Emerald Island Resort – A beautiful resort, right next to Disney World

From the end of 2011, guests staying at The Manor on the Emerald Island Resort will have another attraction to visit.  Staying at a vacation rental home affords guests the independence to experience new parks and attractions like LEGOLAND Florida.  Opening in 2011, it will be an easy journey from The Manor on the Emerald Island Resort to the new park, which will be the largest LEGOLAND in the world.

Merlin Entertainments Group to open LEGOLAND® Florida
Merlin Entertainments Purchases Cypress Gardens

Winter Haven, FL (January 21st 2010)

Merlin Entertainments (“Merlin”), Europe’s No 1 and the world’s second largest visitor attraction operator, announced today a multi-million dollar investment in the biggest family tourist centre in the world with the planned opening of LEGOLAND® Florida.

Merlin has purchased the historical Cypress Gardens in Winter Haven Florida from property investment company Land South Group and will open LEGOLAND Florida on the site at the end of 2011. The deal to buy the 145-acre site includes the freehold on the current theme park and waterpark as well as an operating lease in perpetuity on the historic botanical gardens. Merlin plans a significant multi-million dollar investment over a number of years, up to and beyond opening, in what will be the biggest LEGOLAND to date. In line with the group’s “resort” strategy for its theme parks this is likely to include both accommodation and the addition of further branded attractions from the Merlin portfolio. This will build on the $100m invested over the last few years in improved infrastructure on the site.

A proven concept

The Florida development will be Merlin’s second LEGOLAND Park in North America and will play an important role in the group’s continued growth in the US. It will provide a full-day, year round, theme park experience geared towards families with children between the ages of two and 12. Its design will mirror the successful concept of the four existing LEGOLAND Parks in Denmark, Germany, UK and California. However, as with the other four, it will also have its own unique “twist” reflecting its stunning location and adding a Florida flavour.

The decision to open a LEGOLAND Park in Florida follows considerable research in the area by Merlin over a number of years. This indicated a high recognition of the LEGOLAND Park brand and a 90%+ intention to visit by families in this target market. The issue therefore has been to find the ideal site. Cypress Gardens has long been a popular location for millions of visitors. Merlin believes its central Florida location, approx 30 minutes from Orlando and also close to Tampa, is the perfect site for a leisure brand as powerful and compelling as LEGOLAND.

The development follows the outstanding success of LEGOLAND® California which opened in 1999. LEGOLAND California was recently voted the country’s best children’s theme park by Amusement Today for the sixth year running. It is also recognised as the fastest growing theme park in the US, enjoying an increase in visitor numbers year-on-year, including 6% in 2009.

LEGOLAND Florida will be the biggest LEGOLAND Park ever opened and will offer a unique mix of more than 50 rides, shows and attractions, including spectacular LEGO models and other interactive elements for the whole family to enjoy together.

The Park is expected to create more than 1,000 new jobs by opening; as well as boosting the Florida economy through the use of local contractors for development.

Nick Varney, Chief Executive of Merlin Entertainments, said:

“LEGOLAND Florida will be one of the most exciting and important projects Merlin has ever developed. It is a unique opportunity for us; Florida is the biggest family tourist centre in the world. We have been looking for the right site there for some time and in Winter Haven we plan to create one of the best and certainly most beautiful, theme parks in the world. LEGOLAND California has already proven how much US families love the unique LEGOLAND concept. Now we are bringing that fun and experience to a much wider audience - the millions of US and international visitors who come to Florida every year.”

John Jakobsen, Managing Director of Merlin’s LEGOLAND Parks Operating Group, said:

“LEGOLAND Parks are based on the universally popular LEGO Toy products and offer families the opportunity to let their imaginations run free and become completely involved in LEGO Experiences. A LEGOLAND Park is the ultimate platform to showcase the LEGO Values and the endless possibilities of the LEGO idea. LEGOLAND Florida will add a completely unique, exciting dimension and experience for families visiting the area.”

Charlie Crist, Florida Governor, said:

“We are delighted at this news. We are extremely happy that the future of Cypress Gardens is secure. LEGOLAND is one of the most exciting names in family attractions and a welcome new addition to Florida.”

Bob English, Chairman of Polk County Commissioners, said:

”We are looking forward to working closely with Merlin. Their record speaks for itself. All of us at both local and State level really welcome their exciting plans for the site, the jobs this project will create and their commitment to the County long term.”

Merlin Entertainments is firmly establishing itself in the important US market.   When it opens, LEGOLAND Florida will be the company’s thirteenth attraction here.  It joins LEGOLAND California; SEA LIFE Carlsbad; Madame Tussauds – New York, Hollywood, Las Vegas and Washington, D.C.; LEGOLAND Discovery Centre Chicago; and the Underwater Adventures Aquarium in Minneapolis, all of which are already successfully operating.  Four more attractions are also in development - SEA LIFE Phoenix; LEGOLAND Discovery Centres in Dallas Fort Worth and New Jersey and the Pepsi Globe observation wheel in New Jersey.

One of my favorite things at Disney’s Hollywood Studios is the Fantasmic Show.   It is an attraction filled with special effects; fire, water, movies, characters and more.  My family and I love it.  A classic good versus evil type thing, although it can be too intense for some smaller children.  It is, however on one of my list of things that we must do but from 2009 it will be harder to do.  Harder, but not impossible.

From January 2009 the Fantasmic show will be cut from a nightly show to just two days a week.  Monday and Thursday.  This is rumored to co-incide with the new American Idol show schedule.

What does this means for visitors to Walt Disney World?

Firstly it means that if you want to see Fantasmic in 2009, you have a choice of Monday or Thursday.  If you don’t want to see Fantasmic, then avoid Disney’s Hollywood Studios on those days as the crowds will be higher than on the other days.

Secondly, it means that the number of guests wanting to view Fantasmic will be heavy on both those days - seating is limited in the theatre and I would strongly recommend the Fantasmic Dinner Package.  Basically it is dinner in a selected restaurant and seating in the theater.  Please note that the seating is not guaranteed (Disney’s words, not mine) and you still are asked to line up an hour before the show.  But it beats having to wait up to two hours before the show - and that is before they restrict the number of shows.  I only expect the lines to get worse.

Lastly, if they retain the Fantasmic Dinner Package, it may become harder to get a slot.  More people in the park on those days would mean more people booking dinners and possibly more people booking or trying to book the Fantasmic Dinner Package.

Two quick notes on the Fantasmic Dinner Package.

1.   Currently you choose a restaurant - there is a choice of 3 or 4 - for dinner and once you have had dinner, you get a pass for the back entrance to Fantasmic.  There isn’t much of a surcharge for the package (if any - when I last looked, we had a buffet meal and the meal and the Fantasmic Package were almost the same price).

2.  As mentioned earlier, the seating is not guaranteed and not specifically allocated.  If you turn up late and the seating area is full you are out of luck.  Also the seating is not the best view.  The view is fine, but it is not center stage.  It is however the first block of seats as you enter the theater, which means you should be able to get out of the theater before the majority of the crowd.  Another plus is that if you have a stroller, it is parked on the exit route from the theater, whereas if you enter through the regular line, you may have a slight detour to collect your stroller.

My concern with the reduction in hours is that Disney may change the Fantasmic Dinner Package.  In Disneyland they have a Fantasmic Dessert Package which was $90 per person.  - I sincerely hope that they do not follow that route.  They may place a hefty $ premium on the package because it will become more popular.

Provided Disney do not raise the price of the dinner package greatly, I would still recommend booking that if you want to see Fantasmic.  My touring schedule would, if possible, either have Fantasmic as late night entertainment for one evening and spend the day either in the pool at The Manor or doing another type of lazy day.  If I has limited entries for Walt Disney World, I would consider spending the morning at one of the other parks and then going to Hollywood Studios for dinner and the show.  For example visit Animal Kingdom in the morning and then head to Hollywood Studios for a 5.30pm dinner.  When visiting the parks, we tend to have an early start (a.k.a being there BY opening time) to avoid the crowds and therefore end up with an early lunch and early dinner.  Trust me, in conjunction with the fastpass system, it works - even at the busy times of the year.

Disney’s Hollywood Studios used to be called MGM Studios.

Winnie the Pooh has a thoughtful spot, I have a rambling spot!  This is the first post in my blog relating to our home at Emerald Island Resort in Kissimmee.

My husband, Neil, and I have owned The Manor since 2003.  For us this home is a really special place.  We got to choose the location, all the upgrades, the furniture and more.  We put all the things in this home that we believed that large family groups would benefit from.  We love the home, we love the location and we love the magical memories that are created at our home, not just for our family, but for others too.

In this blog, I hope to pass on useful information to everyone, about our home, about the community, about the attractions in the area, about things that I think may be interesting to read.  I hope you enjoy my rambling spot.

–Kay