“Everything IS Awesome” in Legoland! (Sorry, I couldn’t resist) The LEGO lover in your life will enjoy the theming of the park with fun Lego details everywhere. There are many opportunities for building at every turn, with competitions at many locations in the park as well as in the cue for the attractions. If you are seriously considering a visit, read along as I break down all you need to know.
Located in Winter Haven, Florida, and 45 minutes outside the Orlando area, Legoland is a perfect one-day trip to add on as part of a longer Orlando, Florida vacation or to stay for a few nights. The park opens at 10 am daily, giving you ample time to visit the 24 attractions that range from toddler appropriate to thrill rides.
Legoland has an adjacent water park where you can enjoy all your favorite water park activities if you are in the mood for cooling off after a long day of rides. The tiniest members of the family who still want to keep up with the fun but need something a little more on their level will love the Peppa Pig Theme Park. It’s full of many open play areas and does include a few toddler-friendly rides—nothing too fast, just fun.
The main resort hotel options are The Legoland Hotel and the adjacent Pirate Island Hotel.
These two buildings are super convenient because they are near the park entrance. They also have three restaurants’ Bricks, Skyline, and Shipwreck restaurants. Advanced reservations are required and highly encouraged. Each has its own pool with a water slide and lots of entertainment, so the fun continues once you leave the park. They are also a great spot to watch fireworks in your PJs and head to the pajama party afterward.
There is one more resort that is across the street, The Beach Retreat. A stay here means you will take the shuttle across the road to the main property. The shuttle runs from 9 am-12 pm and then comes back regularly at 5 pm to 1 hour after the park closes. The Beach Retreat Hotel is made up of several small buildings with 2 rooms in each building. I like the rooms’ set-up at all the resorts because they include bunk beds, a pull-out trundle, and a queen bed. Perfect for a family of 5, which is a rare find. Your stay also includes a family-style breakfast in the morning.
I highly encourage your family to take advantage of breakfast because finding food in the park that is quick and easy is a challenge. In our typical fashion, we came prepared with snacks and purchased our favorite theme park snack, popcorn. However, we walked by many guests waiting in long lines to order food throughout the day.
Legoland is a great family-friendly theme park.
Overall, the park is very nicely maintained, the staff is friendly, and there is a lot of fun to experience. However, with it being a smaller-scale park, I noticed that many of the attractions have a lower capacity, which creates wait times. Like every other theme park, you will wait in line for every ride. With the number of attractions and the park hours, you can still do all the attractions in one day with a little strategy without needing to purchase a Fastrack pass.
Legoland would also make a great vacation for a young family looking to dip their toes into theme park vacations. Some families enjoy this park for its lower capacity and unique theming. Whatever draws you in, I know your family will enjoy this destination and find yourselves immersed in all things LEGO.
