Just when you think Orlando has got it all, and there couldn’t be anything new for its range of attractions, along comes a completely novel experience that adds still more to the city’s catalogue of activities – and to our excitement quotient!
Activate, which claims to be the world’s first active gaming facility and viral social media sensation (naturally), has just made its Florida debut (as of April 19), bringing its unique interactive experience to the epicentre of family fun at The Pointe Orlando on International Drive, offering more than 10,000sq feet of digital gameplay and high-energy challenges in a social setting.
And, while this is certainly a new name to us, it already has gaming centres in the UK (London’s O2 venue), Canada and Dubai in the United Arab Emirates, as well as the US. It was actually created in Winnipeg in Canada in 2017 by an escape game company before moving to the USA and then Europe and the Middle East. This year, there are locations opening in France, Germany, Norway, Denmark and more, while there are two more under construction in Florida (in Altamonte Springs just north of Orlando and Pembroke Pines in the Miami area), making it the fastest-growing entertainment company in the world.
It became a big hit on TikTok during the pandemic, leading to more than 30 centres in Canada and the US in the next five years, and is now on YouTube and Instagram. Not bad for a company started by a husband-and-wife team in their garden shed!
Designed to merge the thrill of digital gaming with real-world action, Activate offers a dynamic, team-based experience that challenges both mental and physical skills. Players can choose between cooperative or competitive modes, progress through levels and track achievements using the game’s advanced RFID wristband technology. Activate also prides itself on its replayability, adding new games and levels so the experience is never the same.
Adam Schmidt, co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of Activate, explained: “Orlando is the perfect home for Activate’s Florida debut. It’s a city built around fun, family and unforgettable experiences. We’re excited to introduce something completely new to the entertainment landscape here – an attraction that blends technology, teamwork and physical challenges in a way that keeps players coming back for more.”
The Pointe Orlando version of the game features 12 high-tech game rooms – like the social media-famous Mega Grid, Mega Laser, Strike and Control, to name a few – designed to react in real time, keeping players engaged at every turn. An electronic wristband tracks your progress, so you can rack up points, advance through the levels, earn prizes and gain the all-important reputation as the best in your group.
The whole environment is encapsulated in a cutting-edge setting of lights and sound, with challenges that require gamers to react quickly to combinations of lights, running and jumping at times, shooting basketball hoops, dodging lasers and even shooting down asteroids by throwing balls at a screen! There are also tests that require you to unscramble various words and identify patterns in the lights, and the difficulty levels range from one to 10.
Schmidt added: “This is an immersive gaming facility. Players who come here will play high-energy team-based games in which they are asked to run, jump solve puzzles that involve agility, strategy and a little bit of coordination.”
Groups of two to five get to have the various rooms to themselves for the duration of each game, which lasts from one to three minutes. Players have a full hour to try as many games as they can in that time-frame, and they can repeat the rooms as the games differ even in the same room, with hundreds of combinations. Visitors are advised to wear comfortable clothing and trainers, as it is a very active set-up. Crocs, high heels, flip-flops and sandals are not allowed in the gaming rooms. Children must be at least six to play, and those from six to 13 must be accompanied by at least one adult.
Check out Activate Orlando (at The Pointe Orlando) on this link. For more details on the full range of this dynamic gaming experience, visit playactivate.com. The game’s hours are 9am-11pm daily and it costs $30/player for an hour’s play or $40/player for 90 minutes. You can book in advance online and set up your own player account to save time. Arrive 10-15 minutes before your reservation to get properly checked in and sign the necessary paperwork. And yes, you can give your own player account a cool name!
Activate is also part of the grand re-design and refurbishment of The Pointe Orlando, which suffered to a great extent during the pandemic but has since bounced back with a complete renovation of the complex, including the new Live! at Pointe Orlando section, which we blogged about last November. This follows on from the novel The Greens Indoor Golf in 2023 and continues the process still further, and there will be even more new elements to look forward to later this year.
About Activate
Activate is the world’s first active gaming experience where players #EnterTheGame. Activate offers a unique blend of physical activity and gaming that promotes a healthy lifestyle. Each Activate location provides fun and interactive rooms where players can work cooperatively or compete against each other while tracking their achievements. With the global headquarters located in Winnipeg, Canada, Activate has grown to 40 locations across Canada, the US, UK and Dubai.
Have you been to The Pointe Orlando recently? Tell us about it on the friendly AttractionTickets.com Community Facebook page, on X (formerly Twitter) or Instagram.
