Legoland Florida Reviews and Guide

Hosted on the former site of Cypress Gardens in Winter Haven, LEGOLAND Florida hosts a variety of attractions aimed at families with children aged 2-12. Spread across a number of themed areas, the park's line-up includes roller coasters, water slides and "edu-tainment" rides such as the popular Driving School. The headline attraction is Miniland USA, which features LEGO recreations of a variety of famous landmarks. Tickets for LEGOLAND Florida's water park are not sold separately - instead, theme park visitors must upgrade their ticket for an additional cost.

History: Cypress Gardens was founded in 1936 by Dick and Julie Pope, and quickly grew into a major attraction. However, its location - around an hour's drive away from Orlando - weighed heavily against it as Walt Disney World and Universal Orlando grew in popularity. It finally closed in 2009, with the Merlin Entertainments Group acquiring the land for $22.3 million in 2010 and announcing plans for LEGOLAND Florida. The park incorporates Cypress Garden's historic botanical displays, as well as elements of its Splash Island water park. It opened to the public in October 2011, with the water park following in May 2012.