Legoland Florida

Legoland Florida
Location Winter Haven, Florida, United States
Coordinates 27°59′21.02″N 81°41′23.77″W / 27.9891722°N 81.6899361°W / 27.9891722; -81.6899361Coordinates: 27°59′21.02″N 81°41′23.77″W / 27.9891722°N 81.6899361°W / 27.9891722; -81.6899361
Theme Lego toys and childhood amusement
Owner Merlin Entertainments
General Manager Adrian Jones [1]
Opened October 15, 2011 (2011-10-15)
Previous names Cypress Gardens
Area 150 acres (0.61 km2)[2]
Rides
Total 18 [3]
Roller coasters 4 [4]
Water rides 6 [5]
Website Official website

Legoland Florida is a theme park in Winter Haven, Florida. It opened October 15, 2011.[6] The park encompasses 145 acres (0.59 km2), making it the second-largest Legoland park after Legoland Windsor in the UK.[7] Built on the site of the former Cypress Gardens theme park, Legoland preserved the botanical park and redecorated the water park and roller coasters along a Lego theme.

Designed for families with children ages 2 to 12, the park has more than 45 rides, shows, attractions, restaurants, shops; and a botanical garden and a water park. A hotel opened on the property on May 15, 2015.[8]

History

On January 15, 2010, Merlin Entertainments declared its intention to build a Legoland theme park on the site of the old Cypress Gardens theme park.[2] Six days later, a news conference was held with Florida Governor Charlie Crist and park officials.[9]

After a relatively short construction period (as compared to parks which were built from scratch), Legoland Florida opened on Saturday, October 15, 2011.[6] Three months later, Legoland Florida announced it would add a water park.[10] The former Splash Island water park reopened as Legoland Florida Water Park on May 26, 2012.

Park layout & attractions

Entrance to Legoland Florida

More than 50 rides, shows, and attractions are featured in the park based on those at other Legoland parks. The Jungle Coaster ride from Legoland Windsor was moved to the park and renamed Test Track (later renamed again to Project X).[11] Cypress Gardens' botanical park was preserved as part of the park.[12] Also surviving is a vast Banyan tree that was planted as a seedling in a five-gallon bucket in 1939.[13] The Splash Island Waterpark was kept and is a separately ticketed admission. In addition, 4 attractions originally from Cypress Gardens were renovated and renamed: the Triple Hurricane wooden rollercoaster, the Okeechobee Rampage family coaster, and Swamp Thing, a Vekoma family inverted coaster. The Starliner coaster, formerly of the Miracle Strip Amusement Park in Panama City, was dismantled for sale. The Island in the Sky ride was also kept and updated for 2011.[9]

The park has 11 sections:

The Beginning

Island in the Sky

Lego Kingdoms

Lego Kingdoms

Duplo Village

Fun Town

Imagination Zone

Land of Adventure

Coastersaurus
Lost Kingdom Adventure

Lego City

Miniland USA

The World of Chima

Pirates' Cove

Lego Technic

AQUAZONE Wave Racers

Heartlake City

Cypress Gardens

Cypress Gardens
See also: Cypress Gardens

Legoland Water Park

See also

References

  1. ↑ "General Manager Announced for Legoland Florida". Legoland Florida. August 2, 2010. Retrieved October 24, 2010.
  2. 1 2 "Merlin Entertainments Group to open Legoland Florida" (PDF). Legoland Florida. January 15, 2010. Retrieved October 24, 2010.
  3. ↑ Duffy, Cathrine (January 22, 2010). "Legoland Florida set for 2011". Newsday. Retrieved October 24, 2010.
  4. 1 2 "Legoland". Florida Bricks.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "Legoland Water Park". Legoland Florida. Retrieved January 28, 2012.
  6. 1 2 "It's a date: Legoland Florida to open Oct. 15". May 23, 2011. Retrieved May 23, 2011.
  7. ↑ "World's Largest Legoland Park 'Legoland Florida' Will Open Saturday, October 15, 2011". Net News Publisher. May 23, 2011. Retrieved August 4, 2011.
  8. ↑ "Florida's Legoland Hotel is literally a toddler's dream house". Mashable. May 18, 2015. Archived from the original on June 27, 2015. Retrieved June 27, 2015.
  9. 1 2 Garcia, Jason; Sara K. Clarke (January 21, 2010). "Legoland Florida: Merlin Entertainments reveals details of new Winter Haven park". Orlando Sentinel. Retrieved January 21, 2010.
  10. ↑ Driver, Wendy (January 2, 2012). "The best events of 2012: Launch yourself into a thrilling New Year!". Daily Mail. Retrieved January 28, 2012.
  11. ↑ "Project X".
  12. ↑ "Legoland Park Information". Florida Bricks. Retrieved June 28, 2011.
  13. ↑ "Legoland in Florida". LEGOLAND in Florida. Retrieved June 6, 2015.
  14. ↑ Marden, Duane. "Coastersaurus  (Legoland Florida)". Roller Coaster DataBase. Retrieved September 9, 2013.
  15. 1 2 3 4 "LEGOLAND Florida's new Heartlake City area now open to the public - LEGOLAND in Florida". LEGOLAND in Florida.
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