Day 22: Underwater World / WDW-40, 2016

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Day 22 of WDW-40, the latest of my Disney Trip Reports, is here! Today we went to Discovery Cove, famous for its dolphin encounter. This was our third visit, and my brother and his wife’s first. We did the dolphin swim back in 2011 on our first visit to Orlando, and have done “non-swim” days since.

If you haven’t read my pre-trip planning report yet, why not have a quick read now to bring you up to speed about who we are, and why this trip report is called WDW-40! You might also want to start reading from the beginning of the report!

Things to do in Orlando - Discovery Cove. Discovery Cove is an all-inclusive day resort where you can swim with dolphins, rays, and hundreds of reef fish. Plus see tropical birds and other wildlife at this serene oasis in Orlando, Florida. Read about a day spent at this tropical paradise, with tips and lots of great photos

Day 22: Discovery Cove

September 25th, 2016
My trip reports are generally photo heavy, images in tiled galleries can be clicked on to enlarge. All the photos from this day can be found here | Florida 2016 photo collection on Flickr here.
WDW-40, 2016: Trip Report Index | Pre-Trip Planning Report


Today was my brother and his (now) wife’s penultimate full day in Florida with us – we all couldn’t believe how quickly the past two weeks with them had gone – but we had lots to do yet!

We had booked to go to Discovery Cove, an all-inclusive park where you can swim with a dolphin, snorkel with rays and other tropical fish, ride the soothing currents of a tropical river, as well as see hundreds of tropical birds, and other wildlife.

As I said, it is all-inclusive – so you do not have to worry about paying for food, drinks, towels, wet suits, or snorkelling equipment! There are some features that are extra, but I will go into that as I write about our day, and give you my tips for enjoying your time at Discovery Cove!

Discovery Cove

Steve and I have been to Discovery Cove twice before – once on our first trip in 2011 where we did the dolphin swim, and again in 2013 where we had a non-swim day. I have always had mixed feelings about Discovery Cove as to whether it is value for money or not… it can be a very expensive day for a family – even if everything is included.

How much it costs depends on the time of year that you go – and if you decide to combine it with other tickets. Discovery Cove is part of SeaWorld’s parks, and you can often buy tickets that include Discovery Cove, SeaWorld, Aquatica (SeaWorld’s Water Park) and Busch Gardens (in Tampa). If you factor that all in, then it can be great value. Only you can decide! Take a read through this trip report and the other two days I’ve highlighted above to help you in your decision making.

And of course, make sure you check out the Discovery Cove website where you will find up-to-date information.

Us at Discovery Cove

» Continue reading over at my Disney blog – Disney Tips & Trip Reports


Read about the day after:
Day 23: Singing In The Rain
Shopping / Hollywood Studios / Dinner at Manny’s Chop HouseRead about the day before:
Day 21: Out Of Africa
Check In – Animal Kingdom Villas – Kidani Village / Afternoon Tea at Grand Floridian / Dinner at Jiko – The Cooking Place» Read ALL the days!

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