Florida Staycation: Coco Key Water Resort in Orlando

ORLANDO – It's hard to stand out in a state littered with world class water parks. To be unique, you surely have to bring something special to the table and the concept of Orlando's Coco Key Water Resort does just that -- and more!

A 54,000 square foot water park built on an island- themed hotel property, Coco Key offers a truly different Orlando experience, incorporating practicality, convenience and family fun in a surprisingly affordable package that seems refreshingly at odds with the rest of the area's attractions.

While several hotels offer slides and sprinklers above and beyond the typical pool amenities, Coco Key boasts the area's largest canopy-covered water park and some first rate water slides that rival the best (and most expensive) water attractions in Orlando. Imagine a typical large-attraction water park without the lazy river and wave pool and then put it on a hotel property comparable to a Hyatt Place.

The water park has three bone-fide thrill slides, including Over the Falls, which is the fastest tube slide I've ever experienced; and Boomerango, a two-person vertical extreme-slide that teases riders as they come within a few yards of an over-the-top spill.

Parrot's Perch is a large wet area with smaller slides, fountains, a giant bucket dump and more fun to occupy kids in the 4-12 year range, and under the roof there's a pool with a waterfall style grotto, yet another slide and even a separate junior park for even smaller tots. The roofed area is open even during the heaviest rains, plus there's a tiki bar, full-service restaurant and a large arcade all adjacent to the park.

The hotel includes still another pool with a hot tub, another tiki bar and cozy cabanas, which are used on a first-come/first-serve basis rather than up-charged like at virtually all of the other competing attractions. Towels are included as are life vests and the lines for the slides are surprisingly short, usually somewhere between two and six minutes and in three days we never experienced one longer than ten.

In addition to an in-house Pizza Hut Express, the resort features two more restaurants. In keeping with the value-added theme, kids get a free meal with each adult entree purchased at the popular and casual Tradewinds eatery.

The clean and modern rooms have all the expected amenities including free wi-fi and the assortment of suites that sleep up to six and adjoining rooms makes Coco Key the perfect choice for multiple families vacationing together.

Each resort package comes with four inclusive water park admissions for the entire stay with additional bands available at $9.95 each. When you contemplate the value of the room and park admission in one low price, it's very hard to imagine a more affordable getaway, and believe me when I tell you that there is more than enough to do at Coco Key over a long weekend, to not have to leave the property.

Add in the convenient location right between Sea World's three parks and Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure, plus the slew of restaurants and entertainment venues nearby, including Pointe Orlando; and Coco Key quickly becomes the hands down champion for a family-friendly Florida Staycation.

And if you're already planning on taking your kids to Disney or one of the other parks, staying at Coco Key will add another dimension to your trip for less than half the regular cost of an on-property hotel.

And right now, special Staycation rates are available to Florida residents for as little as $89 a night, which is less than what you'd pay to stay at many comparable Orlando hotels that didn't have an all-inclusive water park! So get to Coco Key. Like its infectious calypso jingle promises, it's the perfect getaway!