Discovery Cove

[The Saints]

We are from England and have planned a trip to orlando next year, I have always wanted to go to dicovery cove, but it seems very expensive £700 around $450 for one day. Could anyone tell me is it worth the money? We are a family of four 2 adults 2 kids and would love to swim with the dolphins. We may not be visiting for a while after next year so i would really like some advise!! Thanks

 

[Jaime4004]

We are from England and have planned a trip to orlando next year, I have always wanted to go to dicovery cove, but it seems very expensive £700 around $450 for one day. Could anyone tell me is it worth the money? We are a family of four 2 adults 2 kids and would love to swim with the dolphins. We may not be visiting for a while after next year so i would really like some advise!! Thanks

I think it's worth it! Love that place! It includes the parking, food/snacks/drinks all day and admission to one of the other parks for your stay. IMO, the dolphin swim is fun once, but I wouldn't do it again. Not worth the extra $ for the 1/2 hour you get to spend with them. I did it the first time, 5 yrs ago. We went back this past summer and skipped the dolphins but still had a great time and were there from open to close!

 

[canadianjovigirl]

We spent almost a month in Florida last November and bought tickets that included Discovery Cove, SeaWorld, Busch Gardens and Aquatica for a discounted price and in all honesty our best vacation day was spent at Discovery Cove............very peaceful and you could do as much or as little as you wanted and the dolphin swim was my daughters biggest thrill of the vacation............enjoy its great!!!

 

[The Saints]

Lucky you being able to spend a month in Florida, that really would be a dream come true for me, thanks for the advice, I have heard many reports on discovery cove being like paradise, I think it has to be a must on my list for next years vacation, as we might not be visiting for a while after that.

 

[Dizneydaz]

Yes, yes, and yes. We did it for the first time 3 years ago and it was wonderful. Paid $279 ($229 after AMEX gift card offer) for the dolphin swim. This year AMEX is offering $50 off and the rates for admission have dropped as well. This time the dolphin swim will only be $149 each, and the non-dolphin is $79. An amazing offer. Hopefully they'll offer something similar when you go next year.

Here's my DD (then 8) riding CJ, the dolphin. Priceless!

And petting the rays (while in the pool with them) You also get to feed them as well.

 

[scootch]

To get your money's worth, they do give you a 14 day pass to Busch Gardens, Sea World or Aquatica. For $50 more per person, you can get passes for all three. I must say though, even though it was super expensive, it is an experience of a lifetime. The Aviary was a huge hit with my 7 year old. The entire day is just a great experience and we can't wait to go back.

 

[Dizneydaz]

To get your money's worth, they do give you a 14 day pass to Busch Gardens, Sea World or Aquatica. For $50 more per person, you can get passes for all three. I must say though, even though it was super expensive, it is an experience of a lifetime. The Aviary was a huge hit with my 7 year old. The entire day is just a great experience and we can't wait to go back.

It's actually $80 more for the Ultimate Package (inc. SW, BG, and Aquatica). Still a heck of a deal for 14 days admission to all 3 parks.

Select the Ultimate Package and receive unlimited admission to SeaWorld, Busch Gardens and Aquatica for up to 14 days for as little as $80 more.

 

[stacyp9]

I would say it's worth it! All food is included in admission costs. The food there is very good, too! The aviary is very fun; you get as much birdfood as you want to offer to the birds and they actually land on you! The lazy river is long and relaxing if you need a break from salt water, and goes right through the aviary! The dolphin swim is a once in a lifetime experience, but the water is very cold and you must be a good swimmer to really enjoy it. There's white sandy beaches all over, too, so if you need a break to just sit in the sun or shade that's always a plus. They've got lots of chairs on these beaches to sit on. They only let in 1000 people a day, so there's no crowds, either.
Fair warning, though. They are currently constructing a new scuba diving reef to replace the old one. It's supposed to open on June 11th, 2011. If you don't want to have to deal with construction, and want to get the full tropical retreat effect, wait until June 11th or afterward to book your visit!
discoverycove.com has more information.

Hope this helps!