to buy an ornament.

Then got the kids out and grabbed more snacks. And headed to the showers.
Dh was the only one to go through the aviary. No one else was really interested in the birds.

Wonderful day! Was just so relaxing!

 

[luvallprincesses]

Our day there was the best one the entire vacation! We were just there on May 30th.

Checked in, went and got breakfast.
Then went to stake out a couple of loungers.
Then picked up our wet suites and changed into those and lathered up.

Went immediately to go do some snorkeling. There was no one in there yet. There were people hanging around there but no one really wanted to be the first to get in. Got and swam around a couple of times. Lots of fun!

Then went to grab a snack and get ready for our dolphin swim (9:45).
Did the swim which was fantastic! I felt we really got lots of time with our dolphins (yes, we got to meet 3 of them!).
Turned in our wet suits for vests.

After our swim we decided to go do the lazy river. Man, that was fun too! Around at least a couple of times.

Then off to get some lunch.
After lunch we went to do some more snorkeling.

Back into the lazy river for a bit.
Snacks and drink time!
Took a snooze on the loungers. We were all worn out and all four of us ended up falling asleep for a bit.

Then we decided to hit the lazy river one more time. Kids kept going and dh and I got out to go pick up our pictures. I also went into the gift shop to buy an ornament.

Then got the kids out and grabbed more snacks. And headed to the showers.
Dh was the only one to go through the aviary. No one else was really interested in the birds.

Wonderful day! Was just so relaxing!

Thanks for sharing. This is exactly how I hope our day goes 12 days from today.

Is there a locker to put stuff in?

 

[MinnieLovesMickey12]

We went to Discovery Cove on our last family vacation last October. It was an awesome day.

We got there about 7:45 to check in. When you check in they take your picture and make you an ID card on a lanyard that everybody wears all day. They schedule your dolphin swim and tell you where to be and what time to be there.

I think our dolphin swim was for 9:45.

After we got checked in we went straight to eat breakfast. They had all your standard breakfast choices and it is all you can eat. You can go back as many times as you like.

We got the most bang for our bucks with the food because we ate breakfast at 8, ate an early lunch at 11 right when they started serving and went back and had a late lunch early dinner right before 3 when they stop serving for the day.

They have all day snack, chips, soft pretzels, ice cream bars, slushies and soft drinks. They had some really good sweet Tea. We don't drink but after 11 all your alcoholic beverages are free as well. I don't know what all they have.

You pick up your wet suits and snorkel gear then go get your locker. We took 2 lockers because there were 5 of us. The lockers are free. And if the attendant who directs you to a locker tries to only give you one locker when you actually need 2 be insistent. At first she tried to tell me I could only have one locker and I had to let her know she was wrong and I would be using 2 lockers.

We all wore swim shoes even though it wasn't hot when we went we thought it best to wear them. You will be walking on concrete through out the park.

They provide you with sunscreen because it is a special sunscreen that is not harmful to the animals.

I liked the dolphin swim the best but the kids liked swimming in the snorkel area with the big Manta Rays the best. That snorkel pond was just too cold for me and I let everyone else go in it and I just stood by the side waiting for them. It is the coldest water I have ever been in. If we had gone during the summer I don't think it would have been so shockingly cold.

We went to the bird aviary first thing. Right after eating breakfast and before doing the dolphin swim because the birds are hungry in the morning and they will come to you. If you wait until lunch time or later they are mostly full and won't come to you when you try to feed them.

We upgraded our tickets to the ultimate tickets when we bought them so that we could get Busch Garden tickets included. We used the Sea World entries but did not go to Aquatica.

The pictures are expensive but worth it. They have professional photographers in the park taking pictures of you all day in the different areas and all of the pics will go on the pic cd. We bought the adventure package ($159) It was the next to the most expensive package. It had 2 key chains, 6 prints and a photo cd. My husband almost had a stroke when I told him how much the pictures were but I insisted we buy them. There is no way I wanted to spend $1500 for the 5 of us to spend the day there and swim with dolphins and not get the photos of it.

I hope we get to go back one day and do it all over again. But if we don't we did all really enjoy the one chance we got to do it.

Also towels are included and free. They are nice big fluffy white towels.

edited to add: another tip...I would schedule your Discovery Cove day on a Saturday if that day falls into your plans. I did and this is why...All the theme parks are jam packed crowded on Saturdays no matter what time of year you go. But at Discovery Cove they only admit up to 1,000 ppl per day no matter what time of year it is and what day of the week it is. So there is no one day over the other that will be more or less crowded at DC. So you can avoid the crowded parks on a Saturday and still have a good day at DC.

 

[Pinkgirl]

Thank you for this thread. There are some brill tips

 

[nemofans]

Great tips!! Thanks for all the info. I was planning DC on a Saturday (1st full day of our trip). I am glad all that is included. Is a cabana included or is that an extra charge?
We will be staying at a Univ Studios resort. What is the best way to get there?

 

[luvallprincesses]

Great tips!! Thanks for all the info. I was planning DC on a Saturday (1st full day of our trip). I am glad all that is included. Is a cabana included or is that an extra charge?
We will be staying at a Univ Studios resort. What is the best way to get there?

The cabanas are extra. But there are SO many chairs, sun and shade. And the snack/drink areas are plentiful. We spent a total of 10 minutes at our chairs today for the 9 hours we were there. Can't help with directions, we stayed at Lake Buena Vista area, a 7 minute drive and Google Maps worked great.

 

[mguilford1]

We are going in December. Is it usually warm enough to enjoy the whole day in the water?

 

[Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina]

We are going in December. Is it usually warm enough to enjoy the whole day in the water?

Florida weather can be hugely variable in the winter months.....from cold to cool to warm to hot. Sometimes its quite cool in the morning, then warms nicely for the afternoon, then back to cool or cold at night.

We were at DC on January 1st, 2012. We were fortunate that it was a sunshiny day and quite pleasant. Upon arrival, though, it was really chilly....definitely not tropical-feeling at the time we checked in.

You will probably find that you are warmer IN the water than you are OUT of the water, in most areas of the park anyway. The lazy river and the Freshwater Oasis in particular are very, very warm (in the case of the lazy river, think bath water warm!). There are wetsuits available for guest use at no extra charge, so they too help keep you at a comfortable body temperature even when the air is cool. To round it all out, they have heaters at various locations (particularly in the dining area) where you can stand under and dry off/warm up before partaking in your mealtimes .

I would plan on enjoying the entire day there, even in December.

 

[jenniy]

I really want to go here but I just read that the kids have to be 6 to swim with the dolphins. I have an 8 and 10 yr old but also a 5 yr. old ...do you think she would have enough other things to do to enjoy her day? Not sure if she would be too upset seeing her brothers being able to swim with a dolphin. DO you know if she could maybe pet them or feed them ? Thank you!!

 

[luvallprincesses]

I really want to go here but I just read that the kids have to be 6 to swim with the dolphins. I have an 8 and 10 yr old but also a 5 yr. old ...do you think she would have enough other things to do to enjoy her day? Not sure if she would be too upset seeing her brothers being able to swim with a dolphin. DO you know if she could maybe pet them or feed them ? Thank you!!

I have read other posts where a younger sibling hung out on the beach area with one parent and was allowed to come in for the picture time. I think the family requested to do the shallow swim with the dolphin instead of the deeper water in order for that to happen, which you just tell them when you get prepped for the swim. Certainly, the 5 year old will have plenty to do elsewhere if another adult is present. The dolphin part takes a maximum of an hour total, from prep time to browsing and ordering your photos. Can't help you out with the jealousy/upset part. My DS6 was actually rather intimidated by the swimming with dolphins and probably would have been fine watching from the shoreline; that's so fun in itself.

 

[meggiebeth]

Personally we wouldn't be able to justify paying so much to get in and not do the dolphin swim.

We seem to have a slightly differing opinion of DC to everyone else though. We felt whilst swimming with dolphins was an amazing experience, it really wasn't good value for the $1500 our family of 5 paid.

The food was nice but the whole set up was cafeteria- like. I think this was the most efficient way to do it though.

My six year old brother had to be dragged into the dolphin lagoon for the dolphin swim because the water was so cold. He hated it. So bear this in mind when you take your young children.

The Grand Reef was quite small, and busy. The poor stingrays were being chased and practically jumped on by children, so you never really got the chance to see them in their relaxed environment.

It was a surreal experience being so close to such huge stingrays, and the dolphin swim was fantastic. But if you are on a budget, I wouldn't think DC is worth stretching for.

It was great to do once, and we still have fantastic photographs reminding us of our swim. The photographs of my six year old brother are hilarious because he looks so miserable!!! (By the way, add on another $160 or so for photos, they are irresistible!)

But the experience at DC comes second on my list of favourite things we did whilst in Orlando- the evening at MK with the parade, the Magic the Memories and You! and Wishes came first- and we didn't have to pay $1500 for that!

So go for Discovery Cove if you can do the dolphin swim, but if you can't, I just don't think the entry fee is justified at all.

Also, I think a sibling could get jealous if they had to miss the dolphin swim due to their age. Maybe it would be better to wait until they are 6. It all depends on what they are like, although personally I find the dolphins a lot more approachable than the stingrays!

Meg~ Sent from my iPhone using DISBoards

 

[Minnie824]

We're just starting to plan for next spring break...DH, myself, DD12 and DD9. I have always wanted to do the dolphin swim and my DDs will be talked into it, knowing its in a controlled environment and not out in the ocean. Couple of questions...
1. If they're not the best swimmer, you wear the vest to do the dolphin swim and float around?
2. If we're only interested in doing the dolphin swim, and maybe snorkel a little, could we leave around lunch and go to Sea World or would that not be worth it?

We're doing a quick spring break trip... normally we only do Disney, but this will be a quick Universal/Sea World trip so I'm trying to figure out how much time we need everywhere. Thanks.

 

[luvallprincesses]

We're just starting to plan for next spring break...DH, myself, DD12 and DD9. I have always wanted to do the dolphin swim and my DDs will be talked into it, knowing its in a controlled environment and not out in the ocean. Couple of questions...
1. If they're not the best swimmer, you wear the vest to do the dolphin swim and float around?
2. If we're only interested in doing the dolphin swim, and maybe snorkel a little, could we leave around lunch and go to Sea World or would that not be worth it?

We're doing a quick spring break trip... normally we only do Disney, but this will be a quick Universal/Sea World trip so I'm trying to figure out how much time we need everywhere. Thanks.

First, for the price you pay for a day at DC, I doubt you would want to spend less than the whole day there. We just paid close to $300/person for summer, arriving at 7:30 am and staying until 4:00 (which is close to closing time) when storms moved in. You'll want to eat and drink to get your money's worth!

You can really do all of Sea World in one day if you schedule everything around the show times.

As far as the dolphin swim for not great swimmers, I was suggested one of 2 options for DS6. The first was for all of us to do a shallow swim, which was something we could have opted for at that time. The second was to have one of the trainers take him out for the dolphin "pull" portion and help tread water with him for the 30-60 seconds required. They didn't suggest the vest because it would be difficult to interact with the dolphin. We had the instructor help him and it was fine, although he was a bit nervous while having the dolphin pull him.

IMO, Discovery Cove is a full day and Sea World is a full day.