Discovery Cove in Orlando Florida – A Different Kind of Place for Families

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Discovery Cove in Orlando Florida

My family loves going to theme parks. We have been to Disney World, Six Flags, Sea World, our local theme parks here in Oklahoma City, and a few different water parks. We also love going to the beach and just relaxing. And occasionally, we get an itching to go to the zoo because we love animals so much! But what if there was a place with a little bit of all of the above? We found it! It’s called Discovery Cove in Orlando, Florida.

We’ve been to Florida many times. We usually go to relax on the white sand beaches and the emerald coast of Destin. Other times, we go to Disney World to see what’s new and because the food is amazing. Fun fact: We eat more calories than we burn when we are at Disney World. It’s crazy that it’s even possible. But believe me, it happens.

Now this was in 2019, before the pandemic hit. Check out their website for any updates on what measures are taken for safety at the park. This video really shows how much fun we had!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YQpDuTDhUho&t=24s

This last time that we went to Florida, instead of doing the Disney thing, we decided to do Destin again. But we also went to Orlando to check out Sea World, Aquatica and Discovery Cove. Once all was said and done, everyone in our family said one of the best parts of the trip was definitely Discovery Cove. It caught us all off guard on how different and amazing it turned out to be.

When you arrive at Discovery Cove, you don’t feel like you’re in Orlando. It feels more like you are on some tropical island. And once you’re there, everything you need is provided. That includes wet suits, towels, life jackets, unlimited meals, snacks and sunscreen. Yes, sunscreen is included.

The staff is very helpful. They guide you to everything you need and help with any questions you have.

After a quick breakfast, our kids were wanting to snorkel so bad in the Grand Reef, so the first thing we did was get our wet suits on.

Then of course, it’s the all important sunscreen.

Grand Reef

Our youngest was a little reluctant to snorkel in the Grand Reef. But once he realized that none of the fish would hurt him, he started having a blast.

It really feels like you are snorkeling in the ocean. There were some huge stingrays, beautiful tropical fish, eels and even sharks. Of course, they are all harmless. For an additional fee, you can do a SeaVenture helmet dive. We passed on that part but still loved the experience. During all of this fun, it’s still hard to believe you are in Orlando, Florida. That’s what’s so amazing about Discovery Cove.

After snorkeling and swimming for hours, we were getting very hungry. It was time for lunch. And with meals and snacks included, they don’t spare on the quality. The food was top notch.

We got a pic of the breakfast, but we ate the lunch so fast that the only pic we had was of the aftermath. Haha!

Dolphin Swim

After lunch, it was time for one of our favorite activities. It was time to swim with the dolphins. The kids were ecstatic! Each one of us was able to pet the dolphin’s belly, give him a kiss and let him take us for a ride. They even had a space where you could do an experience with the dolphins in a shallow area for those who don’t swim.

Discovery Cove Aviary

There are so many cool and unique memories you can make like encounters with Marmosets and Otters at the Freshwater Oasis. This is something we definitely would have done if we had another day at Discovery Cove, but we had a lot of places to go on this vacation.

However, we did go see the birds in the Aviary section which was awesome! Discovery Cove gives you food to feed them with and even though our kids were a little nervous at first, they found out that the birds are very friendly.

With white sand beaches, hammocks and lagoons, you really feel like you are on a tropical island. As you can see, we took full advantage of enjoying it all.

With all of the things you can do, our kids still have fun doing simple things like playing in the sand.

Serenity Bay

Serenity Bay is heated at 85 degrees and a perfect place to relax.

Wind Away River

The Wind Away River which could also be called a lazy river was one of our favorite things to do. There were shallow and deep parts as well as tropical plant life and waterfalls. It felt like the real deal. They also provide floaties to relax on.

Some other great activities include swimming with sharks and be a trainer for a day. You can check out more on their website here.

If you want a different experience that everyone in the family is going to enjoy, you have to check out Discovery Cove in Orlando, Florida. You won’t be disappointed.