Highlight of our trip and only 55F !!! BRRR!!!

[Gail from Nova Scotia]

Cast:

Me- 43, family physician
Hubby - 50, general surgeon
DD #1 14 and wants to be a vet ie. animal crazy!
DD #2 12, a gentle soul, shy and sweet, loves volleyball and
skiing
My Mom 67 and will try anything once!

We just returned from a week stay in Orlando. The highlight of the trip for all of us was Discovery Cove!
After a week of low 80 temperatures, we woke up Xmas day and it was 53 F !! When we arrived at Discovery Cove the car thermometer said it was 55F and when we left at 3:00PM it was still 55F!!
That said, once we put our wetsuits on and scurried into the coral reef, the cold was all but forgotten. The coral reef water is heated so we were quite comfortable until it was time to get out! We just wrapped several towels around ourselves and our wetsuits and we were fine.The lazy river is also heated and once we were in the aviary, feeding the birds and petting the little baby deer distracted us from the cold.
I loved the stingray pool but the girls were a bit afraid. I got to feed several of them and was amazed at how graceful and gentle they are.
The dolphin swim was wonderful. I thought the dolphin pool was supposed to be fairly cold ( I had read this in previous posts ) but it was fine. There were 6 people in our group and we were in the water with the our dolphin "Rascal" for 40 minutes. The time flew by and I was sure we were only there for 2 minutes! The only time we were really cold and minded it, was after the dolphin swim. We were taken to an open air hut to view the pictures taken of us. We were given the sales pitch and prices ( $15.99 for each 5X7, $39.95 for the video or $26.99 for a 5X7 digital high definition photo set in a frame that can be backlight or $99.99 for 6 -5X7 ) and we were COLD!! Our towels were wet from use and there were no dry ones available.
That said, we had beautiful photos taken and were very pleased with the quality.
When I initially booked the day at Discovery Cove my husband wasn't really interested in doing the dolphin swim and my mom had reservations about doing the dolphin swim because of her concern of possible exploitation of the animals. Well they both loved the whole experience. These dolphins are well cared for, have no worries about predators, live in a beautiful environment, are guaranteed a good meal everyday and have a 24 hr on call vet for any ailment. And they only work about 2 hours a day!! That a better life than most human beings have!!
The meal was excellent but there is no indoor seating so it was cool. It started to rain a bit as well while we were eating but we were seated at a table that was covered so we managed just fine.
So, to all those who wonder what it's like on a cold day at Discovery Cove- you will be fine. Just make sure to get extra towels from the change room to get you through the day!
If any of you have any questions I'll be glad to answer them,
Gail

 

[shamrock]

Thanks for the informative report, Gail . I've been wondering about the cold water, because much mention has been made of it. I *really* don't like cold water, although my hubby and daughter don't mind a bit . But, being from Maine, I've been wondering if my idea of cold might be colder than the water actually is? Anyway, your report makes me feel better

 

[kellymonaghan]

Great report, Gail!

I'll be heading down soon and you've whetted my appetite for a return swim at DC.

 

[jdm]

We are going in Feb and I really have been thinking about the weather and how it'll be if it's cold. So glad you enjoyed yourself, but ... bummer!.... to have your day at DC be the coldest one of your vacation!
Jenn

 

[robvia]

Great Tr,

I've always wondered what happens in the winter. True, the water temp is constant, so once you're in there, everything is ok, but when you get out...Brrrrrrr.

Wonder what happens in January if it's 30?
February is a little better, lows are about 55 with the high in the mid 70s.

Wow, you got 40 minutes, most people only get 20. Yeah, the time flies and it's over so fast.

 

[Gail from Nova Scotia]

Hi Robvia,
I think we got 40 minutes because the park was almost empty. I "guesstimate" 400 people at the most and probably less than half would have done the dolphin swim. They gave us a choice of times to do our dolphin swim! Our group was also small, only 6 of us and the other groups were also small. The cold weather keeps the last minute guests away, I think.
Gail

 

[ThePlnr]

I was just curious as to what is included in the meal. I can't seem to find that information
anywhere. Thanks