Learn about an Orlando theme park that’s amazing (and it’s not Disney!).
I don’t care if Walt himself strikes me down with a lightning bolt for saying this: The best Orlando theme park isn’t Disney, it’s Discovery Cove. I know that may sound like blasphemy to some of you, but hear me out.
I grew up in Anaheim, California and went to Disneyland at least once a year myself – I’m no mouse hater. But now that I have kids and family vacations give us precious bonding time (and cost a month’s worth of pay), I’d rather go somewhere that doesn’t turn me into a frustrated, stressed-out, hot mess. Fighting herds of people to snag a spot in a 45-minute line for 30 seconds of fun, and then doing it all over again, isn’t my ideal way to spend the day with my kids.
Don’t get me wrong, we’ve done Disneyland once. It was hot. The kids whined about waiting in line. And everyone was ready to go home after only four rides. I would have wiped theme parks right off of our list of family vacation ideas forever. But then we went to Discovery Cove and we haven’t stopped talking about it since! It was so awesome that none of us wanted to leave and my youngest daughter wistfully said as we were walking out, “I wish we could start this whole day over.”
For me and my gang, skipping Disney and building a family vacation in Orlando around going to Discovery Cove was the best decision ever. Here’s what makes Discovery Cove such an incredible experience:
It’s Not Like Any Other Orlando Theme Park
Discovery Cove is an immersive experience where you can interact with animals (think: swim with dolphins, hang out in a pool of manta rays, feed toucans) in what’s designed to look and feel like a tropical oasis.
But the best part about it is that there are no crowds and no long lines because the park limits attendance to 1300 people per day. That’s right, they actually put a cap on ticket sales so you won’t be shoulder-to-shoulder with strangers all day long.
It’s also an all-inclusive theme park, meaning that once you pay for tickets, you won’t face sky-high charges for food and drinks. Your entrance fee includes:
- Breakfast and lunch
- Snacks (fresh-baked cookies, slushies, chips, popcorn, etc.)
- Drinks (margaritas for adults, too!)
- Life vests and wet suits, if you need them
- Snorkel gear and towels
- Marine-safe sunscreen
- Lockers to store your purse, shoes, etc.
I loved not having to stress about what to pack for the park – everything was already there – and not having to whip out my wallet throughout the day. It’s not just the kids who get to have fun at Discovery Cove – the all-inclusive perks let grown-ups focus on having a good time, too.
You Create One-of-a-Kind Family Vacation Memories
Discovery Cove is still an under-the-radar Orlando theme park, especially compared to Disney or Universal. So, your friends and family are going to be seriously wowed when they see the pictures from your vacation.
The super-special moments come from experiencing the attractions. With the Signature Dolphin Swim package (from $199/person), you can:
- Swim with a dolphin
- Float down a lazy river
- Feed exotic birds in a free-flight aviary
- Swim around a waterfall
- Snorkel in a lagoon teeming with sea life
Swim with dolphins
As you can imagine this was the highlight of our day at Discovery Cove. We showed up to the dolphin lagoon at our appointed time (no waiting in line, remember?) and two trainers walked my kids and I and a handful of other people into the water.
We lined up in a shallow area and the dolphin swam near us so we could pet it and my kids got to feed it Jello (who knew?). But the real thrill is “swimming” with it. You swim out to meet the dolphin in deeper water, grab its dorsal fin and hang on as it tows you back to shore. This is the stuff mermaid fantasies are made of! Kids that are worried about deep water can stay closer to shore, but won’t get as long of a “ride.”
Of course, there’s an opportunity to pose with the dolphin while a staff member snaps pictures. You can purchase them later if you want – just a heads up, they’re pretty expensive. But you can’t take your own phone or camera into the water so if you want pictures, this is the only way to get them. The only alternative is if you have someone stay onshore and take pictures from there, but they won’t be as good.
Kids have to be at least six years old to interact with the dolphins.
Best place to learn snorkeling
I’m not exaggerating when I say you can’t take a step in the Grand Reef lagoon without colorful fish and rays moving to get out of your way. I’ve snorkeled in Maui, Cabo San Lucas and Key West, and this was by far the best snorkeling I’ve ever done. There’s just such a huge variety of beautiful sea creatures, they’re so close to you, and there are no waves or currents to deal with.
My 7-year-old daughter was too scared to try snorkeling in the beginning of the day. But she finally worked up the courage by the end. Once she got the hang of it, she took off across the lagoon like a torpedo swimming after pink, blue and orange fish. She was entirely caught up in the joy of her first-time snorkel.
Even if your kids don’t end up snorkeling through the deeper water, just walking around the shallow part of the lagoon will still be thrilling – fish and rays surround you there as well.
The bonus? At the end of the day, you get to take home your snorkel set as a souvenir.
Become buddies with beautiful birds
We also really enjoyed walking through the aviary. It has 250 species of birds – big and small – and staff members give you cups of food to feed to them. Birds swoop down and land on your arm to get the goods.
My kids and I couldn’t stop smiling when a toucan landed on my daughter’s arm, then hopped over to my other daughter’s arm and then over to mine.
This Orlando Theme Park’s Extras Are Worth It
In addition to the standard attractions, you can also pay extra for a variety of premium activities. Here are the ones we tried and liked:
Handfeeding rays
Watching rays swim around is almost as good as a meditation session – there’s something so peaceful about the way they glide through the water. But believe me, they do get more active when it’s feeding time, which makes it pretty exciting.
For this experience, you have to come early in the morning – like before the park opens – to get into the Grand Reef lagoon before anyone else. Our small group entered the shallow water with a trainer to feed fish to a variety of rays from small to huge. You make a fist around a bit of fish and let the ray swim over your hand and suck it up. Their mouths are like little vacuums. Their wings curl up, they flop over each other and they brush up against you to get the food.
Kids have to be at least six years old to feed the rays.
Cabana with butler service
The ultimate luxury at Discovery Cove is getting a cabana. These spots are tucked away among the trees and rocks and have lots of shade, loungers, a table and chairs, a mini-fridge with chilled drinks and a basket of snacks.
Our cabana had an amazing view of the dolphin lagoon and we spent the last hour of the day just sitting on the rocks and watching the different pods swim around. They swam right up to the rocks that we were sitting on like they wanted to interact with us.
Our hostess, June, went above and beyond to make sure we had everything we needed throughout the day – escorting us to and from our different animal encounters, grabbing fresh-made cookies for us and delivering our dolphin pictures when we were ready to go home.
A cabana makes for a nice landing spot, but it’s not necessary unless you want to guarantee you’ll have a shady place for a little one to nap or a place for a larger group to meet up in between activities.
You can also reserve a shady daybed or arrive at Discovery Cove before it opens to be among the first to enter and snag a lounger.
Free Access to Other Orlando Theme Parks, Too
You can easily build a family vacation around going to Discovery Cove. That’s because, in addition to an incredible day there, you also get a 14-day free access pass to two other nearby theme parks: Aquatica water park and SeaWorld.
This alone makes Discovery Cove seem like such a good deal compared to other Orlando amusement parks!
Since it was free, we went to SeaWorld while we were in Orlando, too. My kids really enjoyed the animal shows, especially getting splashed in the front rows and riding the Journey to Atlantis water ride to cool off on a super-hot day.
Discovery Cove Details
Ready to plan a family vacation to Discovery Cove?
Discovery Cove ticket prices
Ticket prices fluctuate depending on what time of year you want to go and what days of the week. School breaks and weekends are going to be more expensive. In general, prices for the day resort tickets start at $149/person but don’t include the dolphin swim.
But if you’re going to visit Discovery Cove, you might as well do the dolphin swim or another special animal encounter. They’re upgrades that cost extra but are totally worth it. And remember, your ticket price also includes entrance to two other theme parks. So even if you spend $250 to do a dolphin swim and day at Discovery Cove, you’re actually getting entrance into three parks which makes it more like $80/person for each park.
Theme park hours
The park is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. but check-in and breakfast start at 7:15 a.m. and many of the premium adventures also begin early. I totally recommend getting there as early as you can so you can take advantage of everything that’s offered there. It’s one day – do it up!
What happens if it rains
All water activities continue in the rain unless there’s thunder or lightning. In that case, they close the water activities and ask people to move to shelter until the storm passes.
That happened to us, but it wasn’t until the very end of the day. I think showers in the afternoon are pretty common – another reason to get to the park when it opens!
If there’s a hurricane or tropical storm predicted around the same time as your family vacation, you can reschedule or get a refund. Get more details about their rainy day policy.
Where to Stay in Orlando
We overnighted at the Renaissance Hotel, which is across the street from SeaWorld. As guests of the hotel, you get free fast passes to SeaWorld and you’re just a five-minute walk to the park entrance. But you have to get a ride or drive to Discovery Cove.
The rooms at the Renaissance Hotel are great. But you should know that there are no eateries nearby so you’re limited to what the hotel offers unless you’re willing to drive somewhere else.
What I recommend: The hotel’s restaurants are just as pricy as room service, which makes ordering something to your room a no-brainer. You can let tired kiddos shower, watch TV or otherwise decompress until the food arrives. In the morning, you can a quick bite from the Starbucks in the hotel.
If you have extra time to kill between theme-park days, the hotel has a really great pool and mini waterpark for littles (think: spray-ground and waterslides). There’s a shaded bar and grill area to hang out and grab a bite, too, as well as animal-shaped float rentals, a grassy play area with giant checkers and lawn toys, and ping-pong tables.
Orlando Theme Park Vacation: Day-by-Day Itinerary
To map it out for you, here’s how I would structure a long family weekend in Orlando:
Day 1: Get your swimmies on.
Try to arrive in Orlando in the early afternoon. Check in to the Renaissance Hotel and get your SeaWorld fast passes. Then hit up their pool and mini waterpark. Eat a late lunch or early dinner at the café by the pool.
Day 2: Check out the sea life.
Grab a quick bite at the hotel’s Starbucks and walk across the street to SeaWorld. Spend the day there seeing the animal shows and going on rides. You can also feed the rays there!
Day 3: Head to your island oasis.
Get a taxi or Uber to Discovery Cove. Aim to arrive before it opens. There may be a short line of people waiting to get in. Breakfast, lunch and snacks are provided there.
Day 4: Get an adrenalin rush.
Get coffee and breakfast at Starbucks again and then Uber or taxi over to Aquatica. Back at the hotel, order room service. Shower the kids and pack up while waiting for food.
Day 5: Head home.
A family vacation to Orlando is an awesome experience, especially if you make Discovery Cove a part of your adventure. A day spent at this theme park is one that you and your family will be talking about for years to come.
Happy travels,
P.S. Want more family trip ideas like this one? I have a whole section of family vacations.
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