Short, Short Tip: LEGOLAND Florida in the Summer

While Florida itself can get super hot in the summer (who am I kidding, most of the year it’s hot!), Shelley wanted to share some ways that she likes to keep cool at LEGOLAND Florida.

There’s so much to look at when you’re wandering around Miniland or when you’re spending a few hours in the water park and with not a lot of shade to escape the Florida sun, make sure you check out the short, short tip on some things to pack before heading out!

And as always, make sure you keep a water, Gatorade, something nearby to stay hydrated.

Short, Short Tip for Keeping Cool in LEGOLAND Florida

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6MydvApU95A

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Theme Parks Reminders

This one goes out to all of the theme park regulars.

Actually, this one is to anyone that goes to theme parks.

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Like many of you, I grew up in theme parks – Walt Disney World, SeaWorld, Universal, Silver Springs (hometown shout out!)

I also have worked for Walt Disney World twice. My first time working for WDW was at Magic Kingdom turnstiles (you know, back in the day…when there were actual arms.) While I loved seeing people coming to Walt Disney World for the first time, it was also where I learned that people are all different. It’s also where I learned a lot of different ways to deal with some of the different types of people.

So…some things to keep in mind while you’re in any theme park.

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Patience
The first thing everyone needs to go to any theme park (or anywhere really) is patience. Everyone is trying to go to the same place. We’re all there for the rides, characters, etc. There is no need to push and shove. Take your time. You will get there, I promise! Getting off the monorail or ferryboat? Waiting in line to get through bag check? Take a deep breath and just wait your turn. You’ll be happier once you get into the park.

Lines/Parades
Lines are there for a reason. Everyone wants to go on rides, meet characters, and see the parades, it’s a given. With that being said, don’t get in line while the rest of your party eats/is in the bathroom/you’re waiting on them. You and your party will avoid getting dirty looks and/or having someone say something. Oh, and don’t stand in front of people during parades. More than likely, they have positioned themselves there for a reason. Having been a parade audience control cast member, I’ve seen people get really angry and there’s just no reason to put yourself in someone else’s view. There’s really no bad spot for a parade. Keep walking a bit and you should be able to find a decent spot.

Tourist groups
Remember, they paid their money just like you did. They are there to have just as much fun (or maybe more!) as you.

Cast members
They are people 🙂 Give them respect and they’ll respect you. And heck, they may even do something magical for you! Just remember that just like you and I, they have bad days as well.

Kids
No matter how happy they are when they walk through the front gate (some are crying before they get in), there is a kid somewhere in your ear shot that is throwing a tantrum. They’ll get over it, hopefully sooner rather than later, but it will dissipate 🙂

Lost people
If someone looks lost/has their map upside down/is talking to their family about the “3:00 parade”, help them out! Use all that knowledge that you have stored in that brain of yours.

Crowds
You know the parks are going to be busy, so take your time. No one is going to win first place for getting everything done first.

Park time
Enjoy it!! We take advantage of the fact that we can go anytime. Stay off your phone and enjoy your time with your family and friends. Social media can wait. And those pictures can be posted later!

These are some of things that I’ve come across recently while in the theme parks. Please keep these things in mind and remember we’re all there for the same reason….

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Have fun!!

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The Pharmacy Review

Been to The Pharmacy lately?

No matter how many pharmacies you’ve been to in the past, this one is a bit different.

Have you realized I’m talking about a restaurant yet? If not, I am. It’s not a well known place because it’s set up like a speakeasy.

Do what?

I know. I understand. That was my same reaction when I found out about it.

The Pharmacy opened in early 2013. They serve local, organic food and tinctures/drinks are hand-crafted, as well as the sodas. It’s located at 8060 Via Dellagio Way in Dr. Phillips.

If you don’t know what you’re looking for, I guarantee you’ll miss it. It looks like a nondescript elevator.

IMG_1101That button on the right side is how you get the door to open.

If you listen close enough when you’re near it, you’ll think you’re close by an elevator where people aren’t standing around in an awkward silence 😉

All the food that we’ve had has been really good. This is just a little selection of what we’ve tried.

IMG_1095The fries (appetizer) are amazing, along with the homemade ketchup and mayo.

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Hanger steak

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Paella

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My biggest selling point for going are the drinks. They are amazing!

IMG_1094Sidecar (I tried this the first time we went, it’s my favorite and I haven’t seen it since!)

They are a bit on the pricey side, but one drink is like you’re drinking at least two. More than likely, you’ve never seen a drink list like theirs before!

Besides the somewhat high prices, the service is what makes us weary about going back. It’s been so hit or miss.

We’ve gone a few times (mainly for special occasions), while this isn’t out “go to” restaurant anymore, it’s still definitely a great place to go and experience!

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Epcot’s Candlelight Processional

While Candlelight Processional at Walt Disney World is a must do for many of my friends, this year was the first time I’ve ever watched it!

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I grew up in the parks and I’m sure we were here around Christmas time, however, even as an adult, I can’t believe I had never seen this show before. This is definitely the way to get you in the holiday mood!

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It was quite the experience!

Watching the cast choir fill into all their spots.

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Listening to and enjoying the live orchestra.

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And then there was Gary Sinise, who was the narrator for the night that I was in attendance. (For a full list of Candlelight Processional narrators for 2013, you can view the list here.)

It was so awesome to watch his reactions to certain songs – you can catch some of his head bobbing in the video above 🙂

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While I am not a religious person, the songs and show are put together so well and I know that the cast members put in a lot of time for each of their practices.

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I hope to now make this a yearly tradition!

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Do you have a favorite narrator that you have to see? Is there someone that you would like to see added to the list of narrators at Epcot’s Candlelight Processional?

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Tour of Cinderella Castle Suite and Be Our Guest

When the Disney Parks Blog announced that they were going to be doing tours of Be Our Guest restaurant and Cinderella Castle suite, I just knew I had to get my name into the hat! And thankfully I was selected and I enjoyed every single second of being apart of this Limited Time Magic!

Magic Kingdom will always feel like my “home” park – it’s where I started when I became a cast member. And as many times as I’ve seen Cinderella Castle, I never imagined I’d be able to go into the castle suite.

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My part of the group started in Be Our Guest and one of the imagineers that designed the restaurant gave us a tour of all the rooms.

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We learned that the little cherubs on the ceiling *may* have a slight resemblance to the imagineers that worked on the restaurant 🙂

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I had the grey stuff for breakfast. Breakfast of champions, right?

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After that treat, it was time to go see the Cinderella castle suite! I have walked by this door more times than I even know and yet I was finally seeing it open!

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We rode the elevator up to the suite level and before the door to the suite opened, I was already amazed.

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And then it was time…

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The details are beyond amazing!

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The windows in the living room area tell Cinderella’s story.

Her home, the invitation the the ball, the clock striking midnight.

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The glass slipper, Gus and Jaq finding the key, and the happy ever after.

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These little mirror on either side of the fire place have a prince and princess on them. The best part is they were not made for the suite. The imagineers found them and knew they were perfect!

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When they picked this chair out, it was purchased for its size – for kids. However, they were told that this little chair is a “slipper chair”, which people would use to put their slippers/house shoes on. How perfect is that?

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I’m still in shock that I have been in the suite!

For the full set of pictures, check out the album on Facebook.

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The Crooked Spoon Gastropub Review

This meal was paid for by me and my friends. No compensation. I wanted to share a place that we love with you.

A few years ago, The Crooked Spoon was a food truck. And while I had never tried anything from the food truck, I had heard wonderful things about it.

From there, Chef Saelg decided that he wanted an an actual location and I’m so happy that Clermont was decided upon. That means that I don’t have to drive to Orlando all the time for a super fantastic meal!

The food truck may not be around anymore (from what I know), but The Crooked Spoon is worth the drive from wherever you are when you’re in the Central Florida area!

The Crooked Spoon

We’ve gone twice now and the first time we went we were excited about our meals and loved every bite of them and this past time was no different.

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The prices are good. They have a happy hour. And the food has been amazing so far!

Crab cake to start off with. I mean, just look at the presentation of this thing.

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Their drinks look and taste amazing. And their beer and wine selection is quite impressive as well!

Here’s the rest of the food our table had (minus the pork belly BLT because I apparently ate it all before I remembered that I needed to take a picture. Oops!)

6 Cheese Mac and Cheese (the plate looks small here, but it is SO not!)

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Cranberry Turkey Sandwich

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Smoked Chicken Wings (this is actually an appetizer, but my friend really liked this last time so went with them as a meal)

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The restaurant is set up really well with lots of space and a big outdoor area as well.

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I HIGHLY recommend you going to try out The Crooked Spoon Gastropub because…well, just typing this up made me want to go back and we went there last night!

The Crooked Spoon is located right next to the Citrus Tower in Clermont – 200 Citrus Tower Blvd., Clermont, FL 34711

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LEGOLAND Florida Hotel

LEGOLAND Florida Announces 

LEGOLAND Florida Hotel Opening in 2015

LEGOLAND Florida got even better after their brickbreaking announcement!

httpv://youtu.be/V5uPLpw9f2Y

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The LEGOLAND Florida Hotel!

LEGOLAND Florida Hotel

Once the hotel opens in 2015, guests of LEGOLAND Florida will not have to leave the property for accommodations making the park a multi-day destination!

Play, eat, and sleep all in the same place…Yes, please!

With the hotel located so close to LEGOLAND Florida’s Main Entrance, it will add a lot to the energy and flow of the park. Not to mention the view you’ll have as a guest of the hotel!

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Plans for the LEGOLAND Florida Hotel

I can not WAIT for 2015 to get here so I can check out the LEGOLAND Florida Hotel!!!

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LEGOLAND Florida General Manager Adrian Jones officially announced the park’s much anticipated LEGOLAND Hotel will open in 2015. The announcement was made alongside community leaders with a ceremonial groundbreaking moment at the site where the hotel will be built, directly to the left of LEGOLAND Florida’s entrance, just steps from Lake Eloise.

 

“The opening of a LEGOLAND Hotel will transition LEGOLAND Florida from a single-day visit theme park to a multi-day resort destination,” said Jones. “This will serve as a catalyst for future economic development in Polk County.”

 

Welcoming guests with a multicolored exterior and entrance, the four-story LEGOLAND Hotel will immerse families with young children in the world of LEGO®, as an extension of the vibrant and interactive theme park experience. Created to bring children’s imaginations to life, the LEGO-themed hotel will feature 152 brightly colored and highly themed rooms and suites, LEGO décor; interactive play areas; a pool and a restaurant.

 

LEGOLAND Florida Hotel will add 250 construction-related jobs during the construction, and another 250 jobs to its employee base to staff the new hotel upon completion.

 

This will be the fifth LEGOLAND Hotel in the world joining LEGOLAND California, LEGOLAND Windsor and LEGOLAND Billund hotels. LEGOLAND Malaysia Hotel will soon open its doors.

 

At LEGOLAND Florida, families enjoy more than 50 rides, shows, attractions, a water park and the all-new LEGO World of Chima presented by Cartoon Network. At the World of Chima, the whole family can board an interactive splash battle ride, The Quest for CHI, and kid’s can splash and play in Cragger’s Swamp and race handheld rip-chord powered vehicles at the SpeedorzTM Arena.

Make sure you keep up with all the LEGOLAND Florida news by following them on Facebook and Twitter!

LEGOLAND Florida Hotel

LEGOLAND® Florida is a 150-acre interactive theme park dedicated to families with children between the ages of 2 and 12. With more than 50 rides, shows and attractions and a water park, LEGOLAND is geared towards family fun! There are currently five other LEGOLAND Parks in the world – LEGOLAND California in Carlsbad, LEGOLAND Billund in Denmark, LEGOLAND Deutschland near Günzburg, Germany and LEGOLAND Windsor outside of London and just opened LEGOLAND Malaysia —the sixth LEGOLAND Park and first in Asia. The LEGOLAND theme parks are a part of Merlin Entertainments Group, the second largest attractions operator in the world. For the most current information, log on to www.LEGOLAND.com.

 

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Festival of Trees at the Orlando Museum of Art

The 27th Annual Festival of Trees has started and I’m pretty sure that means the holidays are upon us!

Last week I got a chance to take a sneak peek at 2013’s “All That Glitters” trees and decorations. And oh my goodness, there is LOTS of glitter around the the Orlando Museum of Art!

Festival of Trees runs until November 24th, 2013 and features all different styles of trees…

There are trees for EVERYONE’s taste!

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I thought this Cinderella inspired tree was very well thought out – she’s ready for the ball on one side of the tree and dirtied with soot on the other.

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Deck the Halls, where you can view and purchase various handmade wreathes…

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Gingerbread Village…

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The Sweet Shoppe (in the PERFECT location – with all the gingerbread houses)…

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toy shop…

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boutique shop…

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tabletop designs…

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and so much more!

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And I heard a rumor that a certain jolly man will be there in his cozy corner!

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There are various galas and events happening throughout the Festival of Trees as well a scavenger hunt for the little ones!

You can purchase tickets here.

For more information on this and other events, check out the Orlando Museum of Art website!

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Capone’s Dinner and Show in Kissimmee, Florida

For the past 10+ years, I have been to Capone’s Dinner & Show numerous times! The main reason is my mom LOVES it.

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I’m telling you, I can quote the show. And I notice when songs are removed (I’m still sad one of my favorite music numbers is gone.)

When we got there to pick up our tickets we were given our secret password and the option to go in a bit early and enjoy the upstairs bar. The early access means that you have to pay for at least one drink (per person), but you’ll get first go at food before everyone else starts pouring in.

The meal provided is buffet style (read: buff-et) and you can view the menu here. As for the drinks…they are a plenty! Included in your ticket price is unlimited drinks, which makes the show even THAT much funnier 😉 Your choice of unlimited drinks include: Bud Light draft, rum runner, rum & cola, cranberry & vodka, white zinfandel, merlot & chardonnay wines, soda, iced tea, hot tea, coffee, cranberry juice, fruit punch. (You’ve already gotten a great deal with the meal/drinks alone!)

When we were given access to be able take some pictures and video, I couldn’t wait to share it!

httpv://youtu.be/aS4O0gGAbd8

What’s Capone’s about? Well, I don’t want to give too much away, but you’re in the gangster underworld.

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All of the wait staff are in character and talk and act like gangsters would (or at least that’s the way I would imagine they would..you know, if they were somewhat nice.)

The stage is taken over by a six person show – Bunny and her new husband, Fingers, are the who the story line follows. The songs are catchy and the lines exchanged are punchy.

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So many laughs and “oh, that was a pun” laughs are heard during the show.

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Whether you’re a local and have driven by it or your visiting from out of town, make sure to stop by Capone’s for dinner and laughs! Before you call for reservations make sure you check out their website for any deals they may have on tickets (I just looked and spied a 50% off coupon!)

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Shula Burger Restaurant Review

All this food was paid for by me! No compensation here!

When we saw a new place being added on 192 near 429/Target in Kissimmee and the other run of the mill restaurants, we just assumed it’d be just another place, thankfully we were wrong!

My boyfriend has been stalking Shula Burger since the sign went up, and when he saw it was open, he was more than ready to go.

Shula Burger
Shula Burger

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Guys, they had been open THREE days when we went. I am always skeptical when places haven’t been open too long because they probably haven’t gotten their stuff together.

Wrong again. We were proved wrong in the BEST way.

First of all, Shula Burger is not your standard burger joint. You order your burger, salad, chicken, sweets, whatever you want at the counter.

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From there you can get your order to go or eat in. They give you a number if you eat in and your food comes to you! Oh and if you want to call in and pick it up, you can do that too.

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We both ordered create your own burgers – garlic herb mayo, onions, mushrooms, bacon, cheese. The choices go on and on. I had sweet potato tots (which were AMAZING) and Jeff enjoyed his sea salt fries.

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During our lunch I actually stopped and said, “This burger is cooked perfectly.” And it truly was.

Oh and if you’re wanting to enjoy the outside with your meal, you can sit in this huge patio area.

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Before we left I approached the kitchen window, some of the staff, and the manager to tell them how great our experience was.

When we left I heard “See you soon!” and that is 100% true – they will definitely see us soon!

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Brick or Treat at LEGOLAND Florida

Unlike so many others, Halloween is not my favorite holiday. I never really got into as a child and I still don’t. However, when I saw that LEGOLAND Florida was holding their Brick or Treat event, I was game!

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Brick or Treat is held on the weekends (Saturday and Sunday) during October and the fun begins as soon as you head into Fun Town!

A lot of the action is located around the Grand Carousel area. A couple of times when we were walking by we saw a show going on with a juggler, which was quite fun because there was some kid involvement happening and lots of laughs from the audience.

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I found Max hanging out in his firefighter costume!

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The three characters, Buddy, Max, and Mummy alternate hanging out by the Grand Carousel for a fun photo opportunity! There is a list of the characters that you’ll find on the times guide.

If your child decides to wear a costume (which they should because I saw some AMAZING ones!), they can enter to be in the costume contest. You can sign them up in front of the Fun Town Theater, which is also where the contest is held. There are three age groups for the contests, 0-3 years, 4-8 years, 9-12 years. Make sure you check out the Brick or Treat guide for the contest times.

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In front of the Fun Town Theater is…wait for it…the world’s LARGEST LEGO pumpkin. Yep. It’s as amazing as it sounds. You get to step inside for a super cool photo opp!

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Inside Miniland they have integrated a Monster Fighter game (of sorts.) You have to go through and find five ghosts and unscramble the letters that are around the signs in Miniland. The cool part is once you complete the hunt you can enter to win a prize pack…which I need to go back and complete the scavenger hunt so I can try to get the hook up on that prize!!

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One of the main attractions is the Brick or Treat Trail.

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This is where kids (under 12) can go through and collect goodies! While I didn’t have any kids in my party, I had to go through and see the set up. Lots of different sponsors, so the kids seemed to be getting some pretty sweet (no pun intended) treats.

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The Trail opens at 1PM, however, if you have an annual pass, you can beat the line and head down the Trail at noon!

On Saturdays there is a Monster Mash dance party in Miniland! From what I saw there is a DJ set up and I can only imagine the fun that’s bound to be had in Miniland when there’s music. Also during the dance party, the costume contest winners will be announced!

If you’re on the hunt for some of the Monster Fighter LEGO sets, you’ll get a GREAT discount on these sets during Brick or Treat – 20% off, which is one of the best sales that I’ve ever seen on LEGOs. I already had the Haunted House or it would have come home with me!

Happy treating…brick or treating! 🙂

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Visiting LEGOLAND Florida: Fun Town

Last time we ventured into LEGOLAND territory we didn’t get too far beyond the beginning. Well, have no fear! We’re now going to be heading further into the bricks.

Fun Town is our next stop. Seriously, Fun Town. What more can you expect than FUN?! And shops…some of my favorite shops actually.

The first thing you see when you enter Fun Town is the Grand Carousel! While I’ve never ridden it, I’m pretty sure I need to one of the next times I’m there.

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To the left of the Grand Carousel is the Fresh From Florida Greenhouse. I recently checked this out with my parents and we had such a fun time trying to find where the LEGOs were throughout the Greenhouse area. (Spoiler: They are everywhere!)

There is information about foods that grow in Florida, facts about timber and solar, and even barrels that you can reach into and guess what seeds are hidden in there. PLUS all of the fruit is made from LEGOs, even the oranges hanging from the trees…mind blown.

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Next/attached to the Fresh From Florida Greenhouse is the Garden Shop. There used to be a lot of random gardening supplies in there and some LEGOs (this is actually where I got quite a few of my minifigs), however the last time I was in there it was WAY more LEGOs than anything – which isn’t a bad thing, just couldn’t find too much gardening/yard items. However, I would LOVE a birdbath LEGO set that I could put together…

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The Factory is where you can see how the bricks are made and it is also home to the Pick A Brick store. A whole wall of LEGOs. Yes, please!

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Also surrounding the Grand Carousel is the Studio Store with all kinds of LEGO sets relating to movies (Harry Potter, Star Wars, etc)

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Granny’s Apple Fries are also right there. I’m sure you’ve heard everyone raving about them! You should definitely try them out while you’re there! (I liked them, but was not a fan of the whipped cream that the guy talked us into.)

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The fun of building your own minifigs happens at none other than the…Minifigure Market! (Side note: if you buy minifigures and you get doubles, make sure you trade with the Model Citizens around LEGOLAND!)

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And last but not least, the Friends Shop. The cutesy girly LEGOs can all be found in this shop. I’m pretty sure I would like them all.

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There are a few other little snack and food places around Fun Town as well. And there’s the Wells Fargo 4-D Theater which currently shows THREE different movies throughout the day, including Legends of Chima!

Have any questions about LEGOLAND Florida? I’ll be heading back soon and would love to get any information or questions answered while I’m there!

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Bike Rentals in Celebration, Florida

Disclaimer: Two bike rentals were given free of charge. No compensation was given. 

I’ve talked about it before, but one of my favorite things to do outside is ride my bike in Celebration.

I get that not everyone owns a bike, and if you’re visiting from out of town, a bike will probably not be making the trip to Florida with you. Those baggage fees are enough in itself, I don’t even want to think about flying a bike here!

I mean, heck, my parents fall into both categories (and they only drive 1.5 hours to see us!)

A couple of weeks ago while they were in town, we wanted to show them around Celebration on our new favorite mode of transportation.

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After a quick talk with the owner of Celebration Surrey Company, she let my parents borrow a couple of their bikes! I was SO thrilled!

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When we got to their location (in the parking lot behind the Bohemian Hotel), we quickly rented the bikes from them, my parents signed a piece of paper (everyone has to do this) saying that they would return the bikes, etc and we were on the way.

Incase you didn’t see it on the rates picture above, when you rent with them you can get a map of the Celebration trails and also some water.

They have so many different kinds of bikes to rent.

Mountain bikes, cruiser bikes, trailers, three wheel bikes, tandem, surrey bikes, kids bikes.

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My mom saw the purple one and had to have it – I tried to get her to try a cruiser since that’s what Jeff and I have, but she was sold on the purple mountain bike.

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Dad picked out a cruiser.

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They really liked their bikes and riding around Celebration. They both kept saying, “We know why you guys like this so much.”

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If you’re around Celebration and looking for something active to do, I would highly recommend taking a bike out for a spin around town and I believe your best bet for a rental is Celebration Surrey Company!

Their hours are 10-5, but if for some reason you want to rent the bike a little later in the day and would be returning after 5, give them a call (407-791-2822) and they’ll work with you on the times. Both of the employees I talked to were super helpful and friendly and were more than happy to work with us on the times, which is not something I’ve found with any other company.

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Visiting LEGOLAND Florida: The Beginning

There are a couple of things that I find myself obsessing over and one of those things is Legos. Seriously…this is what’s in my office…

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So when I found out LEGOLAND Florida was happening I knew I HAD to go! Well, after a year+, I finally made it out there and I have loved visiting LEGOLAND Florida and exploring what there is to see.

Thankfully I now have an annual pass because I could just go walk around the park for hours and hours randomly wandering around. While I already have my favorite places to hang out in, I wanted to break LEGOLAND Florida down piece by piece (…see what I did there…)

Let’s start at the beginning, shall we?

If you’re visiting the Central Florida area, LEGOLAND Florida is about a 45 minutes drive from the rest of the theme park world, which is not bad because you get to see parts of Florida that most people look over. The address?

1 Legoland Way, Winter Haven, FL 33884

Like any other theme park, there is a fee to park. If you plan on paying when you get there it’s $14, however if you prepay for your parking online, you can save yourself $2! Something to keep in mind is that if you’re planning on purchasing a yearly pass when you get there, take your parking receipt with you to guest services and they will refund the parking fee – pretty sweet, right? 🙂

As I mentioned before, I have an annual pass and so now my parking is free AND I get discounts on dining and merchandise! Bonus!

Back to the fun stuff…

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A gloomy day at LEGOLAND is a great day to me! So when I got to guest services to get my pass, since they weren’t too busy, they took my picture and processed my annual pass right then and there.

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As you can see, if you’re a Florida resident, the annual pass is the way to go! Even if you’re visiting and plan on doing a couple of days at LEGOLAND and the waterpark, the standard annual pass is still a great deal!

The Beginning

Once you get in the park, the first thing that greets you (besides Model Citizens that work there aka the employees) are these dinosaurs!

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Watch yourself though because that big red dinosaur on the right tends to spray water here and there 😉

If you’re in need of a stroller, they are located over to the left of the dinosaurs. Lockers and package pick-up is there as well.

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Not sure where to go from there? There’s a big map that you can study and also the times for shows can be found here as well so you can try to plan our day accordingly.

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Before you get too hungry or thirsty (make sure to stay hydrated!) there is a big restaurant called The Market near the front of the park as well. They have lots of different food options for everyone in your party.

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If for some reason when you buy an annual pass and a Model Citizen directs you to go to the Annual Pass Processing Center…this is where you need to go. It’s on the left hand side right past The Market. This is also where you would go if you want to upgrade your tickets or if you are a lost parent. Of the times I’ve been here, I’ve only seen it open once, so I’m pretty sure on the weekdays most of the ticket processing will happen before you even enter the park.

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The first time I went to explore I hopped on the Island in the Sky to get a 360 view of LEGOLAND Florida. If you ever went to Cypress Gardens when it was there, I’m pretty sure this is the same attraction that was there before, but it’s a pretty cool view to see everything that the park has to offer.

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A cool element I saw in the front of the park (and I’m assuming it’s like this through the park) was the benches.

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A closer look shows what the benches are made of – 800 recycled milk jugs! So cool!

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If you’re looking to purchase tickets before you get to the park, make sure to visit the LEGOLAND Florida website to see if there are any admission deals.

Well, I’ve got some LEGOs to put together..so until next time…

Have you been to any LEGOLAND? What about the Florida one? Have a favorite attraction or something that I have to see next time I go?

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Biking in Celebration, Florida

One of my favorite places that we ride is through out the Celebration, Florida bike trails.

Celebration is located near Disney World and it was actually developed by the Walt Disney Company itself. I mean, it’s literally connected to Disney World through one of Disney’s main roads, World Drive. So yeah, it’s got a small town feel to it and it’s really nicely designed and very well kept up.

While there aren’t any set trail paths per say, there are numerous boardwalks and paths all over the place!

We normally start out having lunch/early dinner at Thai Thani before our ride so that we have some fuel. While it may not be the best of fuel, it serves it’s purpose for us 🙂

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There are numerous places to park in Celebration and pretty much wherever you park you can start your ride from there.

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We normally go around a couple of the neighborhoods and check out some of the amazing houses and lakes. And then head to the boardwalks.

Whatever path you take, either around the lakes or the sidewalks throughout the street, you’ll find a boardwalk sooner or later.

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When you come to one, just take it.

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Who knows where it’ll lead you, but I can bet that you’ll find your way back to your car after your ride.

The past couple of times we rode around Celebration we ended up going around the golf course via a sidewalk.

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We normally do between seven and eight miles and I always feel like I want to do more around there because it’s so nice, but we tend to start biking later in the afternoon and by the time we finish it’s getting dark.

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If you don’t have a bike to ride, there is a bike rental place near the Bohemian Hotel. You can rent all different kinds of bikes!

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Do you have a favorite activity to do while hanging out in Celebration?

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