The Ultimate Guide to Discovery Cove
Spending a day at the theme park often means spending a lot of money, but usually not all at one time. You buy a ticket, you buy your meals, snacks, drinks, etc. And for as many fun activities we have in the city, there’s only one place that gives you an all-inclusive experience — Discovery Cove. We’ve visited this oasis-in-Orlando a few times and are excited to talk about one of our favorite spots in all of Orlando.
What is Discovery Cove?
Unlike other water parks in Orlando, Discovery Cove is an all-inclusive experience where you can swim, snorkel, and relax. One of the positives of Discovery Cove is attendance is capped every day, so it never feels too busy. On a bit of the negative side is the price. You’ll notice a trip to Discovery Cove is a bit on the pricier side when compared with your average theme park or activity. However, there is a lot of bang for your buck. With your Discovery Cove admission, you’ll enjoy:
- Two meals
- Unlimited snacks including bags of chips, warm pretzels, and cookies
- Unlimited beer and wine
- Unlimited fountain sodas including water and lemonade
- Unlimited non-alcoholic frozen drinks such as Icees
- Towels
- Wetsuit
- Snorkel gear
- Sunscreen
- Lockers
All of these perks are included along with a handful of activities to do.
Discovery Cove’s Included Activities
Wind-Away River
What’s a water park without a lazy river? There’s nothing like floating along in the crystal-clear water. Fair warning — other than life jackets, other floaties aren’t provided. The life jackets work perfectly well to keep you afloat, but you aren’t required to use them. If you’re swimming, there are places along the Wind-Away River that get to around 8 feet deep. It won’t be a problem for strong swimmers, but weaker swimmers might want to stick with a life jacket.
Another small warning, you will have to go under two pretty strong waterfalls. These waterfalls are the entrance and exit to the Aviary and are there to keep the birds from flying out.
Fun Fact: 95% of the water in Discovery Cove is heated year-round! Other than pools where animals live, most of the water you’re swimming in will be nice and warm regardless of the weather outside.
Serenity Bay
Soak up the sun in the 85-degree waters of Serenity Bay. This isn’t anything more than a shallow, beautiful pool with some waterfalls, but it’s a perfect place to relax and snap some amazing photos.
Freshwater Oasis
The Freshwater Oasis allows you to get up close and personal with Asian Clawed Otters and Marmosets. You’ll need to wade through the water to actually see these animals, but it makes for a really fun experience.
Pro Tip: If you visit during the summer and get caught in a classic Florida rainstorm, there’s a nice covered area where the Otters are to shield you.
Explorer’s Aviary
Hand-feed birds at the Explorer’s Aviary. Birdfeed is included and makes for some awesome pictures. The aviary is staffed by some very knowledgeable and friendly ambassadors. If there is a bird you have questions about, chances are they’ll know the species and that individual bird’s name.
Is there a specific bird you’d like to feed? The ambassador will be able to load your cup with that bird’s favorites to increase your chances. If you aren’t a huge fan of birds and don’t want to get too close to them, you can still experience the aviary from the Wind-Away River.
The Grand Reef
This is hands down our favorite thing to do in Discovery Cove. The Grand Reef is home to thousands of beautiful fish including rays and is the perfect place to snorkel. Snorkel gear is included and there is no extra charge to swim with these beautiful fish. More than 800 species of fish call the Grand Reef home including fish, rays, and even sharks. But don’t worry, the sharks are separated from the rest of the crowd.
We love this area because it’s the closest to an actual reef as you can get in landlocked Orlando. We aren’t exaggerating when we say you have to almost watch your step when you’re wading because you might step on a brave ray. This is also one of the two places in Discovery Cove where the water isn’t heated. This is great during the summer but might get a bit chilly during the winter. Don’t be surprised if you spend most of your time in The Grand Reef.
Discovery Cove’s Paid Experiences
You can have an amazing day at Discovery Cove and never spend any more money than the ticket in. However, if you’re looking to upgrade your stay with a one-of-a-kind experience, there are opportunities to purchase some additional experiences.
Swim with the Dolphins
The signature experience at Discovery Cove is the opportunity to swim with dolphins. You’ll start your experience with getting in shallow water and participating in some enrichment activities with a dolphin. This includes holding its tail fluke, having it wave, and other fun motions. After that, you’ll go into deep water where you’ll hold the dolphin’s dorsal fin as it tows you through the water for a bit. This experience is a lot of fun and truly unique to Discovery Cove.
SeaVenture
Have you ever seen footage of early sea explorers in an old-timey diving suit? This is the modern version of that. You’ll put on a pressurized helmet and walk along the bottom of The Grand Reef for a truly immersive experience. Never dove before? Don’t worry, there is no SCUBA certification or diving experience needed.
The feeling of being in the helmet is definitely different, but not uncomfortable. The best way to describe the entire experience is like sitting in a window seat on an airplane. There is air flowing in the helmet that you can feel and breathe easily in, and seeing the fish through the helmet’s glass is like looking at a cloud through an airplane.
Throughout the experience, you’ll follow a trained ambassador who will guide you through the use of pre-written cards and, no joke, a magnetic drawing board. This experience is a lot of fun but definitely takes some getting used to. We wouldn’t recommend this for anyone who is claustrophobic, has breathing issues, or feels anxious in an airplane.
Other Experiences at Discovery Cove
Swimming with Dolphins and SeaVenture are the two most signature experiences at Discovery Cove, but there are others to enjoy as well. You can swim with sharks, feed rays, or even become a trainer for a day.
Cabanas
If you want your day to be even more private, you can rent a cabana. Each cabana features a guaranteed roof (as opposed to an umbrella) with towel service, a mini-fridge, and some other bits and pieces. Cabanas are nice, but there isn’t anything a standard cabana offers that you don’t already get as a guest.
Food and Drink at Discovery Cove
Breakfast, Lunch, and Snacks
The nice part about an all-inclusive experience is the food and drink options. At Discovery Cove, you can enjoy breakfast, lunch, and snacks throughout the day.
Breakfast consists of eggs, sausage links, hash browns, French toast sticks, buttermilk biscuits, fruits, pastries, yogurts, dry cereals, and oatmeal. Drinks include coffee, tea, milk, and freshly squeezed Florida orange juice.
There’s a ton of variety for lunch options with everything from burgers to churrasco steak to wraps and salads. Leave room for dessert with chocolate cake, carrot cake, and cheesecake among the offerings.
Nosh on snacks throughout the day. Discovery Cove offers assorted chips, warm soft pretzels, Icees, and whole fresh fruit.
Every snack bar also features fountain sodas and is where you get your included beers and wines.
There are gluten-free and vegetarian- and vegan-friendly dishes. If you have any allergies, let the staff know and they will take care of you.
Drink Package
For the adults, you can upgrade to the premium drink package to enjoy a selection of signature cocktails, a full-stocked liquor bar, craft, and domestic beer, and red and white wine. Other than upgrading to the premium drink package, there is no other option to get spirits. If you aren’t a fan of beer and wine, your choices are either the premium drink package or simply drink soda and water.
Discovery Cove During COVID
We’ve visited Discovery Cove twice during COVID. There were a number of steps the park took to increase sanitation, safety, and comfort. During our first visit in the fall of 2020, we received a Comfort Kit which included a Discovery Cove-branded mask and hand sanitizer in a waterproof bag. When we visited again in April 2021, we didn’t receive the comfort kit.
Other precautions include:
- The park being at half capacity
- Social distancing markers throughout the park
- Extra sanitation on surfaces
- Individually-wrapped plastic utensils.
Masks aren’t required in the water or on the beaches but are required indoors and in the Explorer’s Aviary. Other than a small part of Wind-Away River where it got pretty crowded, we never felt unsafe or immersed in crowds.
Our Verdict on Discovery Cove
Based on price alone, Discovery Cove is something reserved for special occasions. However, just being pricey and special doesn’t make it any less worth the cost. There are some awesome and unique experiences to add to your day, but you can easily have an amazing day without spending any additional money. Swimming and snorkeling around The Grand Reef are worth the price of admission alone, plus having unlimited food and drinks doesn’t hurt either. Discovery Cove is a true one-of-a-kind experience that will be sure to impress and leave a lasting memory for the rest of your life.
