Discovery Cove is truly one of the major highlights to visiting Orlando (and there are many), the fact that they limit entry into the park means there are no lines to wait in and you can guarantee a seat on the sand.

The staff must be hand picked for their friendliness as nothing was a problem and they seemed genuinely excited about having you as a guest!

We visited with my 3 year old daughter and whilst she was to young to swim with the Dolphins, once our interaction was over, they arranged for her to come into the Dolphin pool where a Dolphin called Dixie was waiting for her to pat and have her photo taken! She hasn't stopped telling people about Dixie 2 years later!

If like us to tend to travel later in the year Oct- Nov time, whilst they provide everything you need (wetsuit, towels, food, drink even sun-cream), we found that although the sun was out, it was windy and there is little else to do but spend time swimming. By the end of the day we got to that stage where you wished for the day to end because it was getting too cold and yet still wanted your monies worth!

If you are looking to book this event for a special occasion, my advice to you is to book far in advance..very far! We tried to get our wedding anniversary 9 months in advance to be told that date was now closed. Subsequently, we have now booked for Oct 2009 in the middle of July 2007 to guarantee the date we wanted.

Expensive? - Yes, Life changing? - No, but I feel well worth the money even if you only ever do it once in your life.

Our visit to Discovery Cove was absolutely the best part of our week long trip to Florida. The price seems like a lot, but by the end of the day, I thought it was money well spent. Every aspect of our visit was amazing, from the interaction with the dolphins, to the snorkeling through the tropical fish, petting the sting rays, and all the food that was included in the price, and yes, even the beer was included. My kids loved the fact that they could go get as many treats as they wanted from the snack bar all day long. You must, must, must take a trip to Discovery Cove, it will be a trip to remember for a lifetime. I know we will be back!

We had a great time, got there at about 7:30 which was good for us, we had a large group, I took our four children(15,10,7,6) and we got the 9:25 swim but we could have had 8:20 which would have been a little better because when we went to feed the birds they didn't want to eat but they were still beautiful. Lunch was great and breakfast was good, someone told me the beer was cold. The coral reef was incredible and we got to feed the stingrays in the afternoon which if you can do this it was really neat! I purchased the pictures and dvd for $201 and it was definitely worth it, I watched the dvd and it was incredible. I will definitely be back, and it really is a good price you get sea world and busch gardens for $30 more..........

if youve never been to orlando before , it is amazing. the whole place is arguably one of the best vacation places in the world.
discovery cove ,however, puts the rest of orlando and all its amazing theme parks in the shade!!!
its no surprise that this place has been voted one of the best experiences in the whole USA.
i first visited discovery cove in 2005 and was blown away then. when i booked to go in 2007, i noticed they had gone " all inclusive " and hiked the price up a fair bit. i like many other was cautious of a theme park rip off but booked anyway. how wrong to doubt them i was.
the service is like a top hotel, you are really made to feel like you are very special and this is a day they dont want you to forget for the rest of your life. your breakfast is included, lunch is included, all beers drinks and snacks are included, they even give you sunscreen!!!
the lay out and surroundinds are beautifull. its like being on your own luxury island.
i swam to the aviary and when i entered almost immediately had 2 small red parrot type birds land on my shoulders, drinking the water droplets off me. youre not lucky if they come to you, they just do.
to top this off you get an amazing 30 minute dolphin swim, which is a lifetime memory. but believe me the dolphin swim is only a part of the great day we had.
i understand that there are only 2 of us, and a family of 4 would put a big dent in anyones holiday funds. but if you can afford it, dont consider it. book it now!!!