Discovery Cove ?

[disdreamer7]

We are planning our first trip to Discovery Cove in a couple of weeks. Do you bring your own towels? Would you recommend water shoes? Is the lazy river, just meandering through the park? I love lazy rivers but not the ones where you go through waterfalls, not big on my head getting wet.

 

[mjhtvchick]

Congratulations - you will have an amazing time!

Discovery Cove is an "all-inclusive" park so, no, you do not need to bring towels with you. You are also provided with sunscreen, shampoo, conditioner and body wash.

The lazy river is amazing but you do go under two "waterfalls" on the way around. I don't think there is any way to avoid getting your head wet, unfortunately. But if you can stand it at all, it is well worth it. As a glasses-wearer, I am not fussy about it either but I consider the lazy river a "must-do"!

Whether or not to wear water shoes is definitely a personal preference. I always wear water shoes but my daughter can't stand them. There are definitely rough spots in the lazy river where you can scrape your toes. Having the water shoes also allows you to get out and visit the aviary mid-river. I don't know about you but I am not a fan of walking through bird poop in my bare feet!

Any other questions, feel free to ask. I wrote an Aquatica "sticky" post a while back and am finally getting around to writing a Discovery Cove one now!

 

[eyehartdisney]

To add onto the previous poster, the waterfalls are necessary- because they lead into the aviary, and if they didn't do that, the birds would escape. I believe you can avoid one waterfall by getting out and walking through the aviary, but it is totally worth it to go through it.

 

[Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina]

As mentioned above, there are two waterfalls in the lazy river, both as natural barriers to keep birds within the aviary boundaries.

The waterfalls themselves are really quite powerful. They will easily knock glasses off a person's head.

 

[Si C]

I haven't been to discovery cove in years so finding out about this aviary section of the lazy river has just gotten me very excited! Hurry up May!

 

[keishashadow]

We bring our own towels to just 'mark' our chairs. Makes it far easier to spot in a sea of them.

The waterfalls don't sting as much if you dip your head into it.

I do water shoes, there's lots of pavement, but take them off when in sand/lounger.

 

[disdreamer7]

As mentioned above, there are two waterfalls in the lazy river, both as natural barriers to keep birds within the aviary boundaries.

The waterfalls themselves are really quite powerful. They will easily knock glasses off a person's head.

We bring our own towels to just 'mark' our chairs. Makes it far easier to spot in a sea of them.

The waterfalls don't sting as much if you dip your head into it.

I do water shoes, there's lots of pavement, but take them off when in sand/lounger.

is there a spot to exit before the waterfalls?

 

[HopperFan]

I know there is an exit point just before the first one, not sure where the next one is after.

Note this is not your normal lazy river.
- There are no tubes but they do have some noodles.
- Water will at times be over your head.
- Water at places has a very strong current.
- There are objects under the water, uneven floor, rocks etc.
- Makes it interesting for those who want to snorkel while they float.
- They do have plenty of life jackets you could wear to float through.
- Water is warm, as it's attached to "resort pool" area.
- Great way to warm after the snorkel pools.


We always wear water shoes especially in the snorkel pools since it is "natural" with reefs.

 

[keishashadow]

is there a spot to exit before the waterfalls?

More than a few exits as I recall, here's one of many 'ride thru' videos on YouTube if you care to watch & look for the various exits. If you do, make sure to post where/how many lol

There are spots as deep as 8 foot and a current usually where I'm trying to exit lol. By definition you need 'a current' to make a lazy river work well.

I would not term it aggressive, not as fast as the one @ Aquatica. Nowhere near Atlantis' in the Bahamas for comparisons sake.

I'd suggest anyone wear a lifevest if not a strong swimmer. The wet suit does provide some buoyancy

 

[mom2t]

Congratulations - you will have an amazing time!

Discovery Cove is an "all-inclusive" park so, no, you do not need to bring towels with you. You are also provided with sunscreen, shampoo, conditioner and body wash.

The lazy river is amazing but you do go under two "waterfalls" on the way around. I don't think there is any way to avoid getting your head wet, unfortunately. But if you can stand it at all, it is well worth it. As a glasses-wearer, I am not fussy about it either but I consider the lazy river a "must-do"!

Whether or not to wear water shoes is definitely a personal preference. I always wear water shoes but my daughter can't stand them. There are definitely rough spots in the lazy river where you can scrape your toes. Having the water shoes also allows you to get out and visit the aviary mid-river. I don't know about you but I am not a fan of walking through bird poop in my bare feet!

Any other questions, feel free to ask. I wrote an Aquatica "sticky" post a while back and am finally getting around to writing a Discovery Cove one now!

I am following, we go in 5 weeks. It is a surprise birthday present for our soon to be 15 year old who loves animals tremendously.

How deep is the lazy river? My DH is going but can not swim.

 

[disdreamer7]

I am following, we go in 5 weeks. It is a surprise birthday present for our soon to be 15 year old who loves animals tremendously.

How deep is the lazy river? My DH is going but can not swim.

Someone said it is 8-10 ft deep in places. There are no tubes, you use pool noodles.

 

[mjhtvchick]

I am following, we go in 5 weeks. It is a surprise birthday present for our soon to be 15 year old who loves animals tremendously.

How deep is the lazy river? My DH is going but can not swim.

As the pp said, it can get quite deep in some sections but, depending on the person's confidence, there are pool noodles available for use and also "swim vests" in a variety of sizes.

See the pic in this thread...https://www.disboards.com/threads/life-jackets-wetsuits-at-discovery-cove.3385361/

 

[mjhtvchick]

FYI - just finished and posted my Discovery Cove thread - hopefully it will get made into a "sticky" soon!

https://www.disboards.com/threads/discovery-cove-general-information.3587710/