Discovery Cove Discounts and Deals

Discovery Cove is an all-inclusive day resort run by SeaWorld Orlando where guests can enjoy one-of-a-kind animal encounters, including a world class Dolphin Swim Program. Attendance is restricted to about 1,300 guests per day, so a reservation is required, and booking well in advance is suggested. It is located adjacent to SeaWorld, just off International Drive, about a 15-30 minute drive from Walt Disney World, depending on exactly what part of Disney World you are coming from. Right nearby are SeaWorld Orlando and Aquatica Orlando, a water park run by SeaWorld. SeaWorld Orlando also owns Busch Gardens Tampa Bay and Adventure Island, a water park in Tampa Bay.

To get an in-depth feel for what a day at Discovery Cove is like, check out Kris Borchardt’s Discovery Cove trip report.

Discovery Cove sometimes has promotions or offers that can save you money, and there are authorized ticket resellers that offer discounted tickets. Check below for Discovery Cove discounts and offers. All offers are subject to change without notice. Always call ahead and confirm before driving out of your way to take advantage of a particular offer!

Jump to:

• Tips and Advice about Discovery Cove Tickets
• Discovery Cove Ticket Discounts
• Getting to Discovery Cove from Walt Disney World
• Hotels near Discovery Cove

Tips and Advice about Discovery Cove Tickets

Discovery Cove has two date-based ticket options: the Signature Dolphin Swim Package and the Day Resort Package. Both include 1-day access to a variety of animal encounters, as well as unlimited food and drinks (including beer and wine for ages 21+), sunscreen and towels, wetsuits and snorkeling gear, flotation devices, lockers and parking. The Signature Dolphin Swim Package also includes a chance to swim with dolphins. Children must be at least 6 years old to swim with dolphins. Children ages 6-12 must be accompanied by a paying adult who also is participating in the dolphin swim experience. The Day Resort Package does NOT include a dolphin swim. Please note: some animal encounters, such as the Snorkel with Sharks, Animal Trek, Flamingo Mingle cost an additional fee and have a limited number of spots per day. So, don’t wait too long to make those reservations if that is important to you. 

The cost of Discovery Cove tickets will vary depending on the time of year you visit and prices adjust upward once a certain number of tickets are sold for a certain date. Tickets are only valid for a specific date. However, if your plans change you can make a one-time change to your reservation, up to 48 hours prior to your reservation date, to any future date (subject to availability). If you cancel more that 30 days before your reservation date you get a 100% refund. 

Both of the regular Discovery Cove admissions (Signature Dolphin Swim Package or Day Resort Admission) give you the option of adding 2 or 3 visits to to SeaWorld Orlando, Aquatica Orlando, and Busch Gardens Tampa Bay to your Discovery Cove pass admission at a huge discount. If you plan to visit multiple SeaWorld parks this is a very good deal! These tickets are available on the Discovery Cove website. Be sure to compare the final cost of a multi-park pass to the combined cost of the individual tickets; the best deal varies depending on the specific attractions and the discounts that are currently available.

The Discovery Cove website can have special offers on tickets, so if you have time, it’s good to check back periodically for sales. However, be sure to compare the total cost of their offer with the cost of the same ticket from Undercover Tourist; you may find you get a slightly better deal through Undercover Tourist.

Discovery Cove Ticket Discounts

Jump to:

• Discount Tickets from Undercover Tourist
• AAA Ticket Discounts
• Florida Resident Ticket Discounts
• SeaWorld Orlando Annual Passholders Discounts
• Military Ticket Discounts
• Veterans Ticket Discounts

AAA Ticket Discounts

If you are a member of AAA, you can get discounts on Discovery Cove tickets. Go to AAA Tickets and then select “Theme Parks & Attractions”. 

Florida Resident Ticket Discounts

Florida residents may get extra savings when booking at DiscoveryCove.com. Advance reservations are required.

SeaWorld Orlando Annual Passholders Discounts

SeaWorld Orlando Annual Passholders sometimes get discounts at Discovery Cove. They are not offered all the time, so check with SeaWorld to see if your pass currently offers any deals. Make sure you check with SeaWorld for any blackout dates– these are NOT published on their site.

Military Ticket Discounts

U.S. active duty military, activated or drilling reservist, or National Guardsman can receive discounted rates on Day Resort Admission and Signature Dolphin Swim Packages for military personnel and as many as three direct dependents through the Waves of Honor program. This offer may be discontinued at any time. 

Please note: You must register in advance using the link above for this offer.

Veterans Ticket Discounts

Former U.S. military personnel can receive discounted rates on Day Resort Admission and Signature Dolphin Swim Packages for military personnel and up to three guests through the Waves of Honor program. This offer may be discontinued at any time. 

Please note: You must register in advance using the link above for this offer.

Getting to Discovery Cove from Walt Disney World

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• Taxi, Lyft or Car Service
• Rental Car
• City Bus

Taxi, Ride Share or Car Service

You can take a taxi or Lyft to Discovery Cove from Disney World. You can also book a chartered limo, sedan, or van. Usually a chartered sedan will be fairly competitive in price with a taxi or Lyft. With Lyft and chartered cars you know the price up front, unlike a taxi where the price varies with traffic and depending on the specific route the driver chooses. On the other hand, there are always taxis and Lyfts available at both parks, whereas with a chartered sedan you’ll need to schedule a time to be picked up. Most limo services will pick you up earlier or later if you find that you get tired or you need more time to see everything, but it depends on them having a car and driver available.

Rental Car

Another option is to rent a car for one day. You can get a one-day rental pretty inexpensively, and this option gives you tons more flexibility. Driving to Discovery Cove is very easy – take I-4 East and one or two exits away there will be signs telling you to exit for SeaWorld Orlando. From there, follow the signs to SeaWorld Orlando; Discovery Cove is on Central Florida Parkway across from the backside of SeaWorld Orlando. Your hotel can give you specific instructions for how to get to I-4, or there are road signs on all the major Walt Disney World routes that will direct you.

City Bus

The cheapest way, but not the fastest, is to take the city bus to SeaWorld from Walt Disney World. Discovery Cove is across the street from the backside of SeaWorld. For schedules, fare information and to see the route details, visit GoLynx.com. There are two places where you can catch the city bus at Disney World: Ticket and Transportation Center and Disney Springs. Remember that bus drivers cannot make change, so be sure you have some small bills or exact change with you. 

MouseSavers.com reader Lois B reports in February 2012, “We took the Disney bus from the All Star Music Resort to Disney Springs. Since Pleasure Island did not open until 11:00 that morning, the Disney bus dropped us at the only stop at 8:30 am at Disney Springs which was at the Marketplace. The Disney bus driver was very helpful and showed us where to walk down the street and cross the road to get to the city (Lynx) bus stop for Bus 50. It was about a city block’s worth of walking. The bus was $2.00 per person. The meter took bills and coins but would not give any change back. So, for instance, there were 3 of us and it cost $6.00 so we put in a $5 and $1 bill. If we had only had a $10 bill or two $5 bills, we could have used that, but we would not have received $4 back. This may be common knowledge to most people, but since we live out in the country, we never ride city buses and had no idea about any of this — just glad we had made a point of carrying a lot of small bills for tips, etc.”

Discovery Cove Area Hotels

If you’d like to stay near Discovery Cove, SeaWorld Orlando and Aquatica Orlando, there are several reasonably-priced hotel choices that offer terrific value, and MouseSavers has exclusive offers at two of them!

If you’re looking for a terrific deal, our top choice is Hilton Grand Vacations SeaWorld Orlando. This lovely landscaped condo-style resort is centrally located near multiple theme parks and attractions — and is walking distance from Discovery Cove, SeaWorld Orlando and Aquatica Orlando. It’s an easy 10-15 minute drive to Universal and Walt Disney World, and features spacious 1, 2, and 3-bedroom suites with full kitchens, numerous amenities and more. MouseSavers readers get rate discounts and WAIVED resort fees!

HGV Suites at SeaWorld is an official SeaWorld Partner hotel, which means guests can get complimentary Quick Queue passes, which provide limited one-time front of the line access to select SeaWorld attractions. However, each partner hotel has only a limited supply of Quick Queue passes, so be sure to ask at Guest Services at check-in how you can arrange to receive some. In addition, partner hotels offer early entry to SeaWorld on select days in peak season. So if you are also going to visit SeaWorld, this could be worth considering. 

You’ll also find a terrific deal at the Drury Inn & Suites Orlando located at the intersection of Sand Lake Road and Turkey Lake Road. It’s an easy 10-12 minute drive to Discovery Cove, SeaWorld Orlando and Aquatica Orlando, and only a 5-10 minute drive to Universal Orlando. This well-managed and maintained 238 room property offers exceptional value, particularly for the area near Universal Orlando. Your room rate includes FREE hot and cold breakfast, FREE evening “Kickback” with assorted hot and cold foods and beverages including soft drinks and alcoholic beverages (beer, wine & mixed drinks), FREE Wi-Fi, FREE parking, and FREE shuttles to Universal Orlando. Rates are low to moderate, and there is no added daily resort fee. MouseSavers readers get an extra 10% off best available nightly room rates!

If these hotels don’t meet your needs or are sold out, SpringHill Suites Orlando at SeaWorld and Fairfield Inn & Suites Orlando at SeaWorld are located next to each other and offer complimentary breakfast and high-speed internet, plus free transportation to Discovery Cove, SeaWorld Orlando and Aquatica Orlando and Universal Orlando. SpringHill Suites offers oversized rooms called “studio suites,” with a living area separated from the bed(s) by a privacy wall. Fairfield Inn & Suites has standard rooms, studios and some 1-bedroom suites. These two hotels are also SeaWorld Orlando Official Hotel Partners.