If you’re taking younger children to Florida this summer, then I definitely recommend taking a trip to Legoland Florida, which is a dream theme park for kids aged 2-12, because children 1m or taller will be able to go on most of the attractions.
Legoland Florida is a new attraction in Florida, built on what used to be Cypress Park. What this means is the 150-acre site is lush and green, with plenty of shade from the hot sun.
The rides here are smaller than those you’ll find in the other Florida theme parks, and will suit even nervous kids – Legoland even produces a guide for parents on how to introduce kids to their first roller coaster!
Arriving at Legoland, the first rides you’ll see are Island in the Sky, which is a moving platform that lifts you way above the park for panoramic views, and the Grand Carousel, which is a fabulous carousel with giant Lego horses to ride on. My cute-ometer rocketed off the scale when I saw those!
One of Flea’s favourite rides was the Lost Kingdom Adventure, where kids get to shoot at targets in an Egyptian tomb, to help banish the bad guy.
If you’re after rollercoasters that are kid-friendly, the Coastersaurus, a wooden coaster that features giant Lego dinosaurs, was a big hit with all of our group, while The Dragon rollercoaster is a faster coaster that’s just exciting enough for little ones. The flying roller coaster and the Project X rides were probably the fastest (and bumpiest) rides of the day – not surprising, then, those were Flea’s favourite. We didn’t have time to ride the Aquazone water racer, but having tried this ride in the UK at Legoland Windsor, we’d definitely recommend it.
My favourite attractions of the day are the outdoor attractions like the Driving School and Boating School, which caused much hilarity as it turned out our group were a) incapable of driving on the right and b) unable to steer a small boat around a track. I always think the driving school is one of the best bits of Legoland – giving kids the freedom to drive wherever they please without being on a track must be so much fun – almost makes me wish I was seven again!
Like the other Florida parks we visited on our trip to Orlando, Legoland Florida offers a VIP experience where you can secure a personal guide for the day, priority access to rides, and (best of all, for us) a tour of the secret model shop and chance to meet the park’s model builders. We really enjoyed getting to experience this but it is quite expensive – the package, which includes lunch and admission, costs from $395 for kids and $495 for adults – usual admission price to the park is $75.
Five tips for Legoland Florida:
- Don’t get sucked into buying the Lego from the park – most of it is available online for less.
- Focus on rides in the morning – if you head for the back of the park early, queues will be shorter.
- Don’t forget to allow time to see Miniland – the models and scenes are amazing and the Star Wars models are especially fun, and worth taking your time to explore
- After riding the dragon coaster, be sure to the try the park’s Granny Apple Fries – a weird combo of chips and apples that is so much more delicious than you’d expect
- Bring your mini-figures. All model citizens (as Legoland employees are known) have a minifigure on their name badge, and if you want to trade with them, just ask! Rumour has it there’s a guy in the park who wears minifigures head to toe, but we didn’t see him. Maybe next time.
The Facts:
- Legoland Florida is closed on Tuesday and Wednesdays during low season, and closes at 5pm throughout the year. Check specific opening times before planning your visit. The water park is open from March 9 throughout the summer.
- Admission costs from $64 for adults and $54 for children if booked online in advance. A second day’s admission can be bought for an additional $15.
Our trip:
We visited Orlando as guests of Visit Orlando, which covered all flight, accommodation and entertainment costs. Legoland Florida provided us with a complimentary VIP tour experience for the purposes of this review. If you’re planning your own trip to Florida, you can see more photos of our trip over on Facebook, and why not check out the Orlando Holiday Planning tool to make the most of your time?
Check out our other Florida reviews:
- Walt Disney World, Florida
- Universal Orlando, Florida
- Seaworld Orlando, Florida
- iFly indoor skydiving
