A tropical oasis in central Florida? Discovery Cove, along with SeaWorld parks the whole family will love! #RockYourVacation

*** I received an all-expense paid trip to FL, courtesy of Experience Kissimmee, to experience these great attractions.. My opinions are 100% my own and have not been influenced in any way.*** 

Would you like to go to a place where you can east as much as you want, enjoy the beach and feel like a millionaire on vacation on the islands? Have you ever dreamed of swimming with the dolphins, or waking underwater with the fish and petting stingrays?  At Discovery Cove, you are transported to the tropics, you may ask… Are we are still in Florida… Central Florida?

Discovery Cove is a unique reservations-only, all-inclusive park. The park restricts attendance to about 1,300 guests per day and so is able to provide a more intimate, resort-like experience unlike any park in the world today. Guests are able to participate in the park’s signature 30-minute Dolphin Interaction, snorkel with tropical fish and rays in The Grand Reef®, wade beside marmosets and otters in the Freshwater Oasis®, hand-feed parrots, toucans, and other exotic birds in the free flight Explorer’s Aviary, and relax in the large resort pool and swim along a tropical river. 

Other amenities include freshly prepared breakfast and lunch, unlimited snacks and drinks, free equipment rentals and a souvenir snorkel. Plus the Discovery Cove Day Resort Package includes unlimited admission to SeaWorld® and Aquatica, SeaWorld's Waterpark™ in Orlando (Busch Gardens® Tampa can be added for an additional charge).

We started the day off with swimming and interacting with the stingrays. I was offered prescription goggles so I could snorkel and swim with the stingrays (included in your admission) and actually see what I was doing. I never even knew there was such a thing as prescription goggles! It was amazing to be able to see, while I snorkeled… it was amazing! 

 If you do not wear glasses, you may not understand how amazing it was to see while in the water it was a great thing. Yes Discovery Cove has it all.  Also included in your admission is, Freshwater Oasis,   Discovery Cove’s newest attraction featuring wading adventures &  face-to-face encounters with l otters and marmosets.  We were able to experience Signature Discovery Cove Experiences:  (an additional cost is required for Dolphin Interaction and SeaVenture).
 


First up is a premium adventure at Discovery Cove is the SeaVenture, this is an underwater walking tour where guests, wearing dive helmets,  all while having encounters with fish and friends. There are some sharks too, but they are safely behind glass (so don’t worry you are safe) you are one on one with the fish. There is no SCUBA license needed, because this is an entirely different experience. 

The helmet works as a cap, that pumps in the air and holds off the water, it was fascinating that the helmet weighed 75lbs out of the water, and when in water it was only 15lbs… 

I have never been that close to fish in my life, they were everywhere! Have you seen the large fish tanks at your local aquarium? Imagine being in the tank and seeing the fish right there in front of you, below you behind you, wow it was an experience. We were also able to pet a small sting ray, it was adorable. The SeaVenture was incredible, and something I never thought you could do in Florida, this seemed so exotic and only something you could do on the islands, and the like but you can do this in Florida, and it is as amazing as it seems.

Then we had the chance to swim with the dolphins, a bucket list item that is for sure. The dolphins were fantastic, we were able to interact with Atlantic bottlenose dolphins for the 30 minute session. We pet kissed, and just had some fun with the dolphins. The interaction ended with an amazing swim with the dolphin, where we swam out and we held on the  dorsal fin and got a tow ride back to shore. The experience  was incredible!  The dolphin swim is for groups of seven to nine guests, the groups are small, so you really can get some great interaction with the dolphins.

Followed by the swim, we enjoyed and interview with a dolphin trainer on the beach. Did you know that if Discovery Cove’s dolphins do not feel like interacting they have the option to go off to a secluded private area and not “work” if they choose not to.  Did you also know, Discovery Cove has a dolphin who is 50 years old, she was with Sea World when it began in Orlando and she is still going strong.  Some Discovery Cove dolphins, were also in Jaws 3, so we were swimming with celebrity dolphins. Very Cool…

When I say all-inclusive what do you think? You could relax and keep the pina coladas coming. Choose whatever you would like from the menu for breakfast lunch and dinner. Snack, drinks whatever you want you can enjoy.  We had a wonderful lunch at Laguna Grill , it was great to never have to break out your wallet, just get to Discovery Cove, relax and enjoy your day. With your admission, you will also get a 2 week pass to Sea World, so you can enjoy that park as well.  The folks at Discovery Cove, could not do enough for you, they were so very friendly and attentive. The truly wanted you to have the experience of a lifetime. I would love to return and have my family experience this wonder, very soon.

Stay Social with Discovery Cove:

http://www.discoverycove.com/

Facebook: www.Facebook.com/DiscoveryCove

SeaWorld Orlando, was another first for me.  SeaWorld is celebrating their 50^th anniversary this year, and have lots of fun events planned. One of the awesome 50^th anniversary planned fun is a celebration squad, you just may be chosen to win a prize by these guys just for coming to the park… You could win all sorts of prizes, if you are in the right place at the right time!

 We were able to take a look behind the scenes to see how Sea World helps animals in need… we were shown how they transport the animals, and backstage area where they are taken care of.  SeaWorld has helped so many animals over the years, for instance for the year 2014 there has been 7 manatee rescues and 7 manatee releases.

 Immerse yourself in wonder at SeaWorld Orlando, where the aquatic world comes alive like no place else. Climb aboard and ride the mighty Manta. Experience the power and grace of killer whales in the awe-inspiring Shamu show One Ocean. Share an epic voyage with sea turtles on the 3D 360 TurtleTrek. 

And there’s nothing cooler than to see the world through the eyes of a penguin in the thrilling, chilling adventure of Antarctica: Empire of the PenguinTM. An ocean of fun is waiting to be explored right here at SeaWorld Orlando. Jump in and dive deep.

Friends rode the Mantra, a huge exciting rollercoaster that seemed like an extreme rollercoaster, that any rollercoaster lover would adore… I However am not a huge rollercoaster fan…. I am sure my husband would love this ride though...
A ride that is more up my alley is the new Antarctica Empire of the Penguin  ride, a ride through experience that takes you on a journey of a young penguin in Antarctica, the ride was amazing…. 

The effects, and the drop of temperature made you feel like you were on the expedition (with each room change, the temperature would drop until you hit the end at 30 degrees by the time you reach the penguins) that took you on a wondrous journey that ended with a visit to an actual penguin habitat.

Overall SeaWorld is a must for families, they had it all fish, mammals, rides and shows. Make sure to plan a visit during your next family vacation. Now is a great time to visit, with all of the 50th anniversary fun, I am sure you will have a wonderful time at SeaWorld. 

Stay Social with SeaWorld

Web Site: http://seaworldparks.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SeaWorld

Twitter: @SeaWorld

Stay tuned for more of what Kissimmee Florida has to offer!

Would you like to experience Discovery Cove and Sea World on your next Florida vacation?

 




Disclosure: The reviews and or opinions on this blog are my own opinions . No monitory compensation was received. I was not required to write a positive review. Your experience may differ. The opinions I have expressed are my own I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commissions 16 CFR Part 255: Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsement and Testimonials in Advertising .
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