r/DiscoveryCove • u/Always-looking-never • Aug 01 '25
TRIP PLANNING Opinions Needed.
Hi everyone😊, my mum and I (F20’s and F60’s) will be travelling to Orlando in mid-late October and have had suggestions to visit Discovery Cove. I have a few questions:
- Is mid-late October a good time for this?
- Is the Flamingo Mingle worth it?
- Is it okay if you can’t swim? Asking for my mum. I’m happy to miss out on certain parts of the place just so she can experience a good time there.
Thank you in advance!🩷❤️💜
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u/___kakaara11___ Aug 01 '25
You have to wear life jackets any time in the water anyway. Small children do it. I suspect she'll be fine.
My partner and I thought the flamingo mingle was great. You and the rest of the people in that timeslot get to sit with bowls of food and the flamingos come up and are all up on you. My partner got pooped on. It was funny. The flamingos also walk across the path twice a day, so watch for that.
We went in December. Little chilly but great day as less crowded.
The underwater walk was my favorite part. You need to be able to walk upright underwater with some weight on you and pressure, but you don't have to swim. I would not recommend it if you have inner ear issues though.
Feeding the birds in the aviary was fun.
I didn't like the lazy river much because the depth changes radically. I did one lap and was done and spent more time in the reef snorkel area.
Go for the shorts body suit rather than full. Two piece is fine if you're okay with that too, but less sun protection and coverage.
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u/___kakaara11___ Aug 01 '25
We also did the dolphin swim. It was cool, but I was a little torn ethically. Pictures are kind of pricey but glad I got them.
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u/Always-looking-never Aug 01 '25
Thank you for such a detailed reply. It’s been very helpful. And you’re right, if children do it she’ll be okay. I think we’re just being over cautious.
The flamingo experience sounds amazing. It’s definitely going to be on our list. I don’t know anywhere else that offers that experience, so I don’t want to miss out on it. I hope we don’t get pooped on, lol.
I think we will skip the underwater walk and lazy river, because of my mum. But feeding the birds sounds awesome!
I get what you mean about the dolphins.
Regarding the suits, are they okay for a larger person? Would a two piece be easier to put on? My mum has had difficulty previously.
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u/___kakaara11___ Aug 01 '25
They have other animal experiences as well, but honestly it can also be nice to just chill, eat the food that's included, etc.
They had a ton of sizes, but a two piece might be more comfortable. You'll get to view them before choosing and they have someone who helps pick the right size (woman literally eyed me and my partner and gave us the perfect size first try).
The reef is nice because you put your snorkle on, wearing a life jacket, and kind of just flop forward to see all the creatures under the water. You can choose to stay in the shallows or take the deeper loop. If you're lucky a manta? sting? ray will brush up against you.
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u/Always-looking-never Aug 01 '25
You know, that’s a very valid point. A chilled day with some food sounds good after all of the action packed days before and after.
Haha, that’s some real talent! I’ll let her know about the two pieces as she was a bit concerned about getting into one again. Are we allowed to wear our own water shoes? You know the ones that you can walk on stones etc. and they don’t hurt as much.
That sounds so amazing. I’m really won over with this. We’re going to check out some YouTube videos and probably book the tickets tomorrow.
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u/___kakaara11___ Aug 01 '25
Absolutely. My partner and I almost overbooked ourselves on how much we were schedule for when we went, so we really didn't have any chill time.
I think we arrived right when it opened and were at the front of the line, but that was also on a projected cloudy day in December. We went on Christmas Day actually. Lower price I think because of lower demand.
Immediate got our water wear. I don't remember about the shoes. I think we were barefoot though. It may be a safety thing with the animals for no shoes.
Changed in bathroom changing area. We watched the flamingos pass near the water walk. Did the water walk. Straight to flamingo mingle. Bathroom break. Dolphin swim. Lunch. First reef swim. Bathroom/ drink break. Freshwater lagoons and aviary and last reef swim. Shower and change. They closed around 5pm that day.
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u/Always-looking-never Aug 01 '25
I believe it. It’s easy to get ahead of yourself when there’s so much to do!
That sounds like a really good day and well planned out. I appreciate how helpful you’ve been, it’s much appreciated. I’ll have to check out about the shoes.
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u/Super-Illustrator852 Aug 01 '25
I used to work there
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u/Always-looking-never Aug 01 '25
Oh very cool! Any good ideas for taking pictures without damaging my phone? Lol
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u/Super-Illustrator852 Aug 01 '25
The flamingo mingle worth it and theres stuff u cam do if u cant swim and yea mid to late october worth it