hi all -- been to Disney several times -- and I have always wanted to do the dolphin experience at discovery cove -- and on our next trip we are going for it!!! it wont be till the week after thanksgiving (2015) but im already excited.
anyway so if Im reading correct u get free tickets to sea world with your discovery cove purchase -- which is exciting because we have never been there either. my question I guess is I just looked on the sea world website and wow they have a ton of "add-ons" any worth the money? which are the best? I have 3 boys who at the time will be 12, 8 and 4...thanks for any ideas or tips! happy planning all!
The SeaWorld parks are amazing....you will LOVE this trip!
My suggested add-ons for each park:
Discovery Cove: plan to buy a photo package, specifically one of the two packages that includes the CD of all photos taken during your DC day. The largest package is about $229 but includes a whole host of extras (CD of all pictures, a selection of prints, a poster, a photo album, a frame, key chains, AND the DVD of your entire dolphin swim). The smaller package that includes the CD is about $169 and also includes both prints and key chains but doesn't have the DVD and some of the other souvenir items like the poster and the photo album. If you are doing the dolphin swim, you
WILL want the photo package. Trust me. The pics are excellent quality (the photographers are right in the water with you) and they are hands down the best memory of your day that you can get.
Seaworld: suggested add-ons would be the all-day dining and (if your family enjoys coasters and rides), Quick Queue. The all-day dining is an excellent value and includes all three meals (breakfast, lunch and dinner) plus snacks and drinks. Its truly unlimited, so you can go through the line as many times you want all day long. Each time through the line, you can have one entree, one side (not necessarily dessert...."sides" include pickles, fruit, fries, pudding, cookies, cake, small salad, etc.) and one non-alcoholic drink. The food is awesome and its so nice to grab a cold bottle of water whenever you want it without worrying about cost. And at $29.99 per adult, its an excellent value!
Quick Queue is front-of-the-line access to the parks 7 feature rides (Manta, Kraken, Journey to Atlantis, Turtle Trek, Antarctica, the Sky Tower, and Wild Arctic). Limited Quick Queue (one time per ride) is a perk of staying at an onsite SeaWorld hotel, so if you are staying at one of those properties, you won't need to purchase it as an add-on. But if staying offsite and if rides are a family favourite, then this might be a good idea for you. Note that QQ does not apply to the childrens' rides in Shamu's Happy Harbor.
Aquatica: a cabana. Your own private hideaway, complete with a large locker, ceiling fan and refrigerator right inside. The rental includes 12 bottles of cold Dasani water right in the cabana, as well as towel rentals. October prices should be VERY reasonable (about $60-70 for the standard cabana) and its a very, very worthwhile splurge.
You can check out my August trip report (see the link in my signature) as we visited all three parks this past summer. It might give you some ideas for each venue.
You may also want to consider buying Photokey, the new photo service for the SeaWorld parks. While I haven't used it myself yet (it was introduced just after our more recent visit) it seems like a much better value than their previous photo CD.
Oh, and one other thing I would suggest budgeting for: feeding the animals at Seaworld (you can usually purchase a multi-animal pass for a discount). Feeding the sting rays, sea lions, dolphins, etc. is such a good memory and a fun experience!
