After 8 Years, Discovery Cove's Paradise Nights Returns June 5 with a New Sloth Encounter
Top SeaWorld Parks news, Thursday April 30, 2026. Eight years after Discovery Cove last lit up the lagoons after dark, Paradise Nights is back. The sold-out summer dinner-and-show event last operated in 2018 before going on hiatus, and Discovery Cove confirmed this week that it returns for select nights from June 5 through August 8, 2026. The biggest 2026 wrinkle is a brand-new sloth encounter add-on, capped at 10 guests per night and priced at $59 per guest.
The headlines:
- Run: select nights, June 5 to August 8, 2026. Not nightly, so check the calendar before booking.
- Pricing: $117 adults (10 plus), $53 kids (3 to 9), free for infants (0 to 2). 18 percent gratuity is included.
- New sloth encounter add-on: $59 per guest, ages 6 plus. Capped at 10 guests per night, which means it WILL sell out.
- Premium drink package: $25 per guest (21 plus). Standard non-alcoholic plus beer and wine for adults are included with admission.
- The 2018 dolphin presentation is gone. The 2026 version replaces it with a four-act stage show inspired by Earth, Air, Water, and Fire.
The new sloth encounter add-on at Paradise Nights 2026. Image: Discovery Cove.
What's included with admission
Paradise Nights is an all-inclusive ticketed event. The base admission covers:
- Complimentary parking
- Welcome cocktail or mocktail
- All-you-care-to-enjoy dinner buffet at Laguna Grill
- Non-alcoholic beverages all night, plus beer and wine for guests 21 plus
- The four-act Paradise Nights stage show
- Animal ambassador appearances throughout the venue
The schedule, in plain English
Discovery Cove published a tight schedule. Here is how a Paradise Nights evening flows:
- 5:30 to 6:00 p.m.: Check-in at the Reception Center.
- 6:00 to 6:30 p.m.: Happy Hour at Serenity Bay and the Blue Bamboo bar.
- 6:30 to 9:00 p.m.: Dinner buffet, the Paradise Nights show, and animal ambassador encounters.
The four-act Earth, Air, Water, and Fire show that anchors the event. Image: Discovery Cove.
What is different from the 2018 version
The biggest swap: in 2018, Paradise Nights ended with a live dolphin presentation in one of the lagoons. The 2026 version retires that finale and replaces it with the new four-act stage show. The daytime Dolphin Swim Experience continues in its standard slot, and Paradise Nights leans into the dinner-and-show format instead.
Translation for guests: the dolphin lagoon, snorkel reef, and other water activities are NOT available during Paradise Nights (the Grand Reef and swim experiences are not part of the evening event). The event is a dinner-and-show evening, not a re-do of the daytime water park.
The Discovery Cove lagoon at dusk. Image: Discovery Cove.
The sloth encounter, in detail
The headline 2026 add-on is the sloth encounter. Discovery Cove's page lists the basics:
- $59 per guest on top of admission.
- Ages 6 and up.
- Capped at 10 guests per night. First-come, first-served at booking. If you want it, book it the day reservations open.
- An animal ambassador session built around a two-toed sloth, with a trainer-led talk and supervised hands-on time.
A note on the price
The 2018 adult ticket was around $65 per person. The 2026 adult price is $117. That is roughly a $52 climb over eight years, which tracks with general Discovery Cove price growth across the same window. The all-inclusive bundle (parking, dinner, drinks for 21 plus, show, ambassador encounters) still reads as a coherent package, especially compared to most table-service dinner shows in Orlando.
Quick planner notes
- Book early. Paradise Nights had a habit of selling out in past years, and the sloth encounter's 10-guest cap means that add-on goes fast.
- Plan to arrive at 5:30, not 6:00. Reception Center check-in is the slow gate. Parking, walking in, and getting your bracelet eats more time than you expect.
- The drink package is for 21 plus only. Non-alcoholic beverages are included with the base ticket regardless.
- Discovery Cove stays Discovery Cove during the day. Paradise Nights is a separate evening event. If you book the day, you do not automatically have access to the night and vice versa.
Sources
- Discovery Cove: Paradise Nights official event page (primary)
- Inside the Magic: After an 8-year hiatus, SeaWorld revives its most popular summer event
- Attractions Magazine: Paradise Nights at Discovery Cove returns with sloths
- Coaster Nation: Discovery Cove new dining
Image credits. All images: Discovery Cove official press photos.
