Its official. The all-new LEGOLAND® Florida Water Park officially smashed the Guinness World Record for the most people keeping beach balls in the air. Guinness confirmed that LEGOLAND Florida Water Park beat the previous record of 401 and set a new Guinness World Record with 1,294 bouncing beach balls in the air.

The record breaking attempt took place on May 24, 2012 to celebrate LEGOLAND Florida’s all-new water park attraction. After setting the record, guests were able to enjoy the rest of the day at splash-filled water park attraction, a “park within a park,” that includes a Build-A-Raft River, where guests can build their own LEGO® inner tubes and float down a 1,000-foot lazy river. For the little ones, the DUPLO® Splash Safari is a toddler haven with perfectly sized slides and a zero-depth wading pool. Guests of all ages can play for hours at the Joker Soaker water playground, a riot of brightly colored ladders, levers, pumps and slides of every length and type. And a 583,000-gallon, crystal-clear wave pool and five slippery-fast water slides will thrill families all day long.

Also this summer guests will enjoy LEGOLAND Florida's extended summer hours allowing families to stay and play until 8 p.m. daily from June 23 through September 2, 2012. For more details visit: www.LEGOLAND.com.

Update: This promotional offer detailed below has now been extended through August 31st, 2012.

Now through July 31st, 2012 LEGOLAND^® Florida is offering Florida Residents a $20 discount on new purchases of its popular Premium Pass. The 12-month Premium Pass includes admission to LEGOLAND Florida and the all-new LEGOLAND Water Park plus free parking and discounts on food and merchandise. There are no black-out dates, which means you'll get to enjoy all the special events including the Red, Brick and Boom 4th of July Celebration, the Brick-or-Treat Halloween events, Christmas Bricktacular, a Kid’s New Year’s Eve Celebration and more.
 
Existing Pass Members are also receiving their own special offers. Plus Pass Members receive a free upgrade to the Premium Pass when they visit LEGOLAND Florida between June 25 and July 31, 2012. Standard Pass Members, Teacher Standard Pass, or those who had purchased the pre-opening $99 Standard Annual Pass will receive $20 off their upgrade to the Premium Pass during the same time. Existing Premium Pass Members should watch their mailboxes for a mailer with special coupons, including $20 off the renewal of the renewal of their Premium Pass.
 
How to redeem this offer:
 
The $20 discount off a new purchase of the Premium Pass can be redeemed online at through the LEGOLAND Florida web store link found on the homepage of florida.legoland.com or at the front gate. The discounted upgrade is only available at LEGOLAND Florida.
 
Visit www.LEGOLAND.com for more information.

Looking for a fun and educational way for your children to spend their time this summer? LEGOLAND Florida has a few great options for you!

The YMCA is providing roundtrip transportation to LEGOLAND Florida from local YMCA locations. Space is limited, so select your desired drop off/pick up location today and contact Cory Johns (Program Director, YMCA) to register  at cjohns@cfymca.org or 407-896-9220 x288.

• Dr. Phillips Elementary YMCA Camp - 6/18
• Dommerich Elementary YMCA Camp - 6/25
• Lake Whitney Elementary YMCA Camp - 7/9
• Lake Nona YMCA - 7/16

LEGOLAND Camp is open to ages 5-12. YMCA Membership price is $225.

Or, if you are you looking for a unique LEGO robotics camp for your child this summer join the IBrick Academy at LEGOLAND Florida July 9-13 or July 16-20.

Your child can build LEGO robots using LEGO Education MINDSTORMS and NXT, play at LEGOLAND and the brand new water park! To register, please contact James Jones at 407-230-6100, email at fun@ibrickacademy.com or visit www.ibrickacademy.com

LEGOLAND® Florida, Central Florida’s newest theme park, opened its all-new water park attraction today, greeting thousands of bathing suit-clad guests eager to splash, slide and soak up some sun.

“This is an important day for us as we continue to grow our presence in Central Florida,” said LEGOLAND Florida General Manager Adrian Jones, who – clad in suit and tie – was unexpectedly soaked with three hundred gallons of water during opening ceremonies.

“With the debut of our new water park, LEGOLAND Florida is now easily a two-day experience,” he said, “which puts us well down the road toward our goal of becoming a multi-day resort destination.” 

A “park within a park,” the attraction includes Build-A-Raft River, where guests can build their own LEGO inner tubes and float down a 1,000-foot lazy river.  For the little ones, the DUPLO® Splash Safari is a toddler haven with perfectly sized slides a zero-depth wading pool.  Guests of all ages can play for hours at the Joker Soaker water playground, a riot of brightly colored ladders, levers, pumps and slides of every length and type.  And a 583,000-gallon, crystal-clear wave pool and five slippery-fast water slides will thrill families all day long. 

Admission to the water park requires a LEGOLAND Florida theme park ticket plus a $12 water park upgrade.  Guests may also purchase a 12-month Premium Annual Pass, which offers unlimited access to both parks, for just $179 for adults and $149 for children ages 3-12 and seniors. 

With the new attraction, LEGOLAND Florida has also added a new Beach-n-Brick Grille, an outdoor patio where hungry guests can dine on jerk chicken, mahi mahi and pulled pork sandwiches, as well as chicken fingers, hamburgers and hotdogs.  Every menu item is priced below $10, before tax, including combos that come with fries, salad or slaw and a 22-ounce drink.   

An on-site retail store sells swimsuits, towels, sunscreen and all manner of water gear.  Guests can store their belongings in lockers for $5 (small), $7 (large) and $12 (family) and towels are available for a daily fee of $3.

On Thursday, May 24, LEGOLAND Florida will attempt to break the record for the largest number of beach balls simultaneously thrown in the air. Fun, right? The current record is 400, so we need at least 401 of our LEGOLAND Florida friends to join in the fun! To make sure we set the new record, we’re letting the first 400 people in FREE. You don’t need a pass or ticket, but you MUST be at the front gate by 9:00 AM or you won’t get in.

Date: Thursday, May 24th

Time: Must be at the main LEGOLAND Florida entrance at 9:00 am

Who: First 400 guests and these guests will receive free admission into LEGOLAND Florida and the All-New LEGOLAND Water Park

Details:

• Be part of LEGOLAND Florida Water Park breaking the Guinness  World Record for the “most beach balls in the air at one time”
• Must be at LEGOLAND’s Front Gate at 9:00am to participate and qualify for free admission
• First 400 guests receive free admission,  a free t-shirt and beach ball
• No free admissions will be provided after 9:30 am
• Provides a preview of the new water park before it’s official opening on May 26
• Stay and enjoy both parks all day long…for free!

Guests are encouraged to view the FAQs on the website for details regarding terms and conditions for the water park. 

Premium Pass Member's are invited to attend an exclusive, limited capacity Preview of the New LEGOLAND® Water Park! The special preview day is Saturday May 19th from 10AM to 5PM and all you need to attend is a valid Premium Pass for every member of your party.

The one and only entrance to LEGOLAND Water Park is through LEGOLAND Florida. Enter the park and make your way to LEGO® City then up the hill and pass the Flying School. A limited number of lockers are available at the water park, so you don't have to store everything in The Beginning.

Want to join in the fun, but don't have a Premium Pass? There's still time to purchase or upgrade from one of our existing pass levels and come play on the Premium Pass preview day.

This is a limited capacity, exclusive event, so if you plan on attending, you will want to arrive early!

Please note that due to the family nature of the LEGOLAND Water Park, all guests are required to wear proper swim wear. Swim wear that is revealing or otherwise inappropriate for this environment is prohibited and may result in removal from the LEGOLAND Water Park. Swim wear with exposed zippers, buckles, rivets, or metal ornamentation are not permitted.

Learn more about Water Park rides and attractions, including newly added age and height limits, on Florida.LEGOLAND.com.

The LEGOLAND® Water Park has been designed for families with children ages 2 to 12 with six fantastic zones including the LEGO® Wave Pool, Twin Chasers, Splash Out, the Joker Soaker, DUPLO® Splash Safari and the Build-A-Raft lazy river. This new attraction will add hours of fun water play to an already full day, making LEGOLAND Florida a multi-day destination experience for vacationers. It also adds additional value to our Premium Annual Pass.

A variety of ticket options are available for guests who want to explore the LEGOLAND Water Park on their vacation:

• Guests already at LEGOLAND Florida may access the water park with a $12 per-person upgrade ($3 for children under 3) to a single-day ticket. 
• Premium Pass holders receive unlimited seasonal access to the water park along with 12 months unlimited access to LEGOLAND Florida. Premium Passes are $179 for adults and $149 for child/senior. Premium Pass Members will get exclusive access to the Water Park at a special preview day on May 19th. Upgrade today to be one of the first to experience the new LEGOLAND Water Park.
• AAA members can also get a sneak peek at the LEGOLAND Water Park prior to Grand Opening, when they purchase a special Preview Ticket for an exclusive AAA Preview Event on May 20, 2012. For more information visit http://autoclubsouth.aaa.com/ or speak to your local AAA Auto Club South Branch.
• For the family that likes to plan ahead, LEGOLAND Florida combo tickets that include the water park are now available online. When purchased online, a one day Water Park combo ticket is $87 for adults and $77 for children ages 3-12 and seniors 60+ and $3 for children under 3. A two day Water Park combo ticket is a small increase to $97 for adults and $87 for children ages 3-12 and seniors 60+.

Please visit our website to purchase tickets.

Finally, be sure to download our new Park Operating Hours Calendar for 2012 with a second page that lists the Water Park days and hours of operation. Please note: water park hours may vary from the schedule of the LEGOLAND park and certain restrictions apply.

We look forward to continually evolving LEGOLAND Florida and hope you'll come and join us as we officially open the LEGOLAND Water Park on May 26th.

As the Horticulture Manager at LEGOLAND® Florida Nigel Dunning is responsible for keeping the park looking beautiful. General Manage Adrian Jones is proud to say it's the most beautiful LEGOLAND Park in the world and much of that is owed to Dunning's expertise. In fact, the minute we knew we would have stewardship of the historical Cypress Gardens and adjacent properties, we hired Nigel for the job.

With Earth Day and Arbor Day coming in the same week, it was a good time to sit down with Nigel and ask him some tips you could use at home in your garden.

First, tell us a little about yourself
I grew up loving the fact that I could plant something and it would develop into something magnificent. Imagine putting one little seed into the ground and watch it turn into a giant Oak tree over the years.  I have been working with the green industry for 33 years in just about all the USDA zones that are on the map and I love each and everyone of them.

What are some of the best varieties of annuals to plant this time of year?
This time of year a few of the best annuals to plant would be Marigolds (they have many new kinds), also red and blue Sylvia burst with color. SunPatiens are full of energy and color. They grow large for an annual so they can fill up a flower bed quickly.

If I wanted to plant a tree for Earth Day/ Arbor Day, what species would you recommend?
I would plant Live Oak. They are one of the most majestic trees I have ever seen in my time as a Landscaper. They always have character in the structure not to mention the value in shade here in Florida.

How do you know when it is time to refresh your garden?
When I see a garden that lacks in buds or flowers or no shine it is time to bring it back to life with a seasonal flower change. There are other symptoms to look for also. The plant no longer seems to fill the area that they once did or if it is insect ridden. Look for insects such as aphids and scale insects.

What do you recommend to do with old plant material when you replace it?
Compost is a great solution for old plant material. They also have plenty of good products on the market to help manage this process. Starting a compost pile is easy. You need to keep it moist at all times, if it drys out all the micro organisms will die and the break down of product will stop. It is also important to turn the organic material often.

What kind of plants can I use in my yard that are safe around children?
Most fruit trees are a great choice and kids love to eat the fresh fruit that come from THERE trees. Orange trees are easy in this region. If you have a little more experience try the Florida peach tree.

What are some activities that kids can help with around the garden?
I have watch my kids grow up and from when they were very young I will always remember them picking the vegetables out of the garden putting some in the basket and eating some as they went along the rows.

We'd like to send a big thank you to Nigel! You can find more of Nigel's expertise and planting ideas for your garden inside the Fresh From Florida Greenhouse next time you visit LEGOLAND Florida. If you have any questions you'd like us to ask Nigel for our next Q&A please leave a comment on this post.

Showing its commitment to conservation and stewardship of the historic botanical gardens it inherited, LEGOLAND Florida has been awarded the Outstanding Project award from the Florida Urban Forestry Council. The award is shared by Morris Architects/MorrisTerra and ValleyCrest, LEGOLAND Partners who helped the park take shape.

The ceremony took place under the giant Banyan tree in historic Cypress Gardens, but the award goes much further than just the restoration of the botanical gardens. While care was made to leave as many trees right where they were, over 200 plants and trees that would have otherwise been destroyed were preserved and relocated during the park's construction.

Beyond conservation, the benefits of this program help to make LEGOLAND Florida the most beautiful LEGOLAND Park. We hope you agree.

The April 14th Winter Haven Hospital Foundation Citrus Classic 5k run/walk attracted over 700 fitness enthusiasts and LEGO® fans to LEGOLAND® Florida for an early morning run. It was the first ever run held inside LEGOLAND Florida.

Participants started in the parking lot then dashed into and around the park. The course took them through every zone including the historic Cypress Gardens, Miniland USA and then back to The Beginning for the finish line.

The winner of each age division took home a lovely medal, but the winners of four overall classes were eligible to take home a trophy too. Trophy winners were:

• Female Overall Winner Emily Nabong with a time of 20:30
• Male Overall Winner Jonathan Hulzebos with a time of 17:02
• Female Masters Winner Rhonda Fosser with a time of 22:35
• Male Masters Winner Kevin Johnson with a time of 19:32

We'd like to congratulate all the runners for showing such great spirit during the run and a big thank you to the volunteers who made the event possible. All proceeds from the event went to benefit the Winter Haven Hospital Foundation which provides philanthropic support to Winter Haven Hospital, the Regency Center for Women & Infants, and many other non-profit organizations in the community.

More great photos in our Facebook album!