Tell me about Discovery Cove--have you gone???

We are going on Feb 21st :cool1:
I have a couple questions...

are there clocks around the park so you know when to head to your dolphin swim?

the picture/video package, this runs about $250 right? Is it worth it, do you get alot of pics? Are the pics just of dolphins or are their photographers throughout the park?

Do you recommend boat shoes? Or can you just get away with being barefoot?

Thanks for any help! I want to make sure I get this right;)



I don't remember if there were clocks but there are lifeguards all over and you can ask them (I think that's what we did).

The picture/video package is very expensive....is it worth it? Well, we didn't have anyone else to take pictures of us and we definitely wanted the memories. The video is okay...again we wanted the memory so I got that too. I didn't want to regret NOT getting it.

We were all barefoot:goodvibes

Have a great time....we LOVED it and would definitely do it again.
 
We just went to DC on Jan. 17, so can answer a few questions... there are a few clocks on posts along the walkways, but you can also ask any staff member and they will gladly tell you the time. As the previous poster mentioned, there are lifeguards stationed all over the park who were happy to tell us the time. We didn't even notice construction, so can't comment on the progress on that. It certainly didn't get in the way of our enjoying the park. As for water shoes, that would be a matter of personal preference. They are not necessary, though some might like to have them to protect feet from rough surfaces. They sell them at the gift shop for $14. I found I preferred to go barefoot, while my mom bought some water shoes and loved them.

Enjoy!! It was an incredible experience I would repeat over and over again.
 
Regarding pictures and video of the dolphin swim-there are great vantage points on rock outcroppings around the lagoon. I had four kids in the water and staked out a good location ahead of time. I still bought the "professional" pictures after but I got some great video.
Mary.
 
so glad you guys are out there for the help :goodvibes

This picture thing just blows my mind lol. I wish DC would be more specific with it. Now I have read that after your dolphin swim you are escorted to look at your pictures where you buy them then. If you buy the package then after an early swim, and have more pictures taken after, will those be on the CD as well?

thank you thank you!:grouphug:
 


so glad you guys are out there for the help :goodvibes

This picture thing just blows my mind lol. I wish DC would be more specific with it. Now I have read that after your dolphin swim you are escorted to look at your pictures where you buy them then. If you buy the package then after an early swim, and have more pictures taken after, will those be on the CD as well?

thank you thank you!:grouphug:

Yes - all the pictures you have taken that day - your dolphin swim, in the aviary, in the lazy river - will all be put on your CD. Keep looking for the photographers when you want them.

After your swim you go and pick out the photos you'd like printed up and in your post dolphin euphoria those packages look darn good. Now - the pictures are nicely printed and good quality, but it is just one more thing to carry home (especially if your package has a poster). At the end of the day you go to the kiosk to pay and to make sure all the right photos are on your CD - it can be a little time consuming.

Have a great time!
 
This was an awesome thread and answered a lot of my questions for our upcoming first visit. Thanks to each and every one of you that contributed, whether it was in the form of a trip report, or to respond to questions.

So, you wouldn't think that after all of that, I would have yet another question. :rolleyes1

DC has been on my list of things to do. We have stayed at the Hilton Grand Vacations resort right next door to it for the past 5 years as I gazed longingly every time we drove by it. This year we've finally decided we want to do something different and DC is it.

So here's the question. My husband is slightly disabled. He has already decided he doesn't want to do the dolphin swim, which is fine. My only concern is the bottom surfaces of things like the resort pool, the lazy river, etc. Since he had knee replacement twice and has back issues, I am concerned about his disability. In the resort pool, what is the bottom surface like, is it sandy, solid, rocky, etc? Are there dropoffs and what is the depth from lowest to deepest? I already got a good review of the lazy river, and how it is 8 ft. in some places, and I've seen videos of the surface of that so I think I know what to expect there.

I would just hate to go there and spend the money for him not to be able to even enjoy the resort pool due to uneven surfaces. I don't want the experience to be ruined for him. Can anyone shed some light on that aspect? I would appreciate it, thanks!
 
This was an awesome thread and answered a lot of my questions for our upcoming first visit. Thanks to each and every one of you that contributed, whether it was in the form of a trip report, or to respond to questions.

So, you wouldn't think that after all of that, I would have yet another question. :rolleyes1

DC has been on my list of things to do. We have stayed at the Hilton Grand Vacations resort right next door to it for the past 5 years as I gazed longingly every time we drove by it. This year we've finally decided we want to do something different and DC is it.

So here's the question. My husband is slightly disabled. He has already decided he doesn't want to do the dolphin swim, which is fine. My only concern is the bottom surfaces of things like the resort pool, the lazy river, etc. Since he had knee replacement twice and has back issues, I am concerned about his disability. In the resort pool, what is the bottom surface like, is it sandy, solid, rocky, etc? Are there dropoffs and what is the depth from lowest to deepest? I already got a good review of the lazy river, and how it is 8 ft. in some places, and I've seen videos of the surface of that so I think I know what to expect there.

I would just hate to go there and spend the money for him not to be able to even enjoy the resort pool due to uneven surfaces. I don't want the experience to be ruined for him. Can anyone shed some light on that aspect? I would appreciate it, thanks!

We have never spent much time in the resort pool, but the lazy river is very uneven with some huge fluctuations in depth and a variety of surfaces.

Corinna
 


Corinna, thanks for your response. I emailed DC Guest Relations earlier and asked them the same question and got a very quick and informative response from them, so I'll post it here, in case someone else might be interested in this information.



"Wind-Away River is 3 feet in the shallow and 8 feet at the deepest point

Serenity Bay is 0-1 feet in the shallow and 4 feet at the deepest point

Ray Lagoon is 0-1 feet in the shallow and 3 feet at the deepest point

Tropical Reef is 0-1 feet in the shallow and 12 feet at the deepest point

Dolphin Pools are 0-1 feet in the shallow and 12 feet at their deepest point

The River does have a very uneven bottom, which consists of river rocks. The Serenity Bay (formally known as Resort Pool) and Reef has a little bit of uneven pavement but one would be able to walk on without trouble, as the water is clear to see what to expect. Please keep in mind that the Reef does decline slightly then will drop off into the deeper water. The Ray Lagoon, in my opinion, has the flattest surface. As for the dolphin pools they do have uneven places similar to the Serenity Bay and then will drop off into the deeper water similar to the Reef."
 
We are planning to go in May next year, can anyone report on the new Reef?

Grumpy23 I would be interested to hear how your DH makes out as I'm traveling with two disabled people as well.
 
Just got back from DC and the new Grand Reef is soooo sweet with the ray's and fish together it opened a couple of days before we went. Love it!!!!
This was our second trip to DC and will not be our last.:goodvibes
 
We will be in Florida in mid-August. Does anyone know of any
discounts for Discovery Cove?
 
If you have a Sea World annual pass there are discounts available for Discovery Cove that are pretty good - especially if you are going the last few days of August or beginning of September....without a dolphin swim $69 with dolphin swim i think it was $119
 
i want to go to the discovery cove with my 1 year old (almost 2) and 5 year old. can they get in the water with me right close upto the dolphines and can my 5 year old swim with the dolphin?
 
i want to go to the discovery cove with my 1 year old (almost 2) and 5 year old. can they get in the water with me right close upto the dolphines and can my 5 year old swim with the dolphin?

The answer to both is unfortunately no. Nobody under the age of 6 is allowed to get into the water with the dolphins.

Corinna
 
I'm glad there is a post on this! I've always wanted to go to Discovery Cove and to learn about it first hand from people who actually have been there...

I wanted to go there sooooo badly when I went to Orlando in 2008... unfortunately, I went with a lazy, boring, negative cheapass... no wonder there are so many solo travelers!!

I have not read all the posts yet(there are so many!)... but I really hope that I can go someday soon!!
 
argh that abit annoying he will be 1 year too young!! my partner and i will have to swap the kids over with his mum and dad so we will have to go seperate!
 
I visited Discovery Cove for the first time at the end of September (this year). I loved it so much! I did the dolphin swim. :lovestruc Our group had Kyla in the beginning and Rascal for the swim portion.

Another favorite part of the day was the Grand Reef! I enjoyed snorkeling there and seeing everything around me. I especially loved the stingrays. It was my 2nd time swimming with them in general (1st time was in Belize).

Towards the end of the day, I hung out in the Grand Reef again. I snorkeled to the shark tank and then spent the remainder of the time in the shallow area. The stingrays swam into the shallow area often, and I had plenty of opportunities to pet them. I even got to observe a stingray feeding.

Would highly recommend DC. For everything that is included, the admission is a very good value. It was such an enjoyable day, and I would definitely do it again.
 
Myself, my husband, our son and niece are going to do this in December. The husband has desperately wanted to do this. So we will be 7 nights @ Universal Orlando on-site and one of those days we will spend at Discovery Cove. The kids don't know about the trip, just that we are going somewhere; the husband knows we are going to Universal, Kennedy Space Center and a couple other places, but knows nothing about DC. The plan is to wake them up early that morning, tell them to pack shorts and a bathing suit, hop in the car and head over. They are going to be SHOCKED, especially the husband.

Can't wait to finally experience this! It sounds absolutely wonderful.
 
Myself, my husband, our son and niece are going to do this in December. The husband has desperately wanted to do this. So we will be 7 nights @ Universal Orlando on-site and one of those days we will spend at Discovery Cove. The kids don't know about the trip, just that we are going somewhere; the husband knows we are going to Universal, Kennedy Space Center and a couple other places, but knows nothing about DC. The plan is to wake them up early that morning, tell them to pack shorts and a bathing suit, hop in the car and head over. They are going to be SHOCKED, especially the husband.

Can't wait to finally experience this! It sounds absolutely wonderful.
 

GET A DISNEY VACATION QUOTE

Dreams Unlimited Travel is committed to providing you with the very best vacation planning experience possible. Our Vacation Planners are experts and will share their honest advice to help you have a magical vacation.

Let us help you with your next Disney Vacation!






Top