best time for dolphin swim at Discovery Cove? - PassPorter - A Community of Walt Disney World, Disneyland, Disney Cruise Line, and General Travel Forums
As of January 1, 2019, we have closed our forums. This is a decision we did not come to lightly, but it is necessary. The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk. The server software itself must be updated, and it cannot be without removing the forums.
So it is with a heavy heart that we say goodbye to our long-running forums. They came online in 2000 and brought together so many wonderful Disney fans. We had friendships form, careers launch, couples marry, children born ... all because of this amazing community.
Thank you to each of you who were a part of this community. You made it possible.
And a very special thank you to our Guides (moderators), past and present, who kept our forums a happy place to be. You are the glue that held everything together, and we are forever grateful to you. Thank you aliceinwdw, Caldercup, MrsM, WillCAD, Fortissimo, GingerJ, HiddenMickey, CRCrazy, Eeyoresmom, disneyknut, disneydani, Cam22, chezp, WDWfan, Luvsun, KMB733, rescuesk, OhToodles!, Colexis Mom, lfredsbo, HiddenMickey, DrDolphin, DopeyGirl, duck addict, Disneybine, PixieMichele, Sandra Bostwick, Eeyore Tattoo, DyanKJ130, Suzy Q'Disney, LilMarcieMouse, AllisonG, Belle*, Chrissi, Brant, DawnDenise, Crystalloubear, Disneymom9092, FanOfMickey, Goofy4Goofy, GoofyMom, Home4us123, iamgrumpy, ilovedisney247, Jennifer2003, Jenny Pooh, KrisLuvsDisney, Ladyt, Laughaholic88, LauraBelle Hime, Lilianna, LizardCop, Loobyoxlip, lukeandbrooksmom, marisag, michnash, MickeyMAC, OffKilter_Lynn, PamelaK, Poor_Eeyore, ripkensnana, RobDVC, SHEANA1226, Shell of the South, snoozin, Statelady01, Tara O'Hara, tigger22, Tink and Co., Tinkerbelz, WDWJAMBA, wdwlovers, Wendyismyname, whoSEZ, WildforWD, and WvuGrrrl. You made the magic.
We want to personally thank Sara Varney, who coordinated our community for many years (among so many other things she did for us), and Cheryl Pendry, our Message Board Manager who helped train our Guides, and Ginger Jabour, who helped us with the PassPorter-specific forums and Live! Guides. Thank you for your time, energy, and enthusiasm. You made it all happen.
There are other changes as well.
Why? Well, the world has changed. And change with it, we must. The lyrics to "We Go On" for IllumiNations say it best:
We go on to the joy and through the tears
We go on to discover new frontiers
Moving on with the current of the years.
We go on
Moving forward now as one
Moving on with a spirit born to run
Ever on with each rising sun.
To a new day, we go on.
It's time to move on and move forward.
PassPorter is a small business, and for many years it supported our family. But the world changed, print books took a backseat to the Internet, and for a long time now it has been unable to make ends meet. We've had to find new ways to support our family, which means new careers and less and less time available to devote to our first baby, PassPorter.
But eventually, we must move on and move forward. It is the right thing to do.
So we are retiring this newsletter, as we simply cannot keep up with it. Many thanks to Mouse Fan Travel who supported it all these years, to All Ears and MousePlanet who helped us with news, to our many article contributors, and -- most importantly -- to Sara Varney who edited our newsletter so wonderfully for years and years.
And we are no longer charging for the Live Guides. If you have a subscription, it's yours to keep for the lifetime of the Live Guides at no additional cost. The Live Guides will stay online, barring server issues and technical problems, for all of 2019.
That said, PassPorter is not going away. Most of the resources will remain online for as long as we can support them, and after that we will find ways to make whatever we can available. PassPorter means a great deal to us, and to many of you, and we will do our best to keep it alive in whatever way we can. Our server costs are high, and they'll need to come out of our pockets, so in the future you can expect some changes so we can bring those costs down.
Thank you, thank you, thank you for your amazing support over the years. Without you, there's no way us little guys could have made something like this happen and given the "big guys" a run for their money. PassPorter was consistently the #3 guidebook after the Unofficial and Official guides, which was really unheard of for such a small company to do. We ROCKED it thanks to you and your support and love!
If you miss us, you can still find some of us online. Sara started a new blog at DisneyParkPrincess.com -- I strongly urge you to visit and get on her mailing list. She IS the Disney park princess and knows Disney backward and forward. And I am blogging as well at JenniferMaker.com, which is a little craft blog I started a couple of years ago to make ends meet. You can see and hear me in my craft show at https://www.youtube.com/c/jennifermaker . Many PassPorter readers and fans are on Facebook, in groups they formed like the PassPorter Trip Reports and PassPorter Crafting Challenge (if you join, just let them know you read about it in the newsletter). And some of our most devoted community members started a forum of their own at Pixie Dust Lane and all are invited over.
So we encourage you to stay in touch with us and your fellow community members wherever works best for you!
Welcome! We're happy you've found the PassPorter Community -- the friendliest place to plan your vacation to Walt Disney World, Disney Cruise Line, Disneyland, and the world in general! You are now viewing the PassPorter Message Board Community as a guest, which gives you limited access. As our guest, feel free to browse our messages by selecting the forum you want to visit from the list below.
To post messages and ask questions, join our FREE community today and you'll get access to tools and resources not available to guests, such as our vacation countown timers, "living" avatars, private messaging system, database searches, downloads, and a special PassPorter discount code. Registration is fast, simple, and completely free. Just click the Join Our Community link.
If you think you've already joined, log in below now. If you don't remember your member name or password, please visit our Member Name and Password Recovery page. You are also welcome to contact us.
I have my DC confirmation and it states that the dolphin swim times can be reserved up to 48 hours before your visit. I'm wondering if it's better to do the swim in the morning (will the water be colder in the AM?) or in the afternoon after lunch. I'm thinking our 2 sons (12 & 9) might be better off doing the dolphin swim in the AM because by afternoon they may be tired after swimming all day.
I'd love to hear from those of you who did the dolphin swim part at DC.
I'd love to hear some answers as well. When we last went, we didn't have an option on the dolphin swim times - we were told when we arrived in the morning. I seem to recall we had a swim around lunchtime, as we did the swim and then had a late lunch.
We didn't have that option when we went. I would think the water temp will not differ as they can't have too much variance for the dolphins. I would recommend doing it earlier than later. I know the photos and such available for purchase take a bit to get printed, etc. The complimentary photo they took of us, took forever to get as they were way behind. Ours was right around 11 if I remember correctly. I know we ate lunch afterwards.
Have fun!
__________________
Denise
Counting down to....
May 2017 - Poly (Grandma's 1st Trip to WDW)
Sept 2017 - DH's bday celebration
Aug 2018 - DCL Family cruise on the Dream
Thanks for the replies! I think I will definitely ask for a time before lunch and hope they will accomodate us. I'm also thinking of surprising my husband with the special event package---for our 17th anniversary since we'll be there for it! I believe they have a dolphin come up to you with a buoy with a special message on it. I have to check on the details...price...availability, etc.
I arrived at Discovery Cove around 9 am and my dolphin swim time was around 11:15. I did the swim and had lunch afterwards. The water temperature felt like 60 degrees and never changes. After being in the water for a few minutes, you get used to the cold.
I suppose you could request a specific time, though.
We did DC just last Saturday. We also did not have an option; we were given our time when we checked in. Our swim time wasn't until 12:40, and I think that was perfect! We don't have kids, though, it was just me and my husband. The water temp is always around 74 degrees for the animals (thank God for wetsuits). Our pics and videos were ready for us no problem when we left around 4:30-5:00. I, personally, was glad to have eaten lunch before my dolphin time, and we were able to snorkel and do the Lazy River a few times each! Have fun when you go!!
__________________
Brandi
Bakelins chillin' at the pool after a fun week at Disney!
Love the picture! I think we'll have to get the wetsuits...I don't want all of us to be shivering! Did you wear the wetsuits all day or just for the dolphin swim?
Another question---they say they give you a sample of the special sunscreen and that you can buy more there. Is it pricey? I think I read online they use a special Panama Jack sunscreen that's safe for the animals and I think at the Panama Jack site it was about $7.00 a bottle. I was just wondering if the price is much higher buying it there. I know we'll all need more than just the sample because we're all very fair.
We have gone twice and both time were a little different first time I we got a 9:ish time then second was around 10:30 or so. Both times seemed to be good for us. Kids were 10 and 11 at the time. They enjoyed it much. We kept our wetsuits on the whole time as they helped the boys float a bit in the lazy river. Kept you a little warmer also. This was an awesome experience for us. We loved it. Just wish there was a little more time with the dolphins. We Had Capricorn both times. If you get him tell him the Coulombe's said Hi.
I attempted the vest for, oh, about 5 minutes. Then Tom talked me into the wetsuit. THANK GOD he did. We wore ours all day. They certainly help with the cold water, and the staff told us to wear them in any water with animals.
We never even bought the sunscreen. The samples they gave us were plenty for us (and my hubby has a bald head). We got 2 samples each in our bags, and with the wetsuits, you didn't have as much skin to cover. I never even checked the price on it. Sorry I can't help you there.
I WILL recommend water shoes, though. I grabbed some at the WalMart before we went ($4.88) and they were great, especially in the coral reef. You can't wear them with the dolphins, but I wore them all day otherwise!
__________________
Brandi
Bakelins chillin' at the pool after a fun week at Disney!
PassPorter's Free-Book to Walt Disney World It’s hard to believe anything is free at Walt Disney World; but there are actually a number of things you can get or do for little to no cost. This e-book documents over 200 free or cheap tips to do before you go and after you arrive. You could save a considerable amount of money following these tips. Perhaps more importantly; you can discover overlooked attractions and little-known details most people whiz by on their way to spend money. Click here to see free sample pages from the e-book! Get this popular e-book free of extra charges when you join the PassPorter's Club for as little as $4.95. A club pass includes access to all our other e-books; e-worksheets; super-size photos; and more! This e-book is also available for separate purchase in the PassPorter Online Store for just $5.95.
Thanks again for the replies! Great info! Now we're all extremely excited!
Brandi...thanks for the info on the sunscreen and wetsuits. I'll make sure we all get them---we'll be warm and it will cover us up from the sun too! I'm glad they give you a couple packs of the sunscreen too.
We had a 9:00am time, and we really liked it, since we got to do the swim straight away and never once looked at the clock the rest of the day. We had a most relaxing day that way...You're going to love it! We are a super-fair family of 5 and the samples of sunscreen were plenty for us. We reapplied mid-day, and no one got sunburned (which is a miracle in itself ).
Registered Message Board Members Get Our Free Newsletter! When you register you'll have the option to sign up for our weekly PassPorter Newsletter. It's chock-full of feature articles; news; tips; contests; photos; and special offers in our online store.
About This Page: 
best time for dolphin swim at Discovery Cove?
Like
Thank
Pixie Dust
PassPorter Guide Author
best time for dolphin swim
Linear Mode
