I was invited to attend the grand opening of Orlando's newest waterpark, Island H2O Live, at the brand new Margaritaville Resort. Located less than 10 minutes from Disney's Animal Kingdom, off of 192, this park has a ton to offer to both tourists and locals.
Island H2o Live! is themed around the digital age focusing on the world of technology, including social media, throughout the park. With names like Reply Racers and Follow Me Falls-- you get the idea.
Pricing:
One Day
General Admission: $49.99 +tax
Under 48": $42.99 +tax
Seniors (62 & over): $42.99 +tax
Military Discount: $39.99 +tax (proof of status required)
Twilight (After3pm): $34.99 +tax
Annual Pass
$89.99 +tax (special deals may still apply)
Everything you need for a day of fun is located on your wristband -- given to you when entering the park. You can tap your wristband upon entering attractions to collect points throughout the day. Soon you'll be able to leave your cash in a locker and use their waterproof wristbands to buy food, merchandise, and communicate with the park itself. (It was not fully working the day I attended, so I can't give an honest review of it)
"Island H2O Live! is completely interactive with games and experiences that let you earn points good for food and merchandise discounts, and the ability to control the streaming playlist! You can even take part in our Live! feeds that show everybody what a great day you are having."
You will want to download the Island H2O Live! App before entering the park. I downloaded it the night before and had fun exploring the different options available. Because I had already downloaded the app, linking my wristband the next morning was quick and easy!
Although the park was smaller than the other surrounding waterparks at both Disney and Universal, I found myself liking the fact that it was a quick walk back to my belongings. Everything was easy to navigate to and most of the pathways had been cooled off with water sprinklers which was a nice touch. (I still recommend bringing a pair of flip flops as there are shoe cubbies located at each slide locations).
The wave pool was a bit small, BUT with smaller crowds it was still a ton of fun. The waves were not as intense as other water parks and so it was a nice change of pace and I found it to be more relaxing. There were also tubes available for you to use in this particular pool. After a long day of swimming we decided to check out the Tag Shack and grab a quick drink. The prices were comparable to surrounding areas and were absolutely delicious and refreshing. I also loved the colors of my drink.
The Tag Shack is located right across from Private Domain which is an adult only 21+ pool. I really liked that because waterparks rarely have an area that is quiet to just chill out. The pool felt amazing and there were even little seats to sit on inside of the pool itself. Besides the lazy river, I feel like I could have sat there all day.
My favorite rides of the day had to have been the family slides: Hashtag Heights and Profile Plunge. There was a rainbow tunnel that you just have to see to believe. It was beautiful. You can have up to 6 people per raft which made it so much fun. We ended up riding this one about 5-6 times -- of course we had to earn those points!
Overall I had an amazing time. I was a little disappointed in the fact that everything was not open (some food shacks) and the interactive technology piece was not working like it should. I would love to go back and give this another try in a couple months. I feel like with any new park there are always some bumps here and there. Once this park gets going I feel like it will be a really nice place to hang out on hot Florida days.
If you have not checked out this park head on over to their website here and take a peak at everything else they have to offer. Chris and I are always in the area and have grown quite fond of the new Sunset Walk located right next door. Soon, this location will be full of shopping and delicious restaurants, some of which are already our favorite. Read more about Sunset Walk here.
Will you be visiting this waterpark in the near future? Comment below if you have any questions!
Thank you again Island H2O Live! for hosting me. I cannot wait to make a splash again in the near future!
