While Orlando tends to hog the theme park limelight in Central Florida, it certainly isn’t the only option for families with younger children – and LEGOLAND Florida is set to prove that point in the next few months.
Situated in the charming town of Winter Haven, just 30 miles south of the main tourist area of Kissimmee, this wonderful line-up of fun-filled signature attractions is lining up a bumper experience for guests this spring and early summer to make it even bigger and brighter than ever.
Just to start with, they are in the final stages of creating one of their biggest and most complex attractions in the shape of SEA LIFE Florida, a full-scale aquarium celebrating marine life with a series of interactive exhibits. And they have also announced a major special event involving each of their parks worldwide (all seven of them).
That means there has never been a better time to be planning a visit to this Florida original, starting on May 3. The world’s first LEGO Festival will be a larger-than-life celebration of play running on select dates through June 8 and leading up to World Play Day. This festival features five interactive zones and 49 all-new LEGO builds. Plus, every child who makes a Play Pact will help to bring playtime to underserved kids globally.
Here is what they say: “Get ready for the LEGO Festival at LEGOLAND Florida Resort, where imagination will run wild, creativity knows no limits, and fun is always the top priority. At LEGOLAND Florida, we believe that play isn’t just for today - it’s a way of life!” In all, the Festival includes six weekends, five play zones and one huge rallying cry to the power of play. The full range of dates are:
- May 3-4, 10-11, 17-18, 24-25, 31.
- June 1, 7-8.
In the first instance, children are invited to celebrate the power of playtime through a special “Play Pact,” a promise to build more, laugh louder, explore endlessly and play always! More importantly, each LEGOLAND park is teaming up with local charities to give kids in need a special day filled with fun and adventure.
Here’s how it works, via the five themed zones:
Dance Zone: Start with some family time on the LEGOLAND Dancefloor, where kids of all ages have free rein to show off their best dance moves. Build to the beat, spin the decks and meet mini-figure royalty in the shape of DJ GoodVibes.
Gaming Zone: This is where gaming is the central part of the fun. Keen kids who jump into this zone will be able to enjoy some classic character moments AND look out for a special surprise gaming partner at each park.
Creative Zone: As the central mission of all LEGO parks, creating unique builds and characters is what LEGO play is all about, and this zone will therefore feature a line-up of master classes with the park’s Master Builder Alec, global playathons and endless LEGO bricks!
Music Zone: Completely separate to the Dance Zone, this is a chance for LEGO kids to rock out together using special LEGO guitars and witness the ultimate Battle of the Bands with some of the best music in the great rock pantheon.
Chill Out Zone: After rocking out together, this is the chance to chill out and unwind around beautiful LEGO Botanicals, listen to stories and build along with laid back leader Hopsy, all in this specially-created relaxation zone.
At the end of the Festival, the various local children’s charities allied with LEGOLAND’s creative play-makers will benefit on World Play Day from every single Play Pact, marking the importance of play in children’s education – and allowing under-privileged kids the chance to enjoy some play of their own.
And then there’s SEA LIFE Florida. Opening with much fanfare on May 23, this impressive stand-alone new aquarium feature – billed as “A theme park under the sea” – has been more than 18 months in the making and builds on the success of the fabulous SEA LIFE Orlando attraction at ICON Park.
A wide-ranging and innovative family-friendly exhibit, it aims to bring the oceans to life with a series of 25 awesome marine encounters and interactive experiences. Visitors can wander through a lush Freshwater Swamp, set sail in Key West Harbor and glide alongside gentle rays in Stingray Bay. Then they can marvel at vibrant coral palaces, peek into the Seahorse Nursery and get lost in the world of Jelly Invaders. The magnificent maritime journey then concludes in the ultimate Oceanarium, where the Ocean Tunnel offers a breathtaking 180-degree view of the deep!
It will feature more than 3,000 animals representing some 150 species from Florida’s coastal waters and around the world, including blacktip reef sharks, blue-spotted stingrays and big-belly seahorses. The main aquarium represents an ocean habitat with around 150,000 gallons of water, as well as a separate interactive touch pool featuring various invertebrates.
Resort president Franceen Gonzales explained: “Just as LEGOLAND Florida is designed to be a child’s first theme park experience, SEA LIFE is designed to be a child’s first aquarium experience, educating them through immersive exploration while fostering a love for marine life.”
SEA LIFE is immediately next to the main theme park and is available as various ticket options with LEGOLAND, its water park and the separate Peppa Pig theme park. Be sure to get your tickets in advance on this link.
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