Chill Out or Feel the Rush at Fins Up Water Park at Lanier Islands 

About Fins Up Water Park

Fins Up is part of Margaritaville at Lanier Islands. If you’ve read any of the stories about our trips to Margaritaville properties, you know we love to visit. The atmosphere at Margaritaville encourages you to relax and enjoy your family. It’s chill and easygoing and all the things that your regular life at home isn’t (for the most part). 

I really didn’t know what to expect with the water park because it wasn’t on my radar. Boy, was I pleasantly surprised. 

Wave Pool at Fins Up Water Park

The wave pool is huge, and the waves are exactly like the ocean, except way better because there are no sharks. 

There is plenty of seating if you want to hang out and watch your kids. We saw people reading books and looking happy. They had good reason to be. It was a beautiful day at a beautiful spot. 

The wave pool stops producing waves every few minutes and then starts up again. It’s a blast. 

Rides at Fins Up Water Park

The park has 13 thrilling waterslides and four exhilarating attractions.

Apocalypso, Georgia’s first adrenaline-fueled waterslide coaster, has two big drops. Your stomach goes up into your heart as you fly up a giant wall and then slide back down. It’s 418 feet of fantastic fun. We did it a couple of times and absolutely loved it. 

There are several other waterslides, including Serpentine Storm, Dreamsicle Dive, and Mango Mania. They’re in the same area as Apocalypso. You can choose which one to go down when you get to the top of the platform. 

The Apocalypso is definitely one of the more heart-pounding slides, but there are a couple others I dared not try like Racing Waters and Intimidator & Triple Threat. These slides involve some kind of free fall water slide action that would probably give me a new fear of heights and falling. I did all of the other ones though! 

My oldest daughter and I loved the waterslide, Splash Down. We rode headfirst down the slide on a mat. It was awesome. 

Both my daughters and I loved Raging River, an old-school water slide with lots of twists and turns and some smaller drops. You end by getting dunked in a small pool. 

Aquatic Adventure

I had to hold my daughters back from sprinting towards the aqua park, Aquatic Adventure, as soon as they saw it. We absolutely love these floating obstacle courses and have done all the ones we can find in South Carolina and North Georgia. We were more than happy to add this one to the list. It was by far the largest aqua course we have ever done in terms of how many pieces of equipment there are.

I was completely exhausted after 15 minutes or so because these things, while fun, are tricky. It’s hard not to slip around as you climb on the obstacles. It’s such a blast though, and we loved every minute. You can go as many times as you like. 

Kids have to be 48″ for the floating obstacle course. Children under 10 must be accompanied by a guardian and be at least 48″ tall. Life jackets are provided and required.

Areas of the Water Park for Smaller Kids

Little kids will certainly enjoy the wave pool, even if they stay near the entrance and play in the water. But if they want a little more action, there’s Parakeet Springs. This section has mini-waterslides, splash fountains, and Wiggles Waves (a mini wave pool). 

Fin Dunker Bucket is a cute area next to the LandShark Bar & Grill. Here, kids wait for a huge bucket of water to dump over them. It’s hilarious to watch. 

Kids will also love the sandy beach. There are small areas of the lake to splash around in, but the beach is enormous with plenty of space to run around. You can also hang out and relax in beach chairs. 

Food at Fins Up Water Park

There are plenty of food and drink options at the water park. You can get everything from burgers to chicken tenders to nachos to a famous margarita at the Tiki Bar on the beach. 

Ice cream is also easy to come across! You don’t really need to leave the water park since there is a lot to do and eat. 

Tips for Enjoying Fins Up Water Park

Even though I’ve only gone one time, I have a few tips to share on how to enjoy this awesome park. 

Look at the height requirements beforehand for the rides you or your kids want to try. You can then plan where to go, and no one will be surprised. 

Look at a map of the water park before and during your visit. I’m embarrassed to say this, but my daughters and I completely missed like five water slides because we thought the water park ended at the beach at Aquatic Adventure. It didn’t. It kept going, and we didn’t find out until went to dinner at the LandShark Grill.

Locker rentals are available. We didn’t rent any this time, but we usually do when we go to water parks. There weren’t a lot of people around during our visit so I figured I’d take my chances with a towel and beach chair. If it was more crowded, I would have rented a locker. Prices range from $12-20 depending on locker size

Be prepared to walk. While the park isn’t as big as a theme park, it does require a lot of walking, especially when you’re carrying tubes up hills to get to launch points. Some of these hills are steep so take breaks if you need. 

Parking is $20. Guests entering Margaritaville at Lanier Islands are required to pay to park. That fee is waived for season pass holders. 

Be sure you have a credit card or some other cashless way to pay at the park. They don’t accept cash there.

Try to go during the week or early/late in the season. We went on the second day of the season and were able to ride as many rides as we wanted with barely any wait times. I imagine this place is a lot busier in the height of summer and on weekends and holidays.

You can reenter on the same day. If you want to leave the park for any reason and return, you can as long as you keep your wristband on.

Honest Mom Review: Fins Up Water Park

I just love water parks, and Fins Up was no different. I really enjoyed the water slides and aqua course, and having fun with my daughters was a memory we’ll share for years. Some of the slides were kinds I hadn’t seen before. They were made before the more modern ones of steel and plastic, and while I never felt unsafe, it was a new and fun experience. 

All the staff was really nice, and it was easy to see they were well-trained on safety protocols. They always made sure the slides were clear before sending down the next person or group. And the lifeguards on the Aquatic Adventure were paying attention to everyone to ensure safety. 

My daughters (ages 13 and 9) had a blast here. It wasn’t as big as some of the other water parks we’ve been to, but that made it all the more charming and fun honestly. We didn’t feel rushed and knew we could hang out at the beach or wave pool if we wanted downtime. Because the water park is part of Lanier Islands, it was a great place to enjoy as a family as part of our short visit there. We only had to drive a few minutes to the lake house where we were staying for a couple nights. 

Tickets and Admission to Fins Up Water Park

You can get tickets online, and if you purchase more than 24 hours ahead of time, you’ll receive $10 off adult admission. Regular day-of admission is $59.99+ tax ages 7+ and $44.99+ tax ages 4-7. If you purchase ahead of time, adult tickets are $49.99+ tax. 

Season passes are available for $99.99, but they offer discounted passes for $79.99 in late April and early May.

Once Memorial Day weekend hits, the park is open daily from 11 am – 7 pm until Labor Day weekend. Check the park site before you go as some days they have later hours. 

Where to Stay Near Fins Up Water Park

Use the map below to find places to stay nearby!

Through an affiliate relationship with Stay22, Kidding Around earns when you book through this map!

Fins Up Water Park 
7650 Lanier Islands Pkwy, Buford, GA 
Fins Up Water Park Website | Fins Up Facebook

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