We've talked about Discovery Cove, before and what a wonderful deal this luxury theme park presents to Orlando visitors.  Beautiful landscapes, wonderful snorkeling, swimming with stingrays, and tons of beach chairs in which to lounge.  One of the primary reasons guests know about, hear about, or want to visit Discovery Cove is for the dolphin swim experience.

Not included with the regular admission price, the Dolphin Swim Experience still provides excellent value to the Discovery Cove visitor.  You get to spend quality time with the dolphins and a dolphin trainer learning about these beautiful animals.  You may even get to kiss one!

The price difference between a standard Discovery Cove ticket and a swim with dolphins ticket is not much, but of course it will vary with the season.  Expect the busier seasons to see an increase in both ticket prices and an increase in the spread between the two.

It's called a swim, but really you walk around in hip/chest deep water with a ton of stingray gliding around you.  You can pet them and if you get lucky, feed them!

Discovery Cove keeps the water pretty cold for the rays, so you better be sure to have that wetsuit top on, at a minimum.

You'll know when feeding time comes around, as the rays get pretty frisky!  There's no scheduled times (according to Discovery Cove staff), so you just have to be lucky or pay close attention to what's going on with the stingray swim area.  You'll see a staff member come into the pool with bucket of fish and the rays start jumping out of the water!

Here's a video of an experience at the stingray swim at Discovery Cove.

The title's no exaggeration!  I've been snorkeling in Florida's many natural springs, several different keys in the Florida Keys, the Grand Cayman island, Hawaii, and more.  Few areas can compete with the variety and quality of snorkeling that you can get at Discovery Cove.

Take a look at this video to see more.

The clarity of the water, the variety of fish, the various rays, and the fact that you don't have jellyfish or a boat ride make this a great snorkeling destination in the heart of Florida.

Also, you can see a variety of sharks, up close while snorkeling safely on the other side of a huge glass window!

What do you think about this snorkeling adventure at Discovery Cove?  Let us know in the comments, below.

Believe it or not, you can participate in a luxury travel experience in Orlando for a very reasonable price at Sea World's Discovery Cove theme park!

Almost everyone knows Discovery Cove as the theme park where you get to swim with dolphins, however, this park has so much more to offer.  Swimming with and feeding sting rays, some of the best snorkeling I've ever experienced anywhere, feeding exotic birds out of your hand, a "not-so-lazy" river, relaxation, and most importantly, being treated like royalty for the day.

From the moment you enter the “park” you immediately notice that this park is just a little different from all the rest.  You’re not rushed through a security check point and pushed through a turn-style.  Oh, no, no, no.  You walk through a beautiful double-door entrance into a check-in lodge reminiscent of a resort in Hawaii!  You’re escorted to a check-in station where they take your picture for your identification card and send on your way to enjoy the park.

As you make your way into the lush tropical paradise, a team member takes your picture and directs you to a locker to stow your belongings — both complimentary, of course.  After dropping off your stuff, your free to enjoy the many adventures that Discovery Cove holds and your encouraged to make your way to the center of the park where the Laguna Grill has your complimentary continental breakfast.

Next up on your list, you can pick from myriad adventures, including an aviary with truly exotic birds to feed.  This is not your standard sugar water and parrots you find at a zoo.  Real food and a real assortment of exotic birds.  Swim with and feed the sting rays next or go for a snorkeling adventure where you can see a plethora of fish and rays, including a nice view of some sharks!

Most of the water at the park is pretty cold to accommodate the animals.  If you need a quick warm-up, try out the "lazy" river that's not so lazy.  A nice warm, swift current picks you up and takes you around the park for a very relaxing trip.  Next, you could be off for your dolphin swim or just some time relaxing by a pool with a cocktail.

The park’s not very big and they limit admittance to 1,000 people, so you feel like you have the park to yourself…almost.  Towels are folded if you get up from your beach chair, wet suit vests or shorties and masks and snorkels are included for your use throughout the day, continental breakfast and a full lunch, all the snacks and drinks (including beer) are included with your admission.  The only thing you pay for once you enter the park is a souvenir t-shirt or hat, if you want one.

The price to go seems really high compared to other local parks at first glance, but as my wife and I discussed it, we feel it’s actually an amazing value.  Think about what you would pay for a snorkeling excursion on a cruise or other travel location (and I don’t hesitate to say that the Discovery Cove experience ranks among the best), a theme park admission (Disney is now nearly $100 for a one day ticket), food for the day (easily $40 per person, unless you bring your own), a swim with dolphins (more than the cost of admission to Discovery Cove at many other locations), and a spa experience.  We thought we received an amazing value at $129 per person for our day (it would have been $199 to include the dolphin experience).  The park admission can be as much as $249 for standard admission without the dolphin training experience and as much as $329 with the dolphin swim, depending on the season.

Compare this to a Disney World one day ticket that will cost you over $100 per  person and won't even include parking makes Discovery Cove sound like even more of a value.

We'll be showing you more detailed videos and information about Discovery Cove over the remainder of the week.

Did I get your attention?  Well, I hope so, as that was the point....

I don't really mean it...well, mostly....

If you're planning to go to Sea World in Orlando and maybe only a day or two at the Disney parks, you may consider staying at the "Sea World" Renaissance.  While not owned by Sea World, the Renaissance partners with Sea World and is located just a hop, skip, and a jump from the entrance to Sea World.

We've stayed there many times, but most recently for a conference (IZEAFest) hosted by Sea World.  The resort provided a great location, close to the conference with fantastic accommodations.

The Renaissance offers both a self-parking option and valet.  Self-parking is $12/day and they just add it to your bill, if you're driving.  No need to hang onto a ticket or even a need to use your room key to get in and out of the parking lot.  Valet is just $4 more at $16/day, but don't forget to add in the tips when picking up and dropping off your car.

There are two bars and one restaurant in the atrium area, as well as a Starbucks coffee (mmmm, Starbucks...).

Sea World themes permeate the resort from a huge mural of Shamu in the atrium to a squirting Shamu in your tub.  The main bar in the center of the atrium has a huge aquarium to continue the "sea" theme.

The rooms facing the atrium have beautiful balconies, giving those rooms a much larger feel and option to open the doors and let in the sounds of the lobby.  The other real nice thing I found about those rooms is that you can pick up the free wi-fi in the lobby right in your room -- eliminating the need to spend $15/day on wi-fi access.

Although I had a free breakfast included with my stay at the restaurant, I did not try the food, so I will have to get back to you on that.

Rates are a bit high -- comparable to a Deluxe resort at Disney, obviously, varying with the season and holidays.

This weekend, we're attending IZEAFest at Sea World, in Orlando.  IZEAFest is a conference for bloggers.  Here's a better definition of what it is from their site.

An interactive event designed to educate, inform and connect social media enthusiasts. Meet the world's foremost social media experts in a collaborative, fun and open setting. Learn how to grow your traffic, build your brand and make more money online.

So, what does all this mean for you?  Why do you care about a blogging conference?

Well, Sea World did an amazing job hosting the event and reminded me that Orlando has parks outside of Disney!  I know, heresy, you say.  Well, I know, you come to Disney to go to Disney, but there are many other fantastic venues in the Orlando area and you can save a bunch of money by adding a visit to one of these other parks in with your Disney vacation.

Sea World is an amazing theme park that offers completely different shows and rides from Disney -- Shamu, two white-knuckle roller coasters, ray and dolphin experiences, and so on.  All for MUCH, MUCH less than it costs to visit a Disney World park.

Additionally, Sea World does an excellent job with respect to customer service.  With Disney in town, it's almost impossible to compete on a customer service level, but Sea World does a better job competing than any other park in Orlando.  You won't be disappointed with a sub-par experience.

Just as a quick disclaimer, I received no compensation for this post -- I have just had lots of great experiences at Sea World (and so have my kids, by the way) and wanted to share that with you.