aimster Posted September 29, 2011 Share Posted September 29, 2011 Wow this park is shaping up nicely! Looking forward to visiting at least once to check it all out. I hadn't been to Cypress Gardens since the late 70's (I think), but I love they have Lego statues of the southern belles. I hope they have one in a blue dress! When I was 3 I was hellbent on getting my photo with the one in the BLUE dress (because it's my favorite color). I dragged my poor parents through the whole park until we found her too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DerekRx Posted September 29, 2011 Share Posted September 29, 2011 Wow, this is more impressive than I was expecting it would be based off of how little was discussed when the park was first announced. Happy to see Merlin seems to have more of a plan regarding drawing people to this park other than "hey, it's Legoland, you know you wanna go." I really look forward to seeing the transformation myself and hope it continues to grow. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jay20016 Posted September 30, 2011 Share Posted September 30, 2011 Is looking nice, but from the pictures there doesn't seem to be a whole lot of shade... I know its getting cooler (the news won't shut up about "Cooler weather!" down here and its going to be a wonderfully balmy high of 81!!) but with Florida as it is, there didn't look to be much to escape the heat or storms of a summer. True or were they just not shown in the pictures? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
highenough2 Posted September 30, 2011 Share Posted September 30, 2011 btw. it doesn't open in 2012 it opens on October 15th 2011 as its grand opening i should know, i work there.. it looks like it will be a fun filled park, and im glad to be working there Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
A.J. Posted September 30, 2011 Share Posted September 30, 2011 Did Flight School have the new SLC trains? It looked like it from the picture. Doesn't look like it - they look like they've only been repainted. The big yellow cover on the back of Swamp Thing's seats is now grey-silver-ish. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SharkTums Posted September 30, 2011 Share Posted September 30, 2011 btw.it doesn't open in 2012 it opens on October 15th 2011 as its grand opening i should know, i work there.. it looks like it will be a fun filled park, and im glad to be working there The hope I have for this park is getting lower as I continue to read your posts. You may want to STOP telling people you work at the park, because you are not speaking very high for their hiring practices. Reading comprehension is your friend. They were talking about the WATER PARK opening in 2012, everyone knows the main park is opening in a couple of weeks. Also, it's already been suggested to you to read the TOS of the site as your posting style is not acceptable. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alpengeist04 Posted September 30, 2011 Share Posted September 30, 2011 It's getting close now. When I drove by yesterday they were putting up the park signs out by the road. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SharkTums Posted September 30, 2011 Share Posted September 30, 2011 ^Well, I would hope so! Aren't there paid AAA Previews starting in eight days!?!? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alpengeist04 Posted September 30, 2011 Share Posted September 30, 2011 ^Very true. Heck, the last time I noticed they still had Cypress Gardens exit signs down the road from the park. Though that was a few weeks ago, so they may have been removed or changed by now. BTW, the park sign(s) out front by the road will have the same sun logo as the ones seen in the preview update a couple pages back. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robbalvey Posted September 30, 2011 Author Share Posted September 30, 2011 Thanks for the update! I'll be there on Saturday for the preview day - I'll try to do a trip report that night or Sunday. Yes, please do! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Airtime&Gravity Posted September 30, 2011 Share Posted September 30, 2011 Legoland Florida is looking a lot better than I expected. When the project was announced with a 2011 opening date, I wasn't expecting much to be done as there didn't seem to be enough time, and I was mainly expecting some infrastructure improvements, Miniland, and some theming added throughout the park. Merlin seems to have gone all out, and given the time they've had, have built a really nice park. I know that there was going to be some road work done to make the park more accessible, but given the parks location, even with the improvements, is the park still difficult to get to? Airtime-Also, those Lego figures in the ski show are pretty terrifying-&Gravity Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndrewRnR Posted October 1, 2011 Share Posted October 1, 2011 I know that there was going to be some road work done to make the park more accessible, but given the parks location, even with the improvements, is the park still difficult to get to? I think it gets a bad rap for its location. I've been to Cypress Gardens several times and the LEGOLAND site a few and it really isn't that hard to get to - it just isn't really near anything. Let me paint the picture - coming from Orlando you take a major expressway for about 10 miles past Disney, then take a major road that turns into a divided highway for about 20 minutes then turn down onto another divided highway for about 5 minutes. I would say its the same, if not easier, to get to from the major highway to the park then Cedar Point is from the turnpike. (Or to a lesser extent Schlitterbahn, Lake Winnie, etc.). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alpengeist04 Posted October 1, 2011 Share Posted October 1, 2011 I've been to Cypress Gardens several times and the LEGOLAND site a few and it really isn't that hard to get to - it just isn't really near anything. Exactly. It's not hard, just out of the way. ...Take Exit 55 off route 4, 27 south for about 25 minutes, then 5/6 miles on Cypress Gardens Blvd. Overall, we're talking about 45 minutes from Disney (exits 62-68 on route 4), 55 minutes from Universal (exit 75A). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jew Posted October 1, 2011 Share Posted October 1, 2011 For the majority of visitors to Orlando, that is WAY too much. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndrewRnR Posted October 1, 2011 Share Posted October 1, 2011 Update: Park is officially open, crowds are huge (word on the street tr projection for today was raised quite high) and people are eating this place up. Ive been to LEGOLAND CA and this is looking to be on par if not better. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reon Posted October 1, 2011 Share Posted October 1, 2011 Legoland looks like its done a great job refurbing Cypress Gardens! I'll have to check it out sometime...Actually, to those who have been there or to any Legoland park, how are operations? I'm talking terms of ride operators, speiling, efficency..all that kind of stuff. I need to finda more full time theme park job, and this might be a good place to try. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SoCalCoasters Posted October 1, 2011 Share Posted October 1, 2011 I doubt it but.....will Legoland FL be doing any Brick-or-Treat Halloween event this year? Since the park is opening around this time, I'm not sure whether or not they will... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robbalvey Posted October 1, 2011 Author Share Posted October 1, 2011 Update: Park is officially open, crowds are huge (word on the street tr projection for today was raised quite high) and people are eating this place up. Ive been to LEGOLAND CA and this is looking to be on par if not better. Photos, please! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
live2tell75 Posted October 1, 2011 Share Posted October 1, 2011 Kevin and I have our AAA preview tickets for this Sat. Neither one of us have ever been to a LEGOLAND park before, we can't wait to see what it is like! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndrewRnR Posted October 1, 2011 Share Posted October 1, 2011 Sign out frontJust got back and was very impressed. I took some photos here and there (then got caught up in having fun and put the camera away... sorry!) but my friend took a few hundred he'll be posting tomorrow. Overall Despite being more than twice as old as the target demographics for the parks it was a really good time. I visited LEGOLAND California last fall and enjoyed the relaxing nature of the park and what's not to love about LEGO models everywhere. This park is on par, if not better than the California one. The location along the lake really helps as even when you are on the opposite side of the park you can still see it through the trees. The atmosphere is great. Most (if not all?) paths are pavers (or stamped concrete). It is really hard to notice any former signs of Cypress Gardens unless you knew what you were looking for (save for the obvious recycled attractions). Landscaping was great. They kept as many trees as possible it seems like and there are flowers everywhere. It didn't look like a park that just opened but rather a park that has grown in. Rides The ride collection was nice - lines were VERY long so I didn't get to ride as much as I would have liked. It is really nice they kept the Triple Hurricane and you can hear the roar (squeaking?) of the train around that whole area. The Dragon's dark ride was about the same length as its California counterpart. Island in the Sky was down for the day. The highlight for me was the Rescue Academy - teams sit in self-propelled fire trucks or police cars and race to a "burning" building then work together to put up the fire before racing back. It was actually lots of fun. I remember talking to the park's GM a year a so ago and he joked it was the best ride in the park since all the "electricity" for the attraction is supplied by guests doing the work to move things or shoot the water. Test Track was positioned perfectly so that as you crest the hill you have a perfect view of the lake. For "opening day" operations wasn't terrible but as someone used to crazy high capacity rides and top-notch operations you have to give the park some credit that with so many little kids the attractions do take longer to load than say your average Intamin or B&M creation. Entertainment The Pirate's Cove show wasn't half bad. It featuring a lot more water skiing then I thought and featured the usual LEGOLAND humor "You know, you despise him, and he smells... Brickbeard!" The Gardens If I had to saw there was one let down for me with the park it was the gardens. Besides a few benches near the entrance you would have thought the Merlin team never walked the gardens. Plenty of Cypress Gardens signs (yes, I know the area is still called Cypress Gardens but this was with the old logo that said "Adventure Park" under it). A few of the smaller side paths were overgrown. I know that that area is a protected something (wetlands?) but the water in the canal throughout the garden looked like it has been sitting still for years - like a big sheet of green ice. I counted one bench in the entire thing (there was about 10 at the entrance) and it would have been perfect to sit and relax. No signs (and if you been there you know it is like a mini-maze) - not even an entrance sign to let you know about the gardens - just a plastic A-frame. Good or bad (depending on how you look at it) there was no sign of LEGO anywhere in the gardens. Food The food selection was great and cheap (for theme parks). I ate at the pizza & pasta (and salad) buffet which was 10.99 and included a drink. Of course there was the Granny Apple Fries. The park does a good job of trying to stay away from typical greasy theme park crap. The one quick service location served pre-made box sandwiches that looked really good. MiniLand The MiniLand features Florida (Daytona, NASA, Key West, Tampa, St Augustine, Miami, and random tourist stuff), DC, Vegas, San Fran, Hollywood, and NYC. The Miniland is unreal - its just really cool all the litte details. You could spend lots of time just looking at all the little details (most of which are humorous in nature). Details like the Stratosphere had X-Scream and a tiny bit of the Big Shot on it, employee break areas behind the casinos, a couple getting yelled at by a cop for PDA. The list goes on and on. One con... The attractions are great but for the most part have the lowest possible capacity out there. Take driving school or boating school where there is maybe 10 people on it at once per a few minute cycle. Coastersaurus and Flying School both only have one train and with the PTC junior cars they recommended one adult to a seat which made for some serious long waits. The Dragon was running one train (second train wasn't even on site). There just isn't really any "people-eaters" attraction wise which cause lines to get very long, very fast. Without going into specifics out of respect of the person who shared the information with me - today official numbers wasn't what you rank as a "busy" day at the park but most rides had long lines (the coasters, minus flying school, all had 30+ min waits) and the midways were slammed. Granted not every store and food location was up and running but this park could have some capacity issues. We got there before opening and stayed until park close and didn't get to do everything. Like I said I was really impressed with the park - they market it for kids (rightfully so as that is what the kind of rides the place has) but I think anyone (especially if you played with LEGO before) can enjoy the park. The park is a garden in itself and there are LEGO displays everywhere. One thing I have come to like about the LEGOLAND Parks is the little humor they use throughout - the script in the ski show, the details in the models, etc... it is like the park was built by a bunch of fun people who realized building a park around LEGO bricks should be fun. The question of the day, hour, week and last 2 years... will it survive? I think it will be the sleeper hit (and I was very skeptical from the start). The bar has been set so low by almost anyone I know around Orlando ("it will never make it", " give it two years", etc) that I think everyone will be surprised. Yes today was a preview day in which not one person paid to get in (friend and family of park staff and construction crew) but the place was packed, people were having fun, and the line to buy an annual pass was long. The quality of the park won't let it fail. Boating School Driving School Crowds! The line may be long... but its worth it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Erik_73 Posted October 2, 2011 Share Posted October 2, 2011 Somehowe I needed to be there also today... Here some of my pictures. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
larrygator Posted October 2, 2011 Share Posted October 2, 2011 I love the new Lego colors on the Flying Island. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chadster Posted October 2, 2011 Share Posted October 2, 2011 The park looks REALLY nice. I suppose I'll let it "burn in" for a while and on my next visit drive down and whore it out! And look at the legos perhaps, I have been known to build amusement rides out of them, probably still would if I didn't think it'd make me look creepy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vgmaster9 Posted October 2, 2011 Share Posted October 2, 2011 Looks like this is gonna have pretty good competition with Disney World, Universal, Seaworld, and Busch Gardens. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beyondthepalace Posted October 2, 2011 Share Posted October 2, 2011 will upload other pics but one of my favorite ones from today's adventures. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now