In a word? "Wow." Atlantis Paradise Island Resort goes above and beyond—way beyond—the typical hotel-slash-water park experience. Featuring an impressive water park, movie theater, rooms with beautiful ocean views, and special activities and attractions like marine life exhibits, snorkeling and scuba-diving expeditions, and a chance to play with dolphins—all in a beautiful and balmy tropical setting—a stay at this resort is unforgettable.

Six different accommodation options, each with its own distinct style and amenities, give you plenty of choices. The beachside Reef offers spacious, apartment-sized suites that can accommodate up to four or eight people (plus one child under the age of four), while the Harborside Resort villas can sleep up to ten and provide a fully-equipped kitchen, a private in-unit washer and dryer, and up to two separate living areas and three bathrooms. Coral Towers are the most budget-friendly option and can sleep as many as

In a word? "Wow." Atlantis Paradise Island Resort goes above and beyond—way beyond—the typical hotel-slash-water park experience. Featuring an impressive water park, movie theater, rooms with beautiful ocean views, and special activities and attractions like marine life exhibits, snorkeling and scuba-diving expeditions, and a chance to play with dolphins—all in a beautiful and balmy tropical setting—a stay at this resort is unforgettable.

Six different accommodation options, each with its own distinct style and amenities, give you plenty of choices. The beachside Reef offers spacious, apartment-sized suites that can accommodate up to four or eight people (plus one child under the age of four), while the Harborside Resort villas can sleep up to ten and provide a fully-equipped kitchen, a private in-unit washer and dryer, and up to two separate living areas and three bathrooms. Coral Towers are the most budget-friendly option and can sleep as many as eight (with one additional child under four free).

Admission to Aquaventure, the 141-acre outdoor water park themed after the Lost City of Atlantis, is free for resort guests and features a nice selection of rides for daring types. On the Leap of Faith, a 60-foot, almost-vertical drop from a replica of a Mayan Temple, riders plunge at high speeds through a clear tunnel underneath a shark-filled lagoon. The Abyss, a 200-foot slide, plunges riders down a sheer, 50-foot drop through total darkness. The five-story, high-speed Serpent Slide caters to those sliders who love twists and turns more than drops. Those who don't like steep drops or high speeds will find plenty of fun ways to keep wet at Splasher's Island, a play structure, and the Lazy River. The Current offers a more exciting river experience, complete with raging rapids, four- to five-foot waves, and caves. Several pools (adults-only and family-style) offer different tropical settings and depths.

But Aquaventure isn't the only watery adventure available to Atlantis guests. Guided "snuba" diving (a cross between snorkeling and scuba diving for non-certified divers), snorkeling, strolls along pristine beaches, and up-close encounters with sharks are also on the menu at Atlantis. Or head to Dolphin Cay, where you can wade, swim, and play with these sociable ocean mammals. You can also walk alongside and under colorful fish, sharks, and other sea life in the aquarium at the Marine Habitat, which features a clear tube hallway that allows guests to feel like they're part of the ocean life.

Other activities include a comedy club, concert venue, movie theater, or shopping at one of the resort's upscale shops. For parents who want some time out without the kids, supervised children's programs and in-room babysitters are available (call at least one week ahead to reserve).

Choose from a variety of fine dining, casual dining, and snack/fast food options including everything from Asian to Italian to French cuisine, classic diner fare to buffets. Several dining plans make planning and budgeting for meals simple.

The Spread:
Atlantis, a mega-resort themed to its namesake Lost Continent, plays out the sunken island story throughout a 34-acre waterscape, 11 swimming areas including a seven-acre snorkeling lagoon, and waterslides. Even more impressively, a huge manmade wonder of shark tunnels, stingray and turtle lagoons, and tanks of jellyfish, lobsters, piranhas, and seahorses interlaces the property. The 2,317 rooms are located in Harborside, offering one- to three-bedroom apartment units, or a choice of rooms in one of the three hotels. Royal Towers is the priciest, Coral Towers is the site of the kids' program, and Beach Towers is more moderately priced. In 2007, an additional 600 suites plus 400 condo-hotel units will debut along with a new 48-acre water fantasyland. Plus, for parents, Atlantis has the biggest casino on the island.

Why Families Love It:
Atlantis is bustling, noisy, and filled with things to do. Your kids, plus your

The Spread:
Atlantis, a mega-resort themed to its namesake Lost Continent, plays out the sunken island story throughout a 34-acre waterscape, 11 swimming areas including a seven-acre snorkeling lagoon, and waterslides. Even more impressively, a huge manmade wonder of shark tunnels, stingray and turtle lagoons, and tanks of jellyfish, lobsters, piranhas, and seahorses interlaces the property. The 2,317 rooms are located in Harborside, offering one- to three-bedroom apartment units, or a choice of rooms in one of the three hotels. Royal Towers is the priciest, Coral Towers is the site of the kids' program, and Beach Towers is more moderately priced. In 2007, an additional 600 suites plus 400 condo-hotel units will debut along with a new 48-acre water fantasyland. Plus, for parents, Atlantis has the biggest casino on the island.

Why Families Love It:
Atlantis is bustling, noisy, and filled with things to do. Your kids, plus your inner child, can't help but get excited at stepping into a fantasy of wall-sized tanks of schooling tropical fish, lagoons of flapping manta rays, and waterslides—one with a near-vertical drop. The new children's water village, which debuted April 2006, adds kid-sized slides, water castles, and splash elements for those under 48 inches.

In February 2006, the resort replaced its educational-oriented Discovery Channel Camp with the new Discovery Kids Adventure for ages six to 12, available from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday to Saturday and Sundays during holidays (full day $90 with lunch, or $15 per hour; morning $40; afternoon $45). Borrowing from Discovery Kids programming, the new camp has added relays, seaside games, challenges, more time outdoors, as well as Bahamian dances and crafts to the schedule. Kids also unscramble hieroglyphics, a link to the cable network's cartoon, "Tutenstein," and cast a shark tooth, a tie-in with Discovery's "Kenny the Shark." At the Atlantis Kids Club, from 9 a.m. to noon ($40), preschoolers three to five do face painting, play Bluebeard's bingo, create aquariums, and tour the fish hospital. Atlantis Kids Club also has Evening Escape, a themed evening of movies, games, and computer play for ages three to 12 from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m., Wednesday to Saturday ($50). Reserve ahead for any of the kids' programs.

Teens congregate at Club Rush, where they check emails, play video games, and watch DVDs. The club is open to ages seven to 12 from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. and ages 13 to 17 from 8:30 p.m. to midnight.

Special Events & Activities:
With Aqua Tots, five children three years or older, but still under 48 inches tall, are chosen to go with staff to feed small fish.