Orlando & Florida - Questions & Answers (Part 1) *CLOSED*

ckerrd

Spoke to a friend who went to Discovery Cove last year and felt it was like an expensive day at the beach. The swim with dolphins was great but overall she felt the price was too high.

For your fortieth - take the kids to a theme park, dump them and then go back to your accommodation and have wild passionate unihibited sex .....for hours. Then collect the kids and go for a meal.

spentafortune

ckerrd wrote: »

Spoke to a friend who went to Discovery Cove last year and felt it was like an expensive day at the beach. The swim with dolphins was great but overall she felt the price was too high.

For your fortieth - take the kids to a theme park, dump them and then go back to your accommodation and have wild passionate unihibited sex .....for hours. Then collect the kids and go for a meal.

Great Idea :j

Poppy9

Have to agree with Edlass about going to Discovery Cove. Yes expensive but it's a fabulous treat. All refreshments are free from the time you enter and the food and drink is excellent. They don't rip you off for the photo's either and with the £ being so strong at the moment, buy tickets direct from DC.

blisteringblue

ckerrd wrote: »

Spoke to a friend who went to Discovery Cove last year and felt it was like an expensive day at the beach. The swim with dolphins was great but overall she felt the price was too high.

We just paid £159 each for 3 Dolphin swims and £109 for 4 Non Dolphin Swims. These are the discovery cove plus tickets that include 14 days unlimited access to both Seaworld and Busch Gardens.

As we were going to both Seaworld and Busch Gardens anyway I don't think the price is expensive at all, when you consider it is quite a special day out.

It's all my mother in law wanted to do from the minute we all decided to goto Florida, was swim with dolphins !!

hunnybugs1

We are hoping to go to Florida this year (2 + 2 kids aged 12 and 3). We have been before but that was a few years ago and we didn't plan it very well. We would like to know the best and cheapest way to do it from Aberdeen (or Glasgow if needs be). For example are we better to buy a package deal or can anyone recommend the best airlines and hotels. We are not very well clued up on it and wouldnt know the best way to get the most out of our holiday at all. Teh only dates we can go are between 21st July and 5th August.
Thanks in advance

ckerrd

hunnybugs1 wrote: »

We are hoping to go to Florida this year (2 + 2 kids aged 12 and 3). We have been before but that was a few years ago and we didn't plan it very well. We would like to know the best and cheapest way to do it from Aberdeen (or Glasgow if needs be). For example are we better to buy a package deal or can anyone recommend the best airlines and hotels. We are not very well clued up on it and wouldnt know the best way to get the most out of our holiday at all. Teh only dates we can go are between 21st July and 5th August.
Thanks in advance

We have ended up booking all the bits ourselves.
Glasgow Departure
Flights with First Choice for 3 people just under £2k (Premium economy or whatever it is called Star Class?))
Villa under £800
Car (not done yet but less than £250)
Insurance - annual worldwide for £70

We are leaving later than you so you might find it is pricier in July

Edinburghlass_2

I've just booked for 12 nights in June flying out of Glasgow with flyglobespan, basic, no frills, no food seats for 2 at £550 and 12 nights in a hotel in LBV for £305

rustyjames

Quick question for those who've been to Discovery Cove before.

We've promised my daughter that we will swim with Dolphins when we are in Orlando. My wife and I swam with them somewhere else many years back, so we were planning that just her and my daughter would go for the swim package this time.

I've seen previous comments about non dolphin swimmers watching from the "beach". A reply from DC says that would mean I would be only 15 to 20 feet away.

Is that really the case as I don't want to miss her experiencing this as it's something she really really wants to do? If not I'll have to go for the swim package as well, or we'll have to go somewhere else.

Poppy9

rustyjames wrote: »

Quick question for those who've been to Discovery Cove before.

We've promised my daughter that we will swim with Dolphins when we are in Orlando. My wife and I swam with them somewhere else many years back, so we were planning that just her and my daughter would go for the swim package this time.

I've seen previous comments about non dolphin swimmers watching from the "beach". A reply from DC says that would mean I would be only 15 to 20 feet away.

Is that really the case as I don't want to miss her experiencing this as it's something she really really wants to do? If not I'll have to go for the swim package as well, or we'll have to go somewhere else.

Last Feb I had the non swim package while OH and DD did the swim. I was sat on a rock with my feet dangling in the water filming them. They were so close I could talk to them and hear what was going on.

To make the most of DC arrive hungry at 8am. Grab your wetsuits (you can change and discard as many as you like during the day) and breakfast. Snacks, including beer, icecream, fruit, soft drinks etc are free from the bars located around the place. If you want to sunbathe, grab a few loungers though there are plenty to go around as entry is limited. Again no charge. Lunch starts at 11am through to 4pm, so you can eat twice and the food is excellent. Shower gel, shampoo, conditioner is provided along with towels. You get to keep your snorkel. Photos are not overly expensive and excellent quality. I bought a small selection and they gave me the small proofs of all the photos free which I had enlarged at home for less than £1 each with no loss of quality to me a layman.

When we originally booked, direct with DC, we paid the current price. However when we turned up on the day they told us they had discounted the price and would refund us the difference. They loaded it onto the charge card they provided and we carried throughout the day for the purchase of any gifts. At the end of the day we hadn't spent all the money so they just refunded our CC without us even having to ask. I know people who booked through a ticket agency and paid the higher price did not get the refund.

rustyjames

Thanks Poppy9 for the quick reply, that's very helpful.

I was worried that there might be different groups and it would be pot luck whether they would be close to me or not. I assume that's not the case.