We did the trainer for the day program at Discovery Cove last September and my BF and I loved it. On top of the regular dolphin swim, you also get to experience what they call a "double foot push" where a dolphin will push you from your feet across the water. All the dolphin interaction was great, but my favourite was the double foot push! It was a lot of fun!
With the trainer package, you also get to go behind the scenes. At the time that we visited, we got to visit a trainer working with a baby nurse shark. He was showing us how they've trained the baby nurse shark to come to them on demand. They let us feed him, which was pretty cool. They were also trying to train him to squirt water out of his gills on command.
At some point, we also went behind the scenes and met a tortoise, an owl, an anteater and some parrots. We were given access to the aviary before anyone else, so we were there for the birds first feeding. We also waded with the sting rays, which I think you're able to do in a regular package. When we did arrive at the pool area, they kind of cleared a small area for us to interact with the sting rays, which made the interaction a little bit more private.
I didn't feel rushed at all throughout the whole day. It was very relaxing, but yes, it was very structured. The trainer gave us a couple opportunities to go out and do our own thing during the program. The program ended around 3pm, so we had a couple hours to do whatever we wanted, which was great.
Overall, the experience was fantastic and I will definitely do it again. The trainer that we were following around was great. She was taking pictures with our own camera throughout the day. We had unlimited access to food and drinks the whole day, so you really don't need to worry about anything or bring anything with you. The cost is a lot up front, but for what you get, it's really worth it.
Next time we visit Florida, we will definitely go back to DC!
Hope that helps!