Opinions on DC.

[Reese]

We are going to Orlando in Jan. The in-laws are joining us for a week and really want to do SeaWorld. I was researching and stumbled upon Discovery Cove and since it includes the SW admission it seems like a very reasonable price. I have a couple of questions/concerns.
There will be DH, myself and seven of our children. DH would do the dolphin encounter with the four of them that are over six. This would leave me with our 4, 2 and 5 month old. I'm just wondering if there is anything for them to do? I would hate to miss watching the older kids swim with dolphins but I'm not sure if it makes sense for us all to go. Also would the water be too cold for them to swim in Jan? And is there any policy regarding bad weather and re-schedualing?
Thanks.

 

[ILoveMyGirls]

We were there in Sept and I saw several moms/dads with younger children. One of the moms was in our group without any family members. When she was with her child in the stroller, there really wasn't much for the one in the stroller to do unless the mom/dad took the child out and carried the child in to the water. For the other little kids, they just hung out at the very edge of the sting ray pool, barely getting their feet wet. Given that you need to be with the smaller children, you could sit on the beach and watch the dolphin swim and take photos, that's about all you can do.

We went in Sept so it was warm. Given the low temps in FL last Winter, I would not schedule a day at DC during those months but others will prob. have other opinions.

 

[wbarkhur]

We are taking our five kids in the end of November. Our youngest will be a month shy of three, and so he will not be able to do the dolphin swim either. But there are lots of other things they can do, there is one beach area that is a zero entry (like a real beach) that they can play in the water, some people have said that there are beach toys around for younger kids to play with, they can go in the sting ray pool, and feed the rays, they can also feed the birds in the aviery(sp?). During the swim the younger kids can play on the beach in the sand, while you take pics, and also when they take the group picture you can all enter the water, and get a picture with the dolphin. If you search this forum you can find a few threads with a little more info, and even a few people who have taken their younger kids. Also as far as the weather goes, the water is heated, except I believe the reef area where they have to keep it cool. There are wet suits that they have for you to use, and I have read where on really cold days they do bring out heaters of some type, although I honestly wouldn't want to be there on a day like that. Also others have reported that they have been able to re-schedual their DC day because of weather, just make sure that to plan it at the first of your trip, so that if you do have to re-schedual you have time.

 

[jpeppers]

I had no problem rescheduling our day last year when the weather was calling for thunder/lightning. Also when you think about the water being heated, don't think about how pools are heated......the river around the park is like bath water. We were there the 1st time on a 65 degree day and the water was great. The dolphin swim was a little cool but after it started we hardly noticed.

 

[Reese]

Thanks. I was afraid I would end up spending all day feeding birds with three little ones. It sounds like it should be good. As for the weather if they keep the water nice and warm it should be okay. Being from Canada we laugh on vacation when the lifeguards are in parka's and we're in the pool.