Frommer's EasyGuide to DisneyWorld, Universal and Orlando 2019 by Jason Cochran

Author:Jason Cochran
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: FrommerMedia
Published: 2018-11-20T16:00:00+00:00

Legoland Florida

Legoland Florida is not just the youngest Central Florida theme park. It’s also the oldest. That’s because it took over the historic property of Cypress Gardens, a park on the cypress tree–lined shores of pretty Lake Eloise that helped put Orlando on the tourist map. Today, this extremely kid-friendly, soothingly mellow 150-acre park 45 minutes south of Disney World is a godsend for parents who crave a breather from the mechanical and authoritarian environment of Disney World. No other Florida park feels so spacious and caters so directly to kids aged 2 to 12. Everything is designed for little ones, from easy-to-tackle versions of adult rides to a large selection of things to do—somehow, its energy is not stressful, and there are two good hotels (p. 264).

Highlights include Lost Kingdom Adventure, an indoor target practice game in the style of a Lego-bright Indiana Jones tomb; easygoing boat tour The Quest for Chi; Coastersaurus, a mild out-and-back wooden roller coaster suitable for grammar school lightweights; DUPLO Valley for toddler rides; Driving School, the Ford-sponsored, free-driving mini-auto course that teaches kids how to obey traffic rules (or, in truth, ignore their first ones); The Great Lego Race, a wild mouse coaster where you can wear virtual reality goggles for an out-of-body experience (it’s also perfectly situated for nonriders to take embarrassing shots of loved ones’ faces as they hurtle downhill); Flying School, a tiny hanging coaster for a kid’s first grown-up coaster thrills; Safari Trek, a wholly adorable car ride past wild African animals made of Legos; and Royal Joust, a mini steeplechase-style plastic horse race for wee ones that just may be the cutest ride in the world. For a break from the excitement, a healthy portion of the carefully tended Cypress Gardens Historic Botanical Garden (closes 30 min. before the park) was preserved, complete with Spanish moss, cypress knees jutting from tannic water, old-growth banyans (protected in the winter by hidden gas heaters), and signs warning of alligators, which live in the lake. Only now do you remember you’re in Florida, which is sad, considering Florida made its tourist name by selling its natural wonders. Along its lakefront, search for a Florida-shaped swimming pool. It was built for Esther Williams’s Easy to Love (1953), a jaw-dropping heli-water-ski MGM picture. For all that, and lots more like it, nothing competes with the fascination of Miniland, the tour de force display of Lego construction. The longer you linger, the more touches you see: a Space Shuttle misting during takeoff, dueling pirate ships, a mini Star Wars cantina, and marching bands in front of the Capitol. If you like those gags, stick around for the signature Pirates’ Cove Live Water Ski Show, which replaces Cypress Gardens’ pyramids of maidens with ski-jumping socket-headed Minifigure toy people. On top of all that, there’s a modest Water Park (add $20, summers and warm-season weekends) attached, and the option to buy an unlimited pizza and pasta buffet, with fountain drinks ($10, in advance). Legoland offers $5 round-trip shuttles from ICON Orlando 360 ( 877/350-5346).

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