Discovery Cove 2014 Roll Call

My DH, DS (12), DD (10) and I will be in Orlando from March 12-21. We have been to Orlando many times but will be going to DC for the very first time ever. SO EXCITED! I did not know about the Elite package. We will definitely be buying lots of pics. How much more to upgrade? Your pics are fantastic. Thanks for sharing. :)

The Elite package is $359.

As part of the package, you get the Ultimate photo package (which includes prints, key chains, a poster, a photo album, a CD of all photos, and a DVD of the dolphin swim) which is a $219 value on its own. So that means the cabana and the extras (dolphin buoy, photo frame or plush toy, tote bag, etc.) are only an extra $140.

You are going to have such a great time!!! You know, March isn't very far away.......it will be here before you know it!!
 
Added everyone and their dates to post #1 :thumbsup2 .

If I have anything incorrect, or have missed someone along the line, feel free to set me straight! :rotfl:

I will try and keep the list updated as the year goes on.
 
Added everyone and their dates to post #1 :thumbsup2 .

If I have anything incorrect, or have missed someone along the line, feel free to set me straight! :rotfl:

I will try and keep the list updated as the year goes on.

I haven't posted our dates yet, since I don't know the exact date, but it will be sometime between 4/8 and 4/10. Any day of the week better than the rest?

-Merrilyn
 


I haven't posted our dates yet, since I don't know the exact date, but it will be sometime between 4/8 and 4/10. Any day of the week better than the rest?

-Merrilyn

Added :thumbsup2. I can update you again later when you finalize your date.

I always try to pick the day that I think will be most busy at other parks, or that's the best priced. I am sure others have a totally different criteria for picking!
 
last time we went it was a Sunday at it was not busy at all or at least did not seem busy.
 


Sunday March 23 for us, although I've been holding off booking, hoping for the AMEX pricing to be extended past Jan 31. Spring Break pricing is high, so we are hoping for the best.
 
Sunday March 23 for us, although I've been holding off booking, hoping for the AMEX pricing to be extended past Jan 31. Spring Break pricing is high, so we are hoping for the best.

Added :thumbsup2 .

We are also holding out a bit of hope for a discount, but yet.....even if a new one is released following the expiry of the current AMEX offer, I'm doubtful it will apply to our August date as it really is still prime vacation time for many.
 
We're planning on going Tuesday, June 24th, but have a 10 day window if we needed to change plans for weather. We are Disney/Universal vets, but this is our first time doing DC, SW, Aquatica. Our trip includes my husband, two sons (age 13 and 10) and myself. We will be celebrating my younger son's 11th birthday so are getting the elite package. He's going to flip over the buoy and stuffed animal (he still loves stuffed animals but don't tell his friends:). We plan on spending the first two days of our trip at a SW affiliated hotel and doing SW and Aquatica, then moving over to Art of Animation at Disney. I planned DC for the middle of our trip to have a more relaxing day to look forward to.

I haven't booked DC yet(hoping for some kind of discount, AMEX maybe), but will book it soon if nothing appears. My next project is picking a hotel.
 
We're planning on going Tuesday, June 24th, but have a 10 day window if we needed to change plans for weather. We are Disney/Universal vets, but this is our first time doing DC, SW, Aquatica. Our trip includes my husband, two sons (age 13 and 10) and myself. We will be celebrating my younger son's 11th birthday so are getting the elite package. He's going to flip over the buoy and stuffed animal (he still loves stuffed animals but don't tell his friends:). We plan on spending the first two days of our trip at a SW affiliated hotel and doing SW and Aquatica, then moving over to Art of Animation at Disney. I planned DC for the middle of our trip to have a more relaxing day to look forward to.

I haven't booked DC yet(hoping for some kind of discount, AMEX maybe), but will book it soon if nothing appears. My next project is picking a hotel.

Added :thumbsup2 .

We are the same.....we are booked for the middle of our trip, but can shuffle around if needed in the event that poor weather or illness fouls up the plans. 'Cause hey, you never know :rolleyes2 .

What features are you looking for in your SW hotel? If you toss out your "must have" hotel list, then I'm sure we can help toss out some recommendations :) .
 
I'd love to hear how people get on and share any tips etc. so I can make the most of our day when we go in May
 
Thanks so much for all your help, info & advice Gina! We are all booked for March 13. So excited!!!:cool1:
 
Added :thumbsup2 .

We are the same.....we are booked for the middle of our trip, but can shuffle around if needed in the event that poor weather or illness fouls up the plans. 'Cause hey, you never know :rolleyes2 .

What features are you looking for in your SW hotel? If you toss out your "must have" hotel list, then I'm sure we can help toss out some recommendations :) .

Our needs are simple- a pool:). We'll have a car so transportation is not an issue. I'm really just looking for a SW affiliated hotel with a decent pool at a reasonable cost. We don't need a kitchen. There's only four of us so the room doesn't have to be huge. The less we pay for parking/resort fees the better. We don't need a hotel with breakfast included, but it's fine if it has it.
 
Our needs are simple- a pool:). We'll have a car so transportation is not an issue. I'm really just looking for a SW affiliated hotel with a decent pool at a reasonable cost. We don't need a kitchen. There's only four of us so the room doesn't have to be huge. The less we pay for parking/resort fees the better. We don't need a hotel with breakfast included, but it's fine if it has it.

The Renaissance has a great pool area (has waterslides and other kiddie features) that your 10 yo, especially, would love. You will have extra fees at this property, though, for parking, internet and breakfast. That said....you would avoid parking fees at SW as the hotel is literally right across the street. Rooms at this property are standard hotel rooms, not suites (though I hear they are on the large side and quite spacious).

The pool at the Hilton Grand Vacations SW also looks really, really nice. Rooms here are probably more than you need (full suites with kitchen and laundry facilities, and a fully separate bedroom or bedrooms) but parking and internet are both free. No included breakfast.

The Springhill Suites and Residence Inn both share a themed pool area but I think its going to be too "young" for your teen and pre-teen (the themed areas, anyway). These properties would give you free parking, breakfast and internet and offer some different rooms styles from which to pick.

The Residence Inn is where we stayed on our Christmas 2012 trip, so you can check out my TR for pics (see the link in my signature). The pool and hot tub are both large but unthemed. Great courtyard. Free breakfast buffet, parking and internet. Large suite-style rooms with small kitchens.

I hope someone else can chime in on the features of the Doubletree and the Hilton Garden Inn.
 
I'd love to hear how people get on and share any tips etc. so I can make the most of our day when we go in May

Here are some of the things I can think of off the top of my head....

- Get there early and plan to stay all day. You will want to squeeze in every minute you can....its one of those places you hate to leave.

- If you want to be able to enjoy the unlimited alcohol, be sure you have a designated driver or arrange transportation (taxi, town car service, etc.).

- If you are doing the dolphin swim, budget for one of the photo packages. Trust me when I say you are going to want those pictures.

- If you are getting one of the photo packages that include the photo CD, be sure to watch for the photographers in the other areas of the park and take advantage of every opportunity to add as many extra photos as you can. Those photographers can be found in the aviary, in the Freshwater Oasis, and in the lazy river (in a few different places).

- Forget the diet the day you're there and enjoy the food.

- For an earlier dolphin swim, check in early. Generally the later you arrive, the later your swim will be. This is particularly good advice to heed in the summer months when thunderstorms tend to hit in the afternoon, and morning swims are generally preferable.

- Plan for a quiet evening. If doing a Disney stay with the Dining Plan, I would forget about an ADR for this night. This would be a great time to order in and relax.....trust me when I tell you that you will be dead tired after a day in the water. Yes, its a "relaxing" day but the sun and the swimming makes a person utterly exhausted. We find we just want to go back to our villa and chillax......its the night of our vacation that we plan to just order pizza (much, much later in the evening!) and have it delivered. If you do have dinner plans, make them as late in the evening as possible as you will be FULL from all the food at DC.

I am sure other posters will also be offer some great advice of their own, too! :)
 
May 20th, 2014. :cool1::cool1: Super excited since I've never been. Looking forward to the Dolphin Swim!!!
 

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