Splashing away at Island H2O Live
“Can anyone go there?” That’s the No. 1 question I hear about Island H2O Live, the water park that opened at Margaritaville Resort Orlando this summer. The answer is yes. Although the new attraction is attached to a development that sports a hotel, timeshares and vacation homes, anyone can buy a ticket and go.
The follow-up question, typically, is “But is it a real water park?” Again, the answer is yes. The size of Island H2O Live is a bit smaller than, say, SeaWorld’s Aquatica or Universal’s Volcano Bay, but it’s bigger than most hotels’ pools and splash experiences. The new water park includes almost everything you’d expect, including dramatic-drop body slides, multiperson raft rides, a lazy river and sizable children’s play area (complete with the big dumping bucket).
We took all these in on a recent visit to the park, located on West Highway 192 in Kissimmee. And we jotted notes into our imaginary waterproof reporter’s notebook. (For the record, the imaginary notebook is more waterproof than the reporter.)
■ You might expect a water park set in Margaritaville to go more in the way of Jimmy Buffet theming. There’s got be a Lost Shaker of Salt ride, right? But Island H2O has gone a completely different route, using social media and online presences as an emphasis and as a theme. The names of slides are things like the Downloader, Reply Racers and Hashtag Heights. There’s a bar called Tag Shack.
Even with several fun “selfie stops” spots, this is a stretch. However, I liked that the attraction thought outside the water-park box, which frequently leans on faux Polynesian names and themes.
It would pay to study up on the park’s watery options before going. The names don’t always immediately connect with the visuals, and because some slides share the same staircase/launching pad, it
can be confusing from the ground. I unearthed a work-around: The logos for the slides (on signs, on sidewalks) are color-coordinated with the actual slide. So, a yellow and red sign points visitors to the yellow and red slide.
The talker among the slides is Follow Me Falls. It’s a two-seat raft ride that begins with a downhill stretch — more dramatic from the launch platform than from solid ground stretch — then a rapid shoot up, through a curved-around tunnel and down a hill that leads into a half-pipe wall before turning riders around and back into a splash pad. I watched a couple of twentysomething guys dash back in line for this, and another man exclaimed “I’d really like to talk to whoever made that ride, because that was quite something.” (Glowing expletives deleted.)
A minus, to me, for the water park was the lack of (dry) viewing areas for splashdown spots. Those are great options for folks who like to slide vicariously on dramatic straightdown body slides.
The lazy river stretch — dubbed Chat Creek stretch — is good. The current is a nice speed, just short of creating whitecaps. (Aside: How do they get those arching water jets to hit your ear every dang time?) There’s not much shade along the way, and when you look around, you mostly see sky because the greenery hasn’t entirely grown in yet. I liked the effect of the triangular cones, filling slowly, over the stream. Eventually they tip and drip.
The park does a good job of disguising that you’re mere steps away from the busy highway. That illusion fades on the staircases. Oh, look, it’s the mountains of Pandora at Disney’s Animal Kingdom over there.
Island Live H2O issues an RFID wristband to each visitor for the day. Among its powers: Picking the genre of music you’ll hear while in select tunnels. That’s a nice touch. You also earn points toward discounts and other rewards each time you ride via the “smart bands.”
Each attraction has a posted list of rules and regulations. I saw one with 25 talking points. Many are legal warnings and weight restrictions. One curious one at the adults-only pool (a.k.a. Private Domain): “No extended underwater breath-holding.”
Another oddity: No sand at the wave pool (Live! Lagoon). This space is fronted by a giant screen where movies can be shown. A plus: Inner tubes are allowed in the pool, making for interesting bobbing.
Tickets are available via islandh2olive.com. At the gate, admission is $49.99 ($42.99 for visitors less than 48 inches tall). Knock $5 off those if you order online and in advance. Annual passes are $89.99.
Folks staying at Margaritaville Resort receive complimentary waterpark tickets during their stay, at least through Dec. 29. There are some blockout dates for this offer … but everyone should be aware: Island H20 Live will be closed on Tuesdays and Wednesdays starting Sept. 4. For more information about operating hours and tickets, go to islandh2olive.com.