Name: Planning a Trip to Discovery Cove in Orlando
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Planning a Trip to Discovery Cove in Orlando

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Display Search BarPlanning a Trip to Discovery Cove in Orlando – A comprehensive guide on Discovery Cove, with tips for ensuring your family has the best day ever!This post may include&nbsp;affiliate links. Please see my&nbsp;disclosure.Our family just returned from a spring break trip to Orlando, Florida. Because we had already visited Disney World a couple years ago, SeaWorld, Universal and Discovery Cove were on our agenda for this year.Out of all the places we visited and experienced during our time there, Discovery Cove was our family’s favorite part of the entire trip.I’m always surprised by the amount of people who haven’t heard of Discovery Cove. Some call it Orlando’s best kept secret – and for good reason.Discovery Cove in Orlando is an all-inclusive day resort where guests can enjoy a one-of-a-kind opportunity to swim with dolphins, snorkel among thousands of tropical fish and rays, hand-feed exotic birds, and encounter playful otters.&nbsp;It’s a paradise of rocky lagoons surrounded by lush landscaping, tropical reefs, winding rivers, a resort-style pool complete with waterfalls, and pristine white-sand beaches.Unlike many of the other “parks”&nbsp; in Orlando, Discovery Cove never feels crowded because they limit daily attendance to approximately 1,300 guests.The other HUGE perk that sets it apart, is that it is all-inclusive, meaning that everything you need for the day is provided for you (with the exception of your swimsuit). 🙂Planning a trip to Discovery Cove is fairly stress-free. All you really do need is your swimsuit. There’s no need to pack a cooler full of snacks and drinks, because all food and drinks are included at no extra charge! You can pick your jaw up off the floor now. 🙂Just take a look at their menu!Here’s everything that’s included with your ticket:I know it all sounds too good to be true, and at this point, you’re probably wondering what an all-inclusive day in Discovery Cove paradise really costs.Plan on at least $150-$200/person for standard admission (without the dolphin swim).While it is a bit pricey, there are packages you can take advantage of that include additional experiences for not that much more.For example, we booked a package that, in addition to our Discovery Cove admission, included the dolphin swim and 14-day unlimited admission to SeaWorld and Aquatica.For our family, the day and the experiences there were well worth the cost.One of Discovery Cove’s signature experiences is the dolphin interaction.Our family did take advantage of this, and I can say that of the dolphin interactions we’ve done at other parks (and in other countries), this was one of the best.The interactions last about 30 minutes and happen in groups of approximately 7-9 people.The trainers answer any questions you have during the interaction, and you get to touch, kiss, feed and “swim” with the dolphin. In fact, we met two different dolphins during our interaction and got to touch them multiple times.While Discovery Cove doesn’t allow those participating in the experience to bring their cameras or smartphones into the water, family members who aren’t participating are welcome to sit on the “shore” to take photos during the interaction.&nbsp;There is also a professional photographer assigned to each session to capture photos of you and your family.After the interaction, you are walked to the “photo area” where you can view and/or purchase your photos.&nbsp;As you would expect, there are even more ways to “upgrade” your experience at Discovery Cove. You can find all the special add-ons here.We decided to reserve a cabana for the day and it was WONDERFUL. It was private – almost hidden – tucked away within the beautiful landscaping.The cabanas are assigned before your arrival, but if there is a certain area you’d like your cabana to be located, you can try emailing guest services at&nbsp;&nbsp;before your stay to put in a special request.Special requests aren’t guaranteed, but they will make a note on your reservation. It’s worth a shot.Our cabana was located between Serenity Bay and the Dolphin Lagoon. It was close to the restrooms and the breakfast/lunch area.The cabanas include&nbsp;a cabana host/hostess, comfortable seating for up to six guests, a private and stocked refrigerator, private locker, snacks, beverages, and towel service.It’s the perfect place for small children or grandparents to relax or nap while the rest of the family is out exploring. You’ll also be happy to have a cabana in case some rain moves through the area the day you’re visiting.We loved just having a private meeting place and shady area to retreat to throughout the day. While there are plenty of loungers to go around, most are in the sun and unprotected from the elements.Our hostess checked with us many times throughout the day and restocked our towels, beverages and snacks as we consumed them.While you can request snacks and beverages to be brought to your cabana, I’m pretty sure all guests need to go to the actual restaurant for breakfast and lunch service.We never tried ordering anything but snacks or beverages to our cabana, so I’m not certain that’s the case – but from what I observed while there, it’s what I believe to be true.Once you’re on-site at Discovery Cove, there are stationary maps displayed around the park, but as far as a brochure or printed map, they aren’t readily available.It helps to familiarize yourself with the layout of the park before you go. Print out this map beforehand, or put it on your phone before your trip so you can reference it on-site.Besides the Dolphin Lagoon, there are five other sections of the park to explore:&nbsp;(The text below was taken from Discovery Cove’s 2019 Media Kit)The Grand Reef®The Grand reef features multiple levels of exploration, from shallow waters to deeper swimming adventures, from white sandy beaches to snorkeling among tropical fish, rays, and canyons inspired by reefs from around the world.Guests can discover a below-the-surface world teeming with sea life, or they can snorkel in deeper waters as thousands of exotic fish and graceful rays swim around them.Families can explore along the water’s edge or cross a bridge to see sharks swimming below.Freshwater Oasis®The Freshwater Oasis features wading adventures and face-to-face encounters with playful otters. Designed with a rainforest canopy above and sparkling clear springs below, guests can relax, explore and find endless discoveries.Explorer’s AviaryThis free-flight aviary is home to more than 250 exotic birds. Guests can hand-feed hundreds of birds and interact with birds as tall as four feet.Guests enter the aviary’s lush, tropical environment by way of the park’s beaches or driftingunder the refreshing waterfalls in the Wind-away River.Wind-away RiverThis waterway meanders through the park, encountering beaches, palm-covered walkways and rocky lagoons.Guests swimming through the Wind-away River travel through different environments: a sunny island beach, a dense tropical forest and an underwater cave.Swimmers going under a waterfall will emerge inside the immense free-flight aviary. Flotation devices are provided as the river varies in depth.Serenity Bay Beaches and PoolsSugar-white beaches are lined with swaying palms, tropical foliage and quaint thatched huts. Guests can claim their own spot among the tall shady umbrellas, sunning lounges and beach chairs.Buckets and sand toys are sprinkled along the beach for kids to enjoy.The waterways stay open until 5:00 pm, so take your time, relax and enjoy your day in paradise. If you decide to visit, there’s an excellent chance that Discovery Cove will be one of your favorite stops in Orlando.&nbsp;This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.I’m a Mid-Western girl with a Type A personality who lives to entertain. I believe it’s the special touches that make all the difference when it comes to family, home and a happy life. Read moreto stay in the loop on new posts!

Display Search BarPlanning a Trip to Discovery Cove in Orlando – A comprehensive guide on Discovery Cove, with tips for ensuring your family has the best day ever!This post may include&nbsp;affiliate links. Please see my&nbsp;disclosure.Our family just returned from a spring break trip to Orlando, Florida. Because we had already visited Disney World a couple years ago, SeaWorld, Universal and Discovery Cove were on our agenda for this year.Out of all the places we visited and experienced during our time there, Discovery Cove was our family’s favorite part of the entire trip.I’m always...

Planning a Trip to Discovery Cove in Orlando

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