Water Park Packs Them In, at $179 Per Day

Will people pay $179 a day to hang out at artificial beaches, frolic with dolphins, snorkel in a faux reef and swim in a “jungle” river? The answer seems to be yes.

Discovery Cove, a 30-acre “tropical paradise” theme park across the road from Florida’s SeaWorld Orlando, is “virtually sold out” for July and August--and it hasn’t even opened, spokesman Dan Dipiazzo said last week. The park is to debut July 1. Operated by St. Louis-based Busch Entertainment Corp., which also runs SeaWorld, Discovery Cove limits attendance to 1,000 a day. It has a Dolphin Lagoon (“actively swimming with them,” Dipiazzo says); a reef with “thousands of tropical fish”; a tropical aviary; and beaches with thatched huts.

The $179 price applies to ages 6 and up. Children age 3 to 6 pay $89, as do visitors who omit the dolphin swim. Children under 3 are free. The fee includes a lunch buffet, snorkel gear--and admission to SeaWorld Orlando for seven days. Hours are 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. daily. Reservations are required. Tel. (877) 4-DISCOVERY, Internet https://www.discoverycove.com.