First time visiting Discovery Cove. It was an amazing, awesome experience. Would definitely like to go back if I ever visit Florida again. read more

What can I say about Discovery Cove other than how amazing it is and how easily you can spend the entire day there relaxing, soaking in the Sun and swimming with some amazing fish and eating some amazing food. All of which are included with the price of admission! Discovery Cove is in all day all inclusive theme park activity, located adjacent to SeaWorld and owned by them as well. During the time of covid-19 capping the capacity and it is making it seem like an empty place which is a very good thing! They take your temperature before you're allowed inside the park and check-in is a breeze, getting you in and situated in less than 10 minutes. If you are over the age of 21 certain beer is included in the price. The breakfast and lunch are honestly some of the best food that I have had at a theme park and I am a season pass holder to Disney World sell that is definitely saying a lot given how many restaurants Disney has. Breakfast is a buffet as well as lunch and for breakfast they have many different items such as sausage, eggs, yogurt and the fruit. You also can get orange juice and coffee and go back over and over again during the hour-and-a-half they have for breakfast hours. For lunch I opted for the salmon and let me say that it was some of the best fish I have ever had. I would go out of my way and spend the money to go into the theme park just for the lunch alone. They also have the little scuba diving area that has some beautiful fish, the water is ice cold so be ready for a thermal shock when you first wade into it! LOL! They also have an Aviary where you can feed some gorgeous looking birds. They also have sea otters that you can come face-to-face with and they are absolutely adorable! They also have additional excursions such as a dolphin swim, however because of covid-19 able to swim with them but that gives you an extended amount of time to talk with the trainers and touch these Majestic animals. Overall an amazing place however if it rains and there is lightning in the area they will close everything there, making it very difficult to justify the price of admission if you are stuck under cover for half of the day. read more

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Muy buen lugar y excelente servicio gracias . read more

The sand is heavy muck, similar to Jones Beach, with leaves and other junk here and there. Breakfast and lunch were manufactured cafeteria food, but low quality even by that standard. Because guests in the dining area (it's outdoors) feed the birds -- and Discovery Cove's staff turns a blind eye -- you'll eat surrounded by birds (and their droppings), and they'll jump on your tabletop and peck at your food the moment you're not looking! Because the lazy river lacks a current, you'll power yourself along the route (it's not relaxing or lazy). I like the aviary, and the concept of the river going through the aviary is great, but there are ropes acting as bird perches directly above the lazy river. That means bird poop drops in the river from above while you're swimming. The restrooms are too small for the volume of guests, as is the snorkeling area. Snorkeling brought to mind old Coney Island photos with swimmers shoulder-to-shoulder because it's so crowded. The footpaths around the park were covered with the sand muck too. All facilities appear to have been little changed -- and never upgraded -- since Discovery Cove opened around twenty-five years ago. A couple positives: the bar staff was friendly, and they never ran out of beer or snacks (they're included in the entry fee). Check-in was efficient, despite the long morning queue to enter the park. Skip Discovery Cove because you likely didn't fly to Orlando for a Jones Beach-ish experience. read more

So much fun! We swam with the dolphins, snorkeled in the reef, and did the underwater seaventure. I felt like all of the employees were very well educated about the marine life & were excited to share their knowledge with us. The photographers took great pictures and the food was delish. I definitely recommend getting water shoes for the seaventure - you're walking along the bottom of a large tank. Special shout out to June who was our guide through the whole experience and took great care of us. My dad said he has been wanting to go here for over 25 years and it did not disappoint! read more

100% the best experience iv ever had! we did do the VIP package which I highly recommend. everyone was so helpful and thoughtful. morgan (one of the trainers) was absolutely amazing At showing us around the park read more

Most of our group had never been here before. One of us has been here a few times. It's not at all what it used to be. It's supposed to be a premier day resort where they limit the amount of people but it no longer seems like that. The snorkeling area is so crowded, it's not even any fun because there is someone constantly running into you; you can barely move. It doesn't seem like they limit the amount of people; they have tons of people and try to sell all the upgrades. It's also no longer premier... the waterways had soooo much debris, it was gross! The rivers were also quite crowded. When trying to attend info sessions about otters or the marmosets, there's so many people packed into these tiny areas & half of them don't care so you can't really even hear the person talking. Also I think I saw maybe 2 employees that actually seemed happy to be there; everyone else seemed to hate their life. The food area is now super unorganized & takes forever for lunch. I'm not sure how I can continue to spend money for this premier experience when there's no longer anything premier about it. read more

They open at 7:00 am, we got there at 7:15 am and there was a line already. After checked in and got a name tags. We headed straight to Laguna Grill for breakfast and this is where you would come back after 11:00 am for lunch. It is all included in the package. Beer and cocktails were included in the package as well, so drink as much as you like. First dolphin activity start at 8:30 am. No cellphone, hat, glasses allowed in the dolphin pool. They had a pro photographer who takes a picture for you. We purchased 4 6x8 pictures for $120. We had to, no choice. I highly suggest if you have snorkeling set you should bring it and use your own. We brought our own snorkeling set. The day we went it was anywhere from 85-90 degrees so it was warm. We liked lazy river and swimming area the most. I highly recommend this place if you come to Orlando, Florida with your kids. read more

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I could not be more happier with my trip to Discovery Cove. It was absolutely amazing & I am glad I found it and booked it for my trip to Orlando. Discovery Cove is the perfect getaway for a day. When you enter into Discovery Cove, they have beautiful gardens surrounding the area. They have a large venue at the top/front of the resort where you check in. It is a tall building with an open concept and it really fits the garden/forest vibes. There was lots of staff there helping everyone check in and get a rundown of how the day will work. Once I was all checked in, I took an incredible walk into the park. They have greenery on both sides, water, and even forest noises (like exotic birds) through the speakers along the walkway. I thought it was real in the beginning--I had no idea that the noises were coming through speakers. Discovery Cove has done a great job with elements that make the guest feel welcomed into their space. I then arrived at their cafeteria area, where I was greeted with an assortment of options for breakfast. The breakfast food was pretty bland so I was glad they had some condiments and spices to make it more flavorful. One of the things that sold me on buying a ticket to Discovery Cove is the fact that their resort is all inclusive, so you just take whatever you'd like and you're set. From there, I took another little walk to the locker area and to get a wetsuit. There was one specific lady that stuck out like a sore thumb as people were waiting to get their wetsuits. Everyone else was decent and respectful, but this one lady was being sarcastic and rude to every single person that looked at her. She was pretty rude to me but I was just glad to be done with her and move on with my fun day. From there, I went over to the grand reef and dipped my toes in. I thought someone was joking when they said they touched a stingray. Nope, there is hundreds of fish in this area. They have several stingrays, small fish, and also guitar fish that everyone thinks are sharks. They also do have sharks but they're in their own separate area. I believe they also have some kind of deep dive area, but that part was closed off from the rest of the water. I have never really been a fan of stingrays after what they did to Steve, but I really warmed up to them on this trip. They are so cute and fun when they start swimming around everywhere. I also spent a while just snorkeling around this area and exploring all the fishies. They had an otter exhibit, which I was so excited about. Otters have always been a favorite of mine & I love how energetic they are. The first time I visited the otters, they were playing and having so much fun. Of course, this was also when I didn't have my camera haha. The encounter was anticlimactic--it was crowded with people and you just got to see them eat so it wasn't really that exciting in my opinion. They had other animal encounters throughout the day as well. You could pay extra to swim with the dolphins in a group of people but it was free to watch them, which I thought was just as good. They brought out something that was not an owl, but kind of looked like one. I believe he was a frogmouth. They also showed us a cute little sloth. Sloths don't usually move a whole lot but this guy was on the move. The trainers were amazing at explaining everything with the animals & answering all of our questions. On top of the water with all the fish in it, they had a heated lazy river and a heated lounge area. They also had an area that was like a beachy rainforest, but didn't have all the animals in it. Unfortunately, at one point, all of us had to get out of the water because of the storm. It was coming down pretty hard but I, for one, didn't mind. Lunch was served later in the day in the same cafe area. I was a big fan of the lunch. They had so many options and there was a lot more flavor to the lunch. I loved the island rice and the pulled pork. The grilled chicken was okay. They also had a burger bar, fries, and chicken tenders. They still also served whatever drinks you'd like. There was plenty of seating near the cafe and there was workers helping make sure the area was clean. Another awesome perk to Discovery Cove are the bar/snack areas around the resort. These bars can serve you cocktails if you paid the extra $40 or beer/wine. Next to the bars, they also have your typical sodas, and even different flavors of icees. Throughout the day, they also served pizza, pretzels, and warm cookies. I ended the day with a warm shower, which came with complimentary shampoo, conditioner, and body wash. There was also an area for me to do my makeup, which was nice because I had somewhere special to be afterwards. They also provided towels. I am so glad I was able to visit Discovery Cove; I had so much fun and the experience was unlike anything else I've seen before. I was able to learn about animals and even warm up to animals I didn't think I liked, like the stingrays. I'd love to go back! read more

Discovery Cove - Amusement Parks Near Me - Orlando, Florida

If you're looking for something to do in Orlando that's more than a theme park, this is it! Get there early as it does take awhile to check in however none of the pools open till 9am so it gives you plenty of time to eat breakfast and find a place to sit. Would recommend finding a spot with shade as it feels hard to find a spot to relax in the shade that's not the dinning area. read more

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We had an awesome time at Discovery Cove. The kids loved snorkeling with all the fish and sting rays. We also loved the huge lazy river and birds. It was our first time here so we had a lot to learn. I felt like some more information up front would of helped us be more efficient, but all in all we had a great time. We some how managed to never see the sloth, or any flamingos so I'm not sure what we were missing as we walked everywhere before the pools even opened at 9. The food was really good for what it was and who can complain about an open bar with snacks like mini pizza's, pretzels and cookies for the kids? We didn't do any of the add-ons, but next time we will likely spoil the kids with the dolphin encounter. The first trip was more of a learning curve for us, but we highly recommend Discovery Cove if anyone is considering it! We also did the 2 park pass with it which is unlimited re-entry 14 days prior or after. This allowed us to spoil the kids at Sea World for three days. Although, there was no indication that Antarctica was closed and that was one of our favorite places to see when at Sea World. read more

I would give it five stars except for the fact that they couldn't find our pictures at the end for us to buy. I was highly disappointed and waited for 1.5 hours to look at them. I've called and was told they were going to send them, and they haven't. I called again today but it has been 9 days now of fussing with this. Also, I felt that the staff with the shark adventure and seaventure should have been more knowledgable about these events and they weren't and just stood there staring at us. I had a special needs son and needed to prep him for these two extra events and it would have been less stressful for me. The reason I kept it at 4 stars was the grand reef was awesome, and so were these two extra adventures. The food was very good. I wish the staff were more responsive. I still want my pictures. read more

Great experience for all ages! Pricing can vary, they run sales throughout the year. I opted for just the resort tickets. I personally didn't want to swim with the dolphins, which is extra. Parking was plentiful and included with the tickets. We arrived around 8:45 am and there was no wait to get checked in. Upon entering, I felt like I was walking into a resort in Hawaii. The reception building is beautiful and smells so good. The employees are all so nice. Breakfast was basic, but good. There's hot food such as eggs and bacon, and lots of cold options such as yogurt, fruit and cereal. I really enjoyed lunch. The coconut crusted salmon was flavorful! I liked the chicken as well. Domestic beer and wine is included in the price! You can upgrade to the premium package that includes liquor and it's a pretty good deal for the price. I love that the park attendance is capped. I felt like I was at a resort. There were plenty of beach chairs available. They have plenty of different wet suits: long sleeve, short sleeve or vests. The restrooms were clean with plenty of towels and even showers. I'd suggest getting a locker as soon as you can. There were only a few left by the main restrooms by the time we got there. I enjoyed floating around the lazy river. I loved feeding the birds in the aviary. They land right on your arms and shoulders! The snorkeling was excellent! The huge rays are so friendly! Be sure to swim to the back of the reef to see the giant grouper and sharks (separated by glass). I had a really great day. I didn't feel like I missed out by not swimming with the dolphins. I still got to see them. I would definitely purchase tickets in the future to do this again. read more

My family & I took a trip & visited Discovery cove for my little boys Birthday. I was a bit nervous as it's $$$$ I didn't know if we were going to find it worth the high price tag. Let me just say it was 100% worth it & honestly the highlight of our trip! We ended up doing another day. The reason for only 4 stars is because I feel there's just a few things they could tweak to make it better. The food is all inclusive as well as some alcoholic beverages which we don't drink so wish they offered an option for savings if you don't partake in the liquor. The snack options could have been a little more variety & the pretzels are delicious but need cheese please! The pizza was actually really delicious and is available at the snack bar. They do close pretty early 5 pm wish it was till 7 and part of the lazy river was closed off due to staffing shortages as well as the animal encounters we only saw the same owl bird not what was advertised. We did the swim with the dolphins experience and it was so fun getting to see my childrens faces light up as they are big marine animal fans. But the true highlight was the snorkeling in the reef with all the fish, guitar fish, giant spotted eagle rays, puffer fish, eels, sharks etc. We are big Sea wold fans and this is def next level. The attn to detail such as limited capacity, down to sunscreen, showers, life vest est was all excellent. The gift shoppe affordable. The only really bad thing was the photographer for the dolphins didn't capture any really great photos and that is extremely overpriced packages start at $300 or a single photo is $45 which I personally find to be a little offensive. When you are spending this type of money and pay for an upgraded experience you should at least get a single photo for free. But that's my biggest gripe. The aviary was also really cool. If you have any doubts about coming don't. Im extremely picky and we will absolutely have to make a trip back to Orlando specifically for this again. read more

Best day of our trip! We had a beautiful cabana space. Our attendant, Jason, was so friendly and helped to make our day a success. I highly recommend a cabana for families. It was convenient to have a home base. The dolphin swim was more interactive than I expected and the trainers were awesome. Food was good. We got there at about 6:40 so we were one of the first to be checked in. That was nice but that put us with a really early dolphin swim that pushed back breakfast and us getting our cabana. I knew this would not work with little kids and we have a child with an injury that needed to lay down in the cabana. The lady at check in was understanding and kind. She pushed our dolphin swim back by an hour. It made all the difference. My only recommendation to Discovery Cove would be to let anyone with cabanas do that check in first thing so stuff can be dropped before breakfast. Plus if anyone in the party is older or disabled, they get their rest space right away. Beautiful day with wonderful memories for our family. read more

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Best time ever with our family group. Breakfast and lunch are buffet style. No lines and very clean park. We did love the cabana and amenities. The attendant, Josh, lit the heater and kept us supplied with snacks, drinks, towels and information. The dolphin experience was wonderful. LaToya was a gentle well trained and cooperative. Photos came out great. read more

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Do not recommend this place!! they over charge the people. I got charge almost $800 for 3 general admission tickets. then, I called them since l saw the same 3 tickets for $560. They said that l can buy the tickets again since they don't have me on the system yet. I went ahead and buy the ticket again. Now, my bank is claiming that they took the money twice. I called them to resolve the issue and they refused to refund my money back. So, I paid more than $1300 dollars for 3 general admission tickets. Never will go back and l will advised not to ever go there or to Seaworld which is associated with this company. read more

It was a magical stay with countless fish, 57 sting rays and swimming next to sharks was unique. The employees really make the experience glamorous and educational. I'm grateful every food item is included and it makes it feel like a resort and comfortable. We really enjoyed meeting Rose and wish the photo package was more affordable. read more

Discovery Cove - Amusement Parks Near Me - Orlando, Florida

This was a great experience that I would definitely look to do again sometime! I do have some critiques and things to note, and will try to break this review up into clear sections. Dolphin Swim This is the big selling point and while you do get up close to a dolphin, it's a pretty limited reaction. Dolphins are amazing creatures and this was my first up-close encounter with one, so that was amazing. However, you are in a group of people, in my case it was me and my girlfriend, and 7 other people, so 9 total. The experience includes getting to pet the dolphin, giving signals to do some tricks, a couple photo poses that includes the dolphin kissing your cheek, and hugging the dolphin from the middle, and finally getting to ride along from the side as the dolphin swims for a few feet. Your 1-on-1 time is ultimately pretty short. Where they really try to sell you is on the photos. The cheapest package is $99 for 4 photos, and individual photos are $40 each. We contemplated doing the 4, but didn't love any of the photos enough and felt it was more about the experience. It would be great to have the photos, but I wish they didn't charge so much for them. The Grand Reef Snorkeling in the reef is one of the coolest things to do here. You can come and go throughout the day and there are a ton of fish and stingrays. It's fun to swim around to see them, and we enjoyed petting the rays as you swim past. You can also see sharks from above and underwater from the neighboring pool. Otters & Marmosets Encounters There's a small river you can get to from the main one, or enter by land, which has these encounters. The otters are behind glass whereas the marmosets can be seen more openly from the river. Each one has multiple showtimes throughout the day where a trainer comes out to feed them. Since the otters are behind glass, you only see them get fed, though it's entertaining to watch. With the marmosets, the trainer tells you information about them and you can ask questions. Both animal groups are pretty cute. Explorer's Aviary There's a part of the river where you're inside of an aviary with birds flying overhead. The main aviary though, where you will see more exotic birds such as parrots, splits off from the river and was closed during our visit. The website currently shows this to be the case through early May 2022. Beyond that I did see a group of flamingos walking through the park a couple of times throughout the day, and followed closely behind them once, which was pretty cool. Wind-Away River The river is pretty warm and slow-moving. There are surprisingly no tubes you can lay on, so your options are a noodle and/or life jacket, to float around. Beware that the depth levels fluctuate a lot here, most notably that it gets really shallow quite suddenly, and the floor can be rocky and have things you'll stumble over. I recommend wearing water shoes here, which we did not have, but would opt for in the future. There is also a very shallow pool connected to the river that has a bunch of chairs you can sit in and enjoy a drink, conveniently located right next to one of the bars. It's pretty cool they let you bring drinks in for this area, and makes for a nice, relaxing place to chill and socialize. Food & Drinks There's a lot of great value here. While the ticket prices are pretty high here, the unlimited food & drinks helps to make up for it. They have breakfast in the morning, which has some good options and is worth checking out, but I'd recommend eating light and saving your appetite for lunch. We did this and got lunch twice (a few hours apart) so we could try different things. You can go as many times as you want and they have several great options. We enjoyed the steak, burger, and salmon a lot. They have some tasty cakes for dessert as well. Please note your standard ticket includes beer & wine only, whereas the premium drink package includes cocktails and draught beer. Any of the craft bottled beers are not included in the standard package, so your options will be very basic beers like Budweiser. We had the premium drink package for free with a promo that was going on at the time, but I'd say the $40/person uncharge is well worth it otherwise. They have some great signature drinks and really good margaritas. There were several frozen cocktails that looked good, but it wasn't that warm when we went, so we didn't try any this time. Ticket Pricing It does get pricey here and the pricing fluctuates immensely. In the summer it gets really up there, so check the calendar and pick a date with the lowest cost you can find that you'd be able to visit. Overall Experience The park is quite beautiful and offers lots of fun activities throughout the day. I recommend grabbing your chairs in front of one of the dolphin pools, so you can see them as you lounge. This is a very upscale theme park experience blended with a tropical, resort feel. read more

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Great spot for a day to relax, explore and learn. I have been here at least 10 times and every visit I learn new facts about animals. This is my number one spot to take family from out of town because they limit the attendees and there are no lines or pressure. If you paid for a dolphin swim be sure to report to the designated area ahead of time. They have small groups and time is limited. So here are some interesting tips if you are planning a day at the park: 1) There is a resort pass and then there is a report pass with dolphin swim. You pay more for the dolphin swim and you get about 30 minutes or interaction and 45 seconds of one on one time with a dolphin. They offer all kinds of upgrades from trainer for a day to cabana and mini cabanas. You don't require any of these to have a good time but if you are looking to customize your experience then go for it. 2) You can take pictures of relatives during the dolphin swim but your view may be blocked by the professional photographers or other trainers. The staff will take wonderful shots and they are pricey, It is your preference if you want the photo or just the memory. It is fun to look at their prints but you might also be tempted to buy. We had a great interaction with James reviewing our photos.. He was fun and helpful and not pushy. He actually knew some football trivia about my team the Chicago Bears. By far he was the friendliest and really added to our day. 3) You don't need anything to come to this park. They give you animal friendly sun screen, towels etc. They have three styles of wet suits: Vest, wet suit shorts and longer wet suits that cover your leg to the ankle . At least the vest is required to access the lazy river and animal pools. They offer float jackets for people who are not strong swimmers. 4) I recommend feeding the birds early (first thing) or late. You get cups of food and they say birds graze all day. Eating like a bird is really the opposite of the common saying because they eat a lot of their body weight in one day. -Be sure and explore as there are multiple rooms. You can easily miss one. -If you get into the lazy river via the bird area you can avoid one of the waterfalls used to keep the birds in the aviary. -We went to the 4 o'clock marmoset session (they look like monkys or cats) and I suspect the animals were full from all the earlier feeding sessions. 5) Check the scheduled times for the animal encounters. As you pass the guest services, turn left and go over the bridge and on the left is a small area with the schedule. -They bring out birds, sloths, all kinds of creatures that they keep at Discovery Cove and Sea World. On my last visit we encountered a small screech owl at 10:15 AM. Sometimes there are surprise animals not on the schedule. DC Animal specialists "ask" the animals if they want to come out and interact and if they don't feel like it they are not forced. -You cannot pet them but you learn all about how they obtained the animal and how they care for each one. -They feed the rays in the pools in two different places. No set schedule but 3ish in one spot and 3:30ish in another 7) The lazy river is heated so it is warmish like a bath tub not like a hot tub. They do have hot water in the showers. Also the noodles cannot be reserved. We went during the Christmas holiday and people had put the noodles on the chairs and left. The life guard said noodles can be picked up at any location as they are not items that people can reserve. Just call me the noodle thief. 7) The food is OK, I think the lunch is better than the breakfast. The upgraded beverage option lets you try a lot of different things like Sangria, White Claw, liquor and craft beers. Try not to wait until 3 PM - 3:30 PM to get lunch as they can get a small queue but that will be the only line up of the day. Arrive at their opening time for breakfast as you don't want to miss any part of this day. read more

Discovery Cove - James at the photo review - my vote for the friendliest customer service works the photo desk - Amusement Parks Near Me - Orlando, Florida

Lengthy review but worth it. This place is so beautiful. I wish we could just stay for days or weeks there. So relaxing. The star that is missing from this rating I'll just get out of the way now. We heard over and over that the food was awesome...... our rating isn't 5 because the food was eh. Not fantastic. Not great. I'm convinced it is people that enjoyed all you can drink and kids that say it's great ! So we peeps know it's not but it's not bad. Just if i had the option to bring in food or leave and eat and save the money i would. Now back to the other 4 stars that this place more than deserves. We decided not to opt in with swimming with dolphins. We both have done that in Mexico and that experience was intense and enjoyable so there wasn't a dying need to do it there. I'm glad we opted out because the experience here is much different and not anything to write home about in our experience. You stand in the water in groups and get to pet the dolphin and just let the dolphin pull you a few feet. We weren't sad we missed that. HOWEVER, the view from our 2 person daybed of the Dolphin Cove and watching the dolphins swim and play was incredible and the spot I'd want every time. Bottom line: the day bed was worth it. Complimentary seating is available and looks to have plenty. There are lockers for their guests and also wetsuits or jackets and snorkeling gear also available at no extra cost. They also have 30spf sunblock available all day at stations. Towels too! The bathrooms were so well kept up all day and it was busy. They have towels to use in there and showers as well. It felt very "resort spa" in there and it was so nice. Very different from a Sea World park. We felt like we were at an all-inclusive in Mexico! The swimming with the stingrays and other sea life was awesome. You just walk into the pool area and it's got coral and other things to make it home for the animals and make you feel like you are immediately in the ocean with them. It was accessible without any problem all day long. The water is cooler in there being salt water and kept at a certain temp for the animals. The lazy river was beautiful. Blew our mind. It swims you into an aviary that you can get out and walk into if you don't want to go u see the waterfalls. The variety of birds was impressive and it was clean and kept up. Didn't have a bird smell like other places we have visited. The marmoset and otter exhibit was so cool because you swam over to them. It was so creative the way they have this place set up. The white sand beaches made this place really believable that you were at the beach. They have pools that go into the river. They have bars in a few spots and drink stations for the rest of your crew too with snacks available all day. I could keep going but i think you get the point. This place is worth the dollar. Period. read more

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Although it can be pricey, the cost is well worth it. Swimming with fish and stingrays is an exhilarating experience that offers a unique glimpse into the underwater world. The vibrant colors and graceful movements of the fish create a mesmerizing spectacle, while the gentle gliding of stingrays adds an element of wonder. Overall, swimming with these creatures can be a memorable and awe-inspiring adventure for those who appreciate the beauty of the ocean while seeing it in the safe, controlled environment. Plus, free food and drinks all day! read more

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I was recently in the area for a work conference and part of our closing program was held at Discovery Cove, after hours when it was closed to the public. So, keep in mind my review is from a private events perspective. First, the speciality cocktail they offered was gross; there was a terrible aftertaste - so I'm glad it was included in our event and I didn't pay for it. Our event had food stations posted around the property - including spring rolls, mini burgers, salad, macaroni and cheese. Overall, it was okay. Mediocre food that you would anticipate from a large-scale catered event. Dessert was only served on the beach area - forcing attendees to get their feet sandy if they wanted a sweet treat. Overall, I am not a fan of supporting Sea World and Sea World-affiliated companies and am disappointed the conference decided to host a program here. read more

We had the best time! For my nephew's 15th birthday, we took a group to enjoy "trainer for a day!" I recommend getting there as early as possible cause the check in line is lengthy. We met up at 7:45 am with our trainer Emily who was phenomenal. Think of a group of 8 with one 8 year old & six 15 year olds plus me. She had her hands full and loads of questions. She made today AMAZING! The food was yummy, snack bars stocked & everything was super safe & tidy with one tiny suggestion (the sidewalk by food bar was slippery when wet & with lots of wet swimmers piling in, it seemed risky.) Can't wait to go again someday! read more

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I wanted to come to Discovery Cover to be with all the animals. It was a disappointment for the most part. I feel what was advertised was not what was received. We were told the shark swim was about 20 minutes long..in actuality the swim itself was only about 5 minutes long - the other time was taken up with paperwork and putting on all the gear. 5 minutes for $100! We also purchased 3 tickets for the Flamingo Mingle...we were under the assumption we could pet the Flamingos but that was not the case. We were in with them for a little over 15 minutes with another group so we didn't even have their full attention. That was over $250! Overall, it felt like a glorified small water park. For the cost of everything, I would not go back. Also, my 8 year old granddaughter has a peanut and tree nut allergy - the food service has very little to give for people like this. I know it can be difficult but not impossible to offer a few choices. The food is mediocre. When we decided to get some ice cream, most was gone by mid-afternoon. On a positive note, all the staff were very friendly and helpful and the environment was clean and beautiful. I hate to give a poor review...I centered my vacation around coming to Discovery Cover (flew in from Boston) so I was so sad with the experience. p.s. Customer service is poor. I have called and emailed about a credit I was suppose to receive and have heard nothing. Once they get your money they are done with you. read more

After recently visiting Busch Gardens and Seaworld, I can say Discovery cove delivers a much better experience than the other parks. This was my third time coming to Discovery Dove and my husband and I came here on our anniversary weekend in Orlando. The staff are so friendly and accommodating (especially the bartenders). I love the all inclusive drinks (beer and wine unless upgraded package) and food (breakfast and lunch). We had a free add on of complimentary premium beverage package which allowed us to get as many drinks as we wanted. I probably wouldn't have paid for it on its own but the There was construction which closed the aviary and part of the river where you'd swim. I read online that there was construction but it didn't mention how we would not be able to swim the entire way of the tropical River and each time we had to get out and walk back to the start which was not as fun and more inconvenient since we didn't have a dolphin swim it was a major part of our time. Lifeguards kept telling us we were going the wrong way which signs could have helped communicate this to us better. All in all it was a relaxing day at DC and I would return. Seeing how some parks charge $150 for an all day food package, the all inclusive price for DC is definitely worth it. For an additional fee you can do a 14-day pass between partnering parks which we did to go to Seaworld and Busch Gardens however the customer service and experience was much lower than what we experienced at DC. read more

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This is our second time going here and we've enjoyed every minute of our experiences here. This time was a little bit different though. We went a little above and beyond and got a cabana this time and it was SO worth it! You start by getting here pretty early (when we went in October it was still dark when we got there at about 645am). Checking in early is VERY important so you can play with the dolphins early when they're fully awake and you can get it out of your way for the day. Not because it's awful, but because you don't want to get caught up doing something else and miss your window. The dolphin portion is awesome! You get a special trainer that interacts with a dolphin that he or she is closest with and gets the dolphin to do tricks. You get to touch the dolphin, kiss it and take pictures with it. The water is very cold so be ready! At the end you get to look at your photos that were taken and decide on whether you want any or not. The first year we got all of them and it was pretty pricey, so choose your candid shots wisely. From there, we got to relax allllll day. They give you breakfast and lunch included in your admission price, so eat up all day and drink up. Standard beer and wine is included too but any specialty wine and beer is on you to pay for. The lazy river is pretty cool when you're not getting bumped by kids. We do it about 3 or 4 times when we're there. Our favorite part is just laying out (lots of places to lounge). You kind of forget where you are after a while because you're surrounded by tropical scenery, so it's like you're not even in Orlando anymore. All in all, it's definitely worth the price from start to finish and it's really tough to leave. It tears me up a bit when I leave with my fiance because we make a lot of great memories and get a lot of pictures. read more

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I made online reservations. They did not have records of it. So I assumed that something went wrong with the online res and paid again at the time of the visit. Got back home, turns out that they did charge for the online reservations, and again at the time of the visit. I went ahead and disputed the charge. Discovery Cove submitted paperwork disputing back and now I'm being charged! I'm waiting for copies of the paperwork Discovery Cove submitted. Completely dishonest! Do not book online! read more

This was definitely worth the money ! When we entered the building was gorgeous ! I felt Iike I was in Hawaii! We swam in a probrably 2mile pool /lazy river ! Also in a coral reef which btw was so beautiful and fun ! Also animals that look like sharks are not sharks they are stingrays ! Last, my fave , I got to swim with dolphins ! It was a small group of people and we got a to RIDE on a dolphin ! BE CAREFUL!!!! : a lot of the ground is soaking wet wear water shoes!!!!! read more

As a Florida resident, my family and I literally look forward to our annual trip to Discovery Cove. It is the ONLY water park my husband will go to and fully enjoy. I just called customer service as due to life events, this is our first year unable to visit. Spoke to Ivan in customer service. Simply outstanding experience as he was sympathetically humane, professional and an absolute pleasure to speak with as he rescheduled our reservation. Our fear was that we would lose our tickets but he reassured me we wouldn't. Ivan's customer service is one of many reasons we look forward to going to DC. Kudos to the whole team for always working hard behind the scenes to make certain your customers have an unforgettable experience at the park. We see you and appreciate your hard work!!! Thank you a gazillion times over!!!! read more

So I have visited twice now. I like it but it is pricey and for the price I would have expected the food to be better quality. I am also wondering if the fish and rays are checked up on considering the number of people and activities in The Grand Reef. Some positive things would be that animal safe sunscreen is provided along with towels, life jackets, and float bars. Beer, soda, and water are free, who doesn't like that. There is a drink package for mixed drinks. Overall, it's not a bad place. Just if you want a chair with an umbrella, get there early and stake your claim. Enjoy! read more

I truly enjoyed my day here up until i heard there was a death the day prior which freaked me out but overall the beginning of my day was good with breakfast and dolphin interaction then I felt a little weirded out enjoying this park so didn't get to do too much. read more

Discovery Cove is a great place and well worth the money. I want to start with a few tips to make your trip memorable: --Check the weather in Florida before scheduling (very important) --Arrive early (the earlier the better to get the most out of your money) I think the park opens at 8 - be there at 8am --Bring protection for your phone (zip bag, waterproof case) --if you think you need watershoes, bring them --the water the dolphins are in is extremely cold (for the dolphins) --have a good camera on hand (one that allows underwater photos/videos, good quality photos/videos) --NOTE: there is a camera at the park available for underwater pictures, if you ask. There is a fee - either for the camera or per picture --Parking is FREE (so no need to plan that ahead) I love water and animals, so this place was perfect for my nephews and I. This was the perfect option. The sticker price is rather high per person, but it is all inclusive! Included are towels, all snorkeling gear, food, snacks, drinks, swimwear, and little things like sunscreen, lotion, and shampoo. What a list of perks. All you need to do is show up. We opted for the dolphin swim package and enjoyed every minute of it. There are photographers there and the photo package can get pricey. Our package ran about $200. I considered not getting the photo package, only because I planned ahead and had one of our party take pics. Only because one of my nephews is 4 and there is a age restriction for the dolphin swim. Our pictures on my phone came out just fine but I decided to purchase the pictures anyway. NOTE: swimming with the stingrays is awesome and you will want to take pictures underwater. Be prepared or they have cameras for your use, at a fee (of course). The food is good. Fresh and hot AND many choices for picky eaters. The food is also plentiful, you can go back as many times as you want and they also serve snacks throughout the day. Get there early so you don't miss breakfast!! Its important to get your money's worth. There are also guides throughout that will help you if you get lost. The kids were living life and our swim time was approaching, the guides sprung into action and found them so we wouldn't miss our swim. I was grateful, as the dolphin swim alone is about $100 extra. The only downfall is weather. A few hours of our day was lost due to weather because they had to stop activities. It was at about 1pm. Well, I asked about what would happen if they shut down the rest of the day and was informed because it was close to the end of the day, there would be no refund or reschedule, as it was past the last time to eat already. I found that to be problematic. Its a lot of money to just say, "oh well". Overall, very good trip. Very hands on! and educational!! There are dolphins, sharks, stingrays, colorful and bright fish, birds, and lots of swimming and sand. It is definitely a fun time!!! You get up close and personal with these animals and there is someone there to teach you all about them. read more

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First time mom here- I just visited with my husband and 10-month old son. I wanted to write this review from this lens to give tips to anyone who is interested in spending the day here with a baby! My birthday lands on spring break every year and I wanted to do Orlando but was dreading the thought of the lines and crowds at all the theme parks. I did my research and booked Discovery Cove knowing they still had a reservation system and limited capacity. 5 stars all around since it was honestly an enjoyable, hassle free daytrip for our small family of 3! I didn't personally know anyone who has gone here prior to my visit but heard this place was "pricey and had very little to do." Honestly as a first time parent, having "very little to do" is a dream! It takes us 2x the amount of time to move around w the baby so I was all for being lazy in the lazy river and having some R&R with the fam. With way less people than say Adventure Island, you weren't elbow to elbow bumping into folks in the lazy river or waiting on a 30-minute line to get food. It was well spaced and a well paced day. What people don't emphasize enough is that it's all inclusive, MEANING... you do pay a bigger ticket for admission but you get: -All the food (breakfast and lunch buffets... people complain about the quality which I get, but I wouldn't say it's any worse than a standard theme park's menu. What I would recommend is the salmon.) -All the drinks (water, soda, coffee, juice, beer, wine, ICEEs... you can mix pina colada icees with chardonnay for your own DIY "Premium drink" lol) -All the snacks (chips, mini pretzels, cookies, dole whip, pizza) -Lockers (major win to store all your personal belongings including your diaper bag! Just carry the key and lanyard around your neck) -Big wheel baby stroller (Request this at check-in. It's great to hover over the sand and doubles as your day's workout) -Life vests/wetsuits (including infant/toddler sizes for baby) -Snorkel gear (you get to keep the mouthpiece as a "souvenir" if you choose to) -Dispensers full of reef-safe sunscreen (very slow dispensers but a little goes a long way. They are literal paste) -Swimming noodles! Essentially you don't have to pack a lot for the baby outside of diapers and baby food/bottles. My son is still drinking 20 oz of formula a day so I prepared 3 bottles and just asked the bartender for room temp bottle of water when it was time to eat. I did bring a baby sun hat which was great especially going under the lazy river waterfalls. Also brought our own mineral baby sunscreen and I'm glad we did since ours were tear-free and easy to keep in the locker/ re-apply throughout the day. Hubby and I opted to do the dolphin experience for an additional fee- an extra treat for my bday. We were both able to enjoy the dolphin encounter but in separate groups since we had to child swap. It worked out ok since there are open chairs you can sit and watch each other from. We took turns holding the baby and watching each other glide with the dolphins, something I really enjoyed and got to do for the first time! If you opt for the dolphin experience, prepare to drop an extra $200+ cus as they say, "pics or it didn't happen." We did have some awesome dolphin pics lol... The restroom close to the lazy river entrance was much cleaner than the restroom by the grill and seemed like there was an attendant present more frequently. I'd recommend bringing baby there for your diaper changes... There's plenty of open beach chairs and seating.... you can even hangout at the bar/grill area if you choose to. If your kid is a strict napper and you strongly need to opt in for privacy, you can choose to reserve a cabana but just know it isn't cheap. I think it's worth it if you came as a larger group to split the cost, but for my little family of three, we definifely wouldn't have got our moneys worth since we were constantly exploring and moving to each end of the park. My son tried to stay up as much as he could but ended up napping in the lazy river twice and then in his big wheeled beach stroller by the grand reef beach (Daddy and I unofficially 'child swapped' here too and took turns snorkeling with the fish.) Last but not least and my #1 advice is to get there as early as doors open at 7:30 a.m. since weather can be unreliable and you want to get as much in as you can (esp if you book time w the dolphins!) The water is regulated and should be comfy enough to swim in, even when the water opens at 9. We got lucky... You just never know w/ Florida... I was so nervous cus we were forecasted all week to have 80% rain and thunderstorms in the afternoon but all we had was a slight overcast, there wasn't even a drop! This was a lot but I hope this provided some insight for you and the fam. If you are a Florida Resident or Busch Gardens passholder, call to book and ask to see if there is a discount. The passholder discount is awesome and worth inquiring. Happy travels and I hope this helps! read more

This was my first time at discovery cove and will probably be my last. The tickets are expensive for what you get and I expected the food to be better for an all inclusive. The place itself is very small and on the website it said that it limits the amount of people per day, but that just wasn't the case... it was extremely busy/crowded. The coral reef snorkel was the highlight of the entire day because of the sea life you encounter. Swimming next to sting rays and all types of fish was a cool experience- the water was really cold but almost refreshing since the lazy River and lagoons were bath water. The lazy River wasn't lazy.. the current was so weak that you basically had to walk/ swim it. They have parts of the river so low that your knees scrape the bottom. The bird sanctuary was pretty neat too- they gave us food to hold out and the birds landed on our arms. All the birds were really pretty. Back to the food situation- the breakfast tasted rubbery, the eggs were wet almost like they used instant eggs. I was hoping lunch would be better but I was wrong... lunch options were jerk chicken, salmon, hot dogs, cheeseburgers, salad, chicken wraps... nothing looked appealing. I chose the cheeseburger and it lacked taste. My husband got the chicken wrap and couldn't eat it because it was so dry. My husband got the premium drink package and I will say it was worth it. $40 for all you can drink mixed drinks- my husband enjoyed trying all the different types they had on the menu. He did mention that they were not strong at all. The place was clean and the scenery/plants/ flowers were really pretty. read more

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One of our favorite parks to visit in Florida was Discovery Cove because it entertained every age in our group, from age 2 to 36! I had no idea this place existed before; apparently it's an extension of Sea World. Throughout the park there are multiple warm pools (80 degrees) and slightly warm pools (74 degrees) that ranged depending on their purpose: from relaxation pools to snorkeling pools, to lazy rivers, to swimming with dolphins--and we loved it all. The dolphin swim was definitely memorable but also the coldest and saltiest pool; the kids learned to snorkel and see fish/rays up close and personal for the very first time there are well. Be prepared to be in a wetsuit all day. It comes with the experience and we were there on a colder day so the suits were actually nice for the most part. There is also an Aviary where you can feed exotic birds that'll fly right onto your arm. We did this before we got the wetsuits on first thing when we got there. This park was so memorable, we can't wait to go back again someday! read more

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I can't imagine not giving Discovery Cove a full 5 stars. Everything was perfect. Food and drinks were great. The staff was great. The area was amazing!! We spent most of our time at the Grand Reef and Lazy River! Both were so much fun. Be in the Grand Reef about an hour before close when they feed the sting rays. I'm sure all 37 swam past me, touched me or where so close I could touch them. It was amazing. Get their early and stay until they close the water. They have sun block and shampoo, conditioner and body wash in the showers along with towels. We bought just general admission and it was the perfect day!! We can't wait to go back. read more

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This is a very nice place that is all inclusive with food and drinks. Unfortunately the food is mediocre. It tastes like school lunchroom food or free hotel breakfast food. Definitely not good food. It's convenient to be able to grab whatever you want to eat or drink whenever you want. The swim with fish area is nice. The lazy River is nice as well. I'm on the fence with if it is actually worth the price you pay to go especially since I'd the weather is rainy or thundering they close all water areas and they won't make up the day. We were there yesterday and the pool was closed for at least three hours. No make up days, so you can potentially pay thousands and not even be able to swim. Something to keep in mind. read more

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BEWARE!!!!! NOT THE PARK IT USED TO BE******* I went to Discovery Cove with my pregnant fiancé in June 2024. We decided to do a quick family getaway before the birth of our first son. At the park they were unable to find a vest for her to wear (she wasn't huge, 175 lbs but big belly with baby) so she could not go into many of the areas of the park or enjoy a lot of the areas. The manager there offered us a reissuance day pass to come back if we left the park a. We elected to do so as we paid a decent amount and felt defeated at that point. We had spent thousands on hotels, tickets, etc and for the park to not have the vest that is required for certain areas because it was "very busy, and full" is unacceptable. I called back today (4/16/25) to rebook and give this park another go. I booked the park for 5/31/25. Within 24 hours I realized i mistakenly read the date wrong (5/31 vs 5/3) and called back to correct. The booking dept could not help me and insisted that I needed to pay a fee even though I just made the booking. I requested a manager; after 20-30 minutes on hold Jose R. (could not give me any more info) told me I needed to pay $350+ to change. I explained to him I just called and I made an error and I explained why I was given these reissuance passes to which he had no care. He had zero emotion or remorse. Kept insisting that I needed to pay if I wanted to change. My pregnant wife could not be accommodated by the park, its not that we didn't want to be there. These were issued for a reason! To not be able to help yet again blows my mind. I would give 0 stars if I could. Jose R, the manager, would not provide me with email to send or a corporate phone number. This place used to be awesome. I don't know what happened. read more

I absolutely love this place! It was a little crowded even on a Monday in January. The staff was friendly and very knowledgeable of the fish in the waters. The lazy river was nice just to get some warmer water for a few moments. The highlight of the trip was clearly the dolphin encounter. Who got to learn about dolphins, play with them and even ride them in a way that doesn't harm the dolphin. Definitely a must for anyone liking the water life. My only negative comment is if you want pictures for your adventure, you're looking north of $200. It would of been nice to have some photos but not for that much! read more