Legoland Florida to expand soon

From Screamscape we received the news that Legoland Florida will expand its resort with a new themed hotel and a convention center right next to Lake Eola (and next to the park).

Here's the complete news:

BARTOW - The opening of Legoland Florida on the former Cypress Gardens site in Winter Haven is still at least 15 months away, but already the owner of the new theme park has plans for a second phase of development.

Merlin Entertainments Group, which announced its plans for Legoland Florida in January, wants to follow a fall 2011 opening of the family theme park with the addition of a resort and convention center on the eastern shore of Lake Eloise, a Polk County tourism official said.

Mark Jackson, executive director of Polk County Tourism and Sports Marketing, spoke about the resort plans Wednesday during a report to the Polk County Commission. Jackson talked about his early-May business trip to London to meet Merlin officials and view the Legoland Windsor operation.

Jackson said the Legoland resort and convention center in Winter Haven will be similar to the ones at Merlin's Legoland Denmark park.

The convention center and resort will be built after Legoland Florida begins business operations, Jackson said.

"The hotels will be overlooking the water on the site of Legoland Florida," Jackson told commissioners. "The hotel rooms are theme oriented for children, with princess rooms for girls and dinosaur rooms for boys."

In Denmark, Merlin has 700 vacation rental homes, shops and restaurants across the street from the Legoland theme park, Jackson said.

"The resort and convention center in Denmark is just an incredible place to stay," added Tom Patton, the executive director of the Central Florida Development Council. "It's hard to describe in words just how remarkable this resort is."

They are really looking forward to see Legoland Florida becoming a new WDW!!