Legoland Florida Discussion Thread

Hey everybody!

This thread is simple! Rather than having a million little threads about everything that goes on at Legoland Florida (formerly Cypress Gardens), this thread is designed to consolidate it all into one user-friendly thread. Feel free to use it to post updates, trip reports, questions, comments, and of course, general discussion. For pictures and videos of the park as well as past updates, see:
TPR's Park Index Cypress Gardens Page.
TPR's Park Index Legoland Florida Page

Legoland Florida’s Official Website

Below are some links to past updates from the park, you may be interested in. Enjoy!

--Robb
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2009
September 23rd, 2009 - Cypress gardens closes for good

2010
January 15th, 2010 - Merlin Entertainment purchases Cypress Gardens
January 20th, 2010 - Legoland Florida officially announced
October 22nd, 2010 - Legoland announces ride names and themed areas

2011
September 28th, 2011 - TPR attends Media Preview Day
November 29th, 2011 - Legoland Water Park announced! Opens in Summer 2012!
December 7th, 2011 - LEGO Christmas tree lit for first ever Christmas Bricktacular
December 28th, 2011 - Park closed to capacity on December 28th, 2011

2012
January 19th, 2012 - Legoland Florida's General Manager responds to Obama's Executive Order on Tourism
January 19th, 2012 - Legoland Florida's releases 2012 calendar of events
March 31st, 2012 - HUGE photo report of Greenhouse media event & more!
April 3rd, 2012 - Legoland Water Park gets filled with water!
May 8th, 2012 - Legoland Water Park lifeguards undergo training
May 11th, 2012 - Legoland develops "Roller Coaster Readiness Program"
May 28th, 2012 - Legoland Water Park Media Preview & Grand Opening Report!
July 18th, 2012 - Legoland Florida is NOT raising ticket prices amidst local competition
August 18th, 2012 - Rumors of a new Pirate themed area for the 2013 season
September 4th, 2012 - Park teases Star Wars expansion to be announced soon
September 7th, 2012 - Park announces the LEGO Star Wars Miniland Expansion!
October 19th, 2012 - LEGO Star Wars Miniland to open on November 9th!
October 24th, 2012 - LEGO Star Wars Miniland models arrive at the park!
November 9th, 2012 - LEGO Star Wars Miniland now open! Media day photos!

2013
January 10th, 2012 - Expansion in the works, though theme is under wraps
March 19th, 2013 - World of Chima Splash Battle Ride Announced
May 15th, 2013 - World of Chima opening on July 3rd, 2013!


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Original Post:

http://www.myfoxtampabay.com/dpp/news/l ... ses_092309

WINTER HAVEN - The future of Cypress Gardens is, once again, up in the air.

A statement on Cypress Garden's website says the park is closed, effective immediately, and 160 employees were told today was their last day on the job.

"During the last two years, Land South Adventures, LLC, has explored numerous management frameworks and exhausted every possible approach to keep the park running in its traditional form," the statement says.

The statement says the owners are in the process of negotiating with several potential purchasers for all or part of the property.

[BeemerBoyWDW Monorail Fanatic]

Just take the gardens and build a LEGOLAND around them.

[moinabI wish they would make Street Fighter Donkey.]

Just take the gardens and build a LEGOLAND around them.

*sigh* We can dream! *sigh*

[ImhotepA zonkey is a cross between a zebra and a donkey.]

I think that is the only thing that could save them, BeemerBoy.

As for CG closing, *yawn*. It was open? Must've slept through it.

[ElecterikPermanent Tourist]

Huh. Who would have thought that they would fail again so soon after taking out all their rides? That usually works great.

I did enjoy my one visit to this park. But it was already gone, so far as I'm concerned.

[Whoa, Davie!I Guess Donkeys Are Okay]

So yeah not too surprised that they closed down again. Last year when friends & I visited the park it was pretty busy, but not packed. They had alot of rides and a few roller coasters. Overall we had alot of fun. It was kinda like going to a zoo, theme park, water park and botanical gardens all in one.(You cant get that @ Disney or Universal) And for the price (I think we paid like 29.99 or 19.99 with our AAA discount) it wasnt too bad.

Soooo yeah closing down all the fun stuff and focusing on just the gardens was a poor choice on their part. It didn't work in the past and it sure as hell aint ganna work now. Why replace rides with another parking lot? Make no sense???
My last visit was this past April and it was a sad sit to see. From their "old" parking lot we got picked up in a trailer that was being pulled by a truck right through the old rides section of the park. It looked as if they wanted to show off the graveyard of all the old shutdown rides. I couldn't believe what I saw...

Hopefully the new buyers will keep the rides/roller coasters that are left around at Cypress Gardens

[doom1001Holy crap you have a HUGE donkey!]

I wonder what's going to happen to this park,I mean the Legoland thing would be cool,but they would probably need to have a multiday ticket that would include it along with the other parks that might or might not become owned by Merlin/Blackstone,I think it's the only way to get people to venture southwest on US 27 from Orlando.I hope the coasters stick around or find new good homes,I never got to ride Starliner as it was being built when I last went and I really liked that Jr woodie,Triple Hurricane,my favorite ride however was the bouncy bouncy.

[Whoa, Davie!I Guess Donkeys Are Okay]

Yeah Triple Hurricane & Starliner are great wooden coasters. There aren't very big BUT they sure do have alot of those bunny hills where you flying out of your seat. Lets hope if or when the park opens back up they keep all the coasters.

[VintageThere is no such thing as a donkey punch.]

I remember Cypress Gardens the first time it was open, before this whole renovation, I went on a field trip in first or second grade. It was the most fun I'd ever had at any park. If it were still it's original park I'd be going alot more often, I have so many memories there, and it was really fun, it had a quaint appeal to it.

[HowiePI think Intamin should make a donkey!]

Personally, I think this park was on life support for years, since the first time that it closed after 9/11.