Discovery Cove 2014 Roll Call

[jack presley]

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!

That's great. Thanks for the tips!

 

[Haygar2]

Hi Gina. Thanks for directing me to this thread. We (myself, husband, 15 yo daughter and 11 yo son) will be in Orlando the week of September 7th (my birthday) thru September 13th. We will be celebrating our 20th wedding anniversary also. Which is why my husband agreed to DC. We will be going to DC on Friday September 12th. I am so excited to swim with the dolphins.

My kids had the option to do Universal Studios (we did IOA in 2012) or do DC. It was a no brainer. DC won hands down. I am waiting, just a bit longer, to buy our tickets. The other few days will be spent at Disney. I wish I could figure out a way to get SW into our plans, but I can't fit it in anywhere. Big bummer since we could get in for "free".

One quick question, though. The extra, for the elite package, is that per person or do you only pay the extra cost on one ticket?

 

[Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina]

Hi Gina. Thanks for directing me to this thread. We (myself, husband, 15 yo daughter and 11 yo son) will be in Orlando the week of September 7th (my birthday) thru September 13th. We will be celebrating our 20th wedding anniversary also. Which is why my husband agreed to DC. We will be going to DC on Friday September 12th. I am so excited to swim with the dolphins.

My kids had the option to do Universal Studios (we did IOA in 2012) or do DC. It was a no brainer. DC won hands down. I am waiting, just a bit longer, to buy our tickets. The other few days will be spent at Disney. I wish I could figure out a way to get SW into our plans, but I can't fit it in anywhere. Big bummer since we could get in for "free".

One quick question, though. The extra, for the elite package, is that per person or do you only pay the extra cost on one ticket?

Added to the list on page 1 .

The Elite package is one price for up to 6 people (the max the cabana can accommodate for the base cost)..

Too bad you can't fit in SeaWorld.....its an awesome park, and even nicer when its at no extra cost!! (you know Aquatica admission is also included with your DC tickets too, right?)

 

[Haygar2]

Added to the list on page 1 .

The Elite package is one price for up to 6 people (the max the cabana can accommodate for the base cost)..

Too bad you can't fit in SeaWorld.....its an awesome park, and even nicer when its at no extra cost!! (you know Aquatica admission is also included with your DC tickets too, right?)

Thanks Gina

Thanks for the info on the elite package. I am definitely going to upgrade. At first, I was thinking it was an add on for each ticket. That was a little much.

I wish we could do Aquatica, too. It's time factor thing. We really need to stay 2 weeks. LOL. Don't see that happening.

 

[KRFillion]

Just back, and we did Discovery Cove on Jan 19. We had booked it for Jan 18, but it was super cold that day so we moved it to the 19th without any issues.

I had booked the elite package and we had a cabana facing the coral reef. It was fantastic. We loved having all our snacks and drinks right there for us. We could relax on the beach and watch each other snorkel. Our cabana person would bring me pina colada's whenever I wanted, it was heaven!

My kids (ages 8 and 5) loved everything! It was by far the best day of our trip, it even topped Disney. We checked in and had breakfast. Got to our cabana and changed into our wetsuits. From there we headed to the Aviary. We were the first people in so the birds were hungry. They swarmed us like crazy and my kids were in heaven.

We then went back and did some snorkelling. Took awhile for my kids to catch on, but my DS8 had a blast. He loved the sting rays and sharks. We had a 11:00 dolphin swim. Both my kids did the deep water swim without any issue. It was my DS birthday so we had the dolphin bring a buoy out to him and he was told to wrestle it out of his mouth. The pictures of this are priceless.

We had lunch, and then hit the lazy river. This was so fun. We went around 2x and the kids just swam and swam The water was so nice and warm it was so hard to get out. But we were starving so we headed for lunch. Went back to our cabana and spent more time in the reef. Had a snack, went back to the lazy river for a few more times around.

Our cabana man took care of getting all our pictures for us, including making sure the photos from the river + aviary were on the CD. That was great as we didn't need to stand in line and deal with it.

We left the park around 5:00, tired and full. We didn't need to eat supper that night. Back to the hotel for some relaxing before another day at a Disney Park.

We all loved it, I can't say enough about it. The kids brought the video to school with them when we got back and are so proud that they swam with the dolphins.

Let me know if you have any questions.

 

[Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina]

Just back, and we did Discovery Cove on Jan 19. We had booked it for Jan 18, but it was super cold that day so we moved it to the 19th without any issues.

I had booked the elite package and we had a cabana facing the coral reef. It was fantastic. We loved having all our snacks and drinks right there for us. We could relax on the beach and watch each other snorkel. Our cabana person would bring me pina colada's whenever I wanted, it was heaven!

My kids (ages 8 and 5) loved everything! It was by far the best day of our trip, it even topped Disney. We checked in and had breakfast. Got to our cabana and changed into our wetsuits. From there we headed to the Aviary. We were the first people in so the birds were hungry. They swarmed us like crazy and my kids were in heaven.

We then went back and did some snorkelling. Took awhile for my kids to catch on, but my DS8 had a blast. He loved the sting rays and sharks. We had a 11:00 dolphin swim. Both my kids did the deep water swim without any issue. It was my DS birthday so we had the dolphin bring a buoy out to him and he was told to wrestle it out of his mouth. The pictures of this are priceless.

We had lunch, and then hit the lazy river. This was so fun. We went around 2x and the kids just swam and swam The water was so nice and warm it was so hard to get out. But we were starving so we headed for lunch. Went back to our cabana and spent more time in the reef. Had a snack, went back to the lazy river for a few more times around.

Our cabana man took care of getting all our pictures for us, including making sure the photos from the river + aviary were on the CD. That was great as we didn't need to stand in line and deal with it.

We left the park around 5:00, tired and full. We didn't need to eat supper that night. Back to the hotel for some relaxing before another day at a Disney Park.

We all loved it, I can't say enough about it. The kids brought the video to school with them when we got back and are so proud that they swam with the dolphins.

Let me know if you have any questions.

I added you to our list on page 1 . Even though your trip is already over, its still nice to know which Disers visited during the course of the year .

It sounds like you have an absolutely marvellous time . Thanks for posting your review .... reading about other families' experiences helps keep me entertained through the l-o-n-g months ahead until we are there in August!

 

[jaykorf001]

Just made our reservations for March 23. We are only doing the day pass since our son is not old enough for the dolphin swim. Thanks to a thoughtful DISer, I managed to get our tickets at the special pricing. It'll be myself, DH, and DS(5).

 

[Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina]

Just made our reservations for March 23. We are only doing the day pass since our son is not old enough for the dolphin swim. Thanks to a thoughtful DISer, I managed to get our tickets at the special pricing. It'll be myself, DH, and DS(5).

Woot, woot!!

I have added you to the list on page 1 .

 

[melissas77]

1st time to Discovery Cove planned for April 28 with my husband, son (14) and daughter (12)! Can't wait!
Great thread! I really appreciate the info on the elite package which I really knew nothing about!

 

[jaykorf001]

1st time to Discovery Cove planned for April 28 with my husband, son (14) and daughter (12)! Can't wait! Great thread! I really appreciate the info on the elite package which I really knew nothing about!

Okay, what's the Elite Package???

 

[Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina]

1st time to Discovery Cove planned for April 28 with my husband, son (14) and daughter (12)! Can't wait!
Great thread! I really appreciate the info on the elite package which I really knew nothing about!

Added to the list .

And I notice you are new to the Disboards . A big to you!

 

[Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina]

Okay, what's the Elite Package???

The Elite package details can be found here:

http://discoverycove.com/Plan/PackageDetail.aspx?id=681

Elite Package $359

Celebrate in style…! This ultimate pampering experience also includes your photo and video memories so you can take home and share. Includes:

•A buoy with personalized message delivered by a dolphin
•Discovery Cove Signature Tote Bag
•Choice of deluxe photo frame or plush toy
•A private cabana
•Discovery Photo Package (valued at $219 including an assortment of photo prints, digital photo CD, Dolphin Interaction DVD, poster, photo frame and a photo album)

Discovery Cove’s Special Occasions Packages are an additional charge to park admission and require the purchase of a dolphin swim package.

I am not so sure about the bolded part. We were able to add the Celebration Package + cabana to our August 2012 reservation which did not include a dolphin swim (just the day resort) .

If you are planning on getting a cabana ($175 as a stand-alone add-on) and the ultimate photo package ($219) then the Elite Package is a $35 savings without even factoring in the extras you receive (the frame or stuffed animal, tote bag and personalized buoy).

 

[jaykorf001]

Thanks for the info! Sounds like something we would consider once my son is old enough to do the dolphin swim.

 

[esmom]

Hi All- I'd love to join the group. We just booked our 1st Sea World/Aquatica/Discovery Cove vacation. We will be at DD on Aug. 18th! We will have the rest of the week to explore the other attractions.

DH, DD6, DD8 and I have been to Disney in 2010 and 2012 (both Aug. trips) but we have never had time to visit other parks. We are so excited!

A huge thank you to all who have been posting information! Especially you, Gina! I've been lurking on the boards for a little while trying to figure out how to plan the trip and you have been a wealth of knowledge!

I even booked the elite package which will be a surprise to my DH and DDs! It's a bit of a splurge but a great deal and something we would never normally do so I'm really excited to see what my family thinks.

One quick question- I read somewhere that the cabana attendant will go to pick up your pictures at the end of the day. I didn't see that on the web site so I was hoping someone here could confirm it. Is this something the attendant normally does or is it going far above and beyond? I don't want to ask someone to do extras for my family but it would be nice to spend every minute we can enjoying the Cove and less time waiting in a line.

Again, thanks to all for such great information!

 

[annabug]

After reading a detailed summary about the Elite package, I think the difference between the Elite and celebration package is the Photo package. And I want it!!

If I booked a celebration package and want to upgrade to the elite so I get the photos do I do that at the park, can I change it now? Or do I need to rebook? I don't want to loose the package I currently have.

TIA!!!!!

 

[Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina]

After reading a detailed summary about the Elite package, I think the difference between the Elite and celebration package is the Photo package. And I want it!!

If I booked a celebration package and want to upgrade to the elite so I get the photos do I do that at the park, can I change it now? Or do I need to rebook? I don't want to loose the package I currently have.

TIA!!!!!

You are correct...the photo package is the difference.

If you call DC, they will cancel your celebration package/cabana and rebook you for the elite package/cabana, then charge you the difference. You might be able to also do the upgrade at the park but its probably less stressful to know its all done ahead of time . I am sure the DC phone reps will make sure that the cancellation and rebooking goes smooth as silk! lol, lord knows I have put them through their paces for our last few visits with my adding and changing .

 

[Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina]

Hi All- I'd love to join the group. We just booked our 1st Sea World/Aquatica/Discovery Cove vacation. We will be at DD on Aug. 18th! We will have the rest of the week to explore the other attractions.

DH, DD6, DD8 and I have been to Disney in 2010 and 2012 (both Aug. trips) but we have never had time to visit other parks. We are so excited!

A huge thank you to all who have been posting information! Especially you, Gina! I've been lurking on the boards for a little while trying to figure out how to plan the trip and you have been a wealth of knowledge!

I even booked the elite package which will be a surprise to my DH and DDs! It's a bit of a splurge but a great deal and something we would never normally do so I'm really excited to see what my family thinks.

One quick question- I read somewhere that the cabana attendant will go to pick up your pictures at the end of the day. I didn't see that on the web site so I was hoping someone here could confirm it. Is this something the attendant normally does or is it going far above and beyond? I don't want to ask someone to do extras for my family but it would be nice to spend every minute we can enjoying the Cove and less time waiting in a line.

Again, thanks to all for such great information!

Welcome! I have added you to the list on page 1 .

Glad to hear you have found the information helpful!! You will love having a cabana in the August heat......since you have visited Florida before in the summer, you know how scortching hot that sun can get! You will also love having the cabana attendant keeping the fridge full and your snack basket done up with all your kids favourites. A day at DC makes you feel like a VIP as it is, but adding the cabana just puts it over the top .

Unfortunately, I can't answer your question about the assistance from the cabana attendant with the photos (when we had the cabana on our last visit, we didn't get the photo package as we did not do the dolphin swim that time), but hopefully someone else can chime in with their experience.

Happy planning!! And I'll see ya over on the Team August thread, too .

 

[lemonears6]

What time of year is best to go? What age range?

 

[Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina]

What time of year is best to go? What age range?

I'm not sure there's a "best" or "worst" time. I would say the best time is whenever you are going to be in Orlando on vacation . We have been to DC in the middle of winter and dead of summer, and loved it both times.

Age range? Well, you have to be six years old in order to do the dolpin swim. But that's not saying kids under six won't enjoy the park....there's still lots to do for the little folk. This video might be helpful.....its a great summary of what DC has to offer:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8hAjmtpVhTo

 

[tweak89]

Wife and I are making our second visit on March 23rd. This time, we are bringing along my niece and nephew. We loved it the first time around, we missed the fresh water oasis by about a month so there will be something new to see.

Can't wait to do some more snorkeling so I can test out my new action cam!!