Legoland Florida Resort is about to become more thrilling again.
The Winter Haven attraction will reopen Coastersaurus, one of its original rides, on Aug. 16, which happens to be National Roller Coaster Day.
The roller coaster has been closed since early January, said Camila Cicalese, senior communications manager for Merlin Entertainments Florida. During the closure, Merlin hired crews to rebuild the wooden structure and upgrade the ride’s operational and electrical systems, braking system, infrastructure and safety monitoring, according to a Legoland news release.
The upgrades maintain the ride experience of a traditional wooden coaster while introducing modern enhancements focused on safety, reliability and guest comfort, the release said.
A holdover from Cypress Gardens Adventure Park
Coastersaurus is Florida’s only fully wooden roller coaster, Legoland Florida said. It is a modified version of one of the few rides retained from Legoland’s predecessor, Cypress Gardens Adventure Park.
Cypress Gardens introduced the ride, then known as the Triple Hurricane, in November 2004, The Ledger previously reported. The name reflected the three storms — Charley, Frances and Jeanne — that struck Polk County earlier that year.
Martin & Vleminckx, which then had an office in Haines City, installed the roller coaster at Cypress Gardens in 2004. The company, now known as MV Rides, has installed such rides as the Top Thrill Dragster at Cedar Point in Ohio and Kingda Ka at Six Flags Great Adventures in New Jersey.
Cypress Gardens closed in 2009, and the redesigned attraction opened as Legoland Florida in October 2011.
The details of Coastersaurus
Coastersaurus contains about 1,365 feet of track and stands about 39 feet tall. The roller coaster hits a top speed of about 32 mph. The ride has an out-and-back layout, with a crossover before and after the turnaround, according to Coasterpedia.net.
Located in the Land of Adventure section of Legoland Florida, Coastersaurus’ cars pass through a simulated jungle featuring dinosaur models fashioned from Lego bricks. The minimum height for riders is 42 inches.
The comprehensive rebuild is expected to keep Coastersaurus functional for another 20 to 30 years, Legoland said.
Gary White can be reached at gary.white@theledger.com or 863-802-7518. Follow on X @garywhite13.
This article originally appeared on The Ledger: Legoland Florida reopens Coastersaurus wooden coaster on Aug. 16
Reporting by Gary White, Lakeland Ledger / The Ledger
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By Gary White, Lakeland Ledger | USA TODAY Network
