An Unforgettable Adventure: Exploring the Wonders of Legoland Florida
Obligatory picture taken at the front gate.
Cash and I joined some friends at Legoland Florida. We had been wanting to visit for a while, and I thought I’d share our experiences with you.
The drive from Disney is only about 45 minutes, but from our part of Orlando (a bit north of downtown), it was closer to an hour and a half. We arrived about 30 minutes before opening, and parking was a breeze. A lot of the reviews I read encouraged us to show up for the opening show. It was cute, but I wasn’t super impressed. Everyone was lined up at the gate, and they chose a child from the front row to “flip the switch” to turn on the park. The main issue was that it was all on level ground, so our little ones (about halfway back in the line) couldn’t see a thing. It was also hot. So…next time we’ll probably just go right at opening time.
You can pay $17 for a copy of their drivers license if you’d like. Since that’s basically what a real license costs, I saved our $ and took a photo of the photo instead. (They are SUPER cute)
To make the most of our time at Legoland Florida, we decided to head straight to the Ford Driving School at the back of the park. Although the map appeared vast, we were pleasantly surprised at how quickly we were able to navigate from one side of the park to the other, with plenty to see and explore on the way. At the driving school, the kids were shown an instructional video before getting to drive around a closed course designed like a real road to teach them how to obey traffic laws. I enjoyed watching from the sidelines, playfully pointing out every stop sign that Cash missed. Payback is fun!
We rode a few more rides, enjoying the fact that we basically had that part of the park to ourselves. They have water boats that you can drive, a firefighting training course, and a roller coaster “flight school,” which I didn’t get to ride because my child, while adorable, is not a fun roller coaster buddy.
Our next stop was Ninjago Land where we captured many unforgettable moments with some pictures and hopped on the thrilling Ninjago ride. Unlike other high-speed rides, it was a shooting game similar to Toy Story Mania at Hollywood Studios, and needless to say, it was an absolute blast. While the 7-year-old found the graphics terrifying, the 5 and 9-year-olds handled it quite well. It's best to know your child's temperament before letting them experience the ride.
Instead of following a set itinerary, we let the kids decide where they wanted to go next in the park. Surprisingly, this strategy worked out perfectly fine, and we didn't have to walk for miles, which is typical at Disney. The park felt much more compact and intimate without being overcrowded, making it easy to navigate. Although I won't go into detail about every single attraction we visited, I'll certainly give you an overview of what we experienced.
The Lego Movie area was incredible. The larger than life sets and impressive rides were nothing short of extraordinary. We particularly enjoyed the water ride, which was a hit with everyone. While I was excited to try the Lego Movie ride, the kids were hesitant about heights, much like avoiding Soarin' at Epcot for the same reason. Two of our party loved the UniKitty Drop, but the rest decided to skip this one.
As expected, Miniland turned out to be my favorite section of the entire park. The miniature recreations of various cities, including Washington DC, Las Vegas, NASA, Daytona Beach, New York City (the buildings were taller than me!), The Eiffel Tower, San Francisco, and a captivating pirate scene were absolutely incredible. This area is situated towards the center of the park, so we divided it into different sections and explored at different times. This approach worked out perfectly since there was so much to see, and we didn't want to miss anything. If you're a Star Wars enthusiast, they have a small area dedicated to that too, which is worth checking out.
We caught the Lego Movie 4D at the theater, and it was a pleasant experience. The movie was entertaining and brief enough to keep the children engrossed, allowing us to enjoy a well-deserved break in the air conditioning.
In conclusion, our group had a wonderful time exploring Legoland Florida, and we highly recommend it to anyone seeking a fun-filled day with their loved ones. The park's design was impressive, with plenty of captivating areas to explore and enjoy. We appreciated the ease of navigation and the fact that there were no long hikes from one attraction to another. The Ford Driving School, Ninjago Land, The Lego Movie area, and Miniland were some of our favorite spots. Overall, the experience was fantastic, and we can't wait to go back and explore more of what Legoland Florida has to offer.