LEGOLAND Florida

Overview

Situated on the shores of Lake Eloise in Winter Haven on the former botanical Cypress Gardens theme park, some 30 minutes south of where the majority of our villas are located, is Florida's newest theme park LEGOLAND. It opened on October 15, 2011 and at 145 acres it is the second largest LEGOLAND Park in the world after Windsor in the UK. Designed for families with children aged 2-12, this fully interactive park would ideally need two days to fully explore more than 50 rides, shows and attractions on offer, with an additional day needed for the nearby water park if required.

The park is divided into 11 easy-to-navigate and highly-themed zones:

The Beginning: Just inside the entrance is a zone called ‘The Beginning' where you can start your visit out right with a cup of freshly brewed coffee and slice of cake. You might also want to head back to this area later in the day as well and enjoy lunch at Pepper & Roni's Pizza Stop. From this zone you can hire a stroller or wheelchair for the day, as well as hire a locker to store your purchases and valuables.

Fun Town: The next zone is Fun Town and when guests reach here they truly get the feeling they have entered a LEGO village and can even explore the LEGO factory to get a first-hand look at how LEGO bricks are made. The Grand Carousel ride is the centrepiece of the zone and children get to choose their favourite horse to ride on the double-decker ride. The 700-seat Wells Fargo Fun Town 4-D Theater is the place to go if you want to avoid the hot midday sun or the summer downpours in the early afternoon. Three different 4-D movies are shown throughout the day including. Food and drink in this zone include Granny's Apple Fries, where you can indulge in warm Granny Smith apple fries, dusted with cinnamon and sugar and served with a sweet vanilla whipped cream dipping sauce! Beat the heat with an icy treat at Fun Town Slushies - purchase a souvenir cup here and enjoy discounted slushie refills all day! Fun Town Pizza & Pasta Buffet offers a variety of All-You-Can-Eat pizza and pasta, as well as a salad bar and cinnamon dessert pizza!

Heartlake City: Make some new friends at one of the coolest zones at LEGOLAND. Pick your horse and saddle up on Mia's Riding Adventure - an exciting disc coaster! Kids can also create their own music at the Heartlake Stepping Tones Fountain. Satisfy your sweet tooth here at the Heartlake Ice Cream Parlor!

Duplo Valley: There are over 40 DUPLO models in this fun LEGOLAND zone, and all have been made as an exact copy of the toy line – just a lot bigger! The central feature here is the DUPLO Train where toddlers can board a train, either on their own or with their parents, to explore the countryside. Next they can jump on a tractor just their size and help the farmers with their tasks, as well as search for missing farm animals. The DUPLO farm is an air-conditioned play area for children to slide, climb and crawl around a whole host of friendly farm animals. For those looking to cool off, the new splash and play area will be refreshingly fun with intermittent water spouts and interactive water elements set among larger than life farm animals, so make sure you pack swimming costumes and a towel! For children under the age of two, the safe and secure DUPLO Tot Spot features a shaded playground area that includes a small slide and colourful playhouse and DUPLO bricks. If you get a bit peckish in this zone, then head for the snack bar, where toddlers and adults alike can enjoy hot and fresh popcorn, as well as cool, refreshing drinks.

THE LEGO MOVIE WORLD: As you stroll around the newest part of LEGOLAND you can expect to bump into some of your favourite characters from the films, including Emmet and Lucy, and even get a picture with them over at Emmet’s Super Suite apartment in Downtown Bricksburg. There's also three NEW RIDES to try, along with the Taco Tuesday Everyday restaurant and a spaceship-themed playground!

LEGO Kingdoms: This zone takes kids (and adults) back to medieval times with the LEGOLAND Castle where spells are cast and many knights, damsels and dragons are found. At the Royal Joust, children between the ages of 4 and 12 can ride LEGO-themed horses through a number of medieval scenes where they encounter other riders in a simulated joust. The Forestmen's Hideout is a multi-level tree and rope climb adventure for children to enjoy. The Dragon is an indoor/outdoor steel roller coaster that features a hilarious, behind-the-scenes view of life within the enchanted LEGOLAND Castle. If that doesn't appeal then why not climb aboard Merlin's Challenge, a mysterious wooden train ride powered by the wizard's magic. For lunch, guests can stop by and enjoy a feast fit for a king at Dragon's Den, serving locally brewed craft beer, smoked turkey legs, bratwurst sausages and honey-battered mini corndogs.

Land of Adventure: In this zone visitors of all ages explore hidden tombs and hunt for treasure. Attractions and rides here include Beetle Bounce, where riders are launched 15ft up in this junior drop tower ride toward intricate, brightly jewelled LEGO beetles perched on two monumental obelisks. Safari Trek allows you to ride in a jeep and explore the wilds of Africa with gorgeous, lifelike LEGO animals. Coastersaurus is a wooden roller coaster ride that curves and dips in and around a prehistoric jungle of animated and life-sized LEGO brick dinosaurs. Lost Kingdom Adventure is a spectacular interactive dark ride that invites guests to fire laser blasters at targets and brave the rugged Egyptian landscape in all-terrain roadsters, while attempting to unearth the vast treasures of a forgotten empire. Pharaoh's Revenge is an outdoor attraction that lets children and parents fire soft balls at ‘enemies' and explore the maze of the Pharaoh's kingdom. For something to eat in this zone head to Adventure Snacks for hot dogs, nachos & cheese and select cold beverages to fuel your adventure!

Miniland USA: At the heart of every LEGOLAND theme park is a Miniland, and this one is no different. Visitors here get to marvel at the seven specially themed areas: Miniland Florida encompasses the entire state including Key West, the Everglades, Miami, Tampa, Central Florida, Daytona (where guests can race LEGO cars around the Speedway circuit), Kennedy Space Center (complete with Shuttle launch, astronaut training and Rocket Garden), St Augustine and the mansions of the Panhandle in the north of the state. Miniland New York City features tiny jets of water shooting up from the fountain in Rockefeller Plaza, while an army of animated yellow taxicabs prowls the streets of Times Square. The Statue of Liberty, a cutaway view of Grand Central Station, The Empire State Building, the Guggenheim Museum and the Bronx Zoo are just a few of the iconic landmarks. Miniland Washington DC sports faithful re-creations of the White House (including the first family and "first dog"), the U.S. Capitol building, Smithsonian, Washington and Jefferson monuments and parts of Georgetown. An animated marching band parades in front of the Capitol and tiny cherry trees blossom every spring. Miniland Las Vegas, with actual sounds recorded in the city, features the world-famous Strip including the Luxor Las Vegas, New York, New York Hotel and Casino, Excalibur, Mirage, Treasure Island, Tropicana, MGM Grand, Venetian, Stratosphere tower and two iconic structures of Paris Las Vegas: the balloon sign and Eiffel Tower. Miniland California features landmarks from Southern California to San Francisco, with Pier 39, the Golden Gate Bridge, Greumann's Chinese Theater and more. As well as these cities, the Miniland zone also includes Pirate's Shores with a full-on swashbuckling pirate adventure with two opposing pirate ships and their "mates" battling it out on the high seas.

Pirate's Cove: Pirates' Cove is home to LEGOLAND Florida's very own water ski and stunt show, The Battle for Brickbeard's Bounty, featuring 20 minutes of water skis, jet skis, boats and baddies as Miranda Valentina and her Imperial Guards try to fend off swashbuckling pirates along the shores of Lake Eloise.

Imagination Zone: Imagination Zone is all about exploration and creation, while showcasing seven of the most visually exciting LEGO models in the world, including a replica of Albert Einstein's head. Attractions in this zone include LEGO MINDSTORMS; an exhibit where guests can build and program cutting-edge, computerised robots. The Wheels Zone is where guests get to build a LEGO vehicle and test it against the competition on the digitally timed track. Kid Power Towers allows kids and parents alike to hoist themselves up to the top of a tower to get a great view of the entire park and lovely Lake Eloise, before enjoying a fun "free-fall" to the bottom. The Warner Bros. Games Zone is an interactive area that lets kids play all the latest and greatest LEGO video games, using the latest personal technology devices and video kiosks. Some areas within this zone may be unavailable during school group sessions. Panini Grill is the place to go if you want something to eat in this area, it offers a wide selection of pressed sandwiches, from roast beef with horseradish to vegetarian panzanella or chicken Florentine. Kid's choices include ham & cheese and peanut butter & jelly!

LEGO TECHNIC: Zoom, splash or soar in LEGO TECHNIC, the most extreme of the park's zones with exciting rides which include AQUAZONE Wave Riders where guests zip in and out of waves as they dodge water blasters. The Great LEGO Race allows brave guests the chance to feel the power of acceleration, braking and manoeuvrability as they race a life-size LEGO TECHNIC vehicle with virtual reality (VR) technology, along a wild roller coaster track with dramatic turns and drops. Technicyle is a zany pedal-powered spinning machine that shoot riders into the air. Refuel for the day at the Funnel Cake Factory featuring made-to-order funnel cakes.

LEGO City: LEGO City is the perfect place for youngsters to live out their dreams in a scaled-down town created just for them. In Rescue Academy, families compete with each other in fire and police vehicles to be the first to put out a simulated "blaze" to save the day! The Ford Driving School gives a "real-life" driving experience for children ages 6 to 13, where children receive their official LEGOLAND driver's license with their face on it and watch a video on how to drive (a junior version for toddlers aged 3 to 5 is nearby). The Flying School ride is a suspended steel coaster that lets kids experience the thrill of flight. The fun-filled Boating School ride allows kids to captain their own mini-vessels. Burger Kitchen and Kick'n Chicken Co. provide opportunities to have a bite to eat or enjoy some light refreshments.