Visiting an amusement park with your children can sometimes feel like more work than play. Forget anything close to relaxation as you run from ride to ride trying to get it all in and catch every great attraction. I have 3 fairly young children (ages 12, 9 and 7) and while this is a great magical age where they are mostly independent and helpful but still like their mom around, traveling with them brings on a whole new list of things I have to prepare for. My dream vacation is just to lay on a cushy lounge chair near the water as waiters bring me fruity adult beverages, but that just isn’t happening when it’s me and my 3 kids.
This fall (September 2022) the 4 of us embarked upon a journey to Orlando specifically to visit Discovery Cove, an inclusive resort from the creators of Sea World. Normally, a trip to a big time Orlando amusement park means months of planning, reading travel blogs, asking friends, making reservations and checking reviews. But, not this time. Discovery Cove is designed to take the craziness out of the amusement park experience.
As I began my normal research, I quickly learned that this was no ordinary park. If you are reading this as a part of your research for a trip, stop and take a deep breath. Put that pen down and relax. Discovery Cove is going to be a day when you can actually partake in the fun and excitement without the worry that you have to get to the next event or ride before you miss it.
It starts with your reservation. You don’t just buy tickets, you also select your day to attend the park. They have a magic number of people they allow in the park for the day. I say its magical because the goal is for there to be no lines and there ARE NO LINES! You go from attraction to attraction as much as you want. No kidding! Separate experiences can be purchased at the time of the ticket sale. We did the Dolphin Experience where we met Stella the Dolphin and got to pet and literally do a little glide side-by-side with her. Additional packages include SeaVenture where you can use a special scuba helmet to walk on the reef floor, swimming with sharks and walking amongst Flamingos.
Food and drinks are included in your ticket purchase and, of course, you have the option to upgrade with some more delicious adult beverages but the basic ticket includes beer and wine! No more arguing with my kids that they can’t have a second $13 popcorn and no cringing when I purchase a $6 water! Breakfast and lunch were a buffet with normal choices and the food was more than decent. My kids all easily found food they liked (aka – typical kid selections) and there were fancier options for adults as well. Additionally, there were snack stations optimally placed throughout the park. My boys loved running up there and grabbing some chips and an ICEE.
There was one part of the park that I didn’t get to partake in but is definitely worth mentioning: the bar and beach area. A lovely man-made beach with the river running through it and other smaller pool areas and lounge chairs adjacent to a nicely sized bar where adults could sit as their children played in the lifeguard supervised waters.
Discovery Cove doesn’t just stop at the food and drinks. They provide everything you need from snorkels and goggles to wet suits. Even the lockers were included in your ticket price. You can truly walk into the park and put your things in the locker and relax. There are things to purchase at gift shops and the pictures from our Dolphin Experience were pricey but also a great keepsake of a wonderful memory.
The park is not as large as your typical Orlando amusement park, but that also made it enjoyable. We were not exhausted from walking and standing all day, in fact, my kids and I didn’t want to leave! From the Grand Reef filled with thousands of fish swimming right passed you to the aviary where you feed birds as they land on your hands, arms or even head, everything was interactive, serene and invigorating.
My family’s hands-down favorite was the River. Not your typical lazy river, there are no inner tubes but you can use a noodle to help support smaller swimmers. This attraction has multiple entry and exit points that lead to other excursions so you can actually use it as a fun way to get around the park as well. It feels as though you are floating down a river in any tropical location but you are actually in Orlando with lifeguards spaced throughout. You will see birds of all different types and my kids enjoyed jumping from rock formation to rock formation in between swimming and floating.
As it was time to leave, each of my children reflected on how this was their favorite family day on vacation ever! They begged me to return someday soon. Make your reservation today for your best day ever at Discovery Cove!
