Have Kids, Will Travel: Legoland! (Winter Haven, Florida)

I was dying to book a fun summer getaway when Legoland in Winter Haven, Florida, popped up on my radar. My youngest is Lego-obsessed, and I'm a sucker for vacations that focus entirely on my kids (and if the place serves adult beverages, well, even better!). After some research, I thought that Legoland might be a great summer roadtrip for the EA Crew.

Smiling in front of the Legoland Hotel in Florida. 

Legoland Florida: The Good

Legoland in Florida had some amazing rates this spring when I decided to book. Full disclosure: they did offer me a media rate when I booked in exchange for coverage on my social and blog pages, which amounted to about a 10% discount on my package. They also comped dinner my first night.

- Legoland Florida was less than half the price of other Florida-area theme parks for five people. This is if you stay on property and purchase a package.

- When you stay on property, breakfast is included in your package price each morning of your stay. And it's a full, hearty breakfast! We ate about 9:30 am each morning and then had snacks at the park around 2 and dinner around 5. It saved us money and kept us happy!

Free breakfast included with your stay at Legoland Florida. 

- Unlike other hotels and theme parks, this spot accommodates up three kids in one room! We had a room with one king size bed and a separate area for kids with a bunk bed and a trundle. The kids' area also had a TV and Lego-building area. We were all happy in this room! 

- Legoland had lots of areas for kids to climb and roam. My biggest complaint with other Florida theme parks was that my kids spent all day waiting in line. We'd go from one two-hour line to the next, and, at the end of each day, my kids were NUTS. There was nowhere for them to let out steam at the end of the day (that wasn't a pool, anyway) and nowhere for them to just climb and play between rides. Legoland has tons of spots for kids to run around and be crazy, both at the park and at the hotel. My kids loved playing in the Lego castle in the lobby with other kids each night once the pool closed.

- No having to wait in line to take a shuttle to the park at Legoland. The hotel is about a two-minute walk from the theme park. Seriously. Two minutes. Even my kids couldn't find a reason to complain!

- There are plenty of rides to suit all ages. Rollercoasters, water rides, stunt shows, a carousel, virtual rides... My girls each found their favorites. 11: Flight School (a rollercoaster); 9: Battle of Bricksburg (a water ride); 7: Mia's Pony Ride (a horse-themed ride from Lego Friends).

Posing at Legoland. 

- Kids hate lines? Mine too! At Legoland, most of the rides have Lego play areas in the middle so kids can play while Mom or Dad wait. This kept whining to a minimum, which kept my happiness level much higher than normal!

- Plenty of onsite evening entertainment at the Legoland Hotel kept my kids engaged once the theme park shut down.

Indoor play area at Legoland Hotel Florida. 

- There is minigolf at the hotel for an additional fee (we didn't play), as well as a fire each night to roast smores (you can purchase a kit at the front desk). 

Legoland Florida: The Bad

Like any vacation destination, Legoland Florida isn't perfect. It has it's drawbacks and less-than-desirable features.

- It is really geared toward younger kids. I would say ages 2-10, in a perfect world. My 11-year-old enjoyed it, sure, but in large part because she had little sisters with her.

Duplo Valley play area for younger kids at Legoland Florida. 

- It lacks the sparkle of other Florida theme parks. During our visit, many rides and shops and eateries were closed. The grounds were not as impeccably maintained as competitors. The staff wasn't as happy to be there.

- The two on-site pools were small-ish for the size of the hotels.

- The hours of the theme park were limited, and there were no bonus hours for staying onsite. The theme park is open 10-6 on weekdays, and the water park is open 11-5. Hours are longer on the weekends. 

Legoland Florida: The Ugly

The most significant drawback of Legoland, in my opinion, is the location. Legoland Florida is located in Winter Haven, Florida, about halfway between Tampa and Orlando. You can easily fly into either airport but are then on your own for transportation. You can rent a car (prices are currently insane) or charter a private car (about $100 each way for my family of 5) or find an Uber (way out of my price league). Legoland doesn't offer any options itself for transportation from either airport, which is why we drove.... 17.5 hours from Arlington to the hotel. Not ideal... But we made it! We did stay at Mobile overnight en route to Florida.

Legoland Florida: Tips & Tricks

Despite the drawbacks of a Legoland vacation, I would highly recommend it to anyone with young kids!

Posing with Lego Friends at Legoland Florida. 

My advice?

1. There is a Publix across the street. Buy all your snack items there. Food choices- especially snack choices!- onsite are limited (although they do have fantastic plant-based fare!). 

2. The pirate-themed hotel is fun... but if you are looking to save money, stay in the Legoland Hotel. Why? It's actually the same building! And if you stay onsite, you can access all activities at either spot. Unless you have a pirate-obsessed kiddo, save the money and stay at the hotel. (The difference when I booked was about $150)

3. Bring water and snacks to the park. You can purchase a refillable cup onsite, though. $16 for one with free refills the day you purchase and then $8 each day after that to refill it. This includes ICEEs. 

4. Have the fried apples. Seriously. They were SO good. We ate them both days. With caramel. You won't regret it!

Apple fries at Legoland Florida! 

5. Have fun! The kids get Lego Minifigures each day of their stay. And the Master Builds at the hotel are a fun activity where they get to keep the Legos.

6. Always where shoes. The amount of Legos on the floor at any given time... Just always wear shoes.

Have you been to Legoland? Would you go back?