Planning a trip to Orlando even with little kids sometime soon but feeling overwhelmed?
Get the inside scoop on everything you need to know before visiting LEGOLAND and even some of the other parks and attractions in the area.
We went to LEGOLAND recently with our 4 and almost 2 year old and had a great time! We were given free tickets for my husband and myself and then our kids and the grandparents joined in too! It is set a little off the beaten path, but still not too far from Orlando, so an easy work-in for your trip.
A few tips to save money on tickets to LEGOLAND before you go:
- They have homeschooling days a few times per month, but you do have to book a few days ahead for them. It saves on adults and children significantly.
- Also, many of the small lego sets and the magazines have coupons in them for a free child admission with paying adult. You can even buy those coupons on ebay for a few bucks, and it will save you a lot.
Tips and need to know tips before visiting LEGOLAND with little kids
The park itself is where Cypress Gardens theme park used to be located, and they have left some of the property the same. There are gorgeous, huge oak trees and many lovely plants, and at the very back of the park, there is still a beautiful walk you can do to see the huge banyan trees and gazebo.
It can get very hot. We were there at the very end of October and still were quite uncomfortable from the heat. So be prepared for that. Bring plenty of sunscreen, and drink lots of water.
One main thing to consider when you begin your day is to plan some of the indoor, cooler activities for afternoon time to get you and your kids out of the heat. They also do have a water park, but if you are doing both, you truly do need more than one day to see everything.
If it is your first time there, do be sure to really pay close attention to the surroundings.
They have worked in tons of lego displays all over the place, from placing lego squirrels in the trees and on the fences to flowers and animals in the plant beds and more. It is like a treasure hunt for your kids seeing all the hidden gems all over the place.
There are sections just for the smaller kids, like Duplo land, where you will spend more of your day if your kids are little. They have a really great play area with a large farmhouse theme, some water splash pads, and several toddler-sized rides like firehouse engines, a train and more. It is close to the front entrance as well, so it’s perfect for the littles who can get bored fast and need to get out of that stroller and get moving!
In the center of the park, near the front, after you pass a few shops and places to eat, there is an awesome carousel and it is two-story and was how our family ended our trip there. We saw it go up and down all day so it built excitement but was a relaxing way to wind down and even watch the sunset.
Pretty central to the little town is the 4-D movie theater. This plays more than one movie per day and is a perfect spot to get out of the heat or weather, so try to schedule at least one of these movies for mid-afternoon.
Normally, right after the film they will have a character or two, like Benny from the Lego Movie, out front to take photos with your kids. If you let the theater empty out somewhat and go closer to last, you can stay in the cool longer and not have to stand in the line for photos as long.
Miniland is probably the hottest part of the park, as it is spread out and in the sun, so my suggestion is to do it first or early in the day, otherwise wait until closer to closing time. It is truly amazing to see and the adults will enjoy maybe more than the kids.
They have so many famous places and cities built out of the bricks and many move and are interactive per section so your kids will be occupied while you stand in amazement. There is also a good sized Star Wars section here for the husband or child who is a fan.
If you have girls, then to the left of the town center is a newer area that is called Heartlake City and it has a great ride in it, but also is very cute, with some awesome displays of animals, flower pots and the female Lego characters.
Back past miniland, there are some great activities for the kids, and there is a variety as far as age, so you will find something for everyone.
There is a section with boat rides, firehouse, car driving where they can get their “driver’s license” and drive an adorable car, and there are a few larger rides like roller coasters worked in between them too.
Closer to the back of the park is a great imagination area with some indoor activities like building Bionicles, a room with video games and also a place to build and race cars and you can also sign up and take classes if you are a little bit older, to build moving lego animals or robots. All of that is a great place to be in the hot part of the day. There are a few places to eat back there as well that are all good and they do cater to food allergies if you ask.
Don’t miss the ski show, where you can see Brickbeard the Pirate and other lego figures do ski jumps and tricks. It is in the back corner to the left of the park.
There is also a store right near to the ski show that has some discounted lego sets and items.
One other neat thing to know ahead of time is that the workers make their name tags out of legos and they attach mini figures to them. If you take some mini figures with you to trade, you can go up to them and they have to trade you for yours. It is a fun way to get rid of any doubles you may have a get some new ones.
Kara is an author and advocate for positive, grace-filled parenting. She is homeschooler to her 5 children living on a farm in New England. She believes in creative educational approaches to help kids dive deeper into a rich learning experience and has her degree in Secondary Education & Adolescent Childhood Development. She is passionate about connecting with and helping other parents on their journey to raise awesome kids!
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