Discovery Cove

Overview

Discovery Cove is a theme park owned and operated by SeaWorld and is located at the southern end of International Drive. Admission to Discovery Cove is by pre-booked ticket only and it is restricted to 1,000 guests a day, so if you are going at busy periods it is best to book up early. It is not a cheap day out, but all of your basic requirements for the day – towels, mask, locker, snorkel equipment, wet suits or vests and even ‘animal-friendly’ sun cream are included in the price. Dining is all-inclusive as well which includes breakfast and lunch in addition to beverages and snacks throughout the day.

There are two basic types of ticket available, one if you want to swim with dolphins and one if you don’t. Children under 3 have free admission, whilst children between 3 and 5 cannot do the swim with dolphin package. Guests also get a 14 day pass for SeaWorld and Aquatica that can be used either before or after your Discovery Cove experience. For a small additional fee you can upgrade to the Ultimate package which provides 14 days at Busch gardens as well as SeaWorld and Aquatica.

Despite the admission being paid in advance, and the day being all-inclusive, there are still lots of things to spend your holiday money on here! As well as the gift shop offering lots of cute souvenirs and photographic packages tempting you to part with your cash, you can also hire a cool cabana for the day including tables, chairs, loungers and a fridge stocked full of cold drinks. It is advisable to book these in advance though to get the best position and view.

Guests that have commented on their experience have said that this is one of the best days of their holiday and it is worth every penny.

After checking in at the grand entrance, that feels more like a hotel than a theme park, you are escorted by a park employee to your seating area for the day. Once you have settled down and taken in the beautiful surroundings of the 30 acre park, you can start to plan your day.

Dolphin Swim Experience: At the check-in desk you would arrange your dolphin swim time, if applicable, and when it is the allotted time you will gather in groups of 10 or less under a thatched tiki hut to be given a 10-15 minute orientation and instruction session with some of the park’s trainers. After putting on the wet suit, you head off to the lagoon with the bottle-nosed dolphins. As you stand waist-deep in the water, the friendly dolphins, some of which weigh 600lbs (272kg), will approach you and you can start interacting with them. Swimmers lacking confidence are taken care of and there are plenty of flotation vests should you require them. Pretty soon you are further out into the lagoon, where the water is 12ft (3.6m) deep, and this is where you are shown how to use hand signals and positive reinforcement to encourage the dolphins to perform so that you can play with, feed, hug and kiss your dolphin! The dramatic finale of your encounter is when you are towed ashore by one of these majestic creatures. The total time spent in the water is about 30 minutes, although this does vary much depend on the attention span of the dolphin!

The Grand Reef: This area of the park spreads out across a massive 2.5 acres and offers multiple levels of exploration from walking in shallow water, waist-deep paddling, through to deep-water snorkelling. Enjoy first-hand experience with 10,000 animals representing 125 species of moray eels, reef sharks, rays, urchins and scores of other tropical fish living in underwater canyons and grottos, with brightly-coloured artificial coral reefs. The Grand Reef also features a white, sandy beach, meandering paths, scenic rope bridges across a shark-filled lagoon and a palm-tree lined island, complete with hammocks and cabanas to relax in, as well as a drinks kiosk.

SeaVenture: Another attraction at The Grand Reef that can be bought as an additional ticket is SeaVenture. Guests looking to get more once-in-a-lifetime experiences from their day at Discovery Cove, can now sign up for this innovative underwater tour. Wearing diving helmets, guests find up-close excitement around every corner, each stop yielding a new discovery. Come across lionfish and sharks (safely behind massive panoramic windows), and one-on-one touches with unique animals, as schools of tropical fish and rays swim by. SeaVenture operates every day and the whole experience lasts about an hour, of which 20-25 minutes will be the actual walking underwater. The time of your SeaVenture is allocated for you and there is a maximum of eight persons in a group and various restrictions apply. If you have not pre-booked this additional attraction then it might be possible to organise it on the day if there are spaces available.

Freshwater Oasis: This section of Discovery Cove has been designed with a rainforest canopy above the sparkling clear springs below. The whole family can enjoy this tropical experience with most of the water being waist deep, and various levels of exploration allow you to paddle, swim or float as you discover up-close playful otters and see the park’s marmosets in the lush jungle foliage. The popular In-Water Relaxation Station provides the perfect setting for you to stop and enjoy an ice-cold beverage as you relax and soak up the hot Florida sun in the comfy chairs that are built into the area.

Wind-Away River: This gently flowing 800yd (732m) warm water river is primarily designed to be walked or snorkelled, and you won’t find an inner-tube in sight, unlike lazy rivers of other theme parks! Although there are no fish in this river, it does feature rocky lagoons, caves and sunken ruins. Meandering gently through waterfalls, the river finishes in the aptly-named Serenity Bay. The water can be as deep as 8ft (2.4m) so non-swimmers are advised to wear flotation aids.

Explorer’s Aviary: Accessed from various points around the park, including the beach and through the waterfall in the Wind-Away River, this free-flight aviary contains over 250 tropical birds including parrots and toucans. For those guests that aren’t afraid of birds, this is a perfect time to be used as a perch as the birds will welcome the chance to land on you and feed right out of your hand, if you stand still long enough! A small-bird sanctuary is full of finches, honeycreepers and tiny hummingbirds as well. Experts are on-hand throughout the aviary to answer any questions you might have.

Serenity Bay: This vast, warm, freshwater pool is surrounded by white sand beaches and offers something for everybody, including shallow water for paddling and playing, as well as deeper water for swimming. More adventurous guests might like to try showering under a waterfall, whilst the less brave visitors might just want to sit and relax on one of the plentiful loungers.

North Beach: As an alternative to Serenity Bay there is North Beach. Lie back and have a nap, or sit and watch the dolphins, life couldn’t get better than this!

Visitors with disabilities are well catered for at Discovery Cove. Special wheelchairs that can be manoeuvred in the sand or go into the shallow water are provided free of charge, and there is an area of the Dolphin Lagoon that allows those who can’t enter the water to be able to touch a dolphin.