Dolphin Encounter v. Discovery Cove

[nezy]

I am just curious-has anyone ever done both the Dolphin Encounter at EPCOT and Discovery Cove?

I know that DC is an all day experience, but strictly considering the dolphin encounter aspect of both, how do they compare?

Do I need to be a certified SCUBA to do EPCOT encounter?

Thanks-
I want to swim w/ the dolphins!

 

[wdw_girl_18]

I did the one at epcot in 2004. You don't get to swim with the dolphins there. They just have the dolphin go on your lap while you are kneeling, and they take a picture. You also get to work with the trainer and have the dlophin do tricks.

When I was working with the trainer, I still had my hand out from doing one of the motions for the tricks, and the trainer threw fish. The dolphin went for my hand though by mistake but I moved fast enough so it didnt get me lol! It scared me though because before we actually got in the water, they showed us this video on why you shouldnt pet wild dolphins. It showed this guy getting his hand bitten off. So it freaked me out.

You do not need to be scuba certified for epcot. You are standing in 2 feet of water on a huge shelf in the living seas aquarium. After the "shelf" Its probably a 30 ft drop. But dont worry, your no where near the edge.

I really liked the one at epcot though as we were able to enjoy epcot for the rest of the day.

Were doing discovery cove this July so im not sure about that.

I would say if you want a better dolphin encounter, do discovery cove. You actually get to swim with the dolphins there

 

[Bearvet]

We have only done the dolphin swim at Discovery Cove, so I can't comment about Epcot. I suggest you check the Sea World/Discovery Cove section of the DIS.

Discovery Cove was an AMAZING experience and a wonderful day - very different from any other park! You actually swim with the dolphin by holding on to the dorsal fin. You spend maybe 1/2 hour with your dolphin - with a group of 8 people. You learn hand signals, feed it fish and really interact with the dolphin. Pictures are expensive to purchase, but well worth it.

DC has a very Caribbean flavor and is very relaxing. Meals are included and there's a reggae band playing. You can snorkel in a reef with stingrays and lots of colorful fish. There is also a shallow stingray area where you can walk in with them and feed them. There is a warm water lazy river area (no fish) where you can float, play in caves, etc. There is a bird aviary and you can feed the birds from small cups of food. You can sit on the beach and relax and watch people doing their dolphin swim. You feel very pampered and it's not crowded since they limit the number of guests per day.

I'm not sure how prices compare, but I would recommend DC without hesitation. You also get 7 free days at Sea World, which we used. We went 3 times and were able to do things we don't normally have time to do. DC was a great experience!

 

[nezy]

I have been saying I want to DC for years and now that my children are a little older I think this may be a good time. (Kids: 12, 10, and 9) I think the price has made me stop and think a bit too.

Do the 7 day Sea World passes need to be used during that time or can they be used at another time, like on another trip months later? Also, do they expire?

RE EPCOT is ther something that you do need to ne certified?
The EPCOT sounds like a good experience too. Surprised to hear that about petting dolphins as Sea World has that are where people are alwasy petting the dolphins. I could see where fingers would look like fish!

Fish are friends-NOT FOOD!
People are friends-NOT FOOD!