Discovery Cove - The World's Most Expensive Theme Park?

Discovery Cove is one of the most unique theme parks out there, working as an all-inclusive experience combining a water park and a zoo. You'll swim up to an island with monkeys, feed exotic birds in an aviary that has a lazy river flowing through it and you'll swim among various species of rays and tropical fish. While I have a lot of issues with how SeaWorld and Busch Gardens parks operate, Discovery Cove is different, presented as a luxury experience and really elevating itself among the other parks in the chain. Still, the park pre-add-ons and tax was over $600 for admission for two. The question today is: "Is it worth the steep price?"

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[clairedelune]

I really enjoy the videos on the channel but I think there is some additional info about the pricing that could have been mentioned in this video:

1) Unlike Disney/ Universal, the Discovery Cove website has frequent discounts for visits booked a few months in advance (they also hold a Black Friday sale on the website as well). For example, while I can't post the image in a Youtube comment, on Oct 28, 2023 they were showing certain dates in December 2023 as low as $153.60 for a day resort + three park package (one day at Discovery Cove without dolphin swim + unlimited 14 day admission to Aquatica, Sea World, and Busch Gardens).

2) While some add-ons are not worth the price, if you are interested in visiting any of the other parks owned by the same company then the multi-park add on can be a good deal. I'm not trying to shill for Discovery Cove, but the day resort + three park package that my family booked for out early December visit in 2023 cost less than our one day, base ticket/ no Park Hopper visit to Magic Kingdom. This particular package also cames with free parking at all of the included parks which saved a good $25 or so dollars each day in parking alone compared to visiting a different park.

TL;DR If you book only one day at Discovery Cove with no discounts and no added parks then yes it's expensive. But Discovery Cove offers packages and discounts which do not have comparable offerings from Disney/ Universal in terms of price per day/ park, in my experience. As mentioned in the video the other parks don't measure up to Disney/ Universal but if you are primarily interested in roller coasters (Iron Gwazi, Cheetah Hunt, Mako, Manta, etc.) then you might find the price makes up for it.

[emmaobrien]

Zoologist here; Discovery Cove operates identically to other SeaWorld Parks, with animals being exchanged freely between the parks as needed for breeding and whatnot. This is something to keep in mind regarding the ethics of this park.

Also, when "off duty, " dolphins are kept in much smaller pools behind the larger lagoons used for interaction. You can view this part of the park in satellite images/Google Earth if you'd like to see for yourself.

[remdiaz]

I think a big part of discovery cove is the atmosphere. While describing each individual thing doesn't necessarily make it sound like it's worth the money, there's a definite value to the feeling it provides when it's all put together. It's genuinely just such a relaxed vibe, especially with things like food being included in the price. And the park has an *extremely* low capacity, I'm talking about a thousand a day, and none of the experiences use a queue, so it's going to feel very intimate and exclusive. It was, all in all, the most relaxing day I've ever had in Orlando, just drifting from place to place and enjoying myself, grabbing snacks when I so desired.

[davidfitzsimmons]

I love some of the little "secret" exhibits they have under the water. Windows under the water in some places to view some more dangerous fish that can't be in direct proximity to guests like moray eels. These have no indication above water that the little portholes even exist, you just got to discover them

[silverheart]

I imagine the price point also helps keep the crowds down to keep a relaxed, naturalistic atmosphere. The intensity of the upcharges are a part of that, as well, I think.

[kevindrake]

Just being able to swim with all those fish and rays is worth the price; you can’t have that experience even in the ocean with wildlife. The bird encounters are also really cool. I like just floating down the river. Honestly, you summed it all up perfectly when you said this is like doing the “excursions” on a cruise. That’s exactly what this is like. The cocktails are really good too and they are STRONG. I thought the food was as good as most cruises too.

[fireflyfox]

This is my absolute favorite place to go in Florida. I love nothing more than spending a whole day in their river and floating around. It's so relaxing and I wish I could go more often.

[Mockingdragon]

Oh gosh, I remember going to a week-long camp here as a kid. Must have been 2004 or 2005, and I had the best time of my life. I remember camping out in the dolphin exhibit one night instead of being in a hotel, and watching that the dolphins never stopped swimming all night long.

[joeybell]

I love discovery cove! As a former sea world park worker, it was definitely worth with the employees discount of $50 per person.

[Eidlones]

It's wild to me that getting up close to some flamingos, has a decent chance of being more expensive than a 45 min underwater excusion.

[irishtonk]

Went here as a kid and it was definitely a family favorite. We spent a few hours just swimming with the rays and fish

[acowwithlegs]

This reminds me of XPLOR in Mexico where it has multiple attractions you can experience like waterslides, cave swimming, off-roading, and other stuff but you don’t really wait for any of them and food is included. It’s more expensive then an average theme park but the experience is much more relaxed.

[whatever]

Yours has really become one of my favourite channels on youtube, you have a very relaxing/calming type of presentation while still being totally professional and high quality in production. Plus it’s clear how much time/effort/work you put into the research and making of all your videos, and I really appreciate it! Hope you continue to enjoy producing this work for us to watch 😄

[xeno_mania]

Went here for my sister's 18th birthday 10 years ago... Had no idea my parents spent this much on it, especially for the dolphin encounter. Love them so much

[jazzflute]

It wouldn’t be a Sunday without this guy dogging on some form of themed entertainment

[blaster-zyxx]

We just went yesterday. Here are some suggestions to get your money’s worth.
The prices vary all the time to control crowd size, so keep watching the prices go up and down and book when they go down. Black Friday is a good time to book for the beginning of December when the weather is great and the crowds are greatly reduced. Also, get the combo deal with other parks. We got sea world tickets added on for only $15 per person and the meal deal there for half price. With sale
Price for admission at Discovery, no add ons and the combo deal to their parks, it actually was pretty good bang for the money.

[anthonymadrid]

I love discovery cove! I think my family will probably go every time we visit Orlando. We love snorkeling on cruises, but some days are a miss. With Discovery Cove, you’ll always see the fish! Plus free food and sodas is awesome! We went on a whim for our honeymoon and LOVED it!

[kotor]

I'd definitely recommend it for a relaxation day. A lot of unique experiences to be had even without doing the up charges.

[feistyy]

I've only ever heard this park by name but never knew what it was until now. I didn't expect all this lol

thanks, poseidon

[azrielsatan]

As someone who went during a good week in the Winter, I had an amazing time. I recommend it with a park hopper, as in the right season, the main water park is completely empty. So I spent a day where the limits to how many times I could do a slide were based on how fast I could climb the towers.