Discovery Cove with Kids-2020 edition

Have you every heard of a day resort where you can eat and drink all day, while snorkeling alongside sting rays and swimming with dolphins? Yeah probably somewhere in the Caribbean! But would you believe me if I told you that something like this is nestled right in Orlando? Yep right in the middle of the state, not by the beach! Discovery Cove is the only day resort that you can do all these things.

Since COVID made a huge impact to the World, and Florida’s tourism took a hit, it’s real exciting to see that these type of attractions are open! But what’s even better is that you can safely socially distance yourself there! In this blog post, I am going to share all there is to know about Discovery Cove. And how it’s like visiting during a pandemic-and with kids.

 

WHAT IS DISCOVERY COVE?

Discovery Cove is an All inclusive day resort located in Orlando Florida, right by Sea World and Aquatica. Discovery Cove is where you and your family can enjoy a one-of-a-kind opportunity to swim with dolphins, snorkel with thousands of tropical fish and rays, hand-feed exotic birds and unwind on pristine beaches. With no lines throughout the park, you can plan your adventure at your own pace!

WHAT IS INCLUDED:

  • Unlimited Food and Drinks: You an literally eat as much as you want as often as you want. They serve breakfast and lunch! and the unlimited drinks includes alcoholic beverages as well!
  • Dolphin Lagoon: Get nose to bottle nose with a new friend that will live in your heart forever when you experience the highlight of your day, a one-on-one dolphin encounter.–We did this the last time we went, but skipped out on this, this past time! 

  • Amenities: Every visit to Discovery Cove includes complimentary amenities like fresh towels, snorkeling gear and more.

  • Explorer’s Aviary: Venture beyond the beaches and waterfalls of Discovery Cove and enter a hidden treasure, the Explorer’s Aviary.  Where an inspiring natural habitat sings with the rhythm of wings and the melodies of birdsong.

  • Freshwater Oasis: features wading adventures and face-to-face encounters with playful otters and curious marmosets.
  • The Grand Reef: Swim and snorkel with thousands of tropical fish through this stunning coral reef habitat.–This was literally MY favorite!!! Renaldo and I can literally do this for hours! 
  • Serenity Bay: Slip into the refreshing 85-degree temperature of Discovery Cove’s immense and immaculate Serenity Bay.
  • Wind-Away River: Ride the soothing currents of a tropical river as it winds past sandy beaches, through a dense rain forest, beneath the rocky terrain of cascading waterfalls, and through an underwater cave. This was one of our favorites, the water is so refreshing. However, I recommend getting a floaty and vest if you are not a strong swimmer because the water gets deep!

UPGRADE YOUR STAY:

SeaVenture: The Grand Reef’s innovative experience is an underwater walking tour where, while wearing a dive helmet, you’ll feel right at home under the sea.— We did this and I LOVED it!!!

Animal Trek: Experience a private 60-minute tour with our Ambassadors to see behind-the-scenes and receive additional opportunities to meet some of our birds and small mammals.

Swim with Sharks: Have the experience of a lifetime by getting up-close and swimming with sharks.

Ray Feeding: Join Discovery Cove’s expert aquarists early in the morning to help feed our various species of rays from the energetic Cownose Rays to the impressively large Southern Rays.

Trainer for a day: Indulge your love for animals and experience an exclusive, behind-the-scenes look as a Discovery Cove Trainer for a Day.

Day Beds: Comfortable Day Beds tucked within lush landscaping and alongside pristine beaches provide a special place to relax and unwind when not in the water exploring.

Cabanas: Reserve your own private space, tucked within the lush landscaping and overlooking waterways, with a Discovery Cove cabana. –Perfect for social distancing!! Our cabana was completely private with its own entrance in the “jungle” with its own hammock, fridge, safe, and table with chairs!

 

VIP experience:

VIP CABANA: Because we had the VIP package, we had a totally private cabana reserved just for us. There was a hammock, our own fridge stocked with whatever drink we wanted, a safe where we could keep all of our valuables, snacks for the kids, lounge chairs for all of us, our own private sand area where the kids could build sand castles, that overlooked the Wind-Away River. It’s seriously the perfect set up, especially if you have kids. So with the VIP cabana, you get a private host/hostess all day long. And we are s lucky to get some pretty amazing hostesses each time! Anytime we needed something, she was there not grab it for us, so we didn’t even need to do anything but relax and enjoy our time with the kids!


Discovery Cove During A Pandemic: 

I am so impressed with everything Discovery Cove has put into place to make you feel comfortable and safe while at their day resort. If. you don’t know, discovery cove is basically 98% outdoors and rarely ever crowded, so that already makes me feel better. But they took some extra steps to ensure everyone’s safety, including….

EMPLOYEE & GUEST TEMPERATURE SCREENING

When guests and employees arrive on-property, they must undergo and pass temperature screening using the CDC temperature recommendation of 100.4 degrees Fahrenheit.

FACE COVERINGS

Face coverings will be required for guests 2 and older in certain designated areas of the park (e.g. the park entrance, retail areas, food and beverage areas and other designated areas). Face coverings will not be required in the water (e.g., the lazy river and all other water attractions) except during the Signature Dolphin Swim Experience.

PHYSICAL DISTANCING

To promote proper physical distancing throughout the parks, we will install signage and markings throughout our guest areas (including on the ground) to identify appropriate, six-foot physical distancing. Lounge chair seating will also be modified to maintain physical distancing. We also encourage contactless payments and plexi-glass will be installed in high-traffic or close-contact areas to maintain a physical barrier.

CLEANING & SANITATION

To protect the health and safety of our guests and employees, we will significantly increase both the frequency of cleaning for all key areas of the parks (including employee spaces) and the number of hand sanitization stations across each park, especially in high-contact areas.

WORK & SICK POLICIES

We will require our employees to stay home if they are feeling sick. We will also require our employees to follow the most current CDC guidance for self-isolation and symptom-free periods before returning to work.

COVID-19 TRAINING

Our employees will receive COVID-19 specific training to cover all new enhanced park operating procedures. The training will include the most current guidance from the CDC and other health advisors.

To read more about specific areas and how they have enhanced it, click here


My honest review if it is worth visiting, even now when things are so questionable: 

Yes! We had a great time, and the kids were begging to go again the following weekend lol. but even with everything that’s going on, its the perfect day getaway. There is so much to do at Discovery Cove, you won’t even want to leave. If you go, I definitely recommend getting a cabana of some sort, so you have a plan to escape to that’s private!!