Winter Haven Florida will soon become the new home of the world's largest LegoLand. The site chosen was the failing Cypress Gardens theme park which was purchased for a reported sum of $22.3 million dollars by The Merlin Entertainment Group in conjunction with a Polk County land deal.

So, the big question is, if they build it, will you visit?

I've lived in Central Florida for nearly 5 years and we have visited Cypress Gardens only a few times mainly after it had been bought and sold a few times. Each time the park had a little something new to offer but it was still not enough of a draw. The last big thing to be added was the addition of Splash Island Waterpark which was really very nice but with several bigger more attractive waterparks just a short drive  away the waterpark was simply not enough to sustain Cypress Gardens. We also often felt the employees were down right rude, not all employees but a large majority.

Will a new owner, new theme, new name and new attractions be enough for visitors to make the hour long drive from the Orlando area? Couple this with the lack of a resort hotel (whoa, a Lego themed hotel would be fun!) and a harsh economic outlook it could be tough to draw visitors.

My personal opinion is that this is just what the doctor ordered for Winter Haven area. The new park will create over 1,000 new jobs, reinvigorate the local economy and possibly create a new tourist corridor.

Click here for a map of where LegoLand is being built.

The Official LegoLand website.

Comments welcome and encouraged!