The invasion of colorful blocks continues in Winter Haven, this time with the opening of a Lego-themed water park.

Legoland Florida's water park opens Saturday on the north side of the existing park. Rebuilt from Cypress Gardens' Splash Island, it has a wave pool, splash zone for toddlers, water slides and a lazy river.

Admission to the park is $12 on top of a single-day ticket to Legoland, which costs $75 for adults and $65 for children ages 3 to 12. You can decide once inside the main park if you want to add the water park, but you can't buy admission to just the water park.

Big applause if you can get through both parks in one day. It might be possible on days when the park closes at 8 p.m., but do you really want to test your kids' endurance?

A better alternative — and one that Legoland is pushing — is a two-day experience with an overnight stay nearby. Premium passes for unlimited admission to both parks for a year are $179 for adults and $149 for children and seniors.

Like the main park, the water park caters to families with children ages 2 to 12. The Duplo Splash Safari for toddlers has mini slides and fountains in a pool 18 inches deep. Older kids — at least 48 inches tall — will like the Twin Chasers twisting tube slides and the single drop Splash Out slides.

In keeping with the Lego theme, the park has a Build-A-Raft river ride in which you attach large, floating Legos to inner tubes and float down a 1,000-foot-long river. The Lego Wave Pool, suitable for all ages, sends out rolling waves every 20 minutes.

Rental fees for towels and lockers are kind of annoying, but optional, and could come in handy. Two towels rent for $3 a day, with a $2 deposit. Lockers cost $5 to $12, depending on the size. Forget your bathing suit? The Surf Shop sells suits and sunscreen but expect to pay theme-park prices.

The water park is open daily through Labor Day and weekends in September and October. It closes one hour prior to the main park. The pools are not heated, but are shallow enough to warm up quickly in the summer months.

For parents wanting a few minutes of adult time, beer and wine are expected to come soon.

Susan Thurston, Times staff writer