My Day at Discovery Cove
Maggie Ballantyne
1/30/21
Discovery Cove is an all-inclusive day resort for families and friends in the Orlando area. It is also my new favorite vacation destination. I added a day at Discovery Cove onto my last Universal Orlando vacation and it was the best decision I ever made. The low number of people allowed in, the drink packages, interaction with animals, and friendly staff all made for a perfect day!
There are two ways to go about visiting Discovery Cove:
- Add a day onto your vacation while visiting other destinations like I did.
- Book an entire vacation package around visiting Discovery cove.
If you choose to book your vacation as part of a package, your Wishes Concierge Agent can set you up at a hotel that provides a car service to Discovery Cove as part of that vacation package. I was staying at Universal’s Aventura Hotel and opted to uber from the hotel to the day resort. I had no idea how close it was. With little traffic early in the morning, it was about a 10-15 minute drive.
Upon arrival, I had my temperature checked and I received a complimentary face mask and hand sanitizer to use throughout the day. This is hand sanitizer that if applied, it is safe for the wildlife at Discovery Cove. Discovery Cove asks that you please do not apply sun tan lotion or tons of hand sanitizer prior to your arrival. It will be provided to you at no extra cost so that when you get in the water with the sea life, the chemicals will not harm them.
Prior to your day at Discovery Cove, your Wishes Agent will also help you preselect activities if you wish to add on to the fun. Some of these activities could include a tour, feeding stingrays, being a trainer for the day, dolphin swims, shark swims and more!.
I pre-purchased a Dolphin Swim and Feeding the Stingrays so that when I showed up, I just had to check-in and choose the times of my activities and meals so they would not overlap. That's right... breakfast, lunch, soft drinks, and snacks are included in your visit. Lockers, life vests, towels, and scuba gear are also all included in your stay!
After checking in, each person receives a lanyard with their name, times of activities, and if they have a drink package or not. Once you have your lanyard, you wait for either the resort to open or for your instructors for the first activity. While waiting, there were very friendly staff members walking around explaining the mask rules. Masks are required when you go to order food, pick up a towel, stop by one of the bars, or explore the gift shops. They are not required when eating, drinking, swimming, or walking from pool to pool or activity to activity.
By signing up to feed the stingrays, I was one of the first guests to enter the park as this is done early in the morning. This also means I had the first choice in lockers, beach chairs, times for other activities, selecting a lunch slot, etc. I chose lockers in the center of the resort and beach chairs with a perfect view of the dolphin lagoon and the flamingo walk.
With two instructors, our group headed to the Grand Reef where we were introduced to three large stingrays. While social distancing from each other, we were able to get in the water to observe the feeding and pet the stingrays. We learned a lot about the animals, the other fish, how they are cared for, and more. After they were fed, we swam to the middle of the reef with gloves on and fish in buckets so we could help feed the thirty cownose stingrays. They were so gentle and friendly. My favorite was Splash because she did in fact splash as a "thank you" for every fish.
After feeding and interacting with the stingrays, we also fed the fish. The Grand Reef is open during the day for guests to snorkel in, but having the whole area to ourselves (a group of ten) made it a very fun and peaceful morning plus we got the most interaction out of the animals. It also helped later with navigating the area and all the sealife!
Feeding the stingrays was a lengthy activity, but in the best way possible. We were there for over an hour and the instructors made sure we had a great time. I really did not want it to end. But it was time for breakfast! I made my way to Laguna Grill for a delicious breakfast buffet! There were markers on the ground that kept everyone six feet apart, masks were required and the waitstaff served you rather than you having to serve yourself on the buffet line. I really enjoyed the danishes, fresh eggs, and french toast sticks. After breakfast I had the rest of the morning to enjoy my beautiful view of the dolphin lagoon from my beach chair and spend some more time in the grand reef before my dolphin swim.
Currently (as of July 2020), due to COVID, the dolphin swim is now more of a dolphin encounter. You are still brought into the lagoon with the dolphins; however, you do not touch them. You learn all about them and they show you a few tricks, but right now the trainers are working to acclimate these mammals back to having visitors. Remember, they had way less interaction than they were used to for 4-5 months. The dolphins are being re-trained to keep them safe. What if a child drops their mask and it floats? The dolphins need to recognize these new accessories are not something they can eat!
They are also waiting for more research to come out that proves COVID cannot be passed to a dolphin. So for the dolphins' safety, everyone is interacting, smiling, and waving from 6 feet away. DO NOT WORRY! I still had the BEST dolphin interactions. They were so happy to see everyone and when I walked to the shore, dolphins came swimming up and could not stop "talking." You are still going to see these beautiful creatures. You will not regret it!
If a dolphin swim is something you absolutely want to do, check with your Wishes Concierge Agent!
After the dolphin swim, I took some time to explore the other side of Discovery Cove. I went through the Wind-Away Lazy River (which also takes you through Explorer’s Aviary), swam next to the otters, and looked for the marmosets on freshwater oasis island.
At my lunchtime, I went back to Laguna Grill and tried a little bit of everything! My favorite entree was definitely the salmon paired with different side salads and for dessert I tried the carrot cake. For drinks at Discovery Cove, Coke products are included with admission and I opted for the Premium Drink Package. This is an add-on and it is a lifesaver. Not only did it save me money on drinks, but it also added a level of convenience to my trip! I could order beer, wine, or cocktails at any bar at the resort. If you have a drink package, your lanyard that you received at check-in will have an additional card that has your name and your DOB so you do not have to carry your ID. This means that instead of going back and forth from your locker to the bar to get your wallet every time you want a drink, you just show them your lanyard. As opposed to being limited to the bar closest to your locker, you can go to any bar at the resort as long as you have your lanyard!
Without a chance to swim with the dolphins, I was very hesitant to request a photo package for my day trip. Let me tell you, I am SO happy I did. The photographer was available during the stingray feeding and there were photographers along the lazy river in front of waterfalls.
Photography is one of my favorite hobbies and pictures are my favorite souvenir. I normally do not like releasing that job to someone else, but at Discovery Cove, the camera is in good hands. I was able to leave my phone behind and really just live in and enjoy the moment. I could be in the water with the stingrays having fun and not worrying about getting my phone wet, getting a good angle, the lighting, etc. It was all taken care of for me! The best part? I got copies of all the digital prints, eight 5x7 prints, a photo book, and a photo frame! This was the perfect souvenir and I look back at the photos often!
If you are concerned about social distancing, that is ok! I was too! I can honestly say I felt incredibly safe at Discovery Cove. Normally the capacity is 1,110-1,400. As of July 2020, they are only allowing a max of 500 people in. I felt like I had most of the resort to myself!
Other ways social distancing was practiced:
- Beach chairs were definitely over 6 ft apart
- Masks and social distancing were required in food lines
- Hand sanitizer was all over and given out upon arrival for you to carry with you
- All staff wore masks
- All life vests were sanitized and then had to go in a special sanitation bin after use so no one else would use it
- Photographers stayed at least 6 ft away
- Staff enforced social distancing in the Lazy River and Grand Reef
This park was SPOTLESS! I was incredibly impressed with the way everything was handled and never questioned my health or safety.
As someone who usually is go-go-go when visiting theme parks in Florida, it was SO nice to visit Discovery Cove and relax. I spent the last three hours of the day floating around in the grand reef with the stingrays not wanting the day to end.
If you are interested in a day at Discovery Cove or other all-inclusive resorts, I can be reached at maggie@wishesfamilytravel.com or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/wishesfamilytravelmaggie. I would love to help you with your next vacation!