Photos: Coco Key Water Resort now open for vacationers and day guests

Coco Key Water Resort, a hotel and water park in one, opened today in Orlando. This is the 10th Coco Key Water Park and the first located in the southern part of the U.S.

The resort is located on International Drive near Sand Lake Road, on the site of International Drive’s first hotel. The hotel was originally named Hilton Inn South when it opened in 1970 and was used as a place for Disney’s cast members to train before Disney’s Contemporary hotel opened. The hotel changed hands over the years to become a Ramada and eventually the Legacy Grand Hotel. It’s now reopen as Coco Key after a $19 million renovation.

The water park is spread over a 54,000-square-foot area at the back of the property. Just about half of the water park is shaded under a canopy cover. You’ll find areas for toddlers, three “adventure” slides and a climbing wet playground with a 400-gallon dumping bucket and more. The red and white Boomerango slide is the first of its kind in Florida. It takes riders down, back up a slope and down again. The adventure slides that begin from the five-story Sunset Tower won’t be quite ready for opening day, but they’re hoping to have them open within the next week. A full service and a quick-serve restaurant are next to the water park, as well as a large arcade.

The water park area of the resort is available to all guests staying at the hotel as part of their $19 per room, per day resort fee. Day passes to the water park are available to anyone for $19.95 per person ($14.95 for Florida residents). The hotel is running a special through May 31 starting at $89 per night including water park access. Regular room rates range from $99 to $149 per night.

Pick up a copy of the upcoming Summer 2010 issue of Orlando Attractions Magazine to read more about the Coco Key Water Resort.

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