If you’ve ever taken a family vacation to LEGOLAND Florida, just wait until you visit during the holiday season.
With colorful themed sculptures, festive performances, seasonal treats, photos with holiday characters and trees wrapped in glittering lights, LEGOLAND Florida is transformed into a winter wonderland each November and December for its annual Holidays at LEGOLAND, presented by the Hallmark Channel.
This month, we took our three children (ages 5, 5 and 8) and nephew (age 6) on a trip to LEGOLAND Florida to experience the park’s annual holiday celebration.
Having visited in August, I knew we were in for a weekend of nonstop fun. But a cousins’ trip in December added an extra dose of magic; it was a vacation the kids will never forget.
Here are some can’t-miss highlights from our recent trip, and what to know when planning a holiday vacation to LEGOLAND Florida.
Marvel at the all-new LEGO Christmas tree
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A 32-foot-tall beauty, LEGOLAND Florida has a dazzling new Christmas tree this year. Made from nearly 365,000 LEGO and DUPLO bricks, the 10,000-pound sculpture took Master Model Builders more than 2,800 hours to build. Topping the tree is a LEGO star built from 5,200 bricks.
At night, the Christmas tree and its surrounding square are brilliantly lit, showcasing the tree’s bright green hue and colorful ornaments created entirely from bricks. The kids loved admiring the display and posing for photos in front of it.
SheBuysTravel tip: The tree looks completely different during the day and night; make time to see it both during daylight and after sunset.
Get into the holiday spirit with exclusive performances and shows
The holidays abound with festive shows at LEGOLAND Florida, featuring both new and returning shows.
New this year in Fun Town is the Elf Training Academy (an adorable show perfect for little ones) and the Holly Hype Dance Party, featuring LEGO Reindeer Girl. Inside Fun Town Theater, LEGO Gingerbread Man can be found in The Very Merry Mix-up.
In LEGO Kingdoms, we caught the Festival of Flurries performance: a high-energy song and dance revue featuring LEGO Snowman and six performers in shimmery winter outfits. The kids danced and sang along to the songs, and everyone went wild when “snow” began to fall and silvery streamers floated to the ground, concluding the show.
Snack your way through the park with holiday-themed food and beverage offerings
LEGOLAND Florida boasts food and beverage treats (such as Granny’s Apple Fries) that can’t be found anywhere else. But during the holiday season, the options expand to include limited-time delights.
The park’s seasonal options include a Season’s Greetings Swirl at Kingdom Cones, made with cherry-flavored Dole soft-serve ice cream served in a Belgian chocolate cone and topped with a fondant star, or a Winter Warmer Bread Bowl at Dragon’s Den, made with house-made chili and served inside a sourdough bread bowl, topped with melted cheddar cheese and green onions.
Our favorite dessert was The Christmas Crepe at Ice Cream and Shakes: a made-to-order Christmas Tree-shaped green crepe filled with Nutella and bananas and topped with sliced strawberries, candy-coated chocolates and a fondant star.
Take photos with festive characters and holiday LEGO creations
While we ran out of time to meet LEGO Santa, we did meet other cheerful characters throughout our visit, including stilt-walking reindeer and nutcrackers, friendly elves, LEGO Snowman and LEGO Gingerbread Man.
We particularly enjoyed our visit with LEGO Nutcracker in DUPLO Valley, where the Nutcracker spent time “talking” with the kids, answering their questions via animated gestures. We also took pictures sitting in a LEGO sleigh (complete with reindeer!) and a giant wreath made out of LEGO bricks.
The cousins also loved the chance to trade in their Minifigures for holiday-themed minifigures at the Minifigure trading wall at The Legoland Story, including Santa and a smiling snowman.
Build a holiday creation with LEGO building stations throughout the park
One of the best features of LEGOLAND Florida is its spaces meant for hands-on building activities, and the holiday festivities take this to the next level.
At building stations around the park, our kids built giant candy canes with LEGO bricks and participated in a Build to Give workshop, where they created heart-shaped LEGO creations as part of the LEGO Group’s global initiative to bring joy to children in need.
Our favorite station was a sleigh-building activity in LEGO Kingdoms, where the kids built their own competition sleighs out of LEGO bricks. While none of their creations ultimately won, the kids had a blast building and engineering their sleighs.
Write and send letters to the North Pole
Of all the memories we made on the trip, writing and sending letters to Santa tops my list.
Staffed by friendly elves, the park’s North Pole Postal Service offers a cozy space for kids to write and seal their letters to Santa, then enter a separate room to “mail” the letters and watch on a screen as LEGO Santa or LEGO Mrs. Claus receives the letters.
Especially magical for younger children, the process was easy and the letters were precious. One of our children drew Santa an elaborate picture, and the kids all rang a celebratory bell when each of their letters was sealed and ready to be sent.
Enjoy the holiday décor and great weather
The holidays are a gorgeous time of year to visit LEGOLAND Florida. The wintery décor around the parks is festive and whimsical, with seasonal sculptures made from thousands of tiny LEGO bricks and trees swathed in strings of glowing lights.
In the park’s centrally-located MINILAND USA – an expansive outdoor display built from over 32 million LEGO® bricks – our kids were thrilled to find that mischievous elves had created festive fun in the miniature world, adding temporary holiday scenes and antics to the town squares and street corners.
The winter weather, too, is wonderful. With cooler weather and shorter days, the experience of walking around a Florida amusement park in November or December is a completely different experience from visiting during the hot summer months. The weather was in the ‘60s with clear skies and sunshine during our visit, making for a beautiful day of holiday fun.
Stay at a LEGOLAND resort for even more festivities
To continue the seasonal experience, stay onsite at one of LEGOLAND® Florida’s fully themed hotels. Just steps from the park’s entrance are the ultra-walkable LEGOLAND Hotel and Pirate Island Hotel, while the Lakeview LEGOLAND Beach Retreat is a short shuttle ride away.
All three of the hotels are designed specifically for young children, with a separate kids’ sleeping area in each room, nightly kids’ entertainment, a full schedule of activities, countless LEGO®-themed play areas, swimming pools, a free all-you-can-eat hot breakfast, restaurants and more.
We stayed at LEGOLAND Hotel, with a lobby that had been transformed with holiday garlands and a Christmas tree made from LEGO bricks. At the hotel’s Skyline lounge, we joined other families for Santa’s Cookie Workshop: the chance to decorate a giant gingerbread man with icing, colorful gumdrops and treats.
SheBuysTravel tip: Breakfast is included with each stay and guests can choose where to eat. Since LEGOLAND Hotel and Pirate Island Hotel are connected, we opted for a pirate-themed holiday breakfast at the hotel’s Shipwreck Restaurant, just a short walk through the lobby of our own hotel.
Enjoy a nightly New Year’s Eve celebration for kids on select dates
Happening nightly from December 26 through 31, families can ring in the New Year at Legoland Florida with the park’s Kids’ New Year’s Eve celebration, featuring a nightly 3D LEGO brick-bursting fireworks show and a DJ dance party.
For one night only on December 31, guests can also participate in a New Year’s Eve countdown and the park’s signature “brick drop” near Lake Eloise, as well as a special finale. All festivities are scheduled for earlier in the evening, allowing families to celebrate together hours before midnight.
Holidays at LEGOLAND details
The festivities at LEGOLAND Florida take place each holiday season; this year, Holidays at LEGOLAND (presented by the Hallmark channel) is held on select dates from November 29 through December 31.
LEGOLAND Florida Resort is located southwest of Orlando at One LEGOLAND Way in Winter Haven, Florida, 33884.
The park is an hour by car from either the Orlando International Airport, Orlando Brightline Station or Tampa International Airport; its closest train station is the Lakeland Amtrak station. Parking is included for guests of LEGOLAND Resort hotels (and select annual passholders); all other vehicles will pay a daily parking fee that starts at $35 per day.
SheBuysTravel Tip: The holiday season is a great time to score extra savings at LEGOLAND Florida, with multiple holiday ticket-and-hotel package options available for the park’s fully themed onsite hotels. Florida and Georgia residents save an extra 20 percent on rooms; check the park’s website for the latest deals.
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