Discovery Cove restaurants stupid question

[Gru]

I know food is included in admission to Discovery Cove...is there only one restaurant? What is the dress code? I figured we would be in bathing suits all day. Do you just throw on a cover up, or do you change Before you eat? Is it all outside tables? I don't want to sound stuck up...but I have never eaten in a restaurant where bathing suits are acceptable attire (unless it is a hot dog stand and there is outdoor seating like at a beach).

 

[smileygirl55]

If I remember correctly everything was outside. It was covered, but there was no need to change. I think we did wrap in towels or throw our cover ups back on, but it was just for our comfort.

 

[dvc_john]

Yes, one restaurant, very casual, buffet style. Don't recall if there was any inside seating, but I know some of the outside seating was under roof, but open air. Breakfast and lunch are included. Many people ate breakfast in their street clothes upon arrival, then for lunch they were in swim wear with a cover-up.

Also, there were several kiosk type outlets with snacks and drinks all day long. All food, including drinks are included. And drinks include beer, and some frozen alcoholic drinks.

 

[Gru]

Thank you for the quick replies!

 

[luvallprincesses]

Food line is inside, all seating is outside. Most in the shade. Many people did just wear their swimsuits for lunch, lots still had their (required in the water) thin vests on over top but not cover ups...it's hot there in the summer! It is extremely casual and not at all crowded.

 

[LockShockBarrel]

Yeah really don't even think of it as a restaurant. I've always eaten in my wetsuit after being out of the water for a bit so I'm at least a little dry. Once I'm in that wetsuit there's very little that will get me out of it aside from potty issues and just leaving the park lol.

 

[Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina]

You will definitely feel over dressed if you change into anything more than shorts and a t-shirt for dining (and most folks will still be in their wetsuits or their swimsuits and DC vests, depending on the time of year). The dining area are all patio-style tables with umbrellas, very much a picnic-style or backyard barbecue feel (not the vibe of a typical restaurant, per se). They often have some carribbean musicians playing during the day just to the side of the dining area, and they are very, very good.

The buffet area is inside the main dining building. While the food is really quite good, for the serving of the food, think the same style as your local cafeteria. Grab a tray, start filling it from the various offerings, and carry it out to an available umbrella table.

 

[MinnieLovesMickey12]

Try the grilled Talapia. It was so very good.

We went through the serving line right after we first checked in while we were still in our street clothes.

Once we ate we went and picked up our wetsuits and got changed.

You can eat as many times during the day as you like.

We had breakfast at 8, an early lunch at 11 then ate a late lunch again at 2:45 right before they stopped serving at 3.

All your drinks, snacks, ice creams, etc are free all day also.

They serve very tasty high quality food because every person there is basically paying $300 to be there for one day. It cost my family of 5 $1600 for one day there. The food SHOULD BE good for those prices.

They could serve steak and Lobster and still make a profit.

We went to eat while still in our wetsuits.

After our Dolphin swim Dh changed from a wetsuit into just the wetsuit vest. I tried not to drink very much during the early part of the day so I wouldn't have to try and peel out of that wetsuit to use the bathroom.

After lunch I changed from a wetsuit into just a vest as well.

 

[Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina]

They serve very tasty high quality food because every person there is basically paying $300 to be there for one day. It cost my family of 5 $1600 for one day there. The food SHOULD BE good for those prices.

lol, I must be cheap!

Our first visit in 2012 with the dolphin swim, we paid $189 pp. Our visit later that same year, we paid $69 pp (no dolphin swim).

 

[BLTtinkerbell]

lol, I must be cheap!

Our first visit in 2012 with the dolphin swim, we paid $189 pp. Our visit later that same year, we paid $69 pp (no dolphin swim).

I'm looking at $319 for dolphin swim & $199 for day guest. I guess the summer is a lot more money!

 

[Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina]

I'm looking at $319 for dolphin swim & $199 for day guest. I guess the summer is a lot more money!

Our dolphin swim visit was New Years Day (one of the busiest times of year in Orlando). But we got in on a promotion which was advertised via email, so we got lucky on that I think.

Last year's $69 day resort was in the summer (August), but was a passmember promo (DH has an annual pass to Aquatica). That was the last of the fantastic deals for passmembers.....beginning 2013, the $69 passmember rate was discontinued.

 

[momofEAP]

I have a silly question...

Can you take the food from the "restaurant" back to your cabana or do you have to stay in that area?

 

[Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina]

I have a silly question...

Can you take the food from the "restaurant" back to your cabana or do you have to stay in that area?

You can take your food and enjoy it wherever you like....to your lounger on one of the beaches, to your cabana, etc. .

 

[MinnieLovesMickey12]

lol, I must be cheap!

Our first visit in 2012 with the dolphin swim, we paid $189 pp. Our visit later that same year, we paid $69 pp (no dolphin swim).

We had the option to get the Dolphin swim for $189 per person because we had Sea World season passes but if you take the promo price you don't get the 14 days of Sea World. Not with the passmember discount. And we wanted the Busch garden and Sea World tickets so we skipped the discount. It would not have really been any discount at all if we would have had to pay additional for Busch gardens and Sea World. It would have actually cost a lot more.

And even that promo is no longer valid.

 

[turning40withMickey]

I am also looking at over 300 per person for next summer, and desperately looking for deals! We are not Florida residents, that is the only one I have been able to find. Any suggestions?

Annual passholders are not even getting any discount for the summer months.... very expensive for a family of five!

 

[Pinkgirl]

I am also looking at over 300 per person for next summer, and desperately looking for deals! We are not Florida residents, that is the only one I have been able to find. Any suggestions?

Annual passholders are not even getting any discount for the summer months.... very expensive for a family of five!

Snap! $319 pp