Looking for an alternative to Disney in the Orlando area?  I encourage you to consider Legoland Florida in Winter Haven, Florida – a relatively quick drive from Orlando.  Lucas and Sofia play with Legos and watch the Lego movies, so it was a good choice when we were considering things to do in the Orlando area.  We visited for the second time during Spring Break 2018.  Here are 10 reasons to visit Legoland Florida.

1.  Plan Ahead and Save on Park Tickets

Purchase Legoland Florida tickets 2 days in advance and SAVE $14 per ticket ($74.99 compared to $88.99).  This offer is available year round.  Purchase your tickets once you’ve planned out your trip.

Legoland Florida also offers 1 Free One Day Child Ticket with the purchase of a Full Price One Day Adult Ticket.  With this offer, a family of 4 only pays for 2 adult tickets, saving $178.  The promotion code for this offer changes consistently, so I visit www.retailmenot.com to get the latest code.  On the Retail Me Not home page, type “Legoland Florida” into the search box.

2.  Save 5% on Park Purchases with the Lego VIP Loyalty Program

Lego VIP members SAVE 5% on purchases made at the Legoland park stores.  It’s a free loyalty program.  You can sign up online or at your local Lego store.  Remember to pack your VIP card because it must be shown to the store associate to receive the discount.  They are not able to look up your account number at the park stores.

3.  Avoid Long Lines with FastTrack and Awesome Awaits Passes

If you’ve been to Disney during a peak week, you know how long the wait times can get for the popular rides and attractions.  We’ve been to Legoland twice (during Spring Break and Christmas) and have been pleasantly surprised by the wait times.

Don’t want to wait in line at all?  You can purchase the FastTrack Play Band – $85 per person for all day instant access to all the rides.  If you want a less expensive option, you can purchase the Awesome Awaits Pass.  Each $5 ticket is valid for one instant access ride for one person.  It’s good to have these time saving options.  In my experience, I don’t think you need to spend the extra money.  I wish they had this option at Disney.

4.  Lego Ninjago World and 4D Lego Ninjago Show

Lucas is a huge Lego Ninjago fan.  For his 6th birthday, Lucas had a Ninjago-themed birthday party.  In Lego Ninjago World, you can take pictures with the Ninjago characters, practice your ninja skills, and defeat the bad guys in the animated Ninjago Ride.  At the Wells Fargo 4D Theater, you can become part of the action during the Lego Ninjago: Master of the 4^th Dimension show.  These Ninjago-themed rides and attractions are great.  They are among our family’s favorite things to do and see in Legoland.

5.  The Great Lego Race – The New Virtual Reality Roller Coaster

The Great Lego Race is a new virtual reality roller coaster at Legoland Florida.  You feel as if you’re in a Lego movie racing against other Lego characters.  It brings together technology and the thrill of a roller coaster ride in a whole new way.  You have to ride this roller coaster when you visit Legoland Florida.  The line for this ride was the longest of the day but it was well worth it.  Skip this line with an Awesome Awaits Pass.

Here are a couple of things to keep in mind before you get on the line for this ride:

• Guests must be at least 6 years old AND 48″ tall to wear the virtual reality headset
• An adult riding with a child that’s younger than 6 years old AND less than 48″ tall CAN’T WEAR the virtual reality glasses.  This is important to note because we almost had meltdown city on our hands when Lucas realized he couldn’t wear the virtual reality glasses

Tip:  If two parents are riding with a child who doesn’t meet the above requirements, they are allowed to trade off so each parent gets the opportunity to ride with the virtual reality glasses on.  The bonus is the child gets to ride twice.  We were able to diffuse a meltdown by telling Lucas he could ride the roller coaster twice

6.  Lego Miniland

Lego Miniland is an outdoor Lego display containing over 32 million bricks.  There are iconic Star Wars scenes and characters, and US landmarks.  Your little builders will be amazed by the level of detail.

7.  Lego Minifigure Trading

Lucas and Sofia have eagle eyes when it comes to spotting Lego minifigures.  There are several opportunities to trade Lego minifigures while at Legoland.

1. Employees wear Lego minifigures on their name tags.  They will trade their Lego minifigures with you, if you ask nicely
2. There are trading kiosks throughout the park.  The minifigure group you can pick from at the kiosks depends on your minifigure.  Figures with hair, hats or costumes have more trading value.  You get to keep the accessories
3. Most Legoland stores have a stash of minifigures for trading at the register.  It’s usually under the counter so you have to ask to see what they have available

In our experience, options 1 and 3 tend to result in the better trades.  Sofia got a Harley Quinn in a cute nurse’s outfit in a store trade.  You can bring your own Lego minifigures or purchase them at the Legoland park stores.  It’s a fun scavenger hunt activity throughout  the day.

8.  Air Conditioned Play Area for Infants and Toddlers

On a hot day, you can take a break from the sun at the Duplo Farm.  Duplo Farm is an air conditioned indoor play area for infants and toddlers.  There are slides and play houses with oversized foam bricks.  There is seating for parents so you can rehydrate and recharge while the little ones play.

There is baby care center in the same building as Duplo Farm.  It has changing tables, rocking chairs, and private stalls where you can breast feed or pump.  It’s a great space for parents with little ones who need to be fed or changed.

9.  Capture Your Legoland Memories with the Photo DigiPass

The Photo DigiPass is $44.99.  You will receive all digital images taken of your family on rides and character meet-and-greets, and a $5.00 discount on photo keepsakes.

10.  My Favorite Legoland Foods

I tried the Granny Apple Fries for the first time on my last visit to Legoland.  Apple slices are battered and fried, then tossed in a cinnamon sugar mixture.  They are served with a whipped cream dipping sauce.  You can also purchase caramel dipping sauce or pair it with soft serve ice cream.  The Granny Apple Fries are a delicious snack.  You have to give them a try when you visit Legoland.

For lunch, we like the Fun Town Pizza and Pasta All You Can Eat Buffet.  This restaurant gets busy so the food is always hot and fresh.  The buffet includes an assortment of pizzas, pasta, salad bar and desserts.  Fountain drinks are included with the meal.  There is a bathroom within the restaurant so you don’t have to wander off to find a bathroom in the middle of your meal.  This happens to me often with Lucas and Sofia.

After putting in extra long days at Disney, Moms and Dads will appreciate that Legoland “closes early” between 5PM and 7PM depending on the time of year.  The park opens at 10AM so you can sleep in on your vacation.  Click here for park hours.  We go home, have dinner, take a bath, and it’s bedtime.  The little ones will be too tired to protest.

I hope you found these insights helpful.  If you have any questions, please leave them in the comments section below and I will do my best to answer them.  You should also read my post 10 Tips for Planning a Day at Disney Magic Kingdom.

Enjoy your trip to Legoland!

Jackie

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