If it’s one thing Orlando will never have enough of it’s WATER PARKS and Margaritaville Resort did not disappoint with their newest creation: Island H2O Live! Yesterday was the first official day of summer and Florida definitely got the memo with the scorching heat that made for the perfect grand opening celebration.
My family and I were kindly hosted by the park to experience its unique features, perks and attractions that I’ve rounded up for you below! Whether you’re a Central Florida resident or planning an Orlando vacation, this is certainty a place you don’t want to leave off the list!
Design & Technology
In honor of a technology based generation, Island H2O Live’s design is completely themed around modern day concepts like “apps”, “downloads” and “streaming”. In addition to cleverly named food stands like “MegaBytes” and multiple “Selfie Shacks” through out the park, there are also some really neat tech features offered.
Prior to arrival all guests are encouraged to download the free “H2O Live! app on your smart phone. The app is designed to help you plan your day, check on ride wait times, access photos, select preferred music for your rides and also keep track of points that earn you some pretty sweet perks.
Upon arrival, all guests then receive a waterproof wristband with a unique QR code on top. To sync your band with your app simply grant the app access to your camera function and scan the QR code on your band. Once this is done you can create a custom profile and keep track of all the neat features.
One very exciting feature that is coming soon is the ability to track your children through parental control on the app! This will allow you to limit what attractions they have access to and also send a notification if they leave a specific area. How cool is that?! Another great feature being implemented soon is the ability to sync your credit/debit card to your band from the app so you can leave your wallet in the car!
Attractions & Rides
One thing I really appreciate about this park is the diversity for all ages. It’s perfect for small children with a variety of water activities/smaller slides but also has adult thrill seekers covered too! There are so many family fun attractions like:
- Tubing down the lazy river
- A giant wave pool with a massive screen for outdoor movies/special events
- Group raft rides
- Tandum tubing rides
- Racing rides with water mats
- Two children splash/slide areas
- 21+ up adult only pool located directly across a full bar
- Cabanas for daily rent with food & drink service
- Water basketball hoop area
- & Outdoor dining areas
My favorite ride/experience by far would have to be the colorful tunnel inside of Profile Plunge! It was such a beautiful rainbow display of colors that followed with fun twists and a slight drop. To check out the full list of rides click here.
If you ask my five year old what his favorite part was though he’d definitely say it was here:
There are so many interactive components like water sprayers, slides for all ages and a giant bucket that dumps water on guests every few minutes! This area was ideal for older toddlers but they also had a smaller area with slides and water swings for younger kids across the way too!
Perks
Another really great thing about the park is its incredible perks. On each ride you will find a corresponding scanner that reads the QR code on your band. Each ride offers a certain amount of points and as you accumulate them throughout the day you can trade them in for awesome things like food, drinks or merch! Each ride’s points range from 300-500 points and the first perk (a free fountain drink) begins at 4,000 points. Some other goodies include, french fries, pretzels or even an Island H2O towel that my son managed to score with 12,000 points!! The great part is that the kid slides can help you accumulate points too and clearly he rode A LOT haha.
Through out the park you’ll find “Tech Stations” that allow you to check on your point value and browse through the “perk menu”. When you’re ready to cash in on your points all you need to do is order your food or merch in line and “pay” by scanning your band! Easy peesy! At the end of the day if you have points left over you can also save them into your mobile app and use them for your next visit!!
Food & Drink Options
There are two food stands offered in the park and one snack stand offering pretzels, funnel cakes and churros. The main food stands offer things like hamburgers, chick tenders, hot dogs, pizza and french fries. At first glance my family and I were rather bummed that we wouldn’t be able to enjoy any of the food being that we are plant-based but then we saw it. The glorious words we long for: “Vegan options available upon request”. YESSSSSSSS.
Aside from the french fries it turns out they also offer a veggie pizza with vegan cheese at “Apps & Eats” along with veggie spring rolls!
As for drinks, from now through August, all guests have access to their Coca Cola powered refillable drink stations all throughout the park!! Yay for sustainability! We ended up bringing in our own large water cup and took advantage of the ice cold water (And Seltzer!) throughout the hot day. After August, guests will need to purchase an exclusive Island H2O refillable cup that will gain you access to the refillable machines all day.
My family and I truly had a great time here and definitely would return back! I hope you found this guide helpful and a huge thank you to Margaritaville Resort for hosting us!
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Til next time,
