This past November my family jumped aboard the Amtrak Auto Train once again and headed to Orlando for Thanksgiving. This year we decided to forgo all of the big parks and hang at the resort a little more. We did however take one day and head over to Legoland! I swear that as we approached it, my kids were way more excited than they were when we went to Disney! As we approached the main gate, we began to notice that everything was made of Lego. Even I thought it was cool!
Once in the park, we bee lined it to Lego City. The kids wanted to hit to the Ford Driving School. They had two versions. One for the smaller kiddos and one for the older guys. The older guys actually got driving lessons and learned how to use hand signals, how to use a turn circle, and follow directions on road signs. Each age group got a drivers licence after they finished. There was a viewing area for the parents since this ride is not really designed for anyone over age 12.
You can tell from this picture that Perry was really pushing the age limit for this ride. In this same area was the Flying School which was a small roller coaster. My boys who had not done roller coasters before, loved it and rode it about 3 times in a row. Despite being there the day before Thanksgiving, there was very little wait for any of the rides. I think twenty minutes was the longest wait on any ride, and it was at the very end of the day. People kept saying how crowded it was, but compared to Disney or Universal, I thought it was great!
We rented a double stroller for the day which I highly recommend. DUPLO Valley, which would have been good for our youngest was closed for construction, so she spent a good part of the day just watching everyone else ride. She was happy and content in the stroller though. Pumpkin and Bud took turns riding in it with her which kept them from complaining about all of the walking.
Boat School was also back by the Driving School. It had all kinds of Lego critters spitting water out at the boats.
Ha ha ha! Got them!
Next we moved into Land of Adventure which was my favorite area of the park. There was a nice little wooden roller coaster called Coastersaurus which the kids all really enjoyed.
This ride is the Beetle Bounce and was by far my kids favorite of the day! They rode it over...
...and over! That's my baby brother in the middle of my crew. He is a huge Lego freak too! ;)
My personal favorite for the day was the Lost Kingdom Adventure! You ride around on a little go cart and try to shoot targets to unearth hidden treasures. It is similar to the Buzz Lightyear ride at Disney. I was really bad at this, but laughed so hard that it made it worth while!
Over in Fun Town the kids enjoyed riding on the double-decker carousel. They also spotted Max walking around the park and had to go grab a picture with him. The little girl in the brown sweater and the little boy with the blue monster sweatshirt are my niece and nephew. Oh while you are in Fun Town be sure to grab some of Granny's Fried Apples! They will knock your socks off. Be sure to use the caramel and whip cream that come with them! YUM!
One of the most impressive areas of the park is Miniland USA. I have so many pictures of this area, but the pictures just do not do it justice! You simply have to go check it out in person. There are whole cities made out of Lego that move and play sound effects. We spent a good hour or more walking around looking at everything! If you are a Star Wars fan, this area is for you! There was a whole section of just Star Wars scenes. The kids were excited to find a life size Darth Vader made from Lego.
Oh dear! Darth Maul was not very friendly! Poor Bud almost didn't make it out of the park!
Lego Kingdoms had an adorable jousting ride. There was an age requirement to ride though, so Pumpkin couldn't get on it. She was really bummed. We also really enjoyed The Dragon. It was a roller Coaster that starts inside the castle and then moves outside. I think this is the largest coaster in the park, and EVERYONE in our group loved it!
Next we headed over to World of Chima, but it was too cold to do much in there since the rides in there get you wet. I know, Florida...Cold? Yes it was only about 60 degrees the day we were there. The last area we visited was Lego Technic. There was a large coaster in this area too but my boys didn't care for it. The first drop was pretty big and for roller coaster newbies it was a little too much. My husband and brother really liked it however. We did not get to visit the water park section because it was closed. Maybe next time! You can also go and walk the gardens which is the old Cypress Gardens. It is really lovely.
Of course the day would not be complete without a goofy picture of yours truly!
So just a few notes to help you plan out your visit.
- This park is designed for and enjoyed best by children ages 3-12. There is not a lot in the way of "big kid rides" but still plenty for the adults to check out and enjoy too.
- Be sure to have your kids bring mini figures to trade. Every employee in the park has a pin full of them and are more than happy to trade. I think we made about 40 trades throughout the day.
- The park has unusual hours of operation. Be sure to check the park calendar before you go. The park is occasionally closed on Tuesday and Wednesday and closes almost everyday by 6 pm. You can check it out here.
- There are so many ways to get discount tickets. Please do not pay full price! Check your Lego kits, and magazines for buy one get one pass coupons. Also many local businesses offer discounts so check around first.
- There are many shows. We only saw about half of one of them, but it was great! If you get a chance be sure to check them out.
- There are many shops, and even a discount shop. I couldn't really find anything that I would consider to be"discounted", but of course we gave in and bought each kid one thing. I do recommend asking the employees about good deals, they did help us find some that were not really marked.
- Food is expensive in the park. Although they say that you can not bring a bag lunch, we saw many people doing it. If you need to save money, you may consider giving it a try.
Have a great visit!
How fun! We took Olivia to Legoland in San Diego a while back but I can't wait to take her again now that she is old enough for rides :)
ReplyDeleteDo go back, Nicole! She will love it now that she is old enough to ride! I was amazed by how geared the rides were to the little guys. It was a nice change.
Delete