Is a trip to LEGOLAND Florida worth it? Today I am sharing my LEGOLAND Florida review and tips for planning an awesome visit to the LEGO theme park in Florida.
If you are visiting the LEGOLAND Florida theme park with kids ages 3-12 it is totally worth planning a day at the park. It is also great for any LEGO fans. There are a lot of fun things to see and do at the parks. We had so much fun on our visits.
Overview of LEGOLAND Florida
LEGOLAND theme park located in Winter Haven, Florida. It is where the old Cypress Gardens was located and is one of the best amuseument parks for your entire family.
It is about a 55 minute drive from Orlando. There are rides, shows, character meet and greets and a LEGOLAND water park.
The LEGOLAND Florida Resort consists of the LEGOLAND Florida Theme Park, a water park, Peppa Pig Theme Park, and Sea Life Aquarium (Opening 2024).
There are also 3 hotels on property. Each hotel includes a free breakfast with your stay , withing walking distance or complimentary shuttle to park, and has outdoor pool. They are:
- The LEGOLAND Florida Hotel which is the first hotel on property. There are themed rooms to pirates, knights, LEGO friends, and NINJAGO. Check prices for the LEGOLAND Florida Hotel.
- The LEGOLAND Pirate Island hotel is perfect for kids that love pirates. With pirate themed lobby and rooms this is a great choice for families. Check prices for the LEGOLAND Pirate Island Hotel
- LEGOLAND Beach Retreat is all beach themed with bungalows for your family to stay in. Check prices for LEGOLAND Beach Retreat
If you are visiting LEGOLAND Florida consider booking a package that includes a stay at one of their hotels. We loved staying at the LEGOLAND Hotel during our visits. It is worth paying a little extra if it works in your budget.
The LEGOLAND park is the perfect place for the huge LEGO fan but even the casual LEGO fan can enjoy the LEGO amusement parks.
Want to learn more about LEGOLAND Florida? Read on for our LEGOLAND Florida review, tips for visiting LEGOLAND Florida, and a sample one day itinerary for LEGOLAND Florida to help you start planning.
LEGOLAND Florida Review: Is LEGOLAND Florida Worth It?
The kids(and I!) were so excited to visit LEGOLAND Florida. We are a LEGO family. We love building them and watching the movies and shows.
After spending the day at LEGOLAND Florida we feel it is totally worth it if you are traveling with younger kids. Kids 3-12 will benefit the most from visiting. Older kids will have a great time too but little kids will find the most things to see and do.
We have visited LEGOLAND California and LEGOLAND New York and the Florida location is great. With the addition of the hotels, a botanical gardens, and family fun rides and attractions we think LEGOLAND Florida is worth a visit.
One thing to note is that the closest airport to LEGOLAND is the Orlando airport. This is around 53 miles away. Be prepared to rent a car if you are planning on visiting LEGOLAND during an Orlando trip.
7 Tips for Visiting LEGOLAND Florida
Look at the Legoland Florida Map Before You Arrive
Before we left for the park we looked through the park map and picked out what attractions we had to do. You can find the map of the park online and on the LEGOLAND Florida app.
Use the LEGOLAND Florida App
Most theme parks are doing away with paper maps and relying on the app to guide people during their visit. Download the LEGOLAND Florida app before you arrive.
This will list show times, wait times, park hours, parking information, dining, meet and greet times, and more to help you during your visit.
Be Familiar with the Best Rides at Legoland Florida
Always plan on riding the most popular rides at LEGOLAND in the first few hours of park opening. Save shows, exploring mini-land, visiting the Botanical Garden and other attractions for mid-day. This will help you avoid long lines.
- The LEGO Movie Masters of Flight (40 inches)
- Lost Kingdom Adventure (30 inches)
- Pirate River Quest (No Ride Height)
- The Dragon (40 inches)
- Coastersaurus (42 inches)
- The Great LEGO Race (42 inches, roller coaster that uses VR headset)
- LEGO NINJAGO:The Ride(Children Under 48′ must ride with an adult, Our Favorite Ride! )
- Ford Driving School: This is not the most exciting ride but due to its slow loading capacity expect long wait times.
Spend Time in MiniLand USA
MiniLand is a walk-through attraction that has LEGO built scenes of popular US landmarks. Places like NYC, Washington DC, Las Vegas, and more can be found.
Try the Granny’s Apple Fries
Granny’s Apple Fries are a popular treat at the LEGOLAND parks. They are served with caramel and whip topping.
Consider Staying On-Site for 2-3 Nights to Experience Everything
With the addition of Peppa Pig theme park and the 2024 opening of Sea Life Aquarium you may want to consider spending 2-3 days at the LEGOLAND Resort for your first time.
It takes about 1 day to do everything at LEGOLAND but that doesn’t include the water park. If you have kids in the 3-12 sweet spot consider staying a few nights.
More Legoland Florida Tips
- LEGOLAND in Florida has shorter hours and is closed certain days during the off season. Always check the website when planning your visit.
- Check the ride height requirements before you arrive to set expectations for your kids.
- The waterpark was not open when we were there in February but was opening the next month.
- Check around for discount coupons. I have seen them in LEGO movie DVDs, at LEGO Stores, and the LEGO magazine. They often have buy 1 adult, get 1 child free coupons.
- Take time to meet the popular LEGO characters. Times guide is on the app.
Legoland Florida Itinerary Example
Overall we really enjoyed the LEGOLAND Florida theme park. Everything in the park is very clean and themed around LEGOs. It’s really cool to see your favorite characters as giant Legos.
I especially loved the hidden Lego decorations. Butterflies in trees and animals throughout. The theme of the park is awesome!
The little details of how they decorated the park was really fun for me and the family. Our visit was on a Saturday but the crowds were low and we were able to see everything we wanted to.
Always arrive early and head to your favorite rides first. When you are done you can do everything you missed and go at a slower pace.
At LEGOLAND Florida they have play areas called Duplo Tot Spots. They are little play areas located through the park. Check on your map to locate them.
It is for the smaller kids that are not tall enough for some rides. I loved it because it kept my 3 year old happy while my husband went on the roller coasters with the bigger kids. This made our visit more enjoyable for the whole family.
Start your day with the attractions that are a priority. You can easily do the top 5-7 attractions before lunch and then explore the rest of the park.
Save time at the end of your visit to walk through Mini-Land. My kids loved the Star Wars section. Mini-Land is awesome!
The details in the mini creations are unbelievable. Your kids will love pressing the buttons and making parts move and the adults will appreciate the talent that went into creating these amazing sculptures.
Where to Eat at Legoland Florida
Eating at theme parks can either be really good or really bad. LEGOLAND got high marks in my opinion for the amazing dinner I had!
We ate lunch and dinner at the park. Lunch was at the Fried Chicken Restaurant. It was fine, nothing crazy. Chicken sandwiches and chicken fingers with fries.
For dinner we ate at the Market Restaurant and the Stir Fry was amazing. It was a huge portion and I brought it back to the room for an evening snack. It is so nice to have something a little different in a theme park.
A visit to LEGOLAND Florida would not be complete without trying Granny’s Apple Fries! Find them in Fun Town.
Apple fries, cinnamon, sugar, whip cream!!!
We also watched the Pirate show on the lake. Everyone loved it. It is a pirate water show with water skis and pirate fun.
LEGOLAND Florida is definitely worth a visit. We have made the visit a couple times on our visits to Florida and it is a great destination for families.
Another Post You May Like: Ultimate Beginners Guide to Orlando Theme Parks
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Leah has been traveling with her family of 5 since 2012 and sharing her expertise on planning family vacations and visiting theme parks since 2016. Leah has been featured in Visit Rochester, Undercover Tourist, and Home Publications. She has worked with brands like Walt Disney World, Universal Orlando, Hersheypark, Toyota, and various Tourism boards and destinations. Leah creates family travel itineraries based on real trip experiences with her family. Her guides and tips help others plan great family vacations. Learn more about Leah and Five for the Road.
We went in 2012 loved lego land heading back to Orlando soon might go again thanks for all the tips!
It’s so fun! We are heading back soon for the new Ninjago World.
Great report! I think maybe the park gets mixed reviews when people visit after going to Disney or Universal – those parks are so immersive and all the characters are recognizable, Legoland can seem a bit basic. But we loved all the little details, and I was so impressed with how clean the park was, and how friendly the employees were. We’ll be back for sure!
I thought the park was clean too! It was a really fun day! We will be back too! My kids are so excited for the Ninjago land opening in 2017!