My oldest daughter doesn’t really enjoy birthday parties, at least not yet. Instead for her birthday she usually chooses an experience to celebrate. This year she was begging to go to Legoland Florida. Visiting there has been on our wish list for a while, so it seemed like a great year to go. We were thrilled to get two compimentary media passes to visit the park, and we purchased additional tickets to take four people. These are some of our favorite things about the theme park. I thought they’d be helpful to you if you’re visiting Legoland Florida for a family vacation.
We visited in January. I personally recommend visiting any of the Florida theme parks during the off season if you are able to. It makes for a much different experience than visiting during the crowded, sweltering summers. During our visit there was a decent crowd, but we didn’t have to wait in any lines for more than 20 minutes. When you’re traveling with young children (mine were 4 and 7 at the time), short waits can definitely make for a more pleasant day.
There’s a lot to see!
Definitely bring your camera, especially if you have little ones who love to pose as much as mine do. I think my girls asked me to take a picture with nearly every Lego creation we passed by. Even if you don’t want to take pictures, it’s really neat to stop and look at all the Lego creations. They are so detailed, and you’ll find them throughout the park.
Legoland Florida has preserved a portion of the botanical gardens that were part of Cypress Gardens. This little oasis is a nice quiet spot in the park. Head there if you want to escape the crowd for a short time or just run free a bit on the paths. We loved looking at the different flowers and stopping to take more pictures with some of the Lego creations they added to the gardens. The highlight of this area is the vast Banyan tree. We stopped to study it and see how the tree keeps growing by dropping new branches. It’s fascinating to look at.
Miniland USA is another must-see spot in the park. The whole family will enjoy looking at the detailed miniature scenes. You’ll find many Florida towns, New York, Las Vegas, pirate towns, and even Star Wars. We saved this stop for our last stop of the day and took a leisurely walk through the area. The kids didn’t want to leave! You could really spend hours looking for all the subtle details and special features weaved into these displays.
There’s a Lot to Do!
I thought the ride options were just right for younger kids.
When we first arrived my oldest was immediately drawn to Mia’s Riding Adventure in Heartlake City, so the two of us rode together. It was a lot of fun without making me dizzy…mom tends to get a little queasy on rides that spin even a little bit…and Lovey liked it so much that we had to go back and ride it a second time later in the day.
My youngest is not quite as adventurous as her older sister just yet, so she decided to ride the Lego Carousel first…and second…and third. Yes, she rode it three times before we left the area. It’s a great ride for the family to enjoy together.
In DUPLO Valley we loved that there were some hands-on areas to build and play. They have large Legos to build with and an indoor play area for kids to work off some energy without standing in line. Both of my girls had fun playing in these areas. They also rode all of the rides in DUPLO Valley. My oldest is getting a little big for them, but she enjoyed riding along with her sister.
Next we went on to ride some of the junior coasters. We rode everything we could ride, and my oldest loved them all! I think The Dragon, Coastersaurus, and Project X were her favorites. Although my youngest didn’t ride the coasters, there are well placed play areas near all of them that make it easy for younger kids to play with an adult while another adult rides the coasters with older kids. My youngest often didn’t want to leave those little play areas either!
The Safari Trek ride is a clever combination of ride and Lego creations. We all rode this ride, and we loved seeing the way the various animals were created out of Legos.
Another favorite spot for our family was The Forestmen’s Hideout, a large wooden tree house play structure. The girls played and played for a long time before we had to lure them away so we’d be sure to see all of the park.
Just Right Beginning Theme Park
I’ve heard some complain that Legoland isn’t as big as other parks, but for us it was the perfect size to enjoy a fun-filled day together. We were happily exhausted without being overtired, and we didn’t have any of the meltdowns that often come with trying to navigate larger parks with longer lines. We’ll definitely be visiting again. I’m guessing when my youngest is ready to attempt some roller coasters, Legoland Florida will be her first choice to test her new bravery.
Have you been to Legoland Florida? What were your favorite areas? Do you have any tips to share for families visiting for the first time? Leave them in the comments.
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