Central Florida’s newest theme park, Legoland Florida, is already making a big splash with its core audience of young children aged 2-12. But that splash will get even bigger this summer when Legoland opens a new water park element.

Legoland was built on the grounds of the former Cypress Gardens. Now the new park is utilizing the former Splash Island area and infrastructure to create a kid friendly water park.

The new water attraction will feature a Lego Wave Pool offering up a kinder and gentler wave experience rather than the giant waves found at other Orlando area water parks. The back of the wave pool will include bright Lego colored tiles and a number of three-foot-tall Lego figurines. Meanwhile, the front of the pool will offer up a Lego Imagination Station where children can create using oversized, spongy Lego blocks.

Other water park features will include a Build a Raft lazy river that allows kids a chance to decorate their inner tube with giant Lego bricks; the Duplo Splash Safari, a shallow pool with giant Duplo animals geared to kids age 5 and younger; the Joker Soaker, an aquatic jungle gym with a 300-gallon bucket that dumps water regularly; a restaurant, changing rooms and more.

For added thrills, the water park will offer the Twin Chasers, an enclosed, dueling tube water slide and Splash Out, another high speed ride with three slides and 60-foot drops.

Water park tickets are an option only available in addition to the regular Legoland Florida admission. The cost is an additional $12 for ages 3 and older and $3 more for 2-year-olds and younger. (Regular theme park admission is $75 general, $65 ages 3-12.)

Central Florida’s newest theme park, Legoland Florida, has announced plans for its soon-to-open water park.

Scheduled to be open in time for summer 2012, the water park will feature several attractions that already exist at Legoland’s water park in California. These attractions include a lazy river, a tube ride and the Duplo Splash Safari, designed specifically for toddlers. Plans also call for an interactive water playground.

Legoland Florida is designed for families with children ages 2 to 12 and the water park will be designed to mirror that experience. Major areas of the new water park include:

LEGO Wave Pool - Catch a gentle wave or simply cool off in this perfectly sized pool where the waves are just big enough for all ages to enjoy.

Twin Chasers - An intertwining pair of enclosed water slides take riders down 375 feet before plunging into a refreshing pool.

Splash Out - Head to the tallest point of the water park and choose from one of three unique slides, then speed down a 60-foot drop and “splash out” into the water below.

Joker Soaker - Enjoy a fun, interactive playground with various lengths, heights and types of slides that offer something different for everyone. Wade in the surrounding pool and be doused with a torrential spill from a 300-gallon bucket.

Build-A-Raft River - Families can imagine, design and build their own unique LEGO vessel and float around the playful 1,000-foot-long lazy river.

DUPLO Splash Safari - Toddlers will love this area featuring shorter slides and interactive, larger-than-life DUPLO creatures.

For additional Legoland Florida park information, go to http://florida.legoland.com/. Or visit http://www.westgatereservations.com/ for discount Orlando vacation packages and theme park tickets.

Central Florida is home to its share of amazing theme parks. But only one has been built out of Legos!Legoland Florida, located in Winter Haven just a short drive from Orlando, opened its gates last week, offering an all new theme park adventure to Lego fans and families. The park, built on the now refurbished grounds of the former Cypress Gardens, combines rides and roller coasters, special events, unique attractions and, of course, lots of Legos.

One such ride is Coastersaurus, a fun wooden roller coaster formerly known as the Triple Hurricane in Cypress Gardens. You will also find a number of other reminders of Cypress Gardens sprinkled throughout Legoland, including the iconic Botanical Gardens. Other preserved entities include a restored Island in the Sky attraction and a brand new water ski show that features Lego pirates.

Of course, Legos are a huge part of the attraction at Legoland. And the extensive number of Lego creations is mind boggling. From the giant dinosaurs at the entrance to the tiny figures atop Legoland name tags, visitors will find thousands of intricate models made from regular Lego bricks. The highlight is Miniland USA which offers a variety of American skylines and iconic buildings created out of Legos, including famous Florida landmarks such as Daytona International Speedway.

Legoland is geared to the younger family members and they’ll enjoy ample opportunity to experience special privileges. For example, boys and girls aged 6-13 can hop into Lego cars at the Ford Driving School and drive freestyle, without a guide rail. The cars are limited to 3 mph and drivers are subject to traffic rules and obstacles such as a roundabout. But in the end, those drivers will receive a special Legoland driver’s license.

For details on discount theme park tickets and discount Orlando vacation packages, visit http://www.westgatereservations.com/.

If you build it, they will come. And as Florida’s newest theme park adventure, Legoland Florida, is being built, park officials are gearing up for vacationing families to arrive by announcing an official grand opening date of Saturday, Oct. 15, 2011.

The new central Florida theme park is currently undergoing construction and renovations on the grounds of the former Cypress Gardens park. Legoland Florida is ideally suited for a core audience of families with children aged 2 to 12.

In addition to dozens of amazing Lego creations, the 150-acre park will also offer guests a wide variety of entertainment including rides, attractions and shows.

Advance admission tickets can be purchased online any time at www.floridalegoland.com.

Although still about a year away from its scheduled October 2011 grand opening, Legoland Florida theme park is busy putting the building blocks together to ensure a successful start..

The new central Florida adventure park is being constructed on the grounds of the former Cypress Gardens theme park. Tickets and annual passes are currently available on Legoland’s web site at www.LegolandFloridaResort.com.

Legoland will feature a number of fun zones offering up an exciting blend of rides, attractions and interactive activities. These areas include:

The Beginning - Ticketing, the Garden Restaurant, The Market and the Big Shop, where you can purchase Lego merchandise.

Fun Town - Here you’ll find a studio store for Lego products, the Factory Tour, and a 700-seat theater with four 4-D movies.

Miniland USA - This area features a Pirate area plus several scaled down “Lego versions” of U.S. destinations such as Florida (Kennedy Space Center, Bok Tower, Daytona International Speedway, Mallory Square Key West, antebellum mansions of the state’s Panhandle); Washington D.C. (White House, U.S. Capitol, Jefferson Monument, Washington Monument, Georgetown); Las Vegas (several popular casinos and a wedding chapel); and New York (Statue of Liberty, Times Square, Rockefeller Plaza, Grand Central Station, Guggenheim Museum, Bronx Zoo and the still to be built Freedom Tower).

Castle Hill - A giant castle hosts an indoor roller coaster called the Dragon, plus you’ll find the Royal Joust that offers children an opportunity to ride Lego horses while enjoying a simulated joust.

Land of Adventure - Rides here include Coastersaurus, a dark ride with a laser gun, an attraction that fires foam balls and a launch ride.

XTreme - Area includes a Lego Technic Test Track to demonstrate acceleration and braking and the Aquazone Wave Racers, a combination of water blasters and a carousel ride.

Lego City - Visit the Fun Town Fire Academy, Driving School (ages 6-13 receive an official Legoland driver license), Junior Driving School (ages 3-5) Flight School and “The Big Test” show.

Imagination Zone - An educational area featuring video-games, an area to build and race Lego cars, Lego robots and Kid Power Towers, which offers a beautiful view of the park and Lake Eloise from the top of the tower.

DUPLO Village - A special area for toddlers, the village also includes Pirate’s Cove, home to a special water stunt show on the lake.

Botanical Gardens - a popular carryover from Cypress Gardens, the exceptional landscape and botanical gardens remain at Legoland.

 For more on Legoland and central Florida’s other theme parks, including Disney World, SeaWorld and Universal Studios, visit www.OrlandoThemeParkVacations.com.