UK Valerie
TRUST NO-ONE
- Joined
- Feb 28, 2002
Mike's reports continued
Two and Two kids , Please Day 4..Discovery Cove, or how to
cuddle a stingray
Tuesday dawned bright and sunny ..we're on a roll now for good weather. Today
was our visit to Discovery Cove, we'd picked up on the site through DisUk ..and
had booked back in June since we'd heard it was really busy. DC gives you the
chance to be interactive with dolphins in a near as possible to nature scenario.
We had breakfast at Shoneys ( again ) but I excercised control over my intake of
calories today!!..Guilt , no doubt.
We arrived at DC for 10.15 a.m. ,although all 4 of us were going only Juliet and
Emilia were doing the dolphin swim , Callum did not fancy the idea at all so I
volunteered to keep him company ...a noble gesture indeed !!!
DC is quite up-market in its approach , the reception area was VERY impressive ,
we were introduced to our host ( Valerie ...who came from England )had our
photos taken as I.D. then escorted for a recce of the site. As you enter DC
proper you discover its almost Caribbean in its outlook , palms , ferns and
tropical flowers. We had our complimentary family photo taken ,and it WAS for
free unlike some other places, then escorted to the desk to collect our wet-suits.
Let me say at this point that although the girls and Callum went for long-sleeve
suits I opted for the short-sleeve version and this was more than effective in
keeping me warm in the water even in November!!!
Once fully laden we were shown to the changing rooms and off went the girls
while Callum and I were given the full run-down then changed. At DC you
literally need take nothing except swimwear and cash for souvenirs. All towels
were provided and once you'd used one you simply put it in the container
provided and collected another one! Suncream is provided for you , they only
allow you to use their special cream which does not affect the dolphins(it's SPF
15 and 25 by the way ).
Our swim was booked for 3.20 p.m. leaving us loads of time to explore and play
in the water. After giving the area the once over we headed for the stingray
bay...this is a large , and I do mean large , area full of stingrays ( with their
stings removed in case you wondered!). Rather tentatively we entered the bay
and edged our way into the water.NO worries here !..the water was warm and
no deeper than about 4 feet, the rays swim up to you and around you and its
quite easy to stroke them as they glide by. There were plenty of staff on hand to
offer advice and discuss the rays lifestyle , although since they appear to swim ,
eat and do very little else it didn't take long to give us the rundown. It was
fascinating however , I've certainly never done anything like this before , I was
surprise that I enjoyed it so much since I throw wobblers if fish swim between
my toes!!! At this time Juliet and Callum decided to see how buoyant the
wet-suits were .....since neither can swim at all, yup !..my wife cannot swim but
in 4 hours or so she was going into 15 feet of water with a dolphin...I was
mentally writing up my insurance claim for her !!!!
Lifting one leg off the floor did not constitute floating , I had to inform DW....she
plucked up courage and to her total amazement she was floating!!!! The suits
were excellent in this respect, and none of us had trouble floating whatsoever, if
anyone out there wants to go to DC but is worried about their swimming ability,
or lack of, please be assured you do not need to be able to swim at all (PROMISE
!!)
Now that Juliet thought she was Ariel her bravery increased tenfold.We went off
into the fish lagoon which goes from 2 feet to about 12 feet,and is full of
brilliantly coloured fish. At this time DD and DS decided to try their snorkel and
masks..these were really effective and not one drop of water got through, they
had never snorkelled before but within 10 minutes were experts (well, almost ).
Leaving DW to continue her floating practice we went further round the reef to
where you could swim with sharks and barracuda!! O.K. there was actually
plexiglass between us and them but it felt brave all the same.
Next up we decided to go over to the aviary area ...this was the least impressive
bit of DC and after 10 minutes we'd had enough ...the plus point was the Lazy
River which ran through the aviary with a slow current so off we floated!!This
was the coolest water in the whole place but was not by any means cold , i
imagine it would be really refreshing in the heat of summer bearing in mind
you're encased in rubber from neck to ankle....ooeerr!!
We decided to have lunch in order to let the girls rest before the dolphin swim
and went off to the restaurant. Like all aspects of DC this area was unbusy and
has a very casual laid-back atmosphere, certainly the word crowd is unheard of
in this place! The menu was terrific. The kids had Chicken Tenders, DW went for
Atlantic salmon and I had StirFry Chicken, the salads were terrific too .The kids
finished off with cookies , DW with strawberries and I had the Chocolate Cherry
cake...hey, I wasn't swimming. The food was of exceptional quality , the soft
drinks flowed ( no alcohol allowed in DC ) and a live act sang some seriously laid
back songs. Time for a serious sunbathe methinks ! DW and myself laid out on
our sunbeds while the kids played by the water's edge. It was so nice to relax in
this beautiful place , no crowds...just warm sun and gentle music ( sigh ! ).
By about 2 p.m. DW wanted to go back into the water , another first for her , so
we went from pool to pool , the only downside was I couldn't get Juliet to try
snorkelling but since she'd never volunteered to go into water in her life I
shouldn't complain!!!
The girls had to go off for their pre-dolphin meeting , they were shown a video
about dolphin behaviour , had a run-down on what to expect and then trooped
out the dolphin lagoon. There were 5 groups , each with 6 people and 2 trainers
and Juliet and Emilia's group were in the water for 30-35 minutes while I video'd
the whole thing! BRILLIANT is the only word to describe it..after meeting Dixie (
a 28 year old dolphin ) they stroked her , tickled her and the Dixie entertained
them . I have to say that Dixie seemed to enjoy herself and really played some
tricks on the group ..judging by the trainers' laughter they weren't
choreographed either. The high point was when the group went out one by one
into the deep water and Dixie towed them back while they held her dorsal fin. I
watched with some apprehension when one of the trainers took Juliet out ...I'd
mentally completed the insurance claim by now....but all credit to DW she DID
it!! When Emilia's turn came she held Dixie but instead of taking her straight
back she did a detour around her trainer then took her to shore , I was a bit
unsure but Emilia explained that the instructor had told her about this !!!Relief
!!
Once finished the group came to shore for their de-brief and to view the photos
..a photographer was in with each group . We all sat down and looked at the
shots , and settled on two really brilliant photos...the cost was $33.00 plus tax
but well worth it , the folders are a work of art !
We hit the stingray pool again ..a bit of advice , the staff feed the rays at 5 p.m.
and willingly let you do the feeding, a real experience, the rays swarm around
and are amazing!! If you do visit DC don't miss this.
Eventually we got showered(all shampoo, conditioners etc. are supplied )
changed and wandered to the souvenir shop ...picking up 2 t-shirts and some
cards. The souvenirs are definitely of a superior quality and good value too!
Heading back to reception we picked up our complimentary photo and were
again impressed by the quality. BTW you keep your photo ID since it gives you 7
days free access to Seaworld, a worthwhile benefit ...or it would have been if I
hadn't bought Orlando flex-tickets beforehand !
Taking our leave of DC we all wholeheartedly agreed it had been a fabulous day
and a unique experience, not just for the girls. True , it's not cheap but it was
such an individual experiance that I would willingly have paid double. We did in
fact try to book another day for the following week but they were 100% sold
out, maybe next year....
It seems like an anti climax to talk about food after such a day but again we
maintained the proud family tradition of take-outs and hit PizzaHut. Thoroughly
exhausted the kids , myself and the Little Mermaid known as Juliet collapsed
into bed by 10 p.m.
Tomorrow , Who's afraid of the Incredible Hulk Coaster....not me , so Islands of
Adventure here I come............!!!!!!!!
Mike
Two and Two kids , Please Day 4..Discovery Cove, or how to
cuddle a stingray
Tuesday dawned bright and sunny ..we're on a roll now for good weather. Today
was our visit to Discovery Cove, we'd picked up on the site through DisUk ..and
had booked back in June since we'd heard it was really busy. DC gives you the
chance to be interactive with dolphins in a near as possible to nature scenario.
We had breakfast at Shoneys ( again ) but I excercised control over my intake of
calories today!!..Guilt , no doubt.
We arrived at DC for 10.15 a.m. ,although all 4 of us were going only Juliet and
Emilia were doing the dolphin swim , Callum did not fancy the idea at all so I
volunteered to keep him company ...a noble gesture indeed !!!
DC is quite up-market in its approach , the reception area was VERY impressive ,
we were introduced to our host ( Valerie ...who came from England )had our
photos taken as I.D. then escorted for a recce of the site. As you enter DC
proper you discover its almost Caribbean in its outlook , palms , ferns and
tropical flowers. We had our complimentary family photo taken ,and it WAS for
free unlike some other places, then escorted to the desk to collect our wet-suits.
Let me say at this point that although the girls and Callum went for long-sleeve
suits I opted for the short-sleeve version and this was more than effective in
keeping me warm in the water even in November!!!
Once fully laden we were shown to the changing rooms and off went the girls
while Callum and I were given the full run-down then changed. At DC you
literally need take nothing except swimwear and cash for souvenirs. All towels
were provided and once you'd used one you simply put it in the container
provided and collected another one! Suncream is provided for you , they only
allow you to use their special cream which does not affect the dolphins(it's SPF
15 and 25 by the way ).
Our swim was booked for 3.20 p.m. leaving us loads of time to explore and play
in the water. After giving the area the once over we headed for the stingray
bay...this is a large , and I do mean large , area full of stingrays ( with their
stings removed in case you wondered!). Rather tentatively we entered the bay
and edged our way into the water.NO worries here !..the water was warm and
no deeper than about 4 feet, the rays swim up to you and around you and its
quite easy to stroke them as they glide by. There were plenty of staff on hand to
offer advice and discuss the rays lifestyle , although since they appear to swim ,
eat and do very little else it didn't take long to give us the rundown. It was
fascinating however , I've certainly never done anything like this before , I was
surprise that I enjoyed it so much since I throw wobblers if fish swim between
my toes!!! At this time Juliet and Callum decided to see how buoyant the
wet-suits were .....since neither can swim at all, yup !..my wife cannot swim but
in 4 hours or so she was going into 15 feet of water with a dolphin...I was
mentally writing up my insurance claim for her !!!!
Lifting one leg off the floor did not constitute floating , I had to inform DW....she
plucked up courage and to her total amazement she was floating!!!! The suits
were excellent in this respect, and none of us had trouble floating whatsoever, if
anyone out there wants to go to DC but is worried about their swimming ability,
or lack of, please be assured you do not need to be able to swim at all (PROMISE
!!)
Now that Juliet thought she was Ariel her bravery increased tenfold.We went off
into the fish lagoon which goes from 2 feet to about 12 feet,and is full of
brilliantly coloured fish. At this time DD and DS decided to try their snorkel and
masks..these were really effective and not one drop of water got through, they
had never snorkelled before but within 10 minutes were experts (well, almost ).
Leaving DW to continue her floating practice we went further round the reef to
where you could swim with sharks and barracuda!! O.K. there was actually
plexiglass between us and them but it felt brave all the same.
Next up we decided to go over to the aviary area ...this was the least impressive
bit of DC and after 10 minutes we'd had enough ...the plus point was the Lazy
River which ran through the aviary with a slow current so off we floated!!This
was the coolest water in the whole place but was not by any means cold , i
imagine it would be really refreshing in the heat of summer bearing in mind
you're encased in rubber from neck to ankle....ooeerr!!
We decided to have lunch in order to let the girls rest before the dolphin swim
and went off to the restaurant. Like all aspects of DC this area was unbusy and
has a very casual laid-back atmosphere, certainly the word crowd is unheard of
in this place! The menu was terrific. The kids had Chicken Tenders, DW went for
Atlantic salmon and I had StirFry Chicken, the salads were terrific too .The kids
finished off with cookies , DW with strawberries and I had the Chocolate Cherry
cake...hey, I wasn't swimming. The food was of exceptional quality , the soft
drinks flowed ( no alcohol allowed in DC ) and a live act sang some seriously laid
back songs. Time for a serious sunbathe methinks ! DW and myself laid out on
our sunbeds while the kids played by the water's edge. It was so nice to relax in
this beautiful place , no crowds...just warm sun and gentle music ( sigh ! ).
By about 2 p.m. DW wanted to go back into the water , another first for her , so
we went from pool to pool , the only downside was I couldn't get Juliet to try
snorkelling but since she'd never volunteered to go into water in her life I
shouldn't complain!!!
The girls had to go off for their pre-dolphin meeting , they were shown a video
about dolphin behaviour , had a run-down on what to expect and then trooped
out the dolphin lagoon. There were 5 groups , each with 6 people and 2 trainers
and Juliet and Emilia's group were in the water for 30-35 minutes while I video'd
the whole thing! BRILLIANT is the only word to describe it..after meeting Dixie (
a 28 year old dolphin ) they stroked her , tickled her and the Dixie entertained
them . I have to say that Dixie seemed to enjoy herself and really played some
tricks on the group ..judging by the trainers' laughter they weren't
choreographed either. The high point was when the group went out one by one
into the deep water and Dixie towed them back while they held her dorsal fin. I
watched with some apprehension when one of the trainers took Juliet out ...I'd
mentally completed the insurance claim by now....but all credit to DW she DID
it!! When Emilia's turn came she held Dixie but instead of taking her straight
back she did a detour around her trainer then took her to shore , I was a bit
unsure but Emilia explained that the instructor had told her about this !!!Relief
!!
Once finished the group came to shore for their de-brief and to view the photos
..a photographer was in with each group . We all sat down and looked at the
shots , and settled on two really brilliant photos...the cost was $33.00 plus tax
but well worth it , the folders are a work of art !
We hit the stingray pool again ..a bit of advice , the staff feed the rays at 5 p.m.
and willingly let you do the feeding, a real experience, the rays swarm around
and are amazing!! If you do visit DC don't miss this.
Eventually we got showered(all shampoo, conditioners etc. are supplied )
changed and wandered to the souvenir shop ...picking up 2 t-shirts and some
cards. The souvenirs are definitely of a superior quality and good value too!
Heading back to reception we picked up our complimentary photo and were
again impressed by the quality. BTW you keep your photo ID since it gives you 7
days free access to Seaworld, a worthwhile benefit ...or it would have been if I
hadn't bought Orlando flex-tickets beforehand !
Taking our leave of DC we all wholeheartedly agreed it had been a fabulous day
and a unique experience, not just for the girls. True , it's not cheap but it was
such an individual experiance that I would willingly have paid double. We did in
fact try to book another day for the following week but they were 100% sold
out, maybe next year....
It seems like an anti climax to talk about food after such a day but again we
maintained the proud family tradition of take-outs and hit PizzaHut. Thoroughly
exhausted the kids , myself and the Little Mermaid known as Juliet collapsed
into bed by 10 p.m.
Tomorrow , Who's afraid of the Incredible Hulk Coaster....not me , so Islands of
Adventure here I come............!!!!!!!!
Mike
