Whether you’re a LEGO enthusiast or just looking for a fun-filled family vacation destination for all ages, you’re going to love LEGOLAND Florida! This was our 3rd trip to the “Bricktastic” theme park, and it just keeps getting better! Read on for everything you need to know, including where to stay, what to do, and how to save money on your trip.
Real quick before we continue, I just want to let you know that I received complimentary tickets to LEGOLAND Florida in exchange for sharing details about my visit. All opinions are entirely my own.
Where is LEGOLAND Florida Exactly?
LEGOLAND Florida is located at One LEGOLAND Way Winter Haven FL 33884. If you look at the map below, you can see that it’s located roughly halfway between Orlando and Tampa. It’s about an hour away from both cities (depending on traffic) and just around 3.5 hours from my home in Miami.
I really love that it’s not smack-dab in the middle of “theme park land” in Orlando! It’s still plenty close enough that you could easily stay somewhere in the middle (more on that in a minute) and hit the major Orlando parks one day, then LEGOLAND the next.
Of course, you don’t have to leave Winter Haven to have an amazing family vacation! There’s a lot to do in the tiny town, including the newly opened Peppa Pig Theme Park that’s perfect for preschoolers (we didn’t go to that because my kids are too big), the historical Ritz Theatre, and tons of boat cruises & water activities.
The weather in Winter Haven is pretty awesome, too! It’s comparable to Orlando, so it can get hot during the summer, with average temps in the 90s during the day. During the winter, spring, and fall, though, it averages in the 60s to low 70s during the day, with some cooler nights.
Where to stay
LEGOLAND has multiple places to stay right on the property, including LEGOLAND Hotel, Pirate Island Hotel, and the Beach Retreat. They have some awesome package deals that start as low as $89 per person per night, so definitely look into those first.
Sometimes, you can find really amazing LEGOLAND Florida discount tickets and vacation packages, so if you live here in the Sunshine State, pay close attention to their vacation packages page.
If you don’t want to stay on the property, Winter Haven has quite a few hotels designed to fit just about any budget. Honestly, though, unless you happen to find a DEEPLY discounted bargain rate you’re better off getting one of the LEGOLAND vacation packages. They really make it worth your while. I was actually pretty shocked in a good way by the prices!
In addition to accommodations, most of the packages include tickets, breakfast, and either direct access or a free shuttle to the park. There are a few package deals at hotels farther away from LEGOLAND that don’t include transportation, though, so pay attention to the details when you book (in other words, don’t just pick the one with the lowest price and call it a day).
How much are LEGOLAND Orlando Tickets?
I’ll keep this section relatively short since you can find all of this information just by browsing the LEGOLAND Park website. I just want to call your attention to a few different ways to save money on tickets.
First, prices vary depending on how many days you plan to visit, whether you’re going to the Peppa Pig Theme Park and the LEGOLAND Water Park in addition to the main attraction, and even where you live.
For example, LEGOLAND tickets for Florida residents start at $99 for 2 Day/2 Park passes. Keep in mind that there are block-out dates (around the 4th of July and Labor Day), but you also have 30 days to use the second ticket.
For out-of-state residents, prices start at about $84 for 1-day/1-park tickets and go up from there. If you’ll be in town for a few days, they have great deals on multiday/multi-park passes. However, if you’re a local or plan to spend a lot of time in or around the area, the season pass is by far the best deal.
Things to Do at LEGOLAND Florida
Honestly, the better question is what isn’t there to do at LEGOLAND? There’s just SOOOOO much fun to be had here that it’s hard to know where to start. Even just walking around the park is an activity all on its own! There are so many neat life-sized (and super-sized!) LEGO creations everywhere you turn. Since my kids always flock straight to the rides, though, that seems like the best place to begin.
Rides for All Ages
When LEGOLAND says that they have rides for all ages, they really mean ALL ages. With 55+ different rides, there’s something for everyone from 30 inches (the shortest minimum height requirement) and up! We picked the perfect day to go, too! It wasn’t too crowded so lines were only about 10 to 15 minutes for even the most popular rides.
We had so much fun on all of the rides (well, all of the ones made for my kids’ ages), but their absolute favorite was definitely The Great Lego Race! It’s a rollercoaster, so it’s a little scarier than some of the other rides but not quite as terrifying as some of the ones we rode at Busch Gardens Tampa.
Another really neat ride, especially if you love thrill rides in theory but not so much in practice, is THE LEGO MOVIE™ Masters of Flight. It uses an immersive movie screen to make you feel like you’re flying, but you’re really not that far off the ground. I have a friend who is petrified of roller coasters but she loves rides like this.
Shows and Meet & Greets
There are “meet and greets” in nearly every part of the park, including Fun Town, LEGO NINJAGO World, The LEGO MOVIE World, and LEGO Kingdom. Kids can get their pictures taken with all of their favorite characters and even co-star with them in fun events!
You can also stop by and catch three different live shows and four different 4D shows throughout the day. I highly recommend checking out Go Xtreme! over on the LEGO City Stage! It features people doing crazy stunts as part of their auditions for LEGO City’s hit TV show.
If you have itty-bitty kids, Time to Learn in DUPLO Valley is a must-see show. Kids get to work alongside teachers on STEM activities and more. The show only lasts about 12 minutes. Just long enough to make it fun but not so long that your littles get restless.
Waterpark Fun
The LEGOLAND Florida Water Park is the perfect place to cool off during a hot summer visit. We had to leave our phones in the locker room so I don’t have any pictures. It’s a small park but still so much fun. I love their spin on the Lazy River ride! Instead of just sitting in a float, you get to build a raft with big LEGO bricks.
The water park also has a wave pool, a water slide for older kids & adults, and several different “play and splash” type areas. As I said, it’s small. But sometimes you just want a nice mellow place to cool off without rushing around trying to get to a ton of slides and rides.
If you’re not planning on going to the Water Park, don’t worry. LEGOLAND has SOOOO many shaded areas to hide from the sun throughout the park.
Seasonal Events
LEGOLAND Florida has three major seasonal events:
- Red, White and BOOM from July 2-4
- Brick-or-Treat during the fall around Halloween
- Holidays at LEGOLAND during November & December
Make sure you plan way ahead if you want to check out any of these events since they coincide with the park’s busy seasons.
Souvenir Shopping
There are a TON of different shops in LEGOLAND, and it’s easy to bust your budget at just one of them. So make sure you decide ahead of time how much money each child gets to spend on souvenirs.
So, here’s the thing about the shops- a lot of them carry sets that you can find just about anywhere else. That said, some of those sets are actually cheaper than they are in, say, Target or Walmart. Some, not so much. So I highly recommend comparison shopping if your kids want to buy sets. Look at the price at LEGOLAND, then check it on Amazon or something. If it’s cheaper at LEGOLAND, go for it. If not, encourage your kids to stick with things that they can’t get elsewhere. Maybe point them toward some of the exclusive merchandise or park-specific souvenirs.
You can also check out some of the shops’ offerings online before you go. Just click “Order LEGO Sets” in the upper right corner of their website. Keep in mind that they only offer a very small selection of products in the online store, and the prices may vary from the actual shops in LEGOLAND. It’ll still give you a good idea of how to budget for souvenirs, though.
Where to Eat in LEGOLAND Florida (& How to Save Money on Food)
LEGOLAND Park in Florida has about 15 different dining options ranging from quick snacks and “grab and go” type kid-friendly fare to sit-down buffets to delicious desserts. Prices are, in my opinion, a bit cheaper than average for a theme park. Not cheap-cheap, mind you, but definitely not as jaw-dropping as some that I’ve seen (I’m looking at you, a certain mouse-themed park!).
There are a few ways to save money on food at LEGOLAND. First, you can bring some in with you. They allow you to bring small soft-sided coolers with lunch foods and snacks. You can also bring your own bottled water into the park.
If you prefer to not drag around a cooler, though, there are affordable options. The Fun Town Pizza & Pasta Buffet, for example, has an all-you-can-eat that runs $19 for adults and $13 for kids. So you could eat a big breakfast at home (or at the hotel, where it’s free), fill up at the buffet between lunch and dinner, and then either grab a snack later on or wait until you leave the park to eat a bigger supper.
For drinks, if you don’t bring your own water I highly recommend getting a souvenir cup. They’re about $17 for one, or you can save money if you buy 2 or more. You get free refills all day AND a souvenir all in one!
LEGOLAND Florida is an Amazing Family-Friendly Park for All Ages
Thank you again to LEGOLAND Florida for making this day possible and helping my family create memories that will last a lifetime. My kids had such a blast! If you’re planning your next vacation to Florida, definitely add LEGOLAND to your list of places to go and things to do. You won’t regret it!
P.S.- If you’re looking for more family-friendly places to visit and things to do in Florida, check out my reviews of Plantation on Crystal River, Omni Amelia Island Resort, the RumFish Beach Resort in St. Pete Beach, and Marco Island.
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