LEGOLAND Florida announces October 15th Opening Date

LEGOLAND Florida has revealed its official opening date to be Saturday, October 15, 2011. Park officials disclosed the date, a closely guarded secret since the park broke ground last year, to help families already planning vacations in the fall.

The new park takes over the former Cypress Gardens Adventure park in Winter Haven Florida, about 45 minutes south of the Attractions Area in Orlando. The new 150-acre theme park is expected to play to families with kids ages 2 to 12 and adults with a love of the classic LEGO blocks. It will feature more than 50 “pink-knuckle” rides – from roller coasters to race cars – as well as family focused shows and attractions.

“I’d estimate 80 percent of the inquiries we’ve received have been about our opening date,” said LEGOLAND Florida sales manager Todd Andrus. “Guests are all but begging to know the date, so they can book their flights and accommodations, and purchase admission tickets.”

LEGOLAND also unveiled a new online reservations program to make the vacation booking experience even easier. Travelers can now book tickets, accommodations, airlines and rental cars through the LEGOLAND Florida website.

“Planning a family vacation can be daunting, especially for families with very young children,” said Andrus, a father and frequent traveler. “Packing alone is enough to overwhelm even the most organized parents. That’s why we designed our online system to be both user-friendly and convenient, allowing parents to book the essentials and then print out everything they’ll need right at home.”

The other key benefit of the program, Andrus explained, is that it features 13 preferred hotels in Central Florida that are officially endorsed by the park. Part of the “Bed & Brick” program, the hotels are all family friendly and collectively provide a range of price points and assets to accommodate different styles and budgets. Each of the hotels in the program will offer special rates and ticket/room packages.

For more information: www.LEGOLAND.com; Facebook.com/LEGOLANDFlorida and Twitter @LEGOLANDFlorida.