First trip to DC in August, Cabanas... etc

[kerryc6]

We will be making our first trip to DC in August - the whole family is super excited. My Mom will be coming along, and although she lives in Florida the summer heat is brutal for anyone. We are seriously considering a cabana - a place for the kids and Mom to rest, get Mom out of the shade and away from any crowd (although I hear there isn't much of a crowd??).

Any tips, hints, or suggestions would be great.
My husband and I, our two boys (13 and 11) and Mom (retirement age) lol.


Thank you!

[Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina]

We rented a cabana for our August 2012 visit, and LOVED it . It was a great splurge. After visiting in January 2012 and doing the dolphin swim, on our August trip we decided to omit the dolphin swim and go with the cabana instead, and it was a great choice for us. We wanted a relaxing day and that's exactly what we got.



We went for the premium package, rather than the cabana only, as the cabana-only rentals are not released until much closer to your travel date (whereas the package cabana rentals can be secured anytime). It was a good deal, as the package came with a DC t-shirt, a DC sling pack, a beautiful glass frame, a free 6 x 8 adventure photo print, a personalized buoy (which is delivered to your family by a dolphin during your swim if you opt for that), an underwater camera, and 25% off a photo package.



You get service to your cabana by a personal attendant. We had Joan, and she was fabulous, super friendly, and very attentive. The attendant will stock your fridge with beverages of your choice (including alchohol) and brings you a basket of snacks to have right at your cabana table. She or he will refill with whatever quantities and items you want.





Our cabana was located right beside the Grand Reef. We loved the location. This was our view:



There was a locker and a ceiling fan right inside the cabana, so there was no need to use the group lockers by the change rooms.



We very much enjoyed having a "home base" to come back to, and a spot to enjoy a siesta out of the sun on a steamy August afternoon.





Any other questions, feel free to ask!

[Danielle3699]

Wow, the cabana looks wonderful!!!! Can I ask how much that costs? We are headed there in 2 weeks and I hadn't considered this option at all so haven't even looked into it. I guess I hadn't thought of it!

[kerryc6]

Gina,

That looks amazing! Thank you for taking the time to post the pictures and information. We are hoping to make this an "ultimate" family vacation :-). We can take "mini-trips" each year, but this year we are hoping to make a real memorable one for our kids and time with my Mom.
I emailed DC customer relations with a few questions and will post their answers here too. Approx how much was the cost the package? and did everyone get a sling/shirt/etc?

Did you have any non-swimmers in your group (as my Mom will be) - I've read that parts are accessible by land so hopefully she can watch the kids swim and not just the dolphin interaction.

Thank you again!

[Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina]

Originally Posted by Danielle3699

Wow, the cabana looks wonderful!!!! Can I ask how much that costs? We are headed there in 2 weeks and I hadn't considered this option at all so haven't even looked into it. I guess I hadn't thought of it!

The package we purchased was $229 (I think the official name is "celebration package with cabana"). Here is a link to all the options and prices:

http://www.discoverycove.ca/Plan/Pac...il.aspx?id=681

It appears the disposable waterproof camera, free 6 x 8 photo, and t-shirt are no longer part of the package inclusions, though .

[Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina]

Originally Posted by kerryc6

Gina, Approx how much was the cost the package? and did everyone get a sling/shirt/etc?

Did you have any non-swimmers in your group (as my Mom will be) - I've read that parts are accessible by land so hopefully she can watch the kids swim and not just the dolphin interaction.

Thank you again!

Hi kerryc6, it looks like we were both posting at the same time .

The package was $229 plus tax. There was one sling pack and one t-shirt per cabana (not one per person). Current info from the DC website indicates that some of the package inclusions have changed since we were there, though (see my post above).

As long as your mom has no problem walking in the sand, she can go from place to place (Grand Reef, Freshwater Oasis, dolphin pool) and watch the kiddos play. As long as she's comfy in very shallow water (think knee-length or less) she might even like to sit in one of the water loungers at the entrance to the Freshwater Oasis. I will see if I can find and post a photo.

[Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina]

Maybe a good spot for mom?

[Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina]

Oh man, looking at these photos totally makes me want to add in a day at DC for our August 2013 trip. But it wasn't supposed to be in the budget!!! D'oh!

[kerryc6]

Looks absolutely amazing! Thanks Gina - looks like a great spot for Mom.

Went ahead and booked today! I got the package with cabana and the photo package - tried talking myself out of it, but I know in the end I will want the pics of the boys.
We can't wait, boys already made a countdown - 147 days! Mom is excited too, but the cabana and other "extras" will be a surprise for her :-) Thanks for all the pictures, really helped me make the decision that this would be best.


For anyone else reading the posts, The DC staff who did my reservation today were very friendly and helpful.. and no sales pitches or asking about adding extras! I figured there would be so I didn't initially mention the celebration package/cabana.
She was able to reassure me that my Mom would be able to watch the boys at most points and gave me some of her own experiences from her visit. Already won me over!

[catzle]

We also booked a cabana. Can you take the extra snacks and soda home at the end of the day?

[Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina]

Originally Posted by catzle

We also booked a cabana. Can you take the extra snacks and soda home at the end of the day?

Our cabana attendant offered us to take whatever was left in our basket at the end of the day. We didn't ask about taking the remainder of the drinks nor did she offer. By that point, we were sooooooooo full, taking any extra beverages and snacks simply didn't appeal!!!

[Goofysrus]

Thanks for the great pics!!!!

Just wondering if all the drinks at DC are in bottles or is this just for the cabanas? Did you notice what alcoholic drinks are served.... Are there any any frozen type drinks available? Is the lunch served outside and do you remember when they stopped serving for the day?
Yikes I'm asking a lot of food questions..... Haha
We went to DC years ago and all we remember is how amazing our experience was. I'm sure we ate but no one can remember what we ate but we know we fed the birds!!!!
Thanks for any help!

[cruisin'Mike]

Thanks for the great pictures, Gina. Your trip report helped me decide to go to Discovery Cove in the first place, and now I just booked a cabana for our August trip!

[mjohnson96]

Originally Posted by Goofysrus

Thanks for the great pics!!!!

Just wondering if all the drinks at DC are in bottles or is this just for the cabanas? Did you notice what alcoholic drinks are served.... Are there any any frozen type drinks available? Is the lunch served outside and do you remember when they stopped serving for the day?
Yikes I'm asking a lot of food questions..... Haha
We went to DC years ago and all we remember is how amazing our experience was. I'm sure we ate but no one can remember what we ate but we know we fed the birds!!!!
Thanks for any help!

This is one of many reasons I like to get the cabana. From what we saw you can only get the bottled items if you have a cabana, otherwise you get plastic cups with your drinks, this includes beer/wine etc.

We love getting ours and the package is a good deal since it is $229 with the package and $179 for just the cabana. You get so much more for the extra cost and you can book ahead where if you just get the cabana you can only book 3 weeks in advance.

Now I prefer the old cabanas over the new ones near the reef, I feel they are a little more private and usually request those, but the kids loved being able to just walk right into the water!

[Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina]

Originally Posted by Goofysrus

Is the lunch served outside and do you remember when they stopped serving for the day?

The buffet area itself is inside a building, but all the tables (with umbrellas) are outdoors.



It was nice, because these fellows were out in the dining area playing the most wonderful island-inspired music:



I believe they stopped serving lunch around 3 pm. Snacks and drinks were available until closing. The boys grabbed ice cream on the way out of the park .