No matter when you're reading this, it's basically always summer in Orlando, Florida ... especially at Discovery Cove! If you're not familiar, Discovery Cove Orlando is an all-inclusive day resort right across the street from SeaWorld Orlando ... with all of the aquatic adventures to match. Sounds like froggy heaven, right? Mommy Frog (that’s Flora to you folks), Dad (Leap), Lily and I have had the pleasure of visiting our dolphin friends at Discovery Cove. I’m going to answer some frequently asked questions about the Discovery Cove Dolphin Swim, and tell you all about our experience along the way.
Discovery Cove Dolphin Swim Experience & FAQ
When you're exploring something new (and investing in an add-on experience), you're always going to have questions. Don't worry — we wise frogs have the answers you seek. Have more questions not answered below? Hop to our comments and shoot 'em our way.
How do I make my Discovery Cove Dolphin Swim reservation?
Check out our discounted Discovery Cove ticket options, and select one of the packages that includes the dolphin swim. You'll need to choose a date for your visit, as only a limited number of people are allowed in the resort per day. (For ultimate relaxation, duh.)
Upon arrival at check-in, you will choose your Discovery Cove dolphin swim time with one of the park's ambassadors (a Guest Services employee). The early frog gets the fly ... meaning the earlier you arrive, the more flexibility and availability there will be with your swim time.
Believe it or not, the dolphins actually dictate whether a swim hoppens or not! Before each swim, the trainers ask the dolphins if they're ready to work (and play). If the dolphins respond negatively, your swim can and will be postponed. The trainers then work with each party in the group individually to schedule a future swim time — whether it's later in the day or another day entirely (completely free of charge since you already paid)! Hence why scheduling a swim early in the day can be very beneficial — especially if you're only in Orlando for a very short time.
I don't do well in deep water. Can I handle the Discovery Cove Dolphin Swim?
Yes! Your entire dolphin experience takes place in shallow water where you can easily stand. This is where your trainer(s) will introduce your dolphin to you and allow you to pet them. It's also where you'll stand for your hugging and kissing photos with the dolphin! The actual "swim" portion also take places over shallow water, as you're safely holding onto your dolphin's dorsal fin. Your dolphin will take you from one shallow point to the next — so you're never actually treading any water!
Are there any age or height restrictions?
Unfrogtunately, tadpoles ages 5 and under cannot participate in the dolphin swim, and tadpoles ages 6 to 12 need to be at least 42 inches tall and accompanied by a paying adult (18 years or older) who is also participating in the experience. Children between 42 and 48 inches also must wear a life jacket. This policy was set to ensure that the children can interact in a social setting and follow instructions from the trainer, as well as be physically capable of standing in 3-foot-deep water with large, powerful animals.
What do I wear for the Discovery Cove Dolphin Swim?
Great question! You'll need to wear either a wetsuit (short-sleeve or long-sleeve options available) or a vest during your swim. The water can feel quite chilly, so we recommend the hoppy medium of the short-sleeve wetsuit on most days. All of these choices are provided to you at no extra charge! The beauty here is that the Discovery Cove ambassadors will choose a size for you, and they're awesome at estimating your fit. If it's too big or too small, no worries ... just go exchange it! No questions asked.
What else am I allowed to wear for the Discovery Cove Dolphin Swim?
Sunglasses are allowed and toadally recommended for the Discovery Cove Dolphin Swim, because the glare of sunlight on the water can get pretty intense. You can wear regular glasses as well, or prescription goggles are available at guest services at no extra charge. The trainers do ask that you keep them on for the entire experience. However, you are required to remove jewelry, including bracelets, necklaces, etc. (watches and wedding bands are exceptions and can remain with you). If you have a hair tie on your wrist, you will be asked to remove it or use it to put your hair up!
You should wear your Discovery Cove lanyard to the swim, as this will be your proof of purchase and swim time! You will be asked to tuck the lanyard into your wet suit before diving in. Make sure there's room for your lanyard to be tucked in when putting on your wet suit!
What about my rings? I don't want to leave them in a locker.
If you're wearing an engagement ring or wedding set with a large stone ... first of all, congrats! But more importantly, one of the Discovery Cove employees will ask to wrap it up for you with a gauzy material to make sure you don't accidentally scratch the dolphin, or have a stone fall out and become dolphin dinner. That would be disastrous for everyone involved!
Will I receive any training or education beforehand?
Yes! You’ll meet at a covered station, where one of the trainers will give you a nice safety spiel and play-by-play of your anticipated adventures. We even got to watch a cool video telling us all about dolphins!
How many people will I be grouped with?
Dolphin Lagoon is divided into three main sections, and each of those sections has room for four groups. (Everyone begins at the same time.) Including you and your party, your immediate group will be approximately 10 people. It was fun seeing other families, couples and even people hoppin’ solo while interacting with the dolphins! We shared our dolphin, Roxy, with three different parties of two to three frogs.
How many dolphins do you get to meet during the Discovery Cove Dolphin Swim?
You’ll meet one super special dolphin during your swim, but see many others playing and swimming in the lagoon. We love that this makes the experience a bit more intimate, as you really get to learn all about your dolphin. Our friend Roxy is 26 years old and has two adorable calves who also live at Discovery Cove. Your designated trainers (there are two with you — one of which is the primary “narrator” so to speak) will answer any and all questions you and your tadpoles have about the dolphins and other Discovery Cove wildlife. The trainers will share fun facts and ask YOU questions, too, making the experience interesting and informative. Did you know that dolphins only have one set of teeth for their entire lifespan (about 50 to 60 years)?
How much dolphin interaction will we receive?
When you think “Dolphin Swim,” you inevitably imagine doing the classic dolphin ride-along, and probably not much else. Don’t be fooled or scared away by this misconception! The Discovery Cove Dolphin Swim will wow you with the interaction you receive. I’ll walk you through our experience to help paint a picture for you!
To start, our group lined up and the trainer had Roxy swim right by all of us, allowing us to “pet” her just past the dorsal fin. Like most humans and frogs, dolphins don’t feel too comfortable with you touching their faces. We got to do this about four times during our interaction! As a group, the trainer walked us through a few hand signals that encouraged Roxy to perform her behaviors, such as waving, flipping and even making adorable sounds. After this came the dolphin swim itself. We each met one of the trainers in the shallow water and hitched a gentle ride with Roxy. Photographers were there to capture all of the magic!
How long does the dolphin interaction take?
The in-water experience takes approximately 30 minutes (though there's such a thing as running on dolphin time!). The orientation takes about 10 minutes before you walk down to the lagoon. We suggest arriving about 10 minutes before your scheduled time so you don't run late. Overall, budget about an hour for the entire experience.
What about the most important part … the photo opportunities?
You can let out a sigh of relief because I assure you, your Instagram will be hoppin’ after your Discovery Cove Dolphin Swim. The trainers, a photographer and Roxy herself were all awesome about all of the photos! Of course, photos of our ride-along were captured. Afterward, Roxy was sweet enough to pose for both solo and group shots, both standard and KISSING! That’s right — Roxy kissed us each on the cheek, which resulted in the most adorable pictures. While photographers are available to take pictures, photo packages come at an additional cost. We recommend springing for the largest photo package (especially for a big group!) so you can get all of your photo downloads.
Can I bring a waterproof camera?
Nope! As the Frog Family's resident videographer, it breaks my heart to say that you are not allowed to bring cameras of any kind into the Discovery Cove Dolphin Swim — but it's for a very good reason. Cameras have tons of tiny, small parts that could easily fall into the water and become a danger to the animals. As frogs, we must put the safety of our fellow aquatic friends first!
Like we mentioned, Discovery Cove has photographers in the water with you to capture your experience. You'll definitely want to purchase a photo package to take all the fun home with you (and it makes great social media content, duh). If there's anyone in your party not participating in the dolphin swim, they're more than welcome to take photos and video from the shoreline.
What if it rains?
Ah, the beauty of SeaWorld parks! Discovery Cove has a generous inclement-weather guarantee. If rain spoils your Discovery Cove dolphin swim plans, the staff will do their best to reschedule your experience to another day during your Orlando visit. If you’re not available, you have up to a year to come back and splash with your dolphin pals!
Are you ready to dive right in and swim with the fish... or in this case, dolphins? Hop on our discount tickets today and get cruisin' to your Discovery Cove dolphin swim. If you have more questions (whether frequently asked or not!) comment below so we can help you out. That's what frogs are for!
Related: The Frog Family's Guide to Discovery Cove
Stay cool!
