Saturday, October 22nd (continued) 
After breakfast, we headed to the wetsuit pick up station to obtain our swim vests for the day.
All guests must wear either a wetsuit (long-leg or shorty style) or a swim vest (made of the same wetsuit material) while partaking in the water activities at Discovery Cove. It easily discerns between staff and guests (lifeguards are in traditional red and white, other staff are in black and blue, and guests are in black and yellow) and increases guest visibility while in the water. While the temperatures definitely warranted a wetsuit ….. it would have definitely helped keep us warm in those frosty early hours
….. we both opted for vests based on the simple reality that they made using the washroom SO much easier
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During the time we were getting changed in the adjacent wash & shower rooms, we got a text from Lisa and Joe that said they were in the park, had grabbed a quick breakfast [we later learned that none of them really wanted to each much…..they were all too excited to partake in the activities], and were now on their way to the Grand Reef with the kids. We took all of our stuff and stowed it in one of the large lockers, then headed off to the Grand Reef to see if we could spot them.
Luckily for us it was still pretty quiet that early in the day, so they were reasonably easy to spot. All five of them were outfitted in wetsuits and snorkels, completely engrossed in swimming with the fish and rays. When the kids spotted us, we received big enthusiastic waves: their mouths were plugged with snorkels, so that was their only means of communication at that point
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We stayed with them for a short while, enjoying their excitement and enthusiasm. While we, too, were excited for our day at Discovery Cove, but this was our fourth visit: they were bubbling over with a first-timers delight, and it was fun to watch
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The Grand Reef, however, definitely isn’t one of the warmest bodies of water in the park……and Steve and I were freezing. We both agreed it was time to head to warmer waters: we had all day at our disposal and could reconvene with them later in the morning. We bid them adieu and made a beeline for one of our favourite places in the park: the one with the warmest water and the most relaxing vibe: the Freshwater Oasis.
We wrapped ourselves in towels for the walk from the Grand Reef to the Freshwater Oasis: those two areas are on completely opposite ends of the park. While the walk isn’t lengthy, it can feel that way when you’re wet and the breeze lacks any kind of warmth. It sure is a pretty stroll, though, regardless of the air temperature. No matter how often we visit, we are always struck by the sheer beauty of this park.
We tossed our towels on a chair and wasted no time in sinking into the deliriously warm water of the Freshwater Oasis. Most folks had flocked after breakfast to the aviary (as the birds are generally hungriest in the early morning and most likely to land on your head or arms to partake in a snack), to their dolphin interaction, or to the Grand Reef, so this meant we had the Oasis all to ourselves (save, of course, for the multitude of lifeguards stationed at regular intervals along the sides: but, they were quiet and unobtrusive so we hardly noticed their presence).
We found ourselves a quiet spot underneath some beautiful, overhanging foliage and sank neck-deep into the water. It was sheer bliss: the water was bathwater warm while the atmosphere was tropical and tranquil. We looked at each other, and confessed: we could stay here, in this very spot, all day. It was a tempting thought
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We actually got kind of sleepy after a while, so we decided to move about to shake off our heavy eyelids. That warm water was unbelievably soothing…..almost too much so. We toured around the Freshwater Oasis for a while, visiting the marmosets on their private island:
…….and the adorable Asian otters, a sibling group of five little rascals who reminded us SO much of our babies back home.
We also popped out to grab beverages at the snack station: even though it was still profoundly cool outside, it was important to keep hydrated while spending the day in the water and sunshine. We still had almost a week left in our extended vacation, and we didn’t need anyone getting sick.
We alternated that morning pretty much between the warmer waters of the Freshwater Oasis and the Wind Away River: those two features have always been our favourites in the park, and today was no exception. Every so often, we would take a stroll around to see if we could catch sight of Joe, Lisa and the troops, but we didn’t manage to spot them for the entire morning. Neither of us were carrying our phones around either (just not advisable around so much water: both were safely secured in our respective lockers) so we just went with the flow and figured we’d find them eventually.
Around 11:30 or so, we headed back to the Laguna Grill to enjoy a hearty lunch before the heavier mid-day influx. It can get reasonably busy from the noon to 1 pm hour, so while we didn’t feel like eating too early, it was smart to do so on the earlier side if possible. While there are never “crowds”, per se, at Discovery Cove (admission is intentionally limited to approximately 1300 guests per day….by design, DC is made to have no queues, no waits, and no crowds) it definitely felt the most full on that day versus any of our previous visits. It was obvious that they were at capacity on that mid-October Saturday.
We really enjoyed our lunch here
. The menu had been adjusted somewhat since our last visit, and now included the following items (all unlimited):
Entrées
Bacon Beach Burger
Sweet Hawaiian Chicken
Served over a bed of fried rice
Fire Grilled Fish
BBQ Pulled Pork Sandwich
Served with French Fries and Corn Cobbette
Seaside Club Sandwich
Ham, Turkey, Cheese, Lettuce, Tomato, and Red Onion on fresh baked bread
Tropical Summer Cobb Salad
Fresh greens tossed with Feta Cheese, Cranberry, Red Onion, Orange Segments, Lo Mein Noodles, and Honey Mustard dressing. Your choice of Crispy or Grilled Chicken.
Chicken Tenders
Served with choice of French Fries or Corn Cobbette
Island hot Dog
Served with French Fries
Home Made Macaroni & Cheese
Penne Pasta
Choice of Cheesy Alfredo or Marinara with meatballs
Sides
Fruit Cup
Salad
Rice
Steamed Vegetables
French Fries
Macaroni & Cheese
Tempting Desserts
Chocolate Chip Cake
Cherry Cheesecake
Carrot Cake
Tropical Cake
Fresh Fruit
Assorted Pastries
I had the Hawaiian chicken on a bed of white rice, and it was excellent. Steve had a beach burger and the Hawaiian chicken and gave high marks to both. We both had the chocolate cake for dessert, and this was really the only disappointment of the meal: while it wasn’t ‘bad’ by any stretch, it was different than the super fudgy chocolate cake that they used to offer [and was still a dessert staple at SeaWorld] and neither of us liked the change. This had a lighter, fluffier, less chocolatey icing and was sprinkled with chocolate chips. The hard chocolate chips on the light, less sweet icing was odd in both texture and flavor. While the original chocolate cake always left us yearning for seconds (and often acting on the urge to splurge), neither of us finished our slice of the new style cake and we both dumped a portion of our pieces in the garbage.
By the time we had finished with lunch, the sun was finally gaining enough strength to warm things up to a more comfortable level. While neither of us would have classed the day as “hot”, it was at least growing to be a more pleasant temperature, and for the first time all day we weren’t shivering when we were out of the water. We were thrilled that the sun was bright and the sky was virtually cloudless…..rain is always a worry when a Discovery Cove day is on the vacation itinerary. We couldn’t have asked for a more sparkly, sunny day
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Half the day done, but still half yet to go. The balance of our Discovery Cove day is coming up next.
…..not even I, with my sweet tooth, can drink pop that early in the day).
but that's largely in part to the amazing discount as SeaWorld passmembers. Without that deep price cut, we would have never been able to afford to go back so many times. I know Lisa and Joe also want to return when their kids are older: neither Alaina nor Johan were old enough to do the dolphin swim, which was a huge disappointment for them. I can totally see them taking the troops back in 2-3 years just for that experience alone. 
)
Someone needs to reorganize their priorities 
. We can keep our fingers crossed for each other.....'cause someone has to win, right?
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