sleepingbean
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Dec 21, 2006
- Messages
- 983
I can't remember if I reviewed our Discovery Cove day and food (I have the gluten free dairy free food pictures in link), but it was so amazing!
I just wanted to share a couple of things for mobility concerns. One, if you do the dolphin package, we found that getting out to the dolphins was incredibly slippery. Even with water shoes and warnings, we were walking on underwater rocks covered in some sort of slick moss, and everyone slipped at least once. Be aware and consider swimming instead of walking when you are over that area. Also, the dolphin take off is STRONG! I didn't realize how jarring it could be, and it did hurt my shoulder, though I still had a wonderful time. My daughter with a connective tissue disorder looked very hyperextended in her attempt to hang on. We managed and no injuries, but it is harder than I would have guessed it to be. If you are concerned about the jarring on the joints, talk to the guide and see if they can modify your interaction.
I was very happy with the food options for our gluten and dairy allergies. We had plenty to eat and plenty of snacks all day. Again, photos of food below in link.
I think that a cabana is well worth it. We were right on the sand with an easy entry to the water, we had drinks and snacks brought to us (minimize walking if needed) and we had shade and chairs. Really wonderful experience. We had one member of our party who has more mobility issues with stairs and uneven ground, and she managed well with the walk to cabana, and short distance to get into the water. (though it was too much walking for her to go back and fourth unnecessarily throughout the park -which made the cabana so great)
The water is cold, but you can adjust with movement. If it was a hot day, you can manage well, but if not...brrr!
Also, they provide an animal safe sunscreen that is very very thick! It is a bit difficult to rub in, so you will have a thick white coat of sunscreen. With that in mind, you can dress in sun protective swim wear under your vest or wetsuit. I opted for vest (for comfort), but I wore a sleeved swim top to help protect from sun.
I felt like a day at Discovery Cove was like a Day at Castaway Cay, but without all the travel to get there. It was really magical and a once in a lifetime experience. I did see a specialized wheel chair with big rubber wheels out on the sand, but I think it would be difficult to manage all day in this park with the chair. It could be done, but I would want to talk to someone who had experienced it before trying it.
There are other threads with photos of the whole day, so a quick search here will reveal all there is to see. I didn't think I could spend a whole day there. I thought I'd be exhausted and ready to go home by 3, for sure, but I had to make myself leave at closing (around 5). It was really wonderful.
I just wanted to share a couple of things for mobility concerns. One, if you do the dolphin package, we found that getting out to the dolphins was incredibly slippery. Even with water shoes and warnings, we were walking on underwater rocks covered in some sort of slick moss, and everyone slipped at least once. Be aware and consider swimming instead of walking when you are over that area. Also, the dolphin take off is STRONG! I didn't realize how jarring it could be, and it did hurt my shoulder, though I still had a wonderful time. My daughter with a connective tissue disorder looked very hyperextended in her attempt to hang on. We managed and no injuries, but it is harder than I would have guessed it to be. If you are concerned about the jarring on the joints, talk to the guide and see if they can modify your interaction.
I was very happy with the food options for our gluten and dairy allergies. We had plenty to eat and plenty of snacks all day. Again, photos of food below in link.
I think that a cabana is well worth it. We were right on the sand with an easy entry to the water, we had drinks and snacks brought to us (minimize walking if needed) and we had shade and chairs. Really wonderful experience. We had one member of our party who has more mobility issues with stairs and uneven ground, and she managed well with the walk to cabana, and short distance to get into the water. (though it was too much walking for her to go back and fourth unnecessarily throughout the park -which made the cabana so great)
The water is cold, but you can adjust with movement. If it was a hot day, you can manage well, but if not...brrr!
Also, they provide an animal safe sunscreen that is very very thick! It is a bit difficult to rub in, so you will have a thick white coat of sunscreen. With that in mind, you can dress in sun protective swim wear under your vest or wetsuit. I opted for vest (for comfort), but I wore a sleeved swim top to help protect from sun.
I felt like a day at Discovery Cove was like a Day at Castaway Cay, but without all the travel to get there. It was really magical and a once in a lifetime experience. I did see a specialized wheel chair with big rubber wheels out on the sand, but I think it would be difficult to manage all day in this park with the chair. It could be done, but I would want to talk to someone who had experienced it before trying it.
There are other threads with photos of the whole day, so a quick search here will reveal all there is to see. I didn't think I could spend a whole day there. I thought I'd be exhausted and ready to go home by 3, for sure, but I had to make myself leave at closing (around 5). It was really wonderful.
