Discovery Cove Trip Report

[Gabrielsbigtrip]

I am doing a trip report on the Disney part of the board but thought I would post our Discovery Cove portion here

I couldn't find too much when I tried to research for our trip so maybe this will be helpful to some

We took took a MEARS shuttle from Pop Century to Seaworld and then boarded a very nice SUV to Discovery Cove!




We checked in fairly quickly and were given a 12:10 Dolphin Swim. Gabriel wasn’t pleased we were doing breakfast first. He wouldn’t eat anything and was being pretty grouchy.

After a quick breakfast (cereal, muffin and banana) we grabbed vests, snorkels (even though we brought our own…..the special animal safe sunscreen they give you is inside the snorkel packs, plus you get to keep the snorkels).

We hit the warm fresh water river so Gabriel could practice. He didn’t understand the whole thing….I had to really get him to pay attention to me and walk him through breathing through the snorkel and not diving all the way under. Well, there wasn’t going to be any stopping him from diving all the way under so I ended up giving him my dry snorkel where it doesn’t matter if you go under. The first go around was a bit stressful but he eventually got the hang of snorkeling.

Getting started

Before he understood what the snorkel was for

Almost a pro now with a new mask and my snorkel

By George I think he's got it!

Hello there

Next we checked out the rays and fish. Gabriel immediately pops out of the water to declare loudly “THIS PLACE IS FILTHY!” (the algae on the rocks I guess?)

OOOOOO that water was cold. Gabriel was a little skittish because the fish and rays come soo close… I couldn’t blame him, I was surprised too.

This ray was HUGE and looked like he had been chillin for awhile. I was happy he didn't come out for a look see

I have sooooo many pictures...alot of them I was trying to zoom on fish further away and a school would swim like 2 inches in front of my face and the bajeebers out of me! So a bunch of my pictures are no good because of what I will call "Fish Freak Out"

After that we stopped at the snack shop and got some soft pretzels (small) and drinks (they are included and are all you can eat). They also had cookies and other snacks but not a big variety.


Okay - here is where the show comes in…….I have no pictures of this show but God forbid there may be some out there on the world wide web!

I took my suit that was a full one piece because I thought that would be the most comfortable with the vest or wetsuit. I usually keep that suit at our beach house just in case I forget the one I normally wear and I had grabbed it last time we were there.

Remember how I threw my suit on in a low lighted room as I was freaking about the shuttle?

Well, after we get our snack I suggest we go over to the locker area to leave our camera and snorkels while we do our Dolphin Swim. I get everything put away and say that I am going to use the bathroom. As I am leaving the bathroom I noticed in the mirror that there is something wrong with the back of my suit!

About 3 inches across the entire butt was SEE THRU!!!!!!!!! AND at the most important area!

I came out of the bathroom with my hand behind my back to cover my exposed back side and told my husband.

He smiles and says “I know but I didn’t want to tell you because I didn’t want you stressing about it” !!!!!!!

I yell “You could have told me to get a wetsuit because it’s really bad!”

He replies “Yeah I know, when the light hits it you can see the everything”



UGHHHH…I could have KILLED him.

The place to grab a wetsuit is right there so I get one and go back to the changing room. Have you ever put a wetsuit on? Do you know how hard they are to put on when you are already wet?!

So, now that I felt like a bratwurst ready to pop….we headed off for our Dolphin Swim with me thinking I would pick up some swim shorts in the gift shop.

Up next ~ our Horsey ride.....I mean our Dolphin Swim

 

[Gabrielsbigtrip]

We sat through a little movie and some dolphin chat with the trainer, signed waivers and we were off. It was pretty hot sitting there with that wetsuit on but if felt nice when we entered that cold water lagoon!

We swam with Dixie and had a very nice trainer. You kind of stand in the water in a group of 8 and get Dixie to do tricks, feed her fish, touch her in different places to see what she feels like and learn about her and dolphins in general. You are supposed to stand close together and not move your feet so much umm try telling Gabriel that one.

Gabriel wanted to ride her right away and during one of his pictures I had to stop him from hoping on her like a horse!

This picture does not look like Gabriel at all...I am not sure what it is but he looks heavier here or something. I am not sure if it is something with the camera because I wasn't happy with our family shot and I thought I looked awful in my shot by myself. I had to buy the package anyway just for Gabriel's pictures though

When it was our turn, I went first to be at the other end for Gabriel. I was very afraid he would let go or do something to the dolphin he wasn’t supposed to that would get him hurt.

Well, you are supposed to hold the dorsal fin and the one flipper and stay on the side. Gabriel hopped right on top…(I had told Peter to make sure Gabriel understood what to do). The trainer chuckled and said luckily he was light enough because normally Dixie wouldn’t go for that. I am not sure what that means but it all went off without a hitch.

and then

This version is cropped because there was a lone strange lady in the backround photo bombing his picture ( No, she didn't have a see thru bathing suit bottom but she was making a weird gesture to someone on the beach I guess)

After the swim I headed to our chairs to get my swim coverup and headed for the changing room to take off the wetsuit and put that on so I didn’t moon the entire guest population again!

We had lunch afterwards and it was decent….Gabriel actually ate the Mac and Cheese again! I think my camera was still in the locker because I didn’t take any pictures.

I had Cobb Salad and Peter had the Salmon. There was a cool band playing.

While the boys finished dessert (Gabriel got a cupcake) I ran over to the gift shop to pick up shorts and Gabriel a stuffed Dixie that he saw on the way to lunch.

I didn’t try on the shorts but they were the biggest size the had! They looked small but I thought they had to fit……..

I also went to check out our Dolphin photos and order the whole package video and all. This is such a rip…but what can you do? I had to get those pictures on CD and I wanted the video to show my mom.

After all that I went to put the shorts on and of course they didn’t fit. I had to do some running around to get my credit card out of the locker and then going to the main gift shop to get a refund. I figured I would just do a vest over my swim coverup at this point because the wetsuit was uncomfortable and hot. This really drives home the point that I need to get this extra weight OFF!

We did the fresh water pool again and because there was lightning in the distance they wouldn’t let anyone go into the caves and outer portion. We swam in the main section until they opened it back up and as we went along we got out and walked through the aviary. Gabriel really isn’t too impressed by animals and since we pulled him out of the giant waterfall he was ready to get back to the water.

I had to pick up the final picture package so I left to get them and Peter and Gabriel headed over to the rays and fish again…..Gabriel didn’t really want to.

I put the pics in the locker and headed back to find them….I got in the ray pool and swam the entire circle but didn’t see them….on the way out I see them coming and Gabriel is crying a bit behind Peter. I ask what is wrong and basically Gabriel wasn’t being good at the ray pool because he didn’t want to be there so Peter told him he wasn’t happy with him and that’s enough to get him upset. He told me he hurt under his arm and I told Peter that he probably didn’t like the salt water pool because under my arms hurt too in there I guess from the vest rubbing.

Anyway, that was enough for the day so I took him to the shower so we could get ready to go and Peter was able to go check out the sharks and cudas.

The showers are stocked with Crabtree and Evelyn shampoo, conditioner and body wash. I got us cleaned up and headed out to our chairs to wait for Peter and give him his change of clothes for his shower.

We trudged out for our shuttle pick up. The shuttle arrived and instead of the big bus we had on the way, this was like a mini van that sat eight. It was just us and another couple that was going to Pop too.

It was a very fun day!

 

[Dolphina]

Thanks for the nice report and pics.

 

[TiffinyKC]

Thank you so much for your report. We're going in December and every little bit helps.

Those are gorgeous pictures!

 

[LUVDZNY2008]

Thanks for the review. I'm hoping to be able to Discovery Cove on our next trip to WDW(hopefully, next summer).
I giggled at your bathing suit problem..I accidently brought the wrong suit on our trip last month..mine was showing too much in the chest..my DS9 kept looking at me saying.."I can see your .....!!!!!!!"

 

[scootch]

Thanks for the trip report.... we are going in November. Did you have an expensive underwater camera??? I am not sure whether to buy one or just buy the disposables as I too am forking out the bucks for the dvd/cd package of pics. Thanks again.

 

[airhead]

Thanks for sharing! I laughed so hard at your bathing suit story!LOLOLOL
Discovery Cove is so nice!

 

[Gabrielsbigtrip]

Thanks for the trip report.... we are going in November. Did you have an expensive underwater camera??? I am not sure whether to buy one or just buy the disposables as I too am forking out the bucks for the dvd/cd package of pics. Thanks again.

Well......we went to the Bahamas in June and my husband had a disposable with him. After the first two pictures the winding thingy stopped working. I was so bummed that we don't have any pictures of that trip!

On the boat ride back to land there was a lady with a waterproof digital camera. She showed it to us and told us what it was and said her sister got it for her for $129.

I decided for Father's Day I would get my hubby a digital camera.....(he is so not techy). I searched online and found the same camera and for $129 no tax or shipping. It works very well and I would say go for it BUT.......when I looked for it again it has jumped up like $100

It is a Pentax Optio W30. It takes video too.

We are water people so it made sense for us to get it. You can try to google for a waterproof digital. I know Olympus makes one and I think sometimes you can get them at Costco, BJ's or Sam's Club.

If you decide to bring disposables.....just bring a few in case one stops working.

You will have a blast....it is very cool

 

[disneyloverforchrist]

This was a great mini report! It is my dream to make it to discovery cove one day for the dolphin swim and it sounds like you guys had a blast!!!!