Our five year old son loves Legos! He loves absolutely everything about them, right down to the box and the instruction booklet. They can be found in practically every room in our house! So when we began planning our yearly family trip to Florida, we knew there was one place that he would absolutely love - Legoland Florida!
Built on over 150 acres, Legoland Florida is a great family park with a little something for everyone. There are eleven themed zones consisting of over 50 rides in addition to entertainment, shopping and dining. In addition, there's a Waterpark opened seasonally as well as the Botanical Gardens.
We decided to visit twice during our weeklong stay in Florida. The first day we focused primarily on the Waterpark and spent our second day exploring the rest of what Legoland has to offer.
I strongly suggest upgrading to Preferred Parking! Both days we visited the park it wasn't overly crowded, but at the end of a long day it was worth the extra $5 not to have to walk the extra distance with two tired little boys and all the gear that two tired little boys come with. It was literally minutes from our car to the gate.
We were fortunate enough to have received complimentary tickets for our first day so we could proceed directly into the park and bypass the ticket counter. After passing through the turnstiles, we went straight for the Waterpark located on the far side of Legoland. There's an additional ticket booth at that entrance as well for those who decide to add on the second park after they've arrived. I made an additional stop at Guest Services there to be taken to the Cabana we had reserved for the day. Reservations and payment for a cabana can be made online in advance of your visit. Open cabanas can also be rented the day of at Guest Services.
Cabanas are located on two sides of the park, one set near the Duplo Splash Safari and the other near the Soaker Joker. We opted for a cabana near the Duplo area. These cabanas are surrounded by some sand so be sure to bring a few small beach toys along! While we didn't spend our whole day there, it did give the boys a nice break away from the water on occasion. Be aware that if you bring a stroller, it can be very hard to maneuver through the sand! Don't let that deter you from bringing one along though. The sand is in a very confined space and the benefits of having a place to put your gear and a little person or two while you walk through the rest of the park far outweighs any difficulty. Just be prepared to have someone help lift it to your cabana.
We were fortunate enough to have received complimentary tickets for our first day so we could proceed directly into the park and bypass the ticket counter. After passing through the turnstiles, we went straight for the Waterpark located on the far side of Legoland. There's an additional ticket booth at that entrance as well for those who decide to add on the second park after they've arrived. I made an additional stop at Guest Services there to be taken to the Cabana we had reserved for the day. Reservations and payment for a cabana can be made online in advance of your visit. Open cabanas can also be rented the day of at Guest Services.
Cabanas also come with a host who checks on you throughout the day. They're able to take orders and make deliveries from the nearby Beach-n-Brick Grill. Cabanas come with two chairs plus two lounge chairs, a small table, mini fridge, small locker, 10 bottles of water as well as a logo'd beach bag and two towels that we could keep. The sides of the cabana can be closed up making a nice private space when it's time to change little ones or when someone might need nap time. If you prefer a bit more seclusion when it comes to changing, the bathroom and changing rooms are just a quick trip across the main Waterpark entrance.
Our boys loved the Duplo Splash Safari! It features large sized Duplo animals that spray water on demand. There are also two very short water slides for the youngest crowd. This was the first water slide for our almost two year old and he loved it! Just be prepared to catch your kiddos as they come down. While the water's shallow, it can be very overwhelming for a toddler.
Next we headed over to the Build-a-Raft River. What makes this 1000-foot lazy river stand out are the building platforms on the inner tubes. Our oldest loved catching the large floating Lego blocks and building a tower while my husband towed him along with the current. There are also plain tubes if you decide not to build and double tubes if you want to partner up. Throughout the river, there are lego creations along the sides and yes, some do squirt water so be prepared! The park wasn't overly busy and we were able to continue around as many times as we wanted.
The Wave Pool was a lot of fun, but like any tidal pool, it can take you by surprise when aren't anticipating a wave. My parents had accompanied us on our visit and my mom was briefly swept off her feet from a wave. It took a second for her to get her bearings, but she was impressed with the attentiveness and excellent guest relations skills of the nearby lifeguard Micki. While she ultimately didn't need any extra assistance, Micki was there and ready to intervene. She checked on my mom after to make sure she was okay and assisted her to a more shallow part of the pool. Overall, the life guarding staff here was excellent!
Near the Wave Pool, there's a fun waterworks contraption for kids who want some regular play with Legos. Our oldest took a little timeout to play with some Duplo blocks. It makes for a nice break when you want to be out of the sun for a few moments.
The Joker Soaker
is located right across from the Wave Pool, and is an interactive water playground filled with slides of various heights plus a 300 gallon bucket that randomly dumps water on those below. Lifeguards are stationed throughout this area and do an excellent job of monitoring the upper, more advanced water slides as well as the off-limit areas below. Additional cabanas are also located in this area.
Having two little people, we didn't venture over to the Twin Chasers and the Splash Out water slides. These are the highest and most intense water features in the park and have a minimum height requirement of 48 inches.
The day we visited, the Waterpark closed an hour earlier than the rest of the park. It gave us plenty of time to change, pack our belongings and hit a few other attractions on our way out. To fully give yourself enough time in both sections of the park, I'd definitely recommend a two day visit.
Legoland Florida was definitely a hit with our whole family, so much so that we're already planning on coming back next year! The Legoland Hotel will be opening soon and we've already added that to our list of things to do during our next visit!
For more information, visit florida.legoland.com.
Disclosure: While I received complimentary tickets to facilitate this review, all opinions expressed are my own.
