We've been huge fans of LEGOLAND Florida since its opening in 2011, and have visited tons in between our Orlando trips to Disney and Universal. Fun fact: This was my favorite park ever back when I was my little sister Lily's age! This toadally immersive park really makes you feel like you've shrunk down to the size of a Minifigure as you explore the many lands around you.
It's hard to know what to expect when heading to LEGOLAND Florida for the first time, so I'm here to give you the deets on every aspect of the park so you can have a successful visit and love livin' the LEGO life as much as I do.
Overview of LEGOLAND Florida
LEGOLAND Florida is exactly what it sounds like, yet so much more! A place dedicated to everybody's favorite brick, LEGOLAND Florida brings the world of LEGO to life like you could never imagine. You truly feel like you're walking through lands of actual LEGO creations in a 150-acre interactive theme park full of unique attractions, experiences, dining, shopping and so much more.
The most important thing to note about LEGOLAND Florida is that it is designed for tadpoles up to age 12. What does this mean? Rides are geared toward the thrill level and interest of little ones, rather than adults. Adults without kids are welcome, though unless you're a LEGO fan or a kid at heart who would enjoy the smaller thrills, this park may not be for you.
LEGOLAND Florida is on the property of what used to be Cypress Gardens, and there is still an area dedicated to the former park. The botanical gardens are actually Mommy Frog's favorite spot! Explore lush landscapes with huge trees, cool plants and a gorgeous gazebo for a quick getaway, or the perfect picnic location.
LEGOLAND Florida is divided into multiple lands inspired by different LEGO product lines and destinations: The Beginning, Fun Town, The LEGO Movie World, MINILAND USA, Duplo Valley, LEGO Kingdoms, Land of Adventure, LEGO City, Imagination Zone, LEGO Technic, LEGOLAND Water Park, Cypress Gardens, Heartlake City and LEGO Ninjago World.
LEGOLAND Florida Location, Parking and Hours
The thing that surprises most people about LEGOLAND Florida is that it's not quite in the heart of theme park Orlando with Walt Disney World and Universal Orlando Resort. Located at One LEGOLAND Way, Winter Haven FL, 33884, LEGOLAND Florida is approximately an hour from both Tampa and Orlando. If you're vacationing in either city, we recommend looking into renting a car as opposed to using a ride-share service (a one-way drive may cost at least $40).
On-site parking is available and opens approximately 45 minutes ahead of park opening for those wishing to arrive bright and early!
- Standard Parking: $25
- Preferred Parking: $40
- Campers/RVs: $32
- Motorcycles: $12
LEGOLAND Florida is open between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. on most days, staying open slightly later on the weekends or during busy seasons such as summer. The toll and ticket booths open approximately 45 minutes prior to park opening. Note that during select off-season times, the park is closed on Wednesdays and may close as early as 5 p.m. Be sure to check park hours before your visit to make the most of your time! The water park generally opens a little later and closes a little earlier than the theme park.
Ticket Options for LEGOLAND Florida
Surprise! Did you know your favorite frogs sell discount tickets to LEGOLAND Florida, as well? We have awesome discounted pricing on tickets for every squad. Whether you're looking for one or two days, with or without a water park visit or even want to add on LEGOLAND Florida's newest addition, Peppa Pig Theme Park, we have great deals for your dream visit. The green you save can be, let's say, "repurposed" for souvenir LEGO sets ;)
If you're not a fan of lines, you can add on Fastrack Unlimited which allows faster access all day to participating attractions (only restricted to once per hour on THE LEGO MOVIE Masters of Flight).
LEGOLAND Florida Attractions and Entertainment
What the Frog Family looks forward to most as a whole is visiting MINILAND USA. We could honestly spend a day just staring at all of the details of real-life locations in LEGO form. From California to New York, and everywhere in between, your favorite cities and tourist spots are displayed in all of their LEGO glory with tons of interactive elements. You'll even hear sounds and see special effects (the NASA rocket at the Kennedy Space Center display counts down for blast off and smoke fills the air around it!).
As part of LEGOLAND Florida’s 10th anniversary, MINILAND USA recently underwent a major revamp to include a shade structure that covers this entire section of the park. As a result, this land literally just got a whole lot cooler! Now you can enjoy this park area and get a nice respite from the hot Florida sun.
LEGOLAND Florida has a HUGE variety of rides and experiences, and the good news is that nothing is too thrilling (or "scary," in Lily's words), so there's a ton to experience. Some of the highlights include the virtual reality coaster The Great LEGO Race, interactive LEGO NINJAGO The Ride and family faves Coastersaurus and Kid Power Towers. There are even classics such as The Grand Carousel, the DUPLO Train and Flying, Boating and Ford Driving Schools. (You can check out the height requirements for all of these rides here.)
Be sure to stop by the Imagination Zone to unleash the power of play. The indoor center is filled with interactive LEGO activities with awesomely themed zones. You can build and create airplanes and cars out of LEGOs and then put them to the test. There's also a GameSpot where you can play the latest LEGO video games.
You won’t want to miss the LEGOLAND Story! Here, you'll discover the surprising origin story of LEGO and how LEGOLAND became what it is today. The Master Model Builders will be hard at work during your visit, so feel free to get your hands on some bricks and join in the fun! There's no limit to what you can create.
Everything is awesome, indeed! LEGOLAND Florida brought THE LEGO MOVIE WORLD and new rides to its park in spring 2019. You can help defend Bricksburg by spraying DUPLO alien invaders in the Battle of Bricksburg. Take flight on a Triple Decker Flying Couch on THE LEGO MOVIE Masters of Flight. And you can drop, spin and bounce as high as Cloud Cuckoo land in Unikitty's Disco Drop. You'll also be able to meet Emmet and his friends, or eat delicious tacos!
LEGOLAND Florida Shows
Rides and displays aren't the only fun to experience at LEGOLAND Florida! Be sure to stop by the 4D Theater for a movie experience like no other ... and a break in the air conditioning! At the indoor theater, three different 4-D movies are shown throughout the day, including Journey to MYTHICA 4D – Officer in Pursuit!, The LEGO Movie 4-D and LEGO NINJAGO.
Be sure to stop by Pirates' Cove for the brand-new Brickbeard's Watersport Stunt Show! Jam out to new original music and witness gravity-defying water stuns including wakeboarding, barefoot-skiing, jump acts, an iconic ski pyramid and even a fly board that hoists pirates up 72 feet in the air as Captain Brickbeard tests the skills of his buccaneer recruits in his never-ending hunt for buried treasure and adventure!
LEGOLAND Character Meet & Greets
Wanna meet your favorite LEGO characters in person? You can take photos with Emmet and the gang from THE LEGO MOVIE, strike a pose with the ninjas from LEGO NINJAGO World, and say hi to your LEGO Friends in Heartlake City. You’ll definitely want to download the LEGOLAND Florida mobile app to view the character meet-and-greet times on the day of your visit.
LEGOLAND Florida is the perfect place to test your luck at carnival games! Throughout the park, you'll find various games to play, including balloon popping, barrel tossing, and basketball shooting just to name a few. Who knows? You might just get lucky and walk away with a frogtastic souvenir! For the littlest tadpoles, I recommend the ‘Prize Every Time!” games. You’ll see them labeled with a coordinating sign. This ensures they’ll win a prize at every game — no tears here!
NOW OPEN — Pirate River Quest!
Legoland Florida is celebrating its 11th anniversary with a brand-new attraction. The Pirate River Quest will see families set sail on an all-new river quest with a crew of Lego pirates to retrieve the lost treasure that was stolen by a troop of mischievous monkeys. The ride vehicle is a Lego-shaped boat, and the setting for the treasure hunt is called Cypress Gardens, the botanical garden and theme park that was open from 1936 to 2009 before being bought and transformed into Legoland Florida. How exciting!
Seasonal Events at LEGOLAND Florida
Are you looking for a spooky good time this fall? Then head to LEGOLAND Florida for their annual Brick or Treat! This year's event will be the biggest ever, with tons of candy, new shows, and exclusive LEGO characters. LEGOLAND Florida is the perfect place to celebrate Halloween with the whole family. So mark your calendars and get ready for a frightfully good time!
Christmas is a magical time to visit LEGOLAND Florida! The park really comes alive for its annual Holidays at LEGOLAND event. You'll love singing carols around the giant LEGO Christmas tree, meeting festive LEGO Characters, indulging in holiday treats and greeting the big man — Santa Claus! This event runs on select dates in November and December and all the holiday activities are included with your general admission.
LEGOLAND Florida Restaurants
LEGOLAND Florida does not disappoint in the food category. We LOVE the fun theming, atmosphere and selection, including Firehouse Ice Cream in LEGO City. There's truly something for everyone, whether you're in the mood for burgers, fried chicken or paninis. Dad's favorite is Pepper & Roni's Pizza Stop because he says it looks just like the one they had in an old LEGO computer game he used to play. I've gotta admit ... that's pretty cool.
With one exception, all of the dining options at LEGOLAND Florida are quick-service restaurants, which means you don't need to make a reservation or spend too much for yummy food! The only outlier is Fun Town Pizza & Pasta Buffet. A BUFFET? IN LEGOLAND? Sounds too good to be true, but we promise it lives up to the hype. This is a can't-miss for us when we visit ... you know we're all suckers for Italian.
Another dining highlight is Granny's Apple Fries, a LEGOLAND original! You KNOW if a restaurant only sells one thing, it must be pretty amazing. Cinnamon sugar coats warm Granny Smith apple fries with whipped cream and caramel dipping sauce. Of course, our favorite variation is à la mode — we frogs are strong believers in ice cream being included wherever possible!
Calling all coffee lovers! The all-new LEGOLAND Coffee Co. is now open! This full-service café offers a variety of delicious breakfast items, coffees and seasonal treats. LEGOLAND Coffee Co. has something for everyone, whether you're looking for a quick bite before exploring the park or a refreshing break during your day of adventure. Make sure to try one of their delicious breakfast sandwiches, frittata wraps or quiche cups. And if your frog parents are anything like mine, they’ll want to pick up a cup of coffee before they head out for the evening.
Shopping at LEGOLAND Florida
Normally, Mommy Frog is the shopper of the Frog Family, but I'm guilty of spending way more allowance money than I should when I get inside the souvenir shops at LEGOLAND Florida. It's everything you'd imagine it to be and more! There are tons of super cool places to shop, but here are my favorite highlights.
LEGOLAND Florida is Now Cashless
Before diving into all the amazing shopping experiences, you’ll want to know that LEGOLAND only takes plastic! In an effort to go green and streamline the guest experience, LEGOLAND Florida has gone cashless and does not accept cash as a means of payment. A valid photo ID with a signature is required for credit card purchases. Legoland Florida accepts American Express, Discover Card, VISA and MasterCard for park admission, merchandise and restaurant purchases.
The Big Shop
Located conveniently near the entrance of LEGOLAND, The Big Shop has all things LEGO you can imagine. This is your top destination for more standard theme park souvenirs, such as magnets, keychains, clothes and accessories — like Lily's and my backpacks in the shape of a LEGO brick. You can also find tons of LEGO sets here, of course.
LEGO Factory Experience
Let your imagination run wild here! This shop is like a candy shop for LEGOs, with a whole wall containing bulk quantities of specific bricks. There's no better place for supplies to build a creation of your own.
Wu's Warehouse
Just in case being a powerful wizard doesn't work out, I can get everything I need for my backup plan (ninja warrior) at Wu's Warehouse in LEGO NINJAGO World — supplier of the finest ninja gear in Florida.
Make Your Day Awesome with imagic
There's no better way to capture your LEGOLAND Florida adventures than with an all-day digital photo pass! For $30, you'll be able to collect unlimited digital photos and add your whole family to one gallery. Plus, you can share your photos online instantly from your device. And if you want to get printed copies of your photos, you'll get a special price of $5 each on standard prints throughout the day.
LEGOLAND Florida Water Park
That's right, the fun doesn't stop at the main park alone! LEGOLAND also has a splashin' water park chock-full of mild water rides for all ages. Aside from the awesomely-themed, but fairly standard, slides and wave pool, the highlights are Build-a-Boat (where you can test out your own LEGO boat on the water) and the Joker Soaker interactive play area. Check out our detailed LEGOLAND Florida Water Park guide here.
*Starting Tuesday, September 5th, 2023, the LEGOLAND Florida Water Park will be closed on Tuesdays and Thursdays for the remainder of 2023.
Peppa Pig Theme Park
Snort, giggle and play with Peppa and all her friends at the world's first standalone Peppa Pig Theme Park. Just a hop, skip and a jump away from the LEGOLAND Theme Park gate, this new addition to the resort is a perfect half-day stop for preschool-age tadpoles. Dig for buried treasure at Grandad Dog's Pirate Island, soar high up in the sky with Peppa Pig's Balloon Ride, take a ride in the famous red car with Daddy Pig's Roller Coaster and so much more!
LEGOLAND Florida Resort Hotels
LEGOLAND Florida now has three on-site, super-immersive hotels. LEGOLAND Hotel is known as the 5-Gazillion Star Hotel. The five-story, 152-room hotel has over 2,000 LEGO models throughout and even hosts nightly entertainment like Family Trivia Gameshow and Castle Interactive Storytime. The pool filled with floating LEGO bricks is one of my favorite parts, and Lily loves the Disco Elevator. Mommy Frog and Dad, of course, love the all-you-can-eat, family-style breakfasts.
The LEGOLAND Beach Retreat is open seasonally. Stretch out in the LEGO-themed bungalows that accommodate up to five guests.
The LEGOLAND Pirate Island Hotel opened June 1, 2020! Steps away from the theme park entrance, it's a treasure chest full of fun. This hotel offers 150 fun-filled rooms (including four suites) and a heated pool with a pool deck. Participate in daily in-room LEGO treasure hunts, exclusive character experiences and feed your crew at the Shipwreck Restaurant and Smuggler's Bar. Yarrr!
LEGOLAND Florida Accessibility Program
LEGOLAND Florida Resort is committed to providing an enjoyable and accessible experience for all guests. LEGOLAND offers shops, restaurants, show venues, rides and attractions that are ADA-accessible to guests who use wheelchairs or require special services. In addition, a Hero Pass is available for those who may have difficulty waiting in line. This pass allows the guest assigned the pass immediate boarding through the exit along with one helper; however, the rest of the group is required to receive a reservation. Once a reservation time is set for an attraction, both the guest assigned the pass and the rest of the group may return together at the reserved time. This pass is valid for up to six guests and can be obtained at Guest Services.
Tips for Visiting LEGOLAND Florida
Here are some of our additional tips and tricks for visiting LEGOLAND Florida!
- Use your map! The first time we visited LEGOLAND, we would've missed a huge chunk of the park if we didn't have our maps handy to guide us through the many lands. And don't be afraid to ask for directions.
- For tech-savvy frogs, download the LEGOLAND Florida app. This will be your one-stop shop for all things LEGOLAND, including wait times for rides, show times, dining information and more. Plus, you can use the app to receive news, deals and updates during your visit.
- Speaking of maps and directions, LEGOLAND Florida is quite long in length! We think it's best to hop from one land to the next either in a clockwise or counter-clockwise direction. Going from The LEGO Movie World to Flying School is a trek, and you'll tire your froggy legs out if you keep hopping back and forth between the front and back sections of the park.
- Keep your parking receipt so you don't pay for parking twice! With your receipt, re-entry is available on the same day of your visit.
- Looking to store your personal belongings while enjoying a day at LEGOLAND Florida? Look no further than LEGOLAND’S locker rental service. Lockers are available for rent at The Beginning (inside the entrance of LEGOLAND Florida Theme Park) and also inside LEGOLAND Water Park. Pricing ranges from $15-$20 (tax-inclusive) depending on the size selected.
- Plan a budget ahead of time and plan on shopping for your desired merchandise on the way out so you don't have to carry it around all day. This is extra important at LEGOLAND since it's basically a giant toy store, and way too tempting for tadpoles like me! If you do find that must-have souvenir earlier in the day, send it to Package Pick-Up (near stroller rental). Allow at least two hours between purchase and pick-up.
- Bring or buy a Minifigure to trade! Like pin-trading at Disney World, LEGOLAND model citizens (aka employees) will trade Minifigures with guests. This is a fun way to stay busy and take home a fun and cost-friendly souvenir.
- Guests are welcome to bring their own stroller, ECV, or wheelchair to the park, but no other wheeled personal transportation devices are permitted. Strollers, wheelchairs, and ECVs are available for rent just inside the LEGOLAND Theme Park front gate on a first-come, first-served basis. Stroller pricing is $18 for a single-seat stroller and $28 for a double-seat stroller. Wheelchairs are $18 and ECVs with shade are $75 for the day.
- Let the kids take charge! Sure, it's easy for me to give this advice ... but I promise, it's a great tip! Compared to other Orlando theme parks, LEGOLAND is way less overwhelming and doesn't require nearly as much planning. Let the kiddos freestyle and follow their lead.
Are you ready to hop on over to LEGOLAND Florida? Hop on over to get your discounted tickets, and tell us your favorite part of visiting LEGOLAND Florida in the comments below.
Related: A Step Inside the LEGOLAND Florida Christmas Bricktacular
Stay cool!
