Winter Haven , Florida ( CNN ) -- It 's a Lego fan 's dream come true : Legoland Florida opens this weekend in central Florida , the first Lego-themed outdoor park in the United States since Legoland California opened in 1999 . Built on the former grounds of Cypress Gardens , one of Florida 's first theme parks , Legoland Florida has preserved much of the historical and natural beauty of its predecessor . Popular in the 1950s and 1960s , Cypress Gardens featured Southern belles in large hoop skirts walking around the carefully manicured grounds greeting guests . Its famous water-ski shows were glamorized in movies and the 1982 music album and video for the Go-Go 's song `` Vacation . '' After Disney World opened in 1971 , Cypress Gardens ' attendance started dwindling , and after several attempts to revive the park through new ownership , it closed in 2009 . Legoland officials were thrilled to find Cypress Gardens available , as it 's about an hour drive from Orlando , considered to be the theme park capital of the world . `` We were excited about the actual site , the heritage and history , '' said Adrian Jones , Legoland 's general manager . `` We talked about the hairs standing up on the back of our neck in term of the sheer beauty . '' There was criticism about Legoland 's choice of Cypress Gardens , a location with a history of failure . `` We knew the problem that Cypress Garden had before , '' Jones said . But he said he believes the popularity of Legos and the beauty of the gardens will attract guests -- and , he says , annual pass sales have been strong . Legoland Florida still features a water ski show , this one featuring a Lego pirate , and an elegant Southern belle still greets guests as they enter the park -- but she 's made entirely out of Legos . It took Legoland more than a year to transform the 75-year-old park 's outdated and crumbling buildings and overgrown garden into a modern facility , without removing the historical charm of the cypress trees draped with Spanish moss . This week , annual pass holders were allowed a sneak peek at the 150-acre park before its official opening Saturday . `` Legoland ! Legoland ! '' chanted Denise Valletutti , along with her kids Savannah , 8 and Noah , 12 , while their car climbed to the top of Technic Test Track , a roller coaster-like ride . The chants were quickly replaced with screams on the way down . The family skipped school in order to beat the crowds , though they plan to be there on opening day anyway . `` We 'll be back whenever we can , '' Valletutti said . Legoland Florida is the largest of the five Legoland parks , located in Denmark , England , Germany , and the United States . Future parks are planned to be built in Malaysia and Dubai . There are also smaller indoor Legoland Discovery Centers around the world , including several U.S. shopping malls . Legoland Florida is geared for kids ages 2 to 12 and features 50 rides as well as Miniland USA , the heart of every Legoland Park . This park 's Miniland USA features Florida destinations in the form of intricate Lego structures , including NASA 's Kennedy Space Center , featuring the space shuttle spewing smoke , ready for takeoff . Designers started building Lego sculptures two years ago , with the help of a computer program that `` Lego-izes '' models into a brick pattern for assembly . The larger models are hollow , with a steel frame to keep them strong and stable in the park . But park designer Bill Vollbrecht says there 's nothing special about the Legos they use to construct the models . `` We always use the parts and pieces that are available to kids at home , '' said Vollbrecht , who also designed the California park . `` It really shows that this is a real model made out of real bricks that kids can see the pieces and recognize . ''
Legoland Florida opens Saturday . It 's the second U.S. Legoland outdoor park . It was built on the ground of Cypress Gardens , Florida 's first theme park . Legoland Florida 's manager is optimistic that the park will succeed .