Dolphin Experience-DC vs Marineland

[hammie59]

Seeking opinions from anyone who’s been to both or knows if ML is any good. I realize they are completely different parks overall with DS being a full service all inclusive type of experience, but we’d be specifically going for the dolphin interaction. We‘ll be traveling down from MI in mid July, so I’m on the fence about DC due to the chance of rain ruining the day. I’ve been to FL enough in the summer to know that this could be a real issue with all of the DC activities being dependent on decent weather. And considering the cost, this makes me nervous. I’m looking into ML simply because it’s less of a commitment and obviously cheaper. My daughter’s dream has always been to touch/swim with dolphins and we’ve never done it, so I’m looking for a good way to accomplish this. Are there any other similar options?

 

[Brett Wyman]

First off Marineland is two hours away from WDW. So you'll need a car. Discovery Cove obviously wins hands down as an overall experience. My kids still cant stop talking about it. BUT if all you are after is the dolphin encounter, and you have a rental car, the Marineland will certainly fit the bill. At Marineland you can see the actual ocean, although you are floating in a big tank with life jackets on. At Discovery Cove you stand waist deep in a huge manmade lagoon for the interaction.

 

[hammie59]

First off Marineland is two hours away from WDW. So you'll need a car. Discovery Cove obviously wins hands down as an overall experience. My kids still cant stop talking about it. BUT if all you are after is the dolphin encounter, and you have a rental car, the Marineland will certainly fit the bill. At Marineland you can see the actual ocean, although you are floating in a big tank with life jackets on. At Discovery Cove you stand waist deep in a huge manmade lagoon for the

 

[hammie59]

Thanks, I’m familiar with it’s location. It’s actually fine. We’re going to Universal this trip and want to squeeze in a few days at the beach beforehand. So that’s when I’m planning for the dolphins. We go to Florida almost every year, just never booked DC because we were always so busy with other stuff, mostly Disney. Thought maybe this might be the year…