Jeff M.
Yelp
Okay, buckle up, this will probably be a long one; I'm gonna provide all the information that I would have loved to have known in advance.
[] PARKING [] You have three options. The South Lot ("Employee Parking" on the resort map) is free. It took us ~3 min to walk from our vehicle to the front door. They also have Self Parking ($15/day; according to the valet, you can enter/exist as often as needed) and Valet Parking ($30), but considering the South Lot served our needs, we never tried the paid options. I assume it'll be harder to find free parking during the summer months though.
[] CHECK-IN [] The check-in kiosks are useless. You will likely need to talk to one of the staff at the counter. There was a young lady named Erin who was super friendly and helpful. All of the kudos for her. That said, she clearly had to do some service recovery to try and offset a surprise "resort fee" that got tacked on after the fact.
[] COST [] Obviously it won't be the exact same for you, but I'll provide a cost breakdown of our stay so you have a point of reference (as of November, 2025).
- 1 room x 2 nights = $340.20
- Taxes and fees x 2 nights = $60.84
- Total (for two nights) = $401.04
BUT WAIT THERE'S MORE!
- Sneaky resort fees added upon arrival x 2 nights = $106.05
- Real Total (for two nights) = $507.09
I happened to have $300 in hotel credit (that was already applied, and I wasn't going to get it back at that point), but if I didn't, the two nights would have cost me $253.55 a night. The resort fees are by definition, a cash-grab, and this type of anti-consumer nonsense is pretty much guaranteed with most everything in this country nowadays (the term is "ensh*ttification"). Regardless, it resulted in a slightly sour start to the staycation.
[] INDOOR WATERPARK [] The waterpark only opens at 10 am, which feels kinda late. Even 9 am would make more sense. It was a lot of sitting around waiting for the doors to open, especially for our kids who are up by 7 am every day.
If your child is under 48 inches, they're probably in for a less fun time. My two younger kids didn't get to enjoy a majority of the rides/slides (e.g., Wild Rapids, Aqua Duel, Whipsplash, Tidal Twist, Flowrider), but my 8-year-old managed to wring every bit of watery fun out of the place.
The "Enchanted River" was a surprisingly enjoyable lazy river. "High Tide" (the wave pool) gets busy, and isn't enjoyable when you're constantly trying to dodge people that the waves are throwing around. Day pass people will absolutely overwhelm the place after lunch, so if you are trying to enjoy a lot of the rides before lines get long, show up right at 10 am. The indoor waterpark is really a lot of fun, but one full day is about all you need. My kids were satisfied, and largely ready to go back to their rooms by 5:30 pm. The lifeguards all appear to be teenagers. They're quiet, but attentive and friendly.
[] HOUSEKEEPING [] Our room seemed clean for the most part; nothing egregious, but I did notice used drink cans left in the bathroom trash, and the soap dispenser in the shower was completely out. I had to chase down a housekeeper the next day to get a refill. So, not awful, but not as smooth as one would maybe expect for a new "resort."
[] FOOD [] It's not all-inclusive (obviously), but I was pleasantly surprised to discover the prices weren't horrendous. Many of the on-site restaurants appear to be priced similar to gastropubs. Most airports price-gouge you harder than OKANA. Market 56 had really reasonably priced items (e.g., a giant brownie was $4, and a tall latte was $5). Again, not dreadful, but it can start adding up if you have a large family and/or are planning to stay more than a night or two. Since it was a staycation, we brought snacks from home, and I went out to grab lunch/dinner. There's a fridge in the room, and a microwave at the end of the hall (near the vending machines).
[] SUMMARY [] OKANA is an "above average" experience, and the nickel-and-diming is limited to a couple of instances. Overall, a good stay that my children loved, but it could have been better (for me) if things ran as smoothly as one would expect from a resort. It's also weird to be taking my children to a place that they (and I) were aware was a comfortable middle-class sort of experience, and then also be driving past a bunch of homeless people on our way out. It was some real "best of times, worst of times" type sh*t that put me in a weird self-aware, navel-gazing state about my own privilege in the midst of the increasing societal inequality. Anyway... Have fun...