Entertaining Grandkids at LEGOLAND Resort Florida

With multi-colored plastic bricks shaped into stunning, miniature snapshots of popular cities, themed rooms, thrilling amusement park rides, and even a 150-acre water park for a splashing good time, there’s no doubt that LEGOLAND Florida reviews earn a solid 5-star rating for kids of all ages. Read on as one grandmother shares the deets on where to eat, where to sleep and where to play at this impressive Central Florida theme park that will bring out the inner child in just about any adult.

The writer was hosted.

LEGOS: A Family Tradition

With more than 1,000 miles separating me from my three Central Florida grandkids, our time together is precious. Every visit yields priceless memories. Some of those have been made during our trips to LEGOLAND Florida theme park. We’ve even stretched our time into an overnight stay at one of the LEGOLAND resort properties to the utter delight of the grandkids.

Our family’s LEGO history dates back decades. My now 40-year-old son, Chris, played with them at every opportunity. Building everything from pirate ships to skyscrapers with his many LEGO sets. His childhood hobby served him well. He now has a career in construction management building structures with something other than colorful plastic bricks.

His love of LEGOs continues with his children. My granddaughter, Katherine (13), prefers the LEGO Friends series. Her brother, Marshall (11), tackles any of the LEGO sets you put in front of him. It’s why I always keep a small set of them on hand for when the grandkids come to visit.

My daughter’s son, Benjamin (10), rarely sits still but he’ll do it for LEGOs. And it’s not unusual to encounter thousands of the little foot destroying bricks strewn all over the floor of his room.

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Introducing LEGOLAND Florida to the Grandkids

Our first time visiting LEGOLAND Florida together happened about five years ago in October during the park’s annual Halloween party, Brick or Treat. This meant the kids could wear costumes which made things all the more exciting for Benjamin who has a costume for every occasion.

Not wanting to debut their actual Halloween costumes early, the kids chose from Benjamin’s stocked closet. As a result, I walked into the park with a fire chief, a police officer, and a construction worker. Yes, I went to LEGOLAND with a miniature version of the Village People.

LEGOLAND Park impresses any day of the year with its detailed structures of recognizable cities and attractions in Miniland. The Las Vegas display showcases the city’s famous resorts and casinos. Miami’s Little Havana neighborhood comes to life with salsa dancers. At the Kennedy Space Center, a rocket counts down to blast off. And the Daytona 500 Speedway gave the kids a chance to race LEGO cars.

A favorite of my grandkids, New York City landmarks include Grand Central Station, the Statue of Liberty, the Empire State Building, and Central Park. They love pointing out the places I’ve taken them when they’ve visited me in the city.

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LEGO Characters Rule at LEGOLAND

With two dozen rides, play areas, interactive experiences and a water park spread across 150 acres, keeping the kids entertained at LEGOLAND Florida never presents a problem.

We typically start our day with a stop at the gift shop near the entrance where each of the grandkids picks out a small LEGO character. Our first time visiting LEGOLAND, I introduced the kiddos to “minifigure” trading. It work similar to pin trading at Disney. Throughout the park, Model Citizens (employees) wear LEGO characters on their name tags. If you like one of their minifigures better than yours, you can trade.

You can bring a minifigure from home to trade, but my grandkids much prefer getting a new one (surprise surprise!) so we start the day with a purchase. Afterward, we find a nearby bench, assemble the characters and start the negotiations!

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Next Up Rides and More Rides

LEGOLAND Florida delivers abundant thrills for its target audience ages 2 to 12. But, even teens and adults appreciate this colorful land of fun.

The younger kiddos delight in DUPLO Valley with rides like the DUPLO Tractor and DUPLO Train. All of us enjoy the nearby classic two-story merry-go-round known as The Grand Carousel.

Fans of the awesomeness of LEGO movies will delight in the LEGO Movie Master of Flight Experience. Take flight indoors into The LEGO Movie universe from Emmet’s Triple Decker Couch.

If spraying down alien invaders with water pistols makes your grandkids happy (like it does mine) be sure to check out the Battle of Bricksburg–but prepare to get wet!

LEGOLAND Roller Coasters

Home to the LEGOLAND castle, the LEGO Kingdom houses the Dragon roller coaster guaranteed to get a few squeals of delight. Mine followed that with the Royal Joust where they climbed onto their LEGO horses for travel into the Medieval forest.

Speaking of roller coasters, the family thrill-seekers should definitely check out the wooden Coastersaurus in the Land of Adventure. And competitive types (like my entire family) will want to check out Ninjago. Test your Ninja prowess by blasting animated fireballs, lightning and more at a gallery of menacing villains. Then compare scores to see who earns the family bragging rights.

My grandkids also really enjoyed the Ford Driving School where they had a chance to operate a LEGO vehicle and work on their driving skills. Another favorite, the Boating School allows kids to captain their own LEGO boat. Adventurous kids can try out the suspended roller coaster in the Flying School. It’s on the top of our list for the next visit!

Escape the Florida Heat in the LEGOLAND Water Park

I don’t know whose idea it was to add a water park to LEGOLAND, but I’d like to bump elbows with him or her. In the scorching summer heat that often visits Central Florida, the LEGOLAND Water Park makes a big splash. With body slides, tube slides, a lazy river and several pools, you could easily spend an entire day here.

On our recent visit, we split the day by doing the rides in the morning, cooling off at the water park in the heat of the day and adding a few more rides at the end of the day.

We spent time chilling in the wave pool with floating LEGO bricks. Hung out in some of the pools. And cruised along the Lazy River. But the Twin Chasers tube water slide garnered the most praise from my three.

An unprepared Grandmom, I completely forgot to bring towels. But my mistake led to even more fun. The kiddos jumped into one of the air dryers for an impromptu dance party as they dried their swimsuits–so much more fun than an old boring towel!

Detour Through the Gardens

LEGOLAND Florida occupies the former home of the Cypress Gardens theme park in Winter Haven.

Growing up in Central Florida, I remember Cypress Gardens as the place to see water skiers, gardens and Southern Belles decked out in glittering gowns.

Although the Cypress Gardens theme park is gone, its history remains in the beautifully preserved botanical gardens. LEGO brick versions of the Southern Belles have taken the place of the ladies, but even those are an impressive sight!

Fun and Games at the LEGOLAND Florida Hotel

After a full day at the park, we walked to the nearby LEGOLAND Florida Hotel for the next part of our adventure – a class with a LEGO Master Builder. Guests of the hotel are invited to sign up for the class where kids are taught how to build a special LEGO character that cannot be found anywhere else.

There are plenty of other things to entertain the kids – like the huge castle and pirate ship in the hotel lobby where kids run wild, build with LEGO bricks and generally just rule the world.

At bedtime the lobby becomes a giant pajama party with LEGO characters leading dances, playing games and telling stories. Even the elevators turn into dance parties when the doors close, with disco effects and rocking music.

Eating at LEGOLAND

Like everything else here, dinner time brings fun and adventure. Built for kids, the Bricks Family Restaurant offers a buffet-style experience. Kid-approved foods like chicken fingers, salads, and pizza served at kid-level remind us who’s in charge.

After consuming a respectable amount of protein, my grandkids went straight into dessert mode by building their own ice cream sundaes.

Alternatively, the Skyline Lounge features a creative, custom menu that includes a variety of organic Florida produce and vegetables. Adults imbibe in cocktails, wine and an array of Florida craft beers. The little ones enjoy a “mocktail” with their dinner.

Sleeping at the LEGOLAND Resorts

The five-story, 152 room LEGOLAND Hotel has more than two million LEGO bricks that make up over 2,000 LEGO models throughout the property. Choose a theme room from one of these options: Pirate, Adventure, Kingdom and LEGO Friends.

We chose the Kingdom theme. A bunk bed, TV and signs telling “Ye Olde Adults” to “keep out” welcomed the kids to their section of the room. A treasure chest with a combination lock stood in the corner.

Given a clue for each of the three combination numbers, the kids got to work opening the chest. Inside they discovered more LEGO characters, a LEGOLAND newspaper, coloring books and crayons.

2 Other LEGOLAND Lodging Options

LEGOLAND Florida offers three resort lodging choices–each topping the charts for themed hotels.

For those who REALLY love pirates, the new Pirate Island Hotel delivers an unparalleled matey experience. Opened in June 2020, the Pirate Island Hotel sits just 130 kid steps from the park entrance. More than 1.6 million LEGOS make up the 600+ models throughout the property. Just outside the hotel entrance, a shipwrecked 34-foot LEGO pirate ship awaits. Complete with 11 1/2-foot sea monster tentacles, 3 LEGO pirate models and a skeleton under the ship’s mast, it’s the ultimate photo opp.

Designed to feel like a real pirate adventure, the 150 themed rooms come with a LEGO crab, monkey and parrot. Plenty of interactive experiences keep the kiddos busy. And the nightly pajama parties provide good times for all your mateys.

Can you really build a beach cottage out of LEGOS? It certainly looks like it at the impossibly cute LEGO Beach Retreat. This fun seasonal lodging choice resembles a village. With kids’ play areas at every cove and shady front porches, grandmoms can sit and sip wine while keeping an eye on the kiddos.

Covid-19 Changes and Policies

Like Disney World, Universal Orlando and every other Central Florida theme park, LEGOLAND Florida adheres to pandemic regulations. Enhanced sanitation protocol and temperature checks make up a portion of the new rules.

One brilliant enhancement comes with the LEGOLAND Florida app. With the app you can buy tickets, get information and even reserve a virtual spot in line at attractions with long wait times.

The new virtual line feature aids in social distancing and keeps restless kiddos happily exploring the park while holding your place in line.

First, you find a ride with a “virtual line” waiting time listed. Next, enter the number of riders. Then, get a boarding pass on your phone. Finally, you’ll receive a message telling you to head to the ride when it’s your turn to board.

Happy Birthday LEGOLAND Florida!

LEGOLAND Florida’s 10th birthday celebration has already started with Play & Party Passes at throwback prices. New shows, events and party-packed play moments are underway. Keep an eye on all the fun for 2021. This YouTube video gets the party started!