Swimming with Dolphins in DW About This Page:

[belletw77]

Hello, hopefully someone can help me with this question I was thinking the next time we go to DW that my daughter would love to go somewhere to swim with dolphins. I found that at Epcot (I think that is where it is located) that they do this, but that it is only for 13 and over. When we plan on going back she will only be 8 So I was wondering if there is anywhere else, besides discovery cove which is way too expensive, that you can do this under 13. I really want to do the Disney one, I don't understand why everywhere else you can do it at 6 but at this one. Please let me know. Thanks!!

Tina

[hockey mom 5]

It looks from EPCOT's website that the cost is comparable to a day at Discovery Cove, mainly in the off season. You need separate admission for each guest, but the WDW experience also requires an adult to participate in the tour with any minors. Now you are up to at least two people.
Discovery Cove is an all inclusive, all day experience. The dolphin experience itself is somewhat brief, but there are a number of other things to do. It also includes a day at either Sea World, Aquatica or Busch Gardens.
That's the only one I know of. Sorry I can't be of more help.

[stillgoofy]

We have done both the Dolphins in Depth tour at Epcot and the day at Discovery Cove. I love both but they were very different.

The tour at Epcot spends a lot of time backstage learning about the aquarium and how they care for the dolphins. It is very educational. Then we suited up with wetsuits to get in the water with the dolphins. The actual time in the water with the dolphins is about 20-30 minutes and you don't actually swim with the dolphins. You just stand on a platform and the trainers have the dolphins come to you so you can touch them, hug them and get pictures with them. You will never actually go under water. We also were shown hand signals to get the dolphins to do tricks for us.

At Discovery Cove, your interaction with the dophins lasted a bit longer. You get to do the same things as far as touching, hugging and getting pictures. But you also swim out to the deep area and get pulled back in by holding onto the dophins fins. So there is a bit more interaction and actual swimming (or moving thru the water) with the dolphin. Since these dophin interactions take place all day for different groups, you can also hang out on the beach and watch other groups and other dolphins. Plus Discovery Cove has alot more stuff to do since it's a full day experience (snorkel with stingrays and other tropical fish, hand feed tropical birds, etc). Plus the food and drinks are included all day with the single day ticket. And the ticket even comes with free entry to Sea World too which we did several days later.

While I loved both, for your money and interaction with dolphins, I would take Discovery Cove.

[marialaura]

Thank for the information