legoland

LEGOLAND® FLORIDA CREATES PROGRAM TO HELP PARENTS OF FIRST-TIME COASTER RIDERS

The 2012 summer travel season is here and theme parks from coast to coast are rolling out all-new, ever-daring thrill rides.

For parents hoping that this is the year their child musters the courage to take that first roller coaster adventure, it’s a tough call: do they encourage, bribe or shame their kids into facing their fears? Or let them decide for themselves?

This summer, LEGOLAND^® Florida, Central Florida’s newest theme park, is helping families deal with Veloxrotaphobia, or fear of roller coasters, by arming parents with “Roller Coaster Readiness” tips.

Leadership at the park reached out to nationally-recognized psychologist and award-winning author Dr. Susan Bartell to create tools for both guests and employees to help parents manage these challenging situations.

“Our junior roller coasters offer just the right blend of speed and thrill that make LEGOLAND Florida the perfect spot for kids to ride their very first roller coaster,” says Adrian Jones, LEGOLAND Florida general manager. “But because we know the ‘pink knuckle’ nature of these attractions doesn’t mitigate a first timer’s fears, we wanted to provide resources to parents as well as our model citizens to ensure that every first plunge is a positive experience for the entire family.”

According to Bartell, there are a host of mistakes parents commonly make when it comes to handling their child’s fear of roller coasters.

“Dismissing a child’s fear, comparing them to a sibling or friend, bribing them with gifts and money, or… Continue reading →

RESCUE TRAINING BEGINS TODAY FOR 150 NEWLY HIRED LIFEGUARDS

Training for the “most important job in the park” began today as newly minted lifeguards took to the wave pool at LEGOLAND^® Florida’s soon-to-open water park attraction.

Trainees practiced deep-water rescues, swimming drills and compact jumps from atop a lifeguard stand. All training was certified by the American Red Cross.

There was also time for a little horseplay, with trainees performing a synchronized “wave” in the pool and taking a spin on a LEGO^® Build-A-Raft

LEGOLAND Florida is hiring 250 new employees for the water park attraction, including 150 lifeguards. Including these new positions, LEGOLAND Florida has created 1,250 new jobs at the Central Florida attraction.

The new water park attraction is a “park within the park” and is part of the overall LEGOLAND Florida experience. Guests may access the water park with a $12 per-person upgrade (only $3 upgrade for children under 3) to a single-day ticket. Premium Pass holders receive unlimited seasonal access to the water park along with 12 months unlimited access to LEGOLAND Florida; Premium Passes are $179 for adults and $149 for child/senior for 12. Both Premium Passes and single day tickets may be purchased at www.LEGOLAND.com.

LEGOLAND Water Park

Less than two months until the LEGOLAND® Water Park opens on May 26, and the attraction is getting its middle name – water!

More than a half a million gallons of H20 were pumped into the LEGO® Wave Pool by a friend of the LEGO City Volunteer Fire Department

Workers paint the slides in the Water Park

Key areas of LEGOLAND Water Park attraction include:

LEGO Wave Pool – Families can catch a gentle wave or simply cool off in this perfectly sized wave pool where the waves are just big enough for all ages to enjoy

Twin Chasers – Friends ride tubes 375 feet down an intertwining pair of enclosed water slides before plunging into a refreshing pool below

Splash Out – The thrill seekers of the family can ascend to the tallest point of the water park attraction and choose from one of three unique slides, then speed down a 60-foot drop and “splash out” into the water below

Joker Soaker – A fun, interactive playground with various lengths, heights and types of slides that offer something different for every member of the family. Guests can wade in the surrounding pool and be surprised with a torrential spill from a 300-gallon bucket

Build-A-Raft River – Families can imagine, design and build a unique LEGO vessel and set afloat on a maiden voyage around the 1000-foot-long lazy river, set amongst playful LEGO Friends, flowering vegetation and palm trees DUPLO®

Splash Safari – Toddlers will rule at this water play… Continue reading →

Girls just wanna have fun – and build – at LegoLand

The newly introduced LEGO® Friends – Olivia, Andrea, Stephanie, Emma and Mia –are coming to LEOGLAND® Florida to host a weekend of fabulous fun geared to girls March 24-25, 2012. A first-ever event, LEGO Friends Weekend is a daytime party that includes a LEGO Friends building event, live entertainment, games and activities. This event celebrates girls and their personal individuality, just like the LEGO Group’s newest line of construction toys.

Event details include:

Olivia’s Girls Just Wanna Build
- Girls can get empowered and inspired to build masterful LEGO creations with an opportunity to meet Master Model Builder, Adora. Once the building bug has taken hold, girls (and boys!) can build a portion of a Heartlake City LEGO model.
Andrea’s Heartlake Café
- The Market Restaurant will be transformed into the iconic Heartlake Café. In front of the restaurant guests will be able to sing their heart out with a karaoke performance.
Stephanie’s Lakeside Party
- Guests will be able to dance till dusk at the end-of-day LEGO Friends dance party.
Emma’s That’s So You Fashion Show
- Saks Fifth Avenue is putting on the glitz to show ways to transform girls into their favorite LEGO Friend.
Mia’s Mad About Animals Scavenger Hunt
- Kids will hunt through the historic Cypress Gardens using clues to find Mia’s favorite animals. Once completed, guests will turn in their list at the LEGO Friends Shop to receive a prize.

100 Minilanders have found love

Love is in the air, even at LEGOLAND® Florida! Nearly 100 Minilanders have found love throughout Las Vegas, Washington DC, Florida, New York City, California and Pirates in Miniland USA. From weddings to first dates, the 48, four inch tall Valentine couples inhabit the ultimate artistic expression of LEGO®.
Central Florida’s newest family theme park is home to 15,000 Minilanders. These citizens of Miniland USA are made of just 60 bricks and come in all shapes and sizes – just like their human counterparts!

Miniland USA Fun Facts:

20 million LEGO bricks comprise Miniland USA at LEGOLAND Florida
The models are created in 1:20 scale
The smallest model is a pigeon made from 6 bricks
Famous faces in Miniland USA include Elvis, Darth Vader, the cast from the Jersey Shore & actor Atticus Shaffer

LegoLand is gearing up for an action-packed 2012

Central Florida’s newest family theme park is gearing up for an action-packed 2012 with special events specifically geared towards families with children age 2 to 12. From LEGO® Friends Weekend to Kids’ New Year’s Eve the first full year of LEGOLAND® Florida is sure provide many reasons for guests to return again and again. The best way to participate in all the events at LEGOLAND Florida is with an Annual Pass – starting at just $99.

LEGO® Friends Weekend is a daytime party for girls that includes a LEGO Friends building event, entertainment, games, activities and much more. This first-ever event celebrates girls and their personal individuality, just like the LEGO Group’s newest line of construction toys.

March 24 & 25, 2012

Runners and walkers can play – or run – their part during the Winter Haven Hospital Foundation Citrus Classic 5K. This community-wide health event is designed for participants of all ages. April 14, 2012*

Celebrate the 4^th of July with a bang at LEGOLAND Florida’s first Independence Day event – Red, Brick & Boom. With special 3D glasses that turn ordinary fireworks into millions of exploding bricks, this July 4^th celebration is sure to dazzle and delight. July 4, 2012

Brick-or-Treat comes to LEGOLAND Florida every Saturday and Sunday in October. This spooky, kooky event features themed treat stations with candy, snacks and a few surprises along the way. October 2012

Go LEGOLAND – it’s your birthday! Guests can celebrate… Continue reading →

Legoland hits capacity

As always at this time of year, attractions around Central Florida had to close due to hitting capacity.

But for Floridian newcomer Legoland this was the first time it closed its doors due to the sheer size of the crowds; proving the park located on the site of the old Cypress Gardens is definitely a hit with vacationers and here to stay.

Legoland closed its parking lots around midday during the holiday week and then stopped guests entering the park an hour later, but to compensate they stayed open for an extra hour to ensure guests managed to visit as many attractions possible due to the maddening lines.

A Legoland spokeswoman told Orlando Sentinel “We’re definitely busy, and you can definitely feel that we’re full. However, people are still smiling and having a great day,”

Of course old timers like Disney and Universal also suffered from large numbers entering the parks and both of them had to close admission to parks this week during peak times around midday.

With Epcot the only one of Disney’s parks that hasn’t had to close its doors to non hotel guests over the holiday period

LEGOLAND® Florida – Just Add Water!

Just six weeks after its official grand opening, LEGOLAND® Florida today released details of its first expansion – LEGOLAND Water Park. Scheduled to open in time for summer 2012, the water park will feature a wave pool, Build-A-Raft lazy river, tube slides, body slides and an interactive water-play structure – DUPLO® Safari.

“We’re very excited to share plans for this amazing new attraction,” said LEGOLAND Florida General Manager Adrian Jones. “True to our mission, the water park attraction has been designed for families with children ages 2 to 12 and will add hours of water play to an already full day and move LEGOLAND Florida into a multi-day experience for vacationers. The additional also adds another great value proposition for our Annual Pass members.”

Admission to the water park attraction is included with an all-new LEGOLAND Premium Pass, which offers 12 months admission to LEGOLAND Florida and seasonal access to the LEGOLAND Water Park. Single-day LEGOLAND Florida guests may upgrade to a water park attraction ticket for an additional $12 per person (children under 3 are $3). The Premium Pass is now available for purchase at www.LEGOLAND.com or select AAA Auto Club Group branches.

Key areas of LEGOLAND Water Park attraction include:

LEGO Wave Pool – Families can catch a gentle wave or simply cool off in this perfectly sized wave pool where the waves are just big enough for all ages to enjoy
Twin Chasers – Friends ride tubes 375 feet down an intertwining pair of enclosed water slides… Continue reading →

Stars in the Parks – Legoland

Yankees Baseball player, Nick Swisher and Actress, JoAnna Garcia Swisher at LEGOLAND® Florida

New York Yankees outfielder, Nick Swisher and Actress, JoAnna Garcia Swisher spent a fun-filled day at the all-new family theme park, LEGOLAND® Florida. During their day at the park, the couple took a stroll through Miniland USA, one of the park’s signature attractions where cities from across the US are recreated and built with millions of LEGO® bricks. Of course, the two took a moment to check out New York City. The pair also enjoyed the afternoon experiencing all the park has to offer including some thrilling “pink-knuckle” rides.