The year was 1987. The most popular TV program was The Cosby Show. The movie, Fatal Attraction, was released; shortly after that Prozac hit the market, although people will deny any connection. The #1 song back 28-years ago was the entirely forgettable (I Just) Died In Your Arms by Cutting Crew. Disposable contacts hit the market and The Simpsons made its debut, along with Fox Broadcasting. Gas was 89 cents a gallon. And Lake Lanier Islands — grandfather to LanierWorld — opened, bringing joy to boys and girls, moms and dads, and hotties and hunks.
LanierWorld opened for the 2015 season on May 9th. This year’s grand opening makes all the others look pitiful in comparison. The Lanier Islands waterpark, boardwalk and Beach of all Beaches have two new exciting additions to make the fun even funner!
Welcome the CAT 4 Slide! This thrilling four-lane dry slide adventure begins with hard-bottomed tubes high up on a hill. As you hurtle to your doom down below faster than birds can fly, you get to scare the earwax out of innocent visitors on the boardwalk before you zoom across the beach and splash into Lake Lanier’s cool waters!
Yes! You get to scare yourself AND strangers before being thrown into the lake! What could be better? (OK, sliming people on the way down might be better, but it’s probably illegal.)
Too chicken for the CAT 4 Slide? P-gawk! We dare you to try the Thunderbolt Zipline!
Actually, the Thunderbolt sounds WAY more daring than slipping down a slide at a jillion miles an hour. As surveys prove, only the most adventurous adventurers even consider ziplines. Who in their right mind wants to climb a tower, strap on a harness, clip themselves onto a cable and jump off a platform (that isn’t on fire) to go zipping down a glorified string just for fun?
OK. Almost everybody wants to fling themselves into space on ziplines like Thunderbolt. And what do zipliners really want? More speed! More thrills! Longer rides! More people to frighten as you scream your lungs out watching strangers spill their popcorn diving under benches for safety.
Thunderbolt is the Mother of All Ziplines! If you can find two other friends crazy enough to go with you (spares are available in line), you can zip along right next to each other … seeing who can yell the loudest and terrify the most tykes.
Thunderbolt, unlike CAT 4 Slide, doesn’t end up dipping you in the drink. You merely zoom through a forest, over the boardwalk, across the beach and high above the shimmering waters of Sunset Cove before gently touching down on the opposite shore.
Ready for the best part? You can record your crazy-fun trip and post it online! Seriously. Lanier Islands will rent you a GoPro® camera so you can record your “elevated escapade for posterity.” Sure, if you try to snatch hats from people on the beach you might hear words like “premeditated crime,” but your video probably won’t be used in court against you.
But, wait! There’s more at LanierWorld!
- A Bigger and Better Wibit Aquatic Obstacle Course: This popular playground that floats just off the shores of Big Beach gets super-sized for Summer 2015. Guests can now jump, slide, climb and bounce their way from one end of the beach to the other.
- Bringing New Meaning to the Phrase “Sofa-Surfing”: The addition of a large high-resolution digital screen at the end of the Wild Waves pool is an open invitation for guests to consider their tube an aquatic sofa. The big screen’s entertaining lineup will include cartoons, music videos and a regular roster of G- and PG-rated Dive-In Movies day and night all summer long.
- The More, the Merrier: LanierWorld will feature a jam-packed new schedule for Summer 2015. Extended hours, family-friendly activities, music-focused events and lots and lots of fireworks. There is never a dull moment at this lakeside destination thanks to a rotating roster of Full Moon Parties, holiday celebrations, Dive-in Movies and live open-air concerts.
- Foam for Fun: For a real beach “ball,” LanierWorld will be adding a little life to the party with the introduction of fabulous amounts of foam at the popular water wonderland Fun Dunker, as well as at Sunset Cove’s beachball/volleyball courts on select dates.*
- It’s a GAS: Lanier Islands’ beautiful new marina and the popular docks at Sunset Cove and Big Beach is better than ever with the addition of the new fuel dock at Sunset Cove. This convenient new feature is perfect for guests who arrive at LanierWorld by boat.
- Perennial Pizza Party: Based on the popularity of Gianni’s Italian Bistro, LanierWorld is premiering its new Gianni’s “Pizza-To-Go.” Gianni’s can bake up to 90 full-size handmade pizzas per hour. Order yours at the beachside walk-up window.
Let’s not forget these favorites at LanierWorld!
- Wild Waves
- Raging River
- Blackout
- Intimidator
- Triple Threat and five more fast downhill waterslides
- Sunset Cove Beach Café & Club
- Gianni’s Italian Bistro
- Tads and
- the popular eateries of the boardwalk.
LanierWorld Information
For the latest events, costs for daily admission or season passes, to reserve a boat dock or lounge chair cluster on the beach and much more, visit the LanierWorld website.
Click Here for LanierWorld
About Lanier Islands
Nestled on the southern-most shoreline of Lake Sidney Lanier at the foothills of the scenic Blue Ridge Mountains lies the truly distinctive Lanier Islands, less than 45 miles from downtown Atlanta. With 1,500 pristine acres of forests, meadows and beaches, this luxury resort is quickly growing in size, scope and reputation as one of the Southeast’s leading lakeside retreats. Lake Lanier’s 690 miles of shoreline has the perfect spot reserved for you: Lanier Islands.
Legacy Lodge and Legacy Villas enhance the resort’s broad assortment of accommodation choices and meeting sites – making it the ideal choice for corporate meetings and company retreats.
Popular excursions like fun in the sun at the boardwalk-themed LanierWorld, zip lining through the trees with Lake Lanier Canopy Tours, horseback riding on a lakeside trail from the Equestrian Center, and renting a boat and ski equipment from Harbor Landing make the resort a terrific choice for families vacationing or “staycationing” in the South.
Tranquility – the Spa and the picturesque 18-hole Lanier Islands Legacy Golf Course are major draws for visitors looking to relax or play. More than 20 wedding venues beckon brides- and grooms-to-be to this desirable destination wedding site.
Lanier Islands is steadily securing a solid standing for their unique vision of the future of this luxury retreat, their unswerving dedication to the comfort and enjoyment of their guests, and their signature brand of Southern Hospitality. In 2014, the Resort was awarded with a TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence and became a member of the highly esteemed Southern Living Hotel Collection. For more information, schedule a tee time, learn package details or make reservations, call (770) 945-8787 or visit Lanier Islands’ website at www.lanierislands.com.
