Don’t Miss Legoland, Florida

We had such an amazing trip to Florida a few weeks ago.  We stayed on Anna Maria Island.  It was just gorgeous!

So while we were there, we decided (even though we were almost 2 hours away) that we would make a day trip to Legoland.  Because two hours is WAAAAY closer than 16 hours!  We went for it.  And we made the RIGHT DECISION!  My kids have been begging to go to Legoland for years.  (Even more than Disney!)  They loved every moment.  We can’t wait to go back.

If you’re planning a Disney trip, you’ll be even closer than we were (just about 45 minutes).  You must put Legoland on your list.   🙂

I was nervous at first because I really thought the rides and attractions might be too young for my kids, who are 6 and 8.  I was very, very WRONG.  They are the perfect age for Legoland.  The rides are pretty mild and mostly geared for younger kids with a few thrill rides sprinkled in.

But my 8-year-old adventure junkie (who rides any ride that she’s tall enough for, at every amusement park) didn’t even notice.  She was having so much LEGO fun that she didn’t care that the rides weren’t big, scary thrill rides.

In fact, she loved the Safari Jeep ride the most, which might be one of the tamest in the park.  haha.  You ride around in a jeep and see amazing safari animals made of LEGO.  🙂

I love that my kids could ride most of the rides without me!!  They thought that was cool, too.

We went on a weekday in November, so the waterpark was closed and the park hours were 10:00-5:00.  Even on a weekday in November, it was a bit crowded and most every ride had lines.  So, I imagine during peak times  you would need even more time.

We were there at 10:00 and closed the place down.  7 solid hours of LEGO fun.  We did everything, but there were a few rides they would have liked to do a few more times.

Legoland is super family friendly and you can bring soft-sided coolers or backpacks right into the park with you.  Pack that sucker with bottles of water and snacks and have a great day.  They do have reasonably priced food and drink through out the park.

But, I like to save our money for souvenirs rather than food.

There are all kids of fun parts of the park.  You can build and play all over the place!

Get a break from the Florida sun and grab some video game time in the air conditioning.

Do be sure to see a show.  The pirate show was great.  The kids were in complete awe of the water skiing.

Mini land was one of my favorite parts.  It’s just amazing to me what people can build.  The kids ran around and checked out everything.  Star Wars was probably their favorite.

Make sure you make some minifigs at the start of your day (or better yet, bring some from home)!

You can trade them with any employee that has some on their name tag.  How fun is that?  You can trade all day long.

The park grounds are gorgeous.  And there are fun lego surprises hidden all over the park.  Do you spot the LEGO deer and otters?

I did make an exception of my “bring your own snacks” rule for the legendary Apple Fries.  Yes.  That’s right.  Apple Fries.  Imagine a warm delicious tart apple pie, deep fried and ….in fry form.  Yeah.  It’s a thing.  I might get them on the way in and on the way out next time.  🙂

There are fun LEGO touches everywhere!  It was so fun.

Don’t miss Cyprus Gardens, Florida’s first theme park that opened in 1936!  It was in operation until 2009.  When they built Legoland in 2011 the botanical garden portion was preserved inside.  It’s awesome.

A Sausage tree.  For real.

I could not get enough of the original Banyan tree that started it all.  Pictures do not do it justice.  I know, because I took at least 50.   🙂

We didn’t stay in the hotel, but I think it looks like so much LEGO fun!  There are great hotel packages online that would be worth checking out.

 

There are lots of ways to make LEGOLAND more affordable.  There are coupons in the LEGO magazine.  Tickets are also cheaper if you buy them online in advance.  Parking is also cheaper if you buy online in advance.

We packed our snacks, but also our lunch and left it in the car in a big cooler.  I ran out to get it while Kevin was with the kids in a line.  There are all kinds of shady picnic places in the park to enjoy your lunch, too.

Put Legoland on your bucket list.  We had a blast.

Disclosure:  Our tickets were provided by LEGOLAND for review and promotional purposes, however all opinions are 100% my own.