The LEGOLAND Florida park is going to be the 5th LEGOLAND park , and the largest to date, being 150 acres of exciting shows and rides.  One of the most interesting things that has come out of the discussions is that for those of us who enjoyed visiting the Botanical Gardens at Cypress Gardens, the gardens will remain as part of the new park.   So will the Mansion and the Water Ski Show that  many visitors to Central Florida are familiar with.   This is wonderful news for some of our more mature visitors who like to come to Central Florida during the winter and spring months.

LEGOLAND emphasize the interactivity of their parks, and certainly the plans for the Central Florida park are going to provide that for the small “Heroes” who are their target audience.  There will be nine different themed areas, called Blocks.   A Block is what they call the themed zones, and a Brick is the LEGO piece that children use for their creative constructions !

From the first area to the right of the Entrance, called The Beginning, children can go to Castle Hill, where there will be a Dragon Rollercoaster which apparently runs through the castle, onward to Fun Town, then to the  Land of Adventure,with its dinosaur theme,  onward to the City, where there is the Firehouse , Police Stations, Fire Engines and water pumping hoses.  The Imagination Zone is next on the list, and is where creativity takes first place.  A wild Coaster ride is next at the Xtreme block, and finally the children reach Miniland, which is especially designed for the younger end of the spectrum, with Gamesville, and Duplo,  slides and smaller rides.

There will be restaurants, and one of LEGOLAND‘s favourite menu items can be found – “granny fries”  – this is a snack comprising slices of apple,( the healthy option), dipped in sugar and cinnamon (uh, oh) and deep fried ( oh dear, there goes the healthy bit).  Apparently those who have tried them absolutely adore them.

LEGOLAND takes pride in offering good healthy food, so it is unlikely that you or your children will be served burgers, hot dogs or fries.

The planning also includes the BIG Shop where LEGO merchandise can be found, including some pieces unique to the Florida park.     There will  be a Factory Tour for those who are interested where you can see how the bricks are made and designs created.

If your children or grandchildren are between the ages of two and twelve, let them know that “Heroes are Wanted” at LEGOLAND Florida.

As a footnote, some of our Florida visitors may recall the 40 foot tall open air dome that sheltered part of the entrance area of the old Cypress Gardens.  That has now been dismantled, since it didn’t fit into the plans of the LEGOLAND Florida park,.  The contractor who was hired to dismantle and haul it away is a member of a local church  and when he asked if the church would like it, they replied that they would.  The 125 foot diameter dome was re-engineered and installed behind the church in Lakeland.  It now protects the arriving and departing congregation from the sun and the rain.

Traveling with dogs

If you own a dog, like me, you’re always looking for places to visit, to stay and to enjoy along with your pet.  Because  I too try to find suitable accommodation for our family and our pet, we find ourselves in the same predicament as many loving pet owners.  Where can we go, where can we stay, where can we eat outside and where can we take our dog for walks.??

That’s why we have great pleasure in being able to offer pet friendly vacation homes! The biggest advantage of staying in a home rather than an hotel is the sheer ease of settling in with your pet.  Dogs are far happier in a home than a hotel room – there is less unfamiliar noise, for one thing.  My dog has a habit of barking at unfamiliar noises, like other guests passing along the corridor outside our room.  She hates the sound of vacuum cleaners, so that’s another problem;  they’re always cleaning the hallways of hotels.  And in a vacation home, we can bring her own bed, blankets, and food bowls.  The outside is easier to access, so taking our pet for a walk is less stressful; most homes are in quiet developments with sidewalks, and open areas that we can walk to and from.

Florida has just been confirmed as having one of the top five dog friendly areas in the United States.  We are fortunate enough to have Fort De Soto beach on our doorstep.  It takes about 2 hours easy drive from Central Florida to reach the famous Fort de Soto doggy beach, where dogs and humans mingle happily on the sands and in the calm Gulf waters.

Jilly on Fort de Soto beach

There are two fenced dog runs for off leash play;  one for smaller dogs and one for the larger breeds, complete with water bowls and showers to wash the sand and salt off.  Shaded seating areas for owners are also provided.

With miles of sandy beach to run along, and soft and gentle waves, dogs of all ages and sizes have great fun .  Obviously all dogs must be kept under control, and sometimes if the larger dogs appear to be too boisterous we tend to walk further along the beach to provide ourselves and our little one some peace and quiet.

The end result of a trip to Fort De Soto is a happy and tired pet, with a grand vacation home to return to, with all the comforts of home.  Their own blanket, doggie bed and food bowls.  What more could a pet on vacation want?

This is our Jilly

We are the proud and loving owners of  a  Jack Russell terrier called Jilly.  She is affectionate and stubborn and totally frustrating when she is chasing squirrels or searching our garage for mice that may have some in out of the winter cold.  However, she is an important member of our family and spends her days with me in the office and her evenings  curled up on the sofa with us.

So for this very reason, we cannot possibly conceive of putting her in a kennel if we want to go away.  Therefore, for us to take a vacation means finding accommodation that will take our pet.

There are a  few pointers to safely and comfortably taking your pet on vacation with you.  Firstly make sure that the place where you want to stay is happy about your dog or cat.  Some accommodations have restrictions on weight or size, or even breed restrictions.

Most of us who intend to have our pet with us already know that our beloved dog or cat is house-trained and fully vaccinated, but the owner of the accommodation might need to be reassured on that count.  It’s also useful to check for local pet stores in the area where you are going so that you can get Fido’s special treats, or Kitty’s toy mice, should you happen to need them.   Here are a few pointers that may help to keep you and your pet safe and comfortable on your vacation.

Hey, we're coming too!

1. Firstly you should assess your pet’s traveling capabilities. Very old or very young pets can be affected greatly by the experience of a long trip. If your pet has any illness or injury make sure to be informed about his or her condition and whether it will complicate during travel by asking your vetinarian.
2. You should also talk with your vet about where you will be traveling, how and for how long. Be sure to ascertain about any ticks, fleas or heartworms that can harm your pet at any of the places that you plan to go. If your pet has any problems while traveling such as motion sickness ask your vet about treatments or medication he could prescribe.
3. Ask your vet if your pet has all the necessary up to date vaccinations and obtain a health and rabies certificate. This is especially important if you will be traveling by plane since airports require that you have the certificate issued no earlier than 10 days before you take off.
4. Make sure to buy the appropriate crate for your pet’s travels, this includes: sturdiness, plentiful ventilation, a door that securely locks, an interior free of affliction possibilities and above all plenty of space to move around. You should also get one that can be grabbed easily from the outside where the animal can’t harm.
5. Put tags on your pet that have all the current information such as owner’s name, a phone number, an address and proof of vaccination. As an extra security measure you might want to get your pet micro chipped which will make it very easy to find him or her in case you become separated.
6. Before you depart make sure to clip your pet’s nails so that he or will be easier to restrain as well as diminish the prospect of causing unwanted damage. If your pet has fleas or ticks make sure to apply the proper treatments so that he or she doesn’t infest their new environments.
7. For the worst case scenario in which you and your pet become separated you should come with a list of helpful information regarding him or her as well as a recent photograph. Among the information included you should have the breed, call name, age, coat type, color, characteristic markings and microchip number.
8. You should always have plenty of fresh water at your side. Don’t introduce food to your pet that is very different from what you ordinarily feed him to avoid any complications. If you can’t find your dog’s brand of food you should introduce him or her to a new type gradually and be attentive to any changes due to diet.
9. You should bring with you a strong leash, sheets for your dog to lay as to make sure he is not sitting on furniture or bedding, plenty of pet food that may not be available, lots of water, your pets food and water bowl and make sure to wash them regularly, and toys for them to play with for some stimulation.
10. You might also want to bring with you tweezers for removing unwanted creatures or objects, baby wipes to clean them off, waste removal bags, first aid kit (especially if you’re traveling somewhere remote), a flashlight for walks out in the dark, comfortable bedding, disinfectant spray may come in handy and also carpet cleaning items.

This list might at first glance seem like a lot of things to worry about, but traveling with children requires very similar needs to be filled.  OK, perhaps not the rabies certificate or the pet crate but…………….

One of the fun things to do with your dog are the walks together;  this is Jilly on Fort de Soto beach; she actually dislikes getting wet, so rather than running into the sea, she ran alongside the little ripples of breaking waves, barking madly.  Cleverly, I thought, I rolled up my trousers, and went into the sea to my knees, beckoning and calling for her to come in with me.  No chance!  so when I had had enough I turned to look out to sea.

There was  a huge splash, and the back of my trousers were soaked through.  Jilly had launched herself into the sea, well beyond her depth and now was panic stricken and swimming wildly towards me.  After that she reverted to running along the sand.  No way was she going to do that again.!

Fort De Soto is on the Gulf Coast of Florida and is an interesting place, not just because it has a full length dog beach, and a dog park.  The dog park is fully fenced, and has two sections, one for small dogs and the other side is for larger dogs whose boisterous play may scare some of the smaller or elderly dogs.

There is also an actual fort, a beach for humans to swim and sunbathe , a fishing pier, cycle hire, canoe hire and picnic areas, as well as walks through the woods .  The best time to visit Fort De Soto is early in the year;  as the weather warms up it can become rather crowded, and during the height of the summer it may even be too warm for you and your pet.

There are many dog friendly parks in the Central Florida area;  Orlando, Kissimmee, Winter Park, Wekiva Springs and other towns in the area, have Off-leash parks for pets and their owners.  As well as the dog parks, there are many outdoor restaurants and cafes where you can sit and eat or drink with your pet.  That’s the pleasure of having a  sunny and warm climate.   We always carry a bottle of water with us as it can get very warm when out walking.  Celebration in Florida is a great place to walk our dog;  there is a good long walk around the lake, there’s a Farmer’s Market to visit on Sundays, tables and chairs outside most of the restaurants and coffee shops, and lots of other people with the same idea, so socialised dogs  are very welcome.

Many of our smaller towns and cities welcome your pet and have specialised pet shops where you can buy  clothes, bakery goods, jewelled collars  and so on – all for your dog or cat.

Cannonball!!

As you can see, we enjoy our time with  Jilly, and we know how important that pleasure  is to other pet lovers, so if you decide to visit Central Florida call us – we have pet friendly vacation rental homes waiting to give you and your family pet  a vacation that’s not to be sniffed at !