Discovery Cove Opinions Needed

[KandD]

I know that I have read posts where a lot of people have said that they really do suggest Discovery Cove despite the price. My question is this, my bf and I did a dolphin encounter in Hawaii....we waded in the water with the dolphins, saw them do a few tricks, and then each of us in our group kissed the dolphin, "danced" with the dolphin, and then the dolphin kissed us. They took pictures of us doing each of these and then the pictures were available for purchase.

If we choose to try Discovery Cove will the experience be pretty much the same? Is it worth doing it if we already tried it in Hawaii? I did enjoy myself but that was only $100, DC is a lot pricier. The Hawaii park also had other animals on display (a very downscale SeaWorld). Any opinions you have would be greatly appreciated! Also, are any pics included in the price or are they extra?

 

[Violet Crayon]

It sounds mostly the same except there is a dolphin tow where you are in deeper water and get pulled a short distance. There is no dancing photo op, and only one kiss moment. The photos will be: kiss, pose with dolphin in front, dolphin tow. If being towed by the dolphin is worth another interaction and you love dolphins then I think there is something different to be offered. None of the dolphin photos are included in the price, only a photo when you enter in the morning with foliage in the background.

Animal-wise, there are also birds in an aviary who will land on you while you feed them (no extra charge), rays in a shallow lagoon you can pet and attend feeding times (no extra charge), fish to swim among in the reef, and chance encounters with sloths,armadillos, anteaters, owls..., so dolphins are not the only interaction included in the fee.

 

[KandD]

Thanks for your reply Violet! I have read that in some of the Caribbean destinations that there are some places where you can do more of a dolphin "swim" than a dolphin "encounter". I think that I would rather pay for that than DC....but DBF has his heart set on DC I think.

Well we aren't planning on going until the summer so he might change his mind by then! (and so may I!!)

 

[absolut_mandy]

There is alot more to Discovery Cove than the dolphin encounter. While the encounter is a big part of the experience, it's really only a little part of the day. We loved the encounter but we spent most of the day in the reef snorkelling. There is something about swimming with the giant rays, it's amazing! DC is a whole day experience and not one to miss.

 

[Echie]

I would definitely go to Discovery Cove - it was our favorite part of our week long trip! But skip the dolphin encounter - I think it's like $100 less if you do not do the dolphin swim and just enjoy the rest of what DC has to offer!

We did do the dolphin swim as it was our first time encountering a dolphin and loved it. But we agreed that the next time we are in Orlando we would 100% return to discovery cove, but skip the dolphin swim as we'd already done it! And instead enjoy all the rest of the stuff - snorkeling, sting rays, lazy river, feeding the birds in the aviary, unlimited food and drinks and snacks, the beautiful sandy beaches... ahhhh it's amazing there! And the best part is it's not crowded as they only let a certain number of people in every day! We truly loved it!!

 

[fan of the TTA]

I would definitely go to Discovery Cove - it was our favorite part of our week long trip! But skip the dolphin encounter - I think it's like $100 less if you do not do the dolphin swim and just enjoy the rest of what DC has to offer!

We did do the dolphin swim as it was our first time encountering a dolphin and loved it. But we agreed that the next time we are in Orlando we would 100% return to discovery cove, but skip the dolphin swim as we'd already done it! And instead enjoy all the rest of the stuff - snorkeling, sting rays, lazy river, feeding the birds in the aviary, unlimited food and drinks and snacks, the beautiful sandy beaches... ahhhh it's amazing there! And the best part is it's not crowded as they only let a certain number of people in every day! We truly loved it!!

for me, discovery cove is all about the dolphins. i guess that's mainly because i don't get much of a chance anywhere else and it really makes my trip. as for the rest of the cove, it's okay and i do like the lagoon part

 

[PixieAngel]

I had to check the site again to verify (we went last year) but not only does the price include your dolphin experience, all you can eat breakfast, lunch, snacks and "beverages" but it also includes wetsuits, toiletries (Crabtree & Evelyn) and admission to Seaworld, busch gardens, or aquatica. If you book 100 days prior you get a 10% discount $28 off. They also included transportation from our resort and the bus trip to Tampa to go to Busch Gardens. Not only was it worth the dolphin experience, we would have never gone to Tampa without this all inclusive deal! Have a great trip