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A Perfect Day at LEGOLAND Florida with Kids
LEGOLAND® Florida trip report: making the most out of your time at the park.
Disclosure: we were hosted by LEGOLAND® Florida.
I spent a day at LEGOLAND® Florida with 3 of my kids ages (10, 7 and 6) during a recent Disney free trip to the Orlando area. We have traveled to Orlando and all of the Disney parks over fifteen times, as my parents live in the area. This trip was all about enjoying resort amenities and thus I was looking for something new to do with the kids. If your kids are Lego and/or Star Wars fans, you will have a blast. Managing expectations is very important when visiting this park. They are not Disney, nor do they attempt to be. This is actually what our family loved most about our trip to LEGOLAND® Florida . We've been to Disney World and Disney Land and have done that more times than we can count. We didn’t want to experience a copy of Disney, but with Lego instead of Disney characters.
We’re huge Lego fans and were looking to experience LEGOLAND® Florida. Having said that: do your research and plan accordingly, in order to make the most out of your time at this park. Spend time looking at the family guide and determining height requirements for each ride. This will save you from dealing with meltdowns at the park.
Location:
LEGOLAND® Florida is NOT located in Orlando. It’s actually just 45 minutes from the Orlando theme parks or downtown Tampa.
Address: One LEGOLAND Way Winter Haven, FL 33884
Trip Report:
We left our hotel in Orlando early on a Monday in February and arrived before opening time. Tip: Get there early and secure a close parking spot. If you have someone with mobility needs, pay for preferred covered parking. It will be worth it. Study the map online prior to your visit. I found the paper map to be a bit difficult to follow while in the hot Florida sun, so I was glad that we had spent time online looking at the layout of the park and planning our day.
Our kids loved the Ninjago ride (much better technology, graphics and execution than the Toy Story at Disney and with no wait time), my 10-year-old loved The Dragon and the lack of wait times at any of the rides. I loved the return on investment and the ability to see and ride everything in one day, stroller parking that is not a nightmare and the MINILAND, USA rocked. The food was actually affordable compared to Disney and they have coffee available throughout the park. They get that parents are their target audience and the park catered to families. We stopped by the LEGOLAND® Florida Hotel just to check it out for a future visit. It looks like a great place for families with young children and any Lego enthusiast. It’s perfectly themed with Legos everywhere and a nice change from the other Orlando amusement parks.
LEGOLAND® Florida is comprised of 150 – acres offering a variety of themed lands that will be familiar to Lego fans. The park is geared toward children ages 2 – 12, but I can see my Lego loving teenager being impressed by the offerings. As kids who spend hours of their days building with bricks, they were extremely impressed with the time and energy that it would take to put together the creations throughout the park. Our kids absolutely loved their time at LEGOLAND® Florida . They are already asking for us to return and stay at the hotel, but to bring their dad and older sister next time. They are also eagerly anticipating the opening of LEGOLAND New York, which will be opening near us in the 2020. Is LEGOLAND® Florida a worthwhile endeavor while visiting the Orlando area? You must know your kid’s interest prior to making that call. For our bricks loving family, Legoland was a perfect way to spend a sunny Orlando day.
Feedback: our favorite LEGOLAND® Florida Park areas.
Miniland USA
- This themed area is comprised of miniature versions of destinations that our family has actually traveled to (ex. Daytona International Speedway, Las Vegas, San Francisco, New York City and Washington, DC) and I was very impressed. Our kids are also huge Star Wars fans and thus, we visited this “land” twice during our recent one-day trip.
Ninjago Land
- My two oldest kids are 2nd degree black belts, I’m a first degree black and the younger two are diligently working toward their black belts. We love all things Asian culture and martial arts and thus, Ninjago Land was our favorite. The Lego Ninjago ride is a 4D ride with a similar concept at Disney’s Toy Story, but with much better execution. We loved it.
The Dragon
- LEGOLAND® Florida is not known as a thrill ride destination, yet my 10-year-old was ecstatic to be able to ride a roller-coaster with virtually no line, nor a need for fast passes. Riders must be 40 inches tall to ride and some kids must ride with an adult.
MInifigure Trading
- Guests can purchase or bring LEGO® Minifigures to trade with LEGOLAND® employees throughout the park. Most employees wear at least one Minifigure on their brick badge (name tag) and are happy to trade.
Pin for later:
Pro tips:
- As aforementioned, I highly recommend that you arrive early. Not only will you score better parking, enjoy the opening of the park ceremony and make the most out of your day, but you’ll get through most of the park before the Florida sun wears you out.
- Check park hours prior to your visit, as they vary based on the time of year. Also, the water park was not open when we visited in February. So, if that is important to you, make sure to check their operating schedule prior to buying tickets.
- Check Groupon for discount offers.
- If you’re a homeschooler, check out their website for information on homeschool rates and dates. Click here for more details regarding securing homeschool rates prior to your visit. Homeschool rates are not given at the gate.
- Spend time online researching the park, reviewing the map and planning your day. I also recommend exploring the park counter clockwise starting at the carousel. Shhh, don’t tell other people this secret. Most folks will explore a park clockwise and thus by going in the opposite direction, we found that most rides had no lines.
- LEGOLAND® Florida offers affordable food options, but I paked a backpack with snacks and put filtered refillable water bottles in the stroller (make sure to use filtered water bottles, because Florida water tastes awful). Eating on the go allowed us to maximize our time at the park and enjoy all of the rides in one day.
Lodging:
- Just like Disney and Universal, LEGOLAND® Florida offers the option of staying onsite or nearby. We stayed at an offsite Orlando Resort for this trip, but am already planning a return trip to stay onsite. Lodging options include: The Legoland Resort which is located adjacent to the park and Legoland Beach Retreat which is a few blocks away and can be seen from the main road. In addition to restaurants, pools and perfectly themed Lego rooms, guests also get early access to the park. Be on the lookout for the LEGOLAND® PIRATE ISLAND HOTEL which is scheduled to open in the Spring of 2020.
Military Rates: U.S. Service Members receive FREE admission to LEGOLAND® Florida Resort & Water Park, no restrictions or blackout dates. This offer is not available online. To redeem this offer, please bring a valid military ID to any LEGOLAND Florida Resort ticket window.
Check out my VLOG from our adventures at LEGOLAND® Florida for more pictures of our day.
Author: Ruth Mendes of Have Kiddos will Travel
About Ruth: I’m a wife and mami of 4 active and globe-trotting kiddos. I’ve always loved a good adventure and truly believe that it’s possible to travel with kids. Join me, as I share our adventures and inspire you to get out of the house with your kiddos. Whether you’re planning a family vacation, a road trip or a trip of a lifetime to an exotic destination, I’ll share insights, trip reports and information that will inspire you. Check back often to stay up to date on things to do with kids at your next travel destination.
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