First time at Discovery Cove any suggestions?

[suevee]

I am heading to Discovery Cove with daughter and two grandchildren (9 and 11) Both kids are strong swimmers. I have rented a cabana since i am not a swimmer and have reserved a dolphin swim for children and Mom. Is there amything special i should be aware of? Grandson autistic and says no sharks! How is the otter interaction?

Please give me suggestions to fill day. We will be there on a Thursday after spending 3 days in WDW. So I thought it would be a nice down day. Thanks

 

[HopperFan]

We love it there, and we arrive first thing in the morning because we don't want to waste any of our time. Enjoy the breakfast and lunch, plenty to offer and you can have more. Snacks and drinks all day, enjoy that as well. Live music plays during meal times.

The earlier you arrive the earlier your dolphin swim if that is important. You will get to pick a vest OR a wet suit. You HAVE to have it on at all times if you enter any water. Make sure your grandson understands that if he's never worn one and that he will have to keep it on if he wants to go in the water. You can only use their sun lotion safe for fish. You can watch them dolphin swim from the beach. You can get in the Aviary via path, some think you can only get in there via lazy river.

There is plenty to snorkel and see without going near the window where you can see the sharks. The otters are also behind glass where some other animals are but it's a nice area to move gently through the water. Snorkel water is COLD, be ready but the "pool" area is heated, this includes the lazy river. The lazy river is fast and deep, we are strong swimmers but will take a noodle with us to hang on so it's more relaxing. Check the schedule for the animals they bring out to meet, love the sloth!

 

[suevee]

Thank you so much.

 

[HopperFan]

Thank you so much.

Oh couple other things.

They also provide goggles and snorkels - you get to keep the snorkels. They are the plain kind with open top. My DS (who is disabled and loves to snorkel) has his own that closes off if he goes below water. Since he brings his own, I bring mine. We then take the free snorkels home. I also suggest they bring water shoes, the snorkel area is full of coral and rocks on bottom and the other areas can be very rough on the feet.

Also many don't realize there are swim vests for all ages hanging in a few spots for you to use. First trip we didn't because we are good swimmers but snorkeling is tiring and DS would get so tired but want to keep going. All our subsequent visits we put one on him and he can go all day, and no pulling on me.

We also bought a photo package for the dolphin swim. I rarely do that but the photos were great and so close up since photographer is in water. You get them close up like this and of you swimming with the dolphin.

 

[Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina]

HopperFan has given you a lot of great advice .

One thing I will add is about the Aviary. The birds are always hungriest in the morning, enough so that they will land on you and eat right from the cup that you hold in your hand (food for the birds is provided by DC staff who are stationed right inside the aviary). I don't know if a bird landing on him will scare your grandson or not, but its worth letting him know what to expect (or, if you think it might be too much for him, hold off on visiting the aviary until later in the day when they will be less eager to eat and more content to just hang out in the trees).

 

[a1tinkfans]

What awesome info! Thx for posting this!

 

[CAPSLOCK]

Bring a swimsuit even if you don't think you'll go in. There are some shallow areas with nice submerged lounge chairs for fun, non-swimming relaxation.

I found the lazy river to be super lazy, barely any current.

If you're not going in the dolphin swim regardless, consider bringing a good camera for free photos of the interaction instead of buying the photo package. With a zoom lens you can get very good shots from the rocks / beach area.

I suspect the water-goers will fill their day easily. There is more to enjoy than it appears from the map, and it is a nice chance not to rush at all for the whole day.

My non-swimming friend had a great time just using a life jacket in all water areas, and found she really enjoyed snorkeling the reef.

For your grandson who doesn't like sharks, there is an area at the back left side of the reef where there are sharks visible (through a clear wall). It is easily avoided by not heading towards that corner.

 

[RllngRckBrw]

Thanks to everyone that has offered feedback. My family is going here next month and I have learned a lot lurking on this board.

 

[suevee]

Thank you all

 

[djc9699]

We are going for our first time in July. We have been wanting to go for so long. It really looks amazing. My 14 year old daughter cannot wait to swim with the dolphins and the sharks. I will have my 3 year old granddaughter with me so she and I will be hanging back a bit. This thread has given some great information.

 

[keishashadow]

You cannot underestimate arriving early to select your dolphin swim time. Remember, it’s not unusual for summer TS, suggest booking your swim early to get ‘er done. Then, you can relax and enjoy the remainder of the day at your own pace.

Keep an eye out for visiting Sloths. An unexpected highlight of our visits in Jan & Feb this year .



The aviary can be accessed via both the Lazy River and walking back on marked pathway.

Lastly, bring a water-proof camera for candid shots & water shoes, you’ll be glad you did.