Set your alerts for October, 15, 2011, the official grand opening day of LEGOLand Florida!

The park features seven themed play areas for all ages. Expected highlights include:

• The Big Shop One of the largest retail stores in the world featuring LEGO and LEGOLand merchandise. They’ve one-upped Disney. Instead of dropping every ride exit into a shop, they’ve done that for the entire park! 🙂
• Factory Tour A firsthand look at how LEGO bricks are made from factory to finish
• Miniland USA Gigantic scale models representing several different iconic cities around the USA including New York, Las Vegas, and Washington D.C. They will also feature many Florida landmarks from Key West, Daytona, and the Kennedy Space Center. You’ll even have the chance to race LEGO Cars around a track!
• LEGO TECHNIC® Test Track Ride a life-size LEGO TECHNIC roller coaster.
• Imagination Zone Not only are there games and activities to occupy young and old minds alike, there will be Mindstorms! Build robots using LEGO MINDSTORMS. Naturally, this will be THE highlight of my visit. 🙂
• Pirate’s Cove Watch the live-action pirate stunt show on the waters of Lake Eloise. I hope they still have water skiing!
• Land of Adventure I hope this one lives up to the description! Besides a junior roller coaster, there are a number of interactive attractions including laser blasting, 15 foot jumps, and a maze through the Pharaoh’s kingdom.
• LEGO City Kids can let their imaginations run wild in the miniature city featuring a fire fighter’s academy, driving school, and the flight school (an inverted roller coaster!)

Yes, I am more than a little excited that we finally have a LEGOLand in Florida. I hope they can keep the character of the Florida themepark experience I remember from my many visits to Cypress Gardens.

Here’s a little video for you.