WINTER HAVEN, Fla. – Starting Friday, a brand new attraction will be drawing visitors to Winter Haven, Florida. The Legoland Hotel will open to the general public just feet away from the entrance of the Legoland theme park.
"This is exciting," said Taryn Pisaneschi, who blogs about vacation ideas for mothers in Florida. "We drove about two hours to get up here, and it's Lego everything."
A select few VIP and their families were given a sneak peek of the hotel and its amenities this week. Before walking in the front door, guests were greeted by a large, green, smoke-breathing dragon made out of hundreds of Legos.
"That was awesome," said Troupe Jones, who was visiting the hotel with his mom and little brother.
"The smoke? That was really cool!" Troupe's mom agreed.
Walking through the front door of the hotel, guests come face to face with a giant Lego pit that sits directly in front of the front desk.
"My son went running straight for it," Pisaneschi said. "It's so convenient because I can focus on checking in while he plays."
But the Lego pit isn't exclusive to kids, in fact, there were nearly as many parents playing.
"Why can't I?" one dad asked. "The age on the box is a suggestion. Anyone can play with Legos."
Brittany Williams with Legoland Florida Resorts says the average guest is booking rooms for two nights, with the first two nights already being completely sold out.
"It's been incredibly popular," Williams explained. "We've had people making reservations for months."
Perhaps the most popular feature of the new hotel wasn't the rooms, or even the Legos, but instead, the disco balls that hang from the elevator ceilings.
"As soon as the door shut, the music started, and I was like what's going on." Jones said.
The five-story resort hotel is separated by floors with different themes, including pirate, adventure, kingdom and Lego Friends. Bunk beds are in one room, beds for adults are in an adjacent room, but guests say both are comfortable.
"The whole experience was surprisingly good," Pisaneschi said. "The beds were great, the decorations were fantastic. Even the floor matched the theme of the rooms."