Is Discovery Cove Really Worth the $$$?

[DDinGA]

My family of 4 is considering going to DC/Seaworld/Aquatica this June. We are 42, 47, 18 and almost 13

At $319 each for tickets and over $1000 for hotel this will be an awfully expensive few days.

Has anyone ever been disappointed that they spent so much $ and felt it was not worth it at Discovery Cove?

Thank you in advance for helping me decide if this is the vacation for us.

 

[Echie]

Discovery Cove is absolutely 100% worth it! Save money in other areas, but definitely go to Discovery Cove!

We ended up rationalizing the expense of dc by saving on hotel accommodation (booking through hotwire at a lesser star hotel than we usually would), and it were very happy with making that decision.

Discovery Cove will not disappoint! Both my husband and I agreed that it was the highlight of our Orlando vacation!! (plus of course you'll get the free admission into either Sea World or Aquatica with your DC admission)

 

[Tigger2252]

Absolutely the best money I ever spent. I really agonized over it because it was so much $$, but I don't regret it one bit. I will never forget the experience, and my kids still talk about it as a highlight of all vacations. I can not say one negative thing! They limit the number of people each day so it is not the least crowded. The food is all inclusive and is wonderful. You will not be disappointed!

 

[Cass]

Loved Discovery Cove! The only thing that disappointed me was the weather, it was typical August and at 1pm the thunder and lightning rolled through and they had to close everything, everyone out of the water, off the beach because the weather was so severe. That ended our thousand dollar day abruptly.

Luckily our dolphin swim was over but there were many who didn't get theres and there was line up at Guest Services with a lot of grumpy people looking for refunds.

 

[Capt_BJ]

I'll say two things....

1. I remember asking a guy who had just done a $300 sub ride in Cayman that went down to over 800 feet, "was it worth it?"

He said "YES ... and look at this great T-Shirt I got ...."

I wondered, if I had just spent that $ and some one asked, and I thought it stunk....would I admit it

2. We've done DC, and are trying to decide when to go again.....the best endorsement is a returning customer.

If the amount of $ that DC costs is a strain to your vacation budget, I'd say no, don't do it... it ain't cheap. But if you can absorb the not insignificant cost, I don't think you'll be disappointed....if you know what to expect. The most important being that your dolphin encounter (optional) will be measured in minutes.....a brief encounter in the entire day. The only people who I know who are disappointed are ones who mistakenly think they get to swim with dolphins all day....

DC is more like going to a SPA than an amusement/theme/water park. It is a day to relax and unwind and enjoy un-crowd.....

 

[Goofyisme]

Yes
Been there twice and will go again.

 

[happily single]

I've never been to Discovery Cove, and am looking into going soon. However, I think that $319 (or so) is a great deal. It includes DC, Sea World and I think the OP mentioned Aquatica. That's three parks and if I remember correctly Sea World is good for 2 days. Plus the fact the DC inclues lunch and drinks it's a great deal.

 

[DDinGA]

Thank you for your responses.

 

[dolphingirl47]

We have been 5 times now and I think it is worth every cent. Apart from the day at Discovery Cove (which includes breakfast, lunch and any drinks and snacks throughout the day), you also get a 7 day pass for either Seaworld or Busch Gardens. We always pay $30 extra per person which upgrades that pass for two weeks at both Seaworld and Busch Gardens. New for this year, you can pay $50 per person extra and get a 14 day pass for Seaworld, Busch Gardens and Aquatica. Most years we did not buy any other tickets s it actually ended up being really good value. If your pass includes Busch Gardens then the shuttle is free as well.

dolphingirl47

 

[DDinGA]

Where do you get the shuttle to Busch Gardens and how often does it run?

 

[Gizmo1951]

We thought it was worth it and can't wait to go again

 

[dolphingirl47]

Where do you get the shuttle to Busch Gardens and how often does it run?

Departure Time Location
Route 1
8:30 am Universal Studios Orlando Bus Parking
8:45 am Mercado Shopping Village (was Goodings Plaza in November)

Route 2
9:00 am SeaWorld Bus Parking
9:15 am
(except Saturday) Old Town Shopping Village

Route 3
9:15 am SeaWorld Bus Parking
9:30 am Orlando Premium Outlets

Route 4
9:30am AmeriHost Maingate Resort
9:40am Four Points by Sheraton Lakeside


dolphingirl47

 

[airhead]

...and enjoyed it so much we are returning on the 4th of July again!!! Its an unbelieveable day!!

 

[DixieDolphin]

Have you ever done a dolphin swim before? Some folks, who have done swims in the Caribbean or other places, may find the actual dolphin swim portion of Discovery Cove a little less intensive than the ones they've done previously. There's very little deep water interaction and no 'free' swim. If you've done a more in-depth dolphin program at another facility, this one may be slightly less rewarding in those respects.

However, I highly recommend Discovery Cove!

They take extremely good care of their animals (the same cannot be said for some of the less regulated facilities outside of the US, like the Caribbean & Central America) and put a high priority on the animals' welfare.

The park itself is just breathtakingly beautiful. It doesn't take much imagination to feel like you're in a remote tropical paradise. The service is impeccable and they really go out of their way to make sure you have a good experience.

The coral reef and ray pools are really awesome experiences. There are TONS of fish in that reef! The ray pool is something you could stand in all day and never get bored. The aviary, too, is amazing! Even if you skip the dolphin swim and just enjoy the rest of the park, you're certainly going to get your money's worth!

Even after around seven trips there (and working there for a while, too!), I still plan on going back again this year. If that's not an endorsement of quality, I don't know what is!

=)

 

[roxannex]

My husband and I went in 2006 and did the dolphin encounter. We're going back this summer with out 2 year old without the dolphin encounter.

Here are my two cents! We didn't really think the dolphin encounter was worth the money. Granted, we're adults. Not seven year olds. But we thought it was basically a big photo op. There was a lot of emphasis on picture taking that you would hopefully want to buy. (We didn't, because we don't generally like posed photos.) Actual time with the dolphins is really limited. I wasn't surprised. It's a theme park. You're not cavorting with dolphins in the ocean!

BUT!

We really liked other aspects of the park. First of all, you can basically sit on the beach and see the dolphins, which is still pretty neat. Second, we loved the aviary. That was the best part for us and we're not huge bird lovers or anything. It was just really neat. You got to see the birds up close. They would land on you. You can feed them.

We liked the rays. The lazy river...It was a nice uncrowded day....a very beachlike experience in the middle of Orlando without jellyfish! Plus, you get admission to Seaworld or now Aquatica. So we decided to do it again without the dolphins this summer. We think our son will really love the birds and he's still free since he's 2.

Only you can say if it's worth it. It depends on what your budget is in general. It was fun, but for us not really because of the dolphins. And I really like dolphins (who doesn't?) but the whole "encounter" was really....theme park like...just not authentic at all.

 

[drag n' fly]

We just did DC on Thursday. DC is great if you are a beginner snorkler with little or no experience. I believe however that 1000 in the park is too many. Their is not enough to keep the crowds spread out. Their was a lot of unsupervised kids who were not versed in pool etiquette and few adults too. Being booted in the head too many times finally pushed me out of the lagoon. After a while you cannot see anything with everything being stirred up. Lazy river is nice but...too lazy. The water in the river is as warm as a bathtub. I had to push myself along quite a bit to keep going and the water depth changes constantly so you get scraped up a bit. Aviary was neat. We have large birds in our home but still found the conures charming. The staff was very professional, helpful and answered all our questions. Security is very heavy! The fake bird, cricket noises and coral reef are a little cheesy but add to the ambience. The dolphin swim is not a swim but an experience....and a brief one. It was still fun though. The only thing available for alcohol beverages was beer or beer mixed with fruit flavours. Is it worth it on its own?...no (IMO) but with the added value of choosing a BG, SW or AQ pass add on does make it worthwhile. With that all being said dh wants to take the kids there in December when we go back as it truly is a fantastic family activity.

 

[kellymonaghan]

My wife and I are going to DC again tomorrow and doing the dolphin swim.

And, no, they don't let me in free just because I write a guidebook. I pay full freight, just like everyone else.

 

[IoAJunkie]

How long do you get to spend with the dolphins?

 

[drag n' fly]

How long do you get to spend with the dolphins?

You are separated into groups of 7-8. The group stands in a line. The dolphin swims past you several times so you can touch them. The trainers give you a lot of information about your dolphin and the others in the group. You signal the dolphin to do tricks as a group. Halfway through the dolphins rotate groups. They roll over so you can rub their belly and you swim out about 30 feet into the lagoon and the dolphin tows you back. The whole experience lats approx 30-40 minutes as a group. Approx 10 minutes of it combined time is for your personal experience. The animals are treated extremely well and the trainers are very knowledgeable. Just wish it lasted a little longer because it is really neat

 

[IoAJunkie]

Thanks for the info!