Monday, October 17, 2011

Legoland Florida




Florida's newest attraction is Legoland, a 150 acre theme park located 45 minutes west of Orlando off I-4.  If you are from Florida or are familiar with the tourist corridor, it's about halfway between Orlando and Tampa in Winter Haven. 

Legoland opened on October 15th , 2011, on the grounds of the old Cypress Gardens Water Park.  It's a family themed park targeting the imaginations of children 2-12 years old but it's really a good experience for everyone.  As one of the smaller theme parks it's really nicely done with all the bells and whistles of the larger parks without having to walk till you drop.  There are a variety of rides and shows and a roller coaster that is really pretty cool.  Everywhere you go there are characters and structures built out of tens of thousands of Lego pieces.  You can take a tour of a real working Lego factory and visit Lego City that is a huge area of Lego stuff.  The 2-12 crowd will love it but I saw a lot of teenagers there having a great time.

One thing I really liked is that on the lake they brought back the ski show like in the old days of Cypress Gardens.  It's a masterful show put on by world class water skiers and what's great about it is that you can't find this type of show anywhere else.  The kids can enjoy an interactive play area and visit Pirate's Cove.

Park hours in October are 10:00am til 5:00pm.  It isn't posted anywhere but they will extend their hours during the peak seasons like all the parks do.  Ticket prices are $75.00/Adult and $65.00/child 2-12.  Under 2 is free.  They also have annual passes for those who live nearby and Senior Annual prices.




They have good food at decent prices (for an attraction).  There is a pizza and pasta buffet in Fun Town and Blackbeard's in the Pirate's Cove has burgers and sandwiches.  Again, all designed around kids. 

We enjoyed the day and will probably go again some time in the future.  Sorry, no photos this time but I'll get some when we return.  So long for now until my next post.  Don't forget to check out my other posts and ask me anything you may think of before planning your vacation.

One more thing before I go.  On October 28th my kids and I are going to Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Studios Orlando.  It's supposed to be the best of horror shows and no wonder.  If the folks that make the movies puts it on it should be awesome!  Please remember to check in after the 28th so we can share the experience with you.  I'll make sure I take pictures so you can see what a great time it is. Thank you!