Legoland Florida

We’ve heard from a number of people that they want to know more about Legoland so we thought we’d dust off this blog post that was never published to share our thoughts on our trip to Legoland Florida in March 2016.
It is only fair to start by saying that our expectations were high as we have a true Lego addict in our house. And a further disclaimer is that we only saw the new beach resort area before completion. However, we were surprised that overall we thought the park was overpriced.

It took us longer than normal to start the day because of day-light savings (insert rant here) but after a big Denny’s breakfast we were off. The 50-minute drive from Orlando certainly felt longer than expected, and is one reason staying right at the Legoland resort for the night is a great option. On the day we visited there were thunder storms which had a major impact on rides and shows. Unlike Disney World, many of Legoland’s rides and of course their water show had to shut down during lightning. Had we paid full price for our tickets, and then not been able to do many rides because of weather, we'd have been very angry, so only go in good weather if you can.
At the time we visited, our children were 7 and 3 years old. Our oldest was big enough to go on all the thrill rides and roller coasters. The park is really geared to a young crowd, so we were surprised that a number of things frightened them both. Some ride line ups were dark and gave off a spooky vibe. However, teenagers probably would not find enough to do. So we think this park is best for Lego lovers under 10 but perhaps older than 3 years old.
When we visited, it wasn’t busy but some of the ride lines were still long because coasters only had one car. Luckily, most lines had activities or Lego building while you waited to board. The Ninjago area had the best activities, including a great building station.
Some of the other attractions we enjoyed were the mini worlds made of Lego, including Star Wars scenes, famous cities and pirate ships, even though many blocks were faded by the sun. We also liked the many amazing life size Lego statues throughout the park.

• Heat: There are some water misters and big trees but visitors should consider purchasing the extra tickets to the water park on hot days because we imagine it is hot in full sun.
• Shows: The timing of the shows didn’t line up well so we couldn’t see them all.
• Shopping: There are a few stores on property, one with lots of Lego sets. We did find a few good merchandise deals but not the vast selection that we expected.
• Size: We think it would be good to take a stroller for children younger than six years old, especially if you want to see Cypress Gardens that is attached to the park.
• Hours: The park does close early (between 5pm and 10pm depending on the day) so it is important to arrive as early as you can.
• Resort: When you purchase a one-night stay in either the hotel adjacent to the park or the beach resort (a shuttle bus ride away) you receive two-day tickets and breakfast. While we think it would be fun to stay on property, we weren’t impressed with the location of the beach side resort – it was behind a shopping plaza.

Legoland is a good option for a day trip in Southern Florida. It would be even better if you find discounts online - right now, they are promoting their Black Friday deals. 
Check out our other posts for Florida destinations like Disney World and Universal