Family, travel, mom blog | Theme Park Mom (Leigh Caldwell)

One week after the announcement that Legoland will open a location in Central Florida, interest in the new park remains high among Theme Park Mom readers. I am receiving e-mails and tweets daily from moms asking about the new attraction.

Here’s a summary of what we know so far about Legoland Florida:

Where will Legoland Florida be located? The Legoland park will be in Winter Haven, Florida, on the site of the historic Cypress Gardens theme park.

How far will Legoland be from Walt Disney World? Legoland Florida will be about 35 miles from Walt Disney World. It will take between 45 minutes and an hour to drive from Disney World to Legoland, depending on traffic.

When will Legoland Florida open? Legoland officials say the new theme park will open by the end of 2011.

How big will Legoland Florida be? The new Legoland will be built on the 145-acre Cypress Gardens site. It will be the world’s largest Legoland theme park.

How many attractions will Legoland Florida have? Legoland officials say there will be 40 to 50 rides, shows and other attractions.

What ages are best to visit Legoland Florida? Legoland is targeted for families with children between the ages of 2 and 12.

What about the Cypress Gardens attractions? Legoland Florida will keep and maintain the beautifully landscaped gardens on the site. There is also some talk of maintaining the famous Cypress Garden water-ski shows, albeit with a Lego theme.

Will there be a water park? The current water park at the Cypress Gardens site will remain. But it won’t be included with Legoland Florida admission; you will need a separate ticket. Legoland officials say they may re-do the park with a Legoland theme at some point.

How much will Legoland Florida tickets cost? Admission prices have not been announced for Legoland Florida. It currently costs $67 for a 1-day, adult ticket to Legoland California near San Diego. Admission for children and seniors is $57. Legoland California runs frequent promotions that offer discounted admission to the theme park.

The Lakeland Ledger reports today that Cypress Gardens is scaling back its hours in September. The park will only be open Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays during the slow month.

The newspaper reports that Cypress Gardens had attendance of 50 to 200 people on Mondays through Thursdays last month and requires a staff of 200. So, there’s no way they were making money on those days.

The park promises to have some special events and concerts on the days it is open in September. No word on what’s scheduled yet.