We visited Discovery Cove in Orlando for the first time in 2013. Back then as a couple, now as a family of four with two small children 🙂 We spent a whole day in the theme park and experienced a lot. Discovery Cove is a fun-filled all-inclusive day resort in a stunning tropical atmosphere.
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Things to know about Discovery Cove in Orlando
Discovery Cove Theme Park was opened in summer 2000 and is modeled on a tropical island. Alongside SeaWorld Orlando and the Aquatica water park, it is the SeaWorld Group’s third theme park in Orlando.
“USA Today 10Best: Voted #1 Best Theme Park in Orlando.”
In 2021, Discovery Cove was voted the best theme park in Orlando by USA Today 10Best. At the all-inclusive day resort, visitors can experience exciting animal encounters in a breathtaking tropical atmosphere. These include swimming with dolphins, snorkeling with thousands of tropical fish and rays in the Grand Reef, feeding exotic birds in the Explorer’s Aviary or meeting playful otters. In addition to the various water activities, visitors can simply enjoy a relaxing day on the white sandy beach and unwind in the park’s tropical gardens.
The following map of Discovery Cove clearly shows the size of the different areas.
A map of Discovery Cove in Orlando
Opening hours, entrance & parking
The entrance fee for a day’s stay at Discover Cove always depends a little on the exact day. On weekends, public holidays and vacations, day tickets are available from 240 USD up to 570 USD (including taxes and fees). That’s an amazing price! And it’s not just adults who pay, but also children from the age of 3. For a family with children, a visit to Discovery Cove can be really expensive and easily cost over EUR 1,000. For one day!
Self-parking on the Discovery Cove site is free of charge or included in the admission price. From the parking lot, you enter a large reception hall where you first have to register with your ID. In return, you will receive a personalized pass for the park, which you should always carry with you. Any additional services that you have booked are also noted here.
The park is open all day from 7 am to 5 pm, although the lagoons are only open to visitors from 9 am. It is advisable to check in at reception between 7 a.m. and 8.30 a.m. so that you can make the most of your day at Discovery Cove. The breakfast buffet at the Laguna Grill, for example, opens at 7.30 am.
All-inclusive Day Resort
Discovery Cove is an all-inclusive day resort, which means that many free services are already included in the entrance fee. This includes a breakfast buffet and a lunch buffet in the Laguna Grill as well as snacks (e.g. ice cream, pretzels, potato chips) and unlimited drinks (coffee, cold drinks as well as beer and wine for guests aged 21 and over). The selection was quite good – there really was something for every taste. There are also vegetarian and allergy-friendly dishes.
Here is an overview of the opening hours of the restaurants and bars:
– Breakfast at the Laguna Grill: 7.30 am to 10.30 am
– Lunch at the Laguna Grill: 11.00 am to 3.00 pm
– Pizza and snacks at Hibiscus Hideaway: 10.30 am to 4.30 pm
– Drinks at the bar & self-service stations: 9:00 am to 5:00 pm
Other amenities include sun loungers, lockers, cruelty-free sunscreen, towels, wetsuits, snorkeling equipment and free parking. The showers are equipped with free soap, shampoo and conditioner.
Even though the entrance fee is very high, we really like the all-inclusive concept because there are no hidden costs.
Day Beds & Private Cabana
For an unforgettable and relaxing day at Dicovery Cove, you can book one or two upgrades online, including animal encounters, photo packages, day beds and cabanas. We had a private cabana for the whole day, which was in a super quiet location – on one side it was overgrown with plants and on the other side we had a great view of the Dolphin Lagoon.
The cabana was perfectly equipped with a super cozy hammock, two loungers and four chairs. We had our own host, which meant that a member of staff was responsible for us all day and regularly asked if we needed anything. There was also a towel service, a snack box (filled with potato chips and peanuts) and a fridge filled with Coke, Fanta and water. There was a lockable cupboard for our valuables.
The price for a cabana starts at just under 220 USD and can go up to 530 USD, e.g. over the Christmas period. We think that’s really expensive, especially as the rest of the loungers, towels, drinks and snacks are actually included in the entrance fee anyway.
Grand Reef
We spent most of the day at the Grand Reef, where you can swim and snorkel with tropical fish. It is compulsory to wear a life jacket or wetsuit in this area. Snorkeling equipment is also provided free of charge, as is a fish identification card. This is a great experience, especially for children, and a wonderful opportunity to familiarize them with the underwater world in a protected environment. The front area is great for small children because it is not yet so deep.
At the back of the Grand Reef, you can walk over paths and (suspension) bridges to the islands and hidden caves of the reef, allowing you to see the reef from a different perspective. The shark tank, which you can look into from above (and the side), is also located at the back here.
In the Grand Reef, you really do feel like you’re in the middle of a colorful aquarium – no matter where you look, you’ll see a fish or a ray. We definitely had a lot of fun here! And anyone who has never come into contact with large rays before will certainly be very enthusiastic about this. The temperature of the various pools remains constant all year round. The freshwater pools Serenity Bay, Freshwater Oasis and Wind-Away River have a temperature of around 30°C. The Dolphin Lagoon and Grand Reef salt water pools have a temperature of 25°C.
Dolphin Lagoon
On our first visit to Discovery Cove ten years ago, we booked the Signature Dolphin Swim Package as an additional service. The package includes a personal encounter with a dolphin. The dolphin swim begins with each group of visitors meeting a dolphin in one of the crystal-clear swimming areas. Afterwards, a zookeeper tells you all about the dolphins’ habits and behavior, their communication skills and the relationships they build with these animals on a daily basis. Each group member then has the opportunity to interact individually with a dolphin and learn about its personality.
There are some controversial views on animal welfare at Discovery Cove. Some critics argue that keeping dolphins in captivity is problematic and that interaction with visitors can be stressful for the animals. Dolphins are highly intelligent creatures and there are concerns about how well their needs can be met in an entertainment environment. The park emphasizes that it is committed to animal welfare and adheres to strict standards for the care and well-being of the animals. This includes careful monitoring of the health and welfare of the animals. The park staff work closely with veterinarians and experts to ensure that the animals are kept in a species-appropriate manner and can express their natural behaviors.
Explorer’s Aviary
In the Explorer’s Aviary, you will encounter hundreds of colorful birds flying around you. Here you can pick up a bowl of bird food (and a bird identification card) from a member of staff right at the entrance. Then all you have to do is stretch out your arm and wait 😉 It doesn’t take long before a bird (or several) flies up and sits comfortably on one and eats from the bowl. This is a great experience – especially for children.
Further facilities & areas
The Discovery Cove area is really very large. We have to admit that we haven’t been everywhere because time has passed so incredibly quickly. So here’s another tip: it’s worth arriving early so that you can really make the most of the day on site and see as much as possible.
In the Freshwater Oasis, you can wade through the water and encounter playful otters and curious marmosets, for example. The marmosets live on the so-called “Marmoset Island” in the middle of the Freshwater Oasis and explore the numerous treetops and bamboo bridges on their island playground.
Serenity Bay is Discovery Cove’s tropical pool with an average water temperature of 30 degrees. Here you can relax under palm trees and enjoy the vacation feeling! We read on the park’s own website that every morning the flamingos migrate from the Grand Reef across the white sandy beaches in front of the Dolphin Lagoon to the inner courtyard at the Laguna Grill. It’s best to have your camera ready 🙂
The Wind-Away River is also a wonderful place to relax while being carried by the current through parts of Discovery Cove. The route takes you past sandy beaches, into the bird house, through a dense rainforest, under the rocky terrain of waterfalls and through an underwater cave.
We found a good video on YouTube with a summary of Discovery Cove, where all areas are shown and explained in detail. We really enjoyed our day at Discovery Cove. We were able to relax really well, were in the water a lot, saw numerous colorful fish, sharks and rays and were well catered for with culinary delights. Unfortunately, the day went by far too quickly 😉