Legoland theme park gets a new a playmate: Peppa Pig

For kids under 12, Legoland in Winter Haven is a nice respite from the scream-inducing tests of the spirit that draw crowds at major theme parks. There’s nothing they can’t ride here, and considering the huge box office draw of The Lego Movie, adults love these bricks, too.

This year, the park added a playmate in Peppa Pig, the U.K. cartoon star. Located next to Legoland is the world’s first Peppa Pig Theme Park and, like its fans, it is small. Daddy Pig’s Roller Coaster provides a good place to introduce preschoolers to the world of roller coaster rides. A train of two-person cars follows Daddy Pig around a gentle route with a few tight curves, loops and hills.

In Legoland itself, the new PirateFest Watersports Stunt Show feels like a callback to Cypress Gardens — the botanical attraction that Legoland purchased in 2010 — and its iconic water ski shows made famous by The Go-Go’s in the 1980s. Another Cypress Gardens callback, the new Pirate River Quest, doesn’t have an opening date yet, but is set to open this year. Ride vehicles appearing as Lego-like boats will cruise along the waterways that Cypress Gardens utilized for boat tours. And this summer, from June 4-Aug. 7, brings themed weekends with games, music, fireworks and activities with Lego friends called AWE-Summer.

For snack time, there’s a new Legoland Coffee Company where grownups can grab a flash-chilled iced coffee. But don’t overlook the classics. One of the all-time greatest theme park snacks is Granny’s Apple Fries, french fry-shaped pieces of green apple that are lightly fried, coated with cinnamon sugar and served with caramel or cream dipping sauce.

If you go

Tickets start at $84.99 at legoland.com/florida. Parking is $25. Peppa Pig Theme Park tickets start at $30.99 at peppapigthemepark.com/florida.