What to do at the Weekend: Visit Discovery Cove in Florida
While on holiday in sunny Florida, we spent an incredible day at Discovery Cove. All we can say is wow!
If you’re looking to spend a day relaxing in a paradise…then this is for you.Updated: October 2024
What we did at the weekend:
A relaxing day in paradise at Discovery Cove Florida.
Location: Central Florida Parkway, Florida
Our rating: 10/10
What is Discovery Cove?
Discovery Cove in Florida is an all-inclusive day resort designed to replicate a tropical paradise you might find hidden away in the Caribbean.
It is part of the Sea World family and is situated just across from the main Sea World park on Central Florida Parkway.
During your visit you’ll get the opportunity to:
- relax on one of their many white sandy beaches
- wind your way down the (very) lazy river
- snorkel with tropical fish
- and even swim with Dolphins!
And that’s only naming a few of the amazing activities you can do.
If you’re spending time in Florida, you’re definitely going to want to add this one to your list.
An unforgettable day at Discovery Cove
Our days at Discovery Cove was definitely the highlight of our last few Florida trips.
After running around theme parks like big kids for days on end, getting to relax in the sun was just what we needed.
The cove is a one-day experience, so you’re going to want to get there at opening to make the most of your time.
What Time Does Discovery Cove Open?
Discovery Cove opens at 7am
But, we advise you get there no later than 8.30am to really make the most of your day.
The waterways at Discovery Cove open a little later at 9am.
This will allow you enough time to have a little bit of breakfast and collect your wet suit or jacket.
We ALWAYS get a taxi to Discovery Cove because it’s literally a 10 minute drive from International Drive AND you get all of your boozy drinks included.
Getting Started at Discovery Cove
Luckily, all your food and drink is included (with some exceptions we’ll talk about later) so you don’t have to worry about racking up an enormous food bill while you’re there!
On arrival we were greeted by friendly staff who explained how everything worked, told us timings for our dolphin experience and booked us a slot for lunch.
Breakfast at Discovery Cove
It’s the most important meal of the day and at Discovery Cove, the breakfast is really good.
We popped for a cooked breakfast and plenty of coffee at the Laguna Grill to fuel us up for the day.
It’s a buffet style deal and they have a great selection for all tastes, from bacon and eggs, to chicken and waffles.
That’s where everyone starts their experience, so the restaurant does get quite busy.
Thankfully, there is plenty of indoor and outdoor seating, so there’s room for everyone.
Breakfast is served 7:30 A.M. – 10:30 A.M every day.
Pro-tip: DO NOT leave your breakfast unattended or it will get eaten by the birds (yes we learned the hard way).
Do you have to wear wetsuits at Discovery Cove?
Yes and no.
Discovery Cove insists on guests participating in water-based activities to wear a wetsuit or a swim vest.
They have availability in all sizes so you don’t have to worry about finding something that fits.
You can also borrow a snorkel for the day if you so wish – which is definitely great to use while exploring the Grand Reef (more on that shortly).
They require that you also wear a life vest when in the Grand Reef too.
So once we were kitted out, we headed for the water.
Discovery Cove’s Lazy River
The first areas we explored were the Freshwater Oasis and Wind-Away River – Discovery Cove’s lazy river.
The Wind-Away River was where we spent a lot of our day…and for good reason.
This warm lazy river winds its way around a lot of the Discover Cove site, taking you past waterfalls, through a rain forest and even through an aviary of tropical birds.
This is laziest of all lazy rivers in Orlando, the current is very slow and you’ll need to swim at least a little bit to get round.
We usually just grab one of the many green noodles and float around the waterway slowly.
Freshwater Oasis
The Freshwater Oasis is based on the fresh water springs of Florida and gives you a great chance to see some of Discovery Cove’s wildlife.
We swam past otters and even watched a feeding talk for some adorable little marmosets.
After some time in the water, it was time to dry off and enjoy the white sand beaches of Serenity Bay.
All Inclusive Food and Drinks
Snacks, soft drinks, and Beers
In terms of food and drink, as we mentioned earlier you get your breakfast and lunch included in the cost.
If you get peckish in-between meals, there are also pretzels and crisps available throughout the resort.
You can just simply grab as and when you wish.
As well as this, you can also help yourself to soft drinks as much as you want throughout your day.
If you’re over 21, you have access to a selection of beers and wines within the standard entrance fee.
The team will check your ID on arrival so you don’t need to carry this on you for the rest of the day.
What time is lunch served at Discovery Cove?
Lunch at Discovery Cove is served between 11:00 A.M. – 3:30 P.M.
Like breakfast, it is buffet-style and has a great selection of burgers, sandwiches, and salads (to name a few items on the menu).
For full menu details, check out the dining page here.
The Upgraded Drinks Package at Discovery Cove
At 40 dollars (in advance) or 45 dollars on the day, it might seem a little pricey considering you get free beer all day.
But, we can confirm that the upgraded drinks package is awesome.
Discovery Cove have 8 exclusive cocktails, which (we can confirm) are all delicious.
You also get access to unlimited premium spirits such as Jack Daniel’s – and yes, they are really good pours.
What Cocktails do they have at Discovery Cove?
Here is the upgraded cocktail list:
ALOHA SUNRISE
Tito’s Vodka, Bacardi Rum, blue curacao, grenadine, pineapple and orange juice.
BLUE BAMBOO
Malibu rum blended with blue curacao and pineapple juice.
BLUEBERRY SPLASH
Tito’s Vodka with a splash of blueberry puree topped with lemonade and Sprite.
HIBISCUS HIDEAWAY
Spiced rum, Malibu rum, with a splash of hibiscus puree, sweet and sour, topped up with Sprite.
PARADISE BREEZE
Tito’s Vodka, triple sec, raspberry and hibiscus puree.
PASSION FRUIT DELIGHT
Passion fruit juice and hibiscus, combined with Patron Silver Tequila, and a splash of orange and lime juice.
SERENITY BAY
A twist on a classic with a salted rim infused with Patron Silver Tequila, blue curacao, and sweet n sour mix
Head over to the Discovery Cove upgrade section to get the drinks package
Electric Shark Cocktail
The Electric Shark Cocktail gets special mention on the upgraded drinks package as it was our undisputed favourite.
It is made of Tito’s Vodka and Malibu Rum, Blue Curacao (to give it the distinctive ocean look), Pineapple Juice, and Ginger Ale.
The highlight is the gummy shark that looks like it’s swimming in the drink.
And, (if you are lucky) the barmaid might give you a red grenadine ‘shark attack which looks like blood in the water’.
Very cool.
Anyone who has been served by Murph at Universal Studios will have had a similar experience.
The Grand Reef at Discovery Cove
One of the incredible areas in Discover Cove is the Grand Reef where you have the chance to swim with tropical fish and rays.
Replicating a natural coral reef, this (unheated) pool is absolutely fantastic.
Thousands of brightly coloured fish swimming mere inches from you and rays of all sizes and species glide effortlessly right under you.
There’s a really cool shark area that you can just swim right up to too.
Everywhere we looked we spotted something amazing and we could have spent hours admiring the beauty of reef and its wildlife.
As we said before though, you have to wear a buoyancy aid in this area now.
Pro-tip: get an Aquapac for your phone so that you can take cool underwater pictures and videos.
Swimming with Dolphins at Discovery Cove
Our swim with the dolphins was the best part of our day, and is something neither of us have done before.
We were lucky that the experience was actually included in our tickets when we made our booking.
There are however, plenty of price packages to choose from depending on how much you want to do.
Meeting Luna the Dolphin
The experience lasts for around half an hour and was done in small groups (there were six of us in ours).
Once in the water, our instructor introduced us to Luna – who was absolutely adorable.
We got to learn all about her, her likes and dislikes and how she spends her days at Discovery Cove.
We got to give her a little hug, swim alongside her and she even showed us some of her clever tricks!
All the dolphins are well cared for, and only do the experiences if they are up for it on the day.
The dolphins they keep at Discovery Cove Florida are all bred in captivity across Sea World’s resorts.
The ones used for the experiences are the ones who are very sociable and enjoy being around humans.
It was good to learn that none of the animals are ever forced into doing anything they don’t want to.
Luckily Luna loved interacting with us, and so she were pretty happy to show off their skills to us!
We loved every minute with Luna, and would definitely do the experience again when we next visit.
Buying Photos of the Dolphin Experience
There is a professional photographer taking photos during the experience which you can purchase from the shop on your way out.
However be warned, Discover Cove charges an extortionate amount of money for these.
Be prepared to put your hand in your pocket if you do want to take any of the photographs home with you.
How much does Discovery Cove cost?
As we mentioned previously, there are plenty of package options for your experience at Disovery Cove.
With it being part of the Sea World family, you can benefit from great options that include their other attractions.
Such as Sea World, Busch Gardens and Aquatica.
We purchased our tickets through Floridatix during Black Friday and so were lucky to bag ourselves a pretty good deal.
If you go directly through Discovery Cove however, prices range from $179 to $215 per person. Prices fluctuate regularly, please check.
Our tickets cost us £152.50 each and included 14-day access to Sea World, Busch Gardens and Aquatica.
These tickets also included the parking, which will save you a fortune.
Finally, the tickets also included our 1-day visit to Discovery Cove with the dolphin swim included.
Full details of Discovery Cove’s prices are available here.
We definitely got our monies worth, and would be more than happy to pay that again next time we head over the pond to America.
We visited all the Sea World owned parks during our time in Florida.
Even without any additional experiences, there’s still plenty to do and you’ll easily fill your day at Discover Cove.
What else is included in the price at Discovery Cove?
Whether you’ve purchased a basic package, or one with the dolphin experience included, you’ll still get the same access to the rest of the park’s facilities.
The price gives you access to:
- Wind-Away River
- Freshwater Oasis
- Grand Reef
- Serenity Bay
- Explorer’s Aviary
- Snorkels and wetsuits included.
You also get access to free parking, lockers, towels, sun loungers and animal-friendly sun cream which you can find dotted around the park.
Although you can drive, we grabbed a Lyft to and from Discovery Cove so we could both make the most of the all-inclusive drinks (of course)!
You’ve got to get your monies worth after all.
Round-up
We honestly couldn’t recommend Discovery Cover more to anyone visiting Florida.
It got our first 10/10 rating on this blog after all!
We’ll definitely be back there as soon as possible and will be telling everyone we know to add it to their Florida itinerary.
It provided a much-needed respite from the hustle and bustle of the parks, and gave us wildlife experiences we wouldn’t have gotten the chance to do otherwise!
The Florida Series
We love Florida and have been going every year for some time.
We’ll be updating our blog with more Florida-related content as frequently as we can.
You can read more from our series of Florida related content by checking out:
5 responses to “Discovery Cove Florida”
Great post! We’re in the middle of planning our first trip to Florida and may have just added this to our itinerary 😄
Aw thanks very much and thank you for the comment too! We absolutely loved it, had the best time and i’m sure you will love it too. If you need any more recommendations, just drop us a DM or an email and we’ll gladly send you some.
[…] could probably add the Busch-owned theme parks in Florida – Sea World, Discovery Cove, and Busch Gardens to that list […]
You do not have to wear a wet suit all day at Discovery Cove. Actually it’s only required with the Seaventure outing. You need a swim vest with the dolphin encounter. Other than that you’re free to be without both the vest & the suit. We were just there today 9/3/23. Definitely worth every penny! Highly recommend.
Hey Jen, thanks very much for leaving a comment! You are right, at the time of writing (about 18 months ago) the post info was correct and you had to wear at least a swim jacket in all the water ways, but we just haven’t quite had chance to update the post since. Things have changed now and we actually went back in June and had the best time, worth every penny as you say 🙂 Thanks again for the comment and we’re glad you had a great time!