What is the new park beside SeaWorld like? Is it worth the money?
Discovery Cove, which opened adjacent to SeaWorld Orlando in 2000, gives its guests the chance to have close-up encounters with dolphins and other sea life. Vistors are given an orientation talk and then divided into groups of eight and taken into the dolphin cove. Each group has two trainers and a dolphin, so you have plenty of time to touch and interact with the dolphins during the 30-minute session. You even get to "ride" the dolphins--adults and older kids hold on to the dorsal fin and the dolphins obligingly roll over to let younger kids ride on their bellies and hold on to their flippers. Quite a kick!
While the dolphin swim is unquestionably the highlight of the day, there are also coral reef coves where you can snorkel among colorful fish as well as a freshwater circling stream that takes you around the park and through the beautiful aviary. Up for a bit more adventure? You can also swim with de-barbed stingrays and another pool lets you swim "among" sharks, who are actually safely behind plexiglass. Or just enjoy the tropical island ambiance of beach chairs, hammocks, swaying palm trees, cooing birds--and hardly any people.
The most unusual thing about Discovery Cove is what it doesn't have: Crowds. This is a reservation-only park that allows in approximately 1,000 people a day. By theme park standards, that's nothing. With such a low number of guests you have the personal attention of the staff, many of whom came over from SeaWorld and are very knowledgeable about the animals.
The park is undeniably expensive. The all-inclusive pricing starts at $199 and includes swimming with the dolphins. (Prices for those who want to forego the dolphin swim start at $99, but it's hard to imagine why you'd come to Discovery Cove and pass up the chief attraction.) The cost does include everything--parking, lunch,beverages, snacks, lockers, towels, snorkels, wetsuits, etc.-- and 14-day admission to SeaWorld Orlando, Busch Gardens Tampa, or Aquatica is also included.
So, is it worth it?
What you're paying for is the privacy, the easy access to the animals, and the feeling that you're basically in your own little tropical world. The park does an admirable job of giving you the VIP treatment. You even get a personal tour after you check in at the concierge desk. It's also worth considering that dolphin swims generally start at run between $75 to $100 a person at other locales and some of those take you into the water in such large groups that you don't have much chance to hang out with the dolphins. Add in the fact that snorkeling, if you do it at a resort or on a cruise, is often an additional $40-50 a person, and kids frequently have trouble swimming for sustained lengths of time in the ocean. Swimming in a shallow pool is obviously easier. There's also no guarantee you'll see fish in the open sea, but here you're snorkeling in a contained environment so it's a sure bet that you'll see plenty of them.
Let's not kid ourselves--it's a lot of money and whether or not it's worth it may come down to whether your kids are old enough to really get into the animal interactions. Kids under the age of six can't swim with the dolphins and may have trouble mastering the snorkel, so it's doubtful they'll get much out of the experience. As kids get older, however, they're more likely to appreciate the unique opportunities of Discovery Cove and really get a lot out of what the park has to offer.
This is also a very relaxing park. Your only stressful moment of the day is likely to be trying to get your wetsuit on for the dolphin swim. (Man, are they tight!) After that, there's plenty of time for sandcastle building, hammock swaying, and surf wading. For this reason, Discovery Cove is a great "last day of vacation" choice when you're worn out from touring the theme parks and want nothing more than a few hours napping under a beach umbrella. For more information, call Discovery Cove at 877-434-7268.
Last Updated March 2010
