Discovery Cove Orlando: The All-Inclusive Theme Park Experience You Didn’t Know You Needed

Walking underwater on the sand-filled aquarium floor with fish fluttering by my eyes was one of the most magical experiences of my day at Discovery Cove with my husband. The slight cost increase for a private cabana proved its worth, as we lounged in chairs overlooking the lagoon and dozed off for a few blissful minutes between floating on the lazy river and our scheduled time to swim with the dolphins.

It didn’t take long to realize that the visit paid off. We had a delightful day of true relaxation at a theme park that is anything but crowded or stressful. In fact, it was the most relaxing day we’d had in a long time.

Highlights:

• Discovery Cove is a reservation-only, all-inclusive day park in Orlando where admission includes meals, select beer and wine, snorkel gear, sunscreen and access to pools, lounge chairs, towels, a lazy river and animal encounters, all without long lines.
• Optional add-ons like the SeaVenture underwater walk and the Swim with the Dolphins experience can elevate your visit, but booking them in advance is essential, especially for the dolphin experience.
• Florida weather is a real factor to plan around, but Discovery Cove’s flexible date-change policy and the park’s rain-aware design make it manageable; just know the pools close if lightning rolls in.

Editor’s note: The writer was hosted.

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The Discovery Cove Experience in Orlando, Florida

Being local to Central Florida’s theme parks made it easy for us to plan a weekday visit to Discovery Cove. It’s located just 25 minutes from our home in Winter Park. However, even if we dedicated a day of our Orlando vacation to it as out-of-town visitors, it’s well worth it. It’s a day of fun and relaxation, providing respite from jam-packed days of exploring nearby Walt Disney World or Universal Parks & Resorts, both of which can be exhausting.

What to Expect at Discovery Cove

Visits are by reservation only, and they cap the number of visitors per day. You don’t have to wait in long lines or pay for meals. Lounge chairs placed in the sand are available park-wide. It’s all included and really well executed. The park even provides towels and certain swim gear like wetsuits and snorkels for free, so you’re suited up for marine-life encounters and underwater exploration. Sunscreen is also available free of charge around the property.

You have the opportunity to get in the water thanks to several pools. Lifejackets of all sizes are provided free of charge if you’re uncomfortable swimming. Whether you want to hop in the lazy river, which takes approximately 30 minutes to float around one complete lap and see the otters along the way, or stop to watch an animal encounter with a sloth or get into the stingray pool, there’s no shortage of fun to be had.

In between, look forward to several meals and snacks, which are all included in the price of admission.

SheBuysTravel Tip: Arrive hungry – a complete, plentiful breakfast with many options is included in your admission. Lunch also offers many options, from salads to proteins and more.

What to Know Before Visiting Discovery Cove

The main thing to understand about visiting Discovery Cove in Central Florida is that you buy a one-day entry ticket that includes everything you need for a day of fun in the Florida sun, with optional add-ons. It’s a reservation-only system, meaning you cannot arrive at Discovery Cove and buy a ticket that day in the same way you can at any of the nearby Walt Disney World or Universal Parks & Resorts theme parks or even SeaWorld.

Expect to enjoy a fantastic and long lazy river, called Wind-Away River, an aviary, views of the dolphins in the lagoon, seeing the Freshwater Oasis where the otters swim, animal encounters, the Grand Reef where fish and stingrays swim, Flamingo Point, breakfast, lunch and unlimited snacks and non-alcoholic drinks, and limited beer and wine.

Speaking of Florida’s weather, what happens if it rains? We were there on a mostly sunny day. However, as the afternoon progressed, around 3:00 pm, the clouds rolled in. That was fine for an hour or two, but as closing time approached, the lightning in the area forced the pools – including the Grand Reef – to close for safety reasons.

Discovery Cove Weather Policy

Since Discovery Cove’s activities nearly entirely include water, unless you’re lounging on the sand, lightning causes the park to essentially shut down. It’s Florida, and Discovery Cove understands that, especially during hurricane season, which is June through November, there’s a strong probability it will rain.

This is why they make their weather policy public and easy to find on the website, with one complimentary date change 30 days or more before your visit. This doesn’t help with the day-to-day rain forecast, but it could be useful if a tropical storm is predicted, even though, as locals, we know that even tropical storms don’t usually have a 30-day lead time.

For us, we enjoyed the day until around 5:00 pm. When we realized that the rain wasn’t going to clear up before closing time an hour later, we decided to leave the park after a wonderful day, get dry and go out for dinner nearby.

Additional Experiences to Book

My husband and I experienced some add-on activities that we highly recommend. Even better than our Swim with the Dolphins experience was the underwater walk, officially called “SeaVenture.” For 20-30 minutes, you walk on sand approximately 20 feet underwater and encounter friendly fish and other sea creatures, led by two to three expert Discovery Cove guides. It’s a blast that kids will enjoy too!

The most popular add-on is undoubtedly the Swim with the Dolphins experience. This is a scheduled time where you get in the water with a small group of other attendees and learn about these popular mammals with one of the Discovery Cove trainers. Of course, the highlight for many is when you hold the dolphin’s fin to “ride” on the dolphin.

This wasn’t our favorite activity because we don’t like doing anything where an animal is repeatedly touched or made to do something wildly different from what they would do in nature. But we can understand that, especially for the photo opportunity and as a bucket-list activity, it’s popular.

Other add-ons at Discovery Cove:

• Cabanas: If you can swing the cost, we really loved our private cabana for the day. It was reserved for us all day and included several lounge chairs and an attendant. It allowed us to have a “home base” with a safe and a refrigerator. It was nice to go under the covered part of the cabana when it started to rain or, when the sun was blazing hot, to enjoy the covered area’s overhead fan.
• Flamingo Mingle: A private, small group encounter with these pretty pink birds personalizes your day at Discovery Cove even further.
• Premium Drink Package: Limited beer and wine are included in your ticket for guests over 21, but if you want cocktails or frozen drinks, you’ll want to upgrade to a Premium Drink Package.
• Photo packages: There are many photo opportunities around Discovery Cove. Buying a photo package ahead of time may take the pressure off you to constantly document your day.

Seasonal Activities, Events or Promos

Paradise Nights from June 5 through August 8 is a separate ticketed event. Guests are invited to gather along Serenity Bay for a sunset reception before heading over to Laguna Grill for an open-air dinner show inspired by the natural world.

Read More:

• Glamping with Dolphins? Yes, Please! A Look at Atlantis’ Marine Life Camping
• ⁠19 Things To Do In Kissimmee Florida Beyond Disney
• Falling in Love with Discovery Cove Orlando
• Park Hop or Not to Hop? SheBuysTravel Decodes Disney’s Ticket Options

Frequently Asked Questions about Discovery Cove