River Island Water Park at Orange Lake (Photos, Lazy River, and Cabanas)

Orange Lake Resort’s River Island is the perfect place to cool off and have leisurely fun while on vacation. With a lazy river, multiple slides, cabanas, and plenty of other activities, you’ll never run out of things to do.

Below, we’ll preview the River Island water park at Orange Lake, a Kissimmee-based resort near Walt Disney World. During our stay at Orange Lake, we spent time at River Island and felt like the area was so large that it warranted a separate article.

For reference, Orange Lake Resort is off Highway 192 in Kissimmee, Florida. It’s an enormous resort spanning over 1450 acres. Given its size, it’s divided into multiple villages. We discuss each village in our Orange Lake Resort Review.

River Island is one of those villages, and it just so happens that this section has a water park. Of course, each village at Orange Lake offers feature pool areas. However, River Island has a 1,200-foot-long lazy river with a pool at each end and multiple slides in between!

The River Island pool complex is open daily from 7:00 a.m. until 10:00 p.m. In addition to the lazy river, the area offers two hot tubs, a zero-depth entry pool, and multiple waterslides. Here is a look at the River Island map.

Several large towers sit directly behind River Island. Those planning to spend significant time at River Island will want to consider booking a stay in this village. This village offers the following types of villas:

• One-Bedroom Villa
• Two-Bedroom Villa
• Three-Bedroom Villa
• Four-Bedroom Villa

Some of these units fall under the Signature Collection category, and a few are lock-offs. Lock-offs are where two units are combined to make one larger unit. This is the same system Disney uses in their villa resorts.

If you’re not staying at River Island, you’ll have to travel back and forth from your village. Unfortunately, the distance between the villages can be challenging. Therefore, you’ll want to drive your car or take the shuttle between villages. You may remember in our initial review, I discussed how the main drawback of the resort is the size and that it’s not walkable.

A large parking lot for resort guests sits on one side of River Island. When you enter the gates, the Splash Shack is on your immediate right. This sundries shop offers sunscreen, goggles, and pool toys, among other things. Additionally, you can rent towels, inner tubes, and cabanas from this location.

Unfortunately, you will have to rent an inner tube for the lazy river. At the time of this visit, an inner tube cost $9.00 per day. Several other packages are available where you can purchase access to tube rentals, putt-putt golf, rock climbing, and the water slide for one set price. Someone will provide you with this information upon check-in at the resort.

Prices for cabana rentals at Orange Lake vary depending on your date. You can check the price and availability here at Holiday Inn Vacation Club. Cabana rentals include a mini-fridge, television, seating for six guests, six mini-golf tickets, snacks, and six bottles of water. The cabanas at River Island also come with six wristbands for tube rentals.

We didn’t rent a cabana at Orange Lake. But from our experience at Disney, we think that cabana rentals are a good value for someone who will spend the entire day using one. For our cabana rental at Disney’s Beach Club, we received a platter of fruit, a tray of desserts, unlimited soda, bottled water, and a private server.

This might be worth considering if you plan to spend an entire day at River Island. However, plenty of regular seats are available around the pool. You’ll want to get there early, though, if you prefer a special spot or something in the shade.

Those staying at River Island’s village benefit from a private seating area for tower guests. Below is a photo that shows some of the dedicated areas. As a guest of the studio rooms at West Village, I was unable to access the seating area on the tower side.

Now, we’ll take a photo walk from one end of the lazy river to the opposite end. This will give you an idea of how the area flows. A zero-depth entry area sits on the far end of the pool.

Here is the first water slide.

Sidewalks run adjacent to the entirety of the river. Here and there, you’ll find steps to enter or exit the lazy river.

Water spray elements will cool you off as you float down the river. These are toward the area where the river begins and ends.

Around the initial bend, you’ll run into the inner tube section. Those who rent an innertube will receive a special wristband that shows they are entitled to one.

There is a dedicated area to enter the lazy river near the inner tubes.

If you walk the length of the lazy river, you’ll have to cross a few bridges.

The bridge in the photo below has a waterfall running underneath each side.

I was impressed with how far the river continued. The landscaping and tropical vegetation added to the experience.

It’s a beautiful place.

As I continued my walk, I came across a raised area with luscious green grass and several seating areas. Unfortunately, I didn’t get a great photo because several guests were taking advantage of the space, but I felt like this was a place I might have enjoyed.

Toward the center of the lazy river, you’ll encounter a waterfall. The large building behind this area is home to a restaurant, golf shop, gym, arcade, and several other recreational activities.

Two hot tubs are almost hidden along the outer banks of the lazy river.

You have to look for them. However, the hot tubs were in use every time I tried to get a decent photo. So they weren’t necessarily hidden.

Another positive aspect was the amount of shade available at River Island and throughout the lazy river.

Eventually, the lazy river ends in a pool on the opposite side of the complex.

A few other recreational activities are available on this end. This is also where you’ll find the Hippo Slide, advertised as the world’s largest inflatable slide. Unfortunately, it was out of commission during this visit.

A large space opens up to a playground in a sandy, beach-like area behind the pool.

This is also where you’ll find one of the resort’s mini-golf courses, Island Golf. Extra fees apply for mini-golf.

Unfortunately, Orange Lake is one of those resorts that charges extra for everything. For comparison, when I stayed at the Hyatt Regency Grand Cypress, they included many similar activities in their daily resort fee. (Hyatt Regency Grand Cypress Review)

Don’t get me wrong. Orange Lake is a beautiful resort with wonderful amenities. I don’t know of any other resort that offers such an extensive lazy river. But those extra costs can add up quickly.

You’ll likely want to set expectations with your children on whether or not you will do any extras. Most guests visiting Orange Lake are there primarily to visit Disney World. A trip to Disney World is expensive in itself. Your budget might not allow for any more add-ons. So, I try to mention these things in advance so you’ll have an idea of what to expect.

We’ll head back toward the start. The backside of the lazy river is peaceful.

I never took the complete ride around, but I would imagine it would take close to 20 minutes to float the entire length. It took me longer than that to walk it. However, I was stopping for photos every few feet.

River Island is a tremendous asset to Orange Lake. You could easily visit the resort for a week and spend most of your time here. But it would be terribly sad not to visit Disney World.

For more off-property hotels, try our guide to the best off-property resorts near Disney World. Or you might enjoy these individual reviews:

• Wyndham Grand Orlando Review at Bonnet Creek
• Hilton Signia Review at Bonnet Creek
• Waldorf Astoria Orlando Review
• JW Marriott Bonnet Creek Review
• Best Marriott Hotels Near Disney World

Browse our entire list of Disney World Resort Reviews for links to our on-site hotel reviews. We’ve stayed at every single one!

What Do You Think?

Have you visited River Island before? Are you considering planning a stay at Orange Lake? We love to hear from you and will happily answer any questions based on our experiences. Leave us your thoughts, questions, or experiences in the comments section below.