If you’re looking for something other than Disney to do this year with your family, choose Discovery Cove instead. This jewel of a theme park is truly the hidden gem of Florida. Discovery Cove is recognized as one of the top amustment parks in the world and recently won the 2016 Trip Advisor’s Travelers Choice award. If you are anything like me reviews make all the difference so if someone wins a Trip Advisor award, its real.
See my Discovery Cove TripAdvisor Review
What Discovery Cove does is create a one-of-a-kind experience for the guest. Imagine being cast on a BEAUTIFUL remote island that you OWN. Walk around eat all you’d like… see animals, feed birds, swim with dolphins and coral and sting rays. You never have to pull out your wallet because all of your immediate needs are met without question. You’re at peace with nature. One with the animals. You never want to leave. Are you following me??? That. Is. Discovery. Cove.
Map of Discovery Cove
There are 6 sections of the park; The Grand Reef, Dolphin Cove, Fresh Water Oasis, Wind Away River and Explorer’s Aviary. The most substantial parts of the park to me were the Grand Reef and Dolphin’s Lagoon. More about these areas later…
Okay, okay, so the pricepoint is a little higher than Disney with average per person prices at about $195. Tack on a swim with the Dolphin package, and the cost may run you about $300 or more! I would argue to anybody rolling their eyes right now to hang on just a little longer. Hold my hand and follow me down the road to why you should choose Discovery Cove for your next family experience…
1.) All Inclusive Food & Drinks.
ALL. DAY. LONG
2.) Free Parking and plenty of slots available!
If you have small kids or family members with mobility issues you understand the struggle that is parking. In a trip to SeaWorld following this visit, we had to park extremely far due to the crowd. On our way back the girls were both sleeping and we had to turn in the stroller before leaving out of the gates. While it was raining. Never. Again. If you want to save yourself time, agony and maximum physical exertion, choose Discovery Cove.
3) Wetsuits, towels and sunscreen included.
This has got to be one of the coolest parts for me. The babies got to wear wetsuits (cuuute!) and we had all the towels and sunscreen we needed for the day. The wetsuits were great for Grand Reef and Dolphin’s Lagoon which was kept at a temperature of about 72 degrees because of the animals. The fresh water areas were a warmer 84-88 degrees which is perfect for just a bathing suit. We truly felt like we had shifted into another reality. Loved it!
4.) Premium beach strollers and wheelchairs included.
It may look really funny but these strollers were PERFECT for the sand. It easily went through puddles and water with no slipping. I felt invincible whipping them all around Discovery Cove’s park. They also have wheelchairs with the same wheeled design that works amazingly for those with mobility issues.
5.) No crowd, no wait lines, no turnstiles.
Discovery Cove has a maximum number of reservations they will take on a given day. Because of this, there is always more than enough space, food and equipment to accommodate everyone inside. Discovery cove, I have two toddlers…Thank you for this 🙂
Check-In Lobby. Doesn’t this beat long lines in the hot sun??!
6.) Excellent Customer Service.
I must say, Discovery Cove does a great job of pampering their guests. We never felt so welcomed at a “theme park”. The staff all went out to make our experience a truly memorable one. Just a few examples were food being removed from our table immediately after we finished eating, bringing freshly prepared vegetarian burgers and fries to our table, taking pictures for us. It makes you feel better about forking all that money over when they treat you so good!
Ready to book your Discovery Cove Adventure??? Click here.
7.) Noodles, Life Jackets and Snorkels available and included with admission.
Discovery Cove definitely had a resort feel to it. Ya mon!
8.) The Cleanest Bathrooms, EVERYTIME.
I mean, this is EVERYTHING when you have the ‘littles’ with you. There were also warm towels, free tampons (what?! Lol) and sunscreen located in every bathroom I visited. I see you Discovery Cove!!!
9.) Really Good Food. Vegetarian options available upon request.
Guys I loooove to eat. We have been making it a point to eat healthier as a family. We went vegetarian earlier this year and are moving to a vegan lifestyle. I loved the fact that despite not having it displayed on the menu, vegetarian burgers were available as an alternative. Other pescatarian/vegetarian dishes included: Seasoned rice, veggies, macaroni, tilapia, fries, fruit, etc.
10.) Access to SeaWorld and Aquatica for 14 days surronding your Discovery Cove visit.
What??! This is like 13 vacation packages for the price of only 1!!! Although you are only able to visit Discovery Cove once, you can easily go to both SeaWorld and Aquatica for the remainder of your time in Orlando. We ended up going to either SeaWorld or Aquatica, in addition to an AMAZING CRUISE, almost everyday in our week stay in Orlando.
That’s all for Part 1 of our 20 Reasons to Choose Discovery Cover over Disney. Tune in next week when I reveal 10 MORE reasons to choose Discovery Cove. We will be talking all about the EXPERIENCES and trust me YOU DON’T WANT TO MISS IT!!! Subscribe below to be the first to know when the post is released.
So what did you think? Would you go or not? Drop a comment below. Until next time Be Well, Be Healthy, Be Inspired.
Popular Posts
Luxury Vacation in Zanzibar, Tanzania
“The Cruise Less Traveled”. The Budget-Friendly Cruise line.
Family Travel to Thailand with Kids- “The Cruise Less Traveled”. The Budget-Friendly Cruise line.
- Luxury Vacation in Zanzibar, Tanzania
Phuket Trick Eye Musuem– One of the Best Family Friendly Things to do in Phuket
What a great “discovery” (!) looks like a great place to stay 🙂
I see what you did there 😉
oh well some great points shared. Number one is the clean bathrooms, it can really spoil my day. And then the customer service, it goes a long way, great share thank you
Oh I totally get it! Bad bathrooms can completely ruin an outing for me. When you go in and half the stalls are inoperable for one reason or another…ick!
I haven’t heard of this before but it sounds like a wonderful place for family vacations. I have been to Sea World and i really loved it so i guess this would be a great experience too.
This is like 100x better than SeaWorld to me. I think you would really enjoy it because of the hands-on-experience you get. Truly a great experience for all.
Oh I loved reading this! I liked the use of the photos appearing like magic. My twin boys are 19 now so would probably prefer to go without their parents….. we did visit Disney for a day when they were 6 – back then the internet was more limited but I did download a suggested itinerary for a day visit which was useful!
Looks as if you had a wonderful break, thanks for sharing your insights.
Thank you for the compliment! I enjoyed writing it, took me back in time. First of all twin boys, soo cool. I’m a twin so I always love hearing about twins too. Secondly, I think you would still enjoy this experience with your boys. It’s a really great place for multi-generational families because there is something for everyone. You can easily split up and come together as you please. And you gave me a great idea for an itinerary for a day visit. I may make one for families with young children. Thanks for commenting!
This looks like a great place! Anywhere with all inclusive food and drink always saves you money in the long run!
Sophia x
Definitely sounds like a wonderful place! What a great post!
Oo what a bold post since there’s a LOT of Disney fans out there. I’ve never heard of this place before, but looks awesome since all the food expenses are included. Disney can be pretty expensive when it comes to buying merchandise or food. Great post!
Sounds like a great place to visit!
Lea, xx