Everything You Need to Know About Visiting Legoland Florida

The Legoland Florida Resort is a theme park designed with kids in mind, with plenty of rides, shows, and activities to keep the youngsters entertained. It wouldn’t be Legoland without an opportunity to play with the classic figurines and construction toys, and you can do so in the lobby of the Legoland Hotel, atop inner tubes on Legoland Water Park’s lazy river, and at activity centers dispersed throughout Legoland Park.

With three hotel resorts where rooms are themed to the max, Legoland Resort Florida makes for an easy family-friendly getaway. To see its 30-acre protected botanical reserve, separately ticketed water park, and dozens of attractions, we recommend taking two full days. From minifigure trading to the high-flying triple-decker “couch” attraction in The Lego Movie World area and Peppa Pig Theme Park, there’s plenty to look forward to while visiting Legoland Florida. In the end, Legoland is the ideal long-weekend destination.

Read on for more information about Legoland Florida hours, attractions, and dining, plus details about what rides and shows you absolutely must experience.

Getting There

The Legoland Florida Resort is located in the town of Winter Haven, Florida, which sits between Tampa and Orlando — approximately an hour's drive away from each city. Guests arriving by plane have the choice of flying into Orlando International Airport or Tampa International Airport. However, there is no direct shuttle or bus service from either city, so you will have to take a taxi or Uber, rent a car, or have your hotel arrange a car for you.

Save money by purchasing your parking pass online in advance. Daily parking fees start at $23, while preferred parking starts at $37. The lots open 30 to 45 minutes before the park does, so you may want to arrive early to secure a good spot. Parking is included in the resort fees for hotel guests, and valet parking is available for an additional $35 per day at Legoland Hotel.

Legoland Florida Hours

Legoland Florida's hours can change slightly depending on the time of year, but the park typically opens at 10 a.m. and stays open until early evening throughout the year, closing between 5 and 7 p.m. Be sure to check the website for the exact opening and closing times. It is closed during select holidays.

Legoland Water Park is open throughout the year but may close in the case of inclement weather and on holidays.

Buying Legoland Florida Resort Tickets

If you’re looking to save money on Legoland tickets, buy them online and save $35 off gate admission, and be sure you’ve squared away your hotel plans. Guests at Legoland's onsite hotels who book a tickets-and-room package receive two days of admission completely free. Children under two can enjoy the park for free.

On the Legoland Florida website, you can buy single or multiday entry tickets, but prices vary depending on the time of year. Generally, single-day admission can cost between $80 and $130, but deals can be found if you buy your ticket through a program like CityPass, where one-day tickets start at $79; however, this does not include access to all the parks. Alternatively, the Family Vacation Package includes two-day admission to the park while you sleep nearby at one of the park-associated hotels — not to mention daily breakfast and free parking. Annual passes are available from $12.99 per month (if you're a Florida resident) or $149.99 for the year (if you live out of state).

Legoland Water Park, which is located inside Legoland Florida, requires additional admission, and it is only available to Legoland Florida guests. In other words: you must have admission to both Legoland Florida and Legoland Water Park to enter the water park. If you want to enhance your experience, you can purchase an extra like Fastrack to skip the lines, arrange to create a Minifigure in your likeness, or rent a cabana at the waterpark. Stroller and wheelchair rentals are also available for an extra cost.

There are three tiers of VIP Packages available at Legoland Florida. Starting at $300 per person, the Red Brick package includes one-day admission, a VIP host to guide your family around the park, priority ride access, reserved seating at shows, a minifigure, and an exclusive tour of the model shop. The Silver Brick package for $500 per person includes additional valet parking, unlimited digital photos, and refreshments, and the Gold Brick package, which starts at $700 per person, includes a building session with a take-home build and a Q&A with one of the park's Master Model Builders — plus a VIP gift bag for every child.

Legoland Florida offers a Rainy Day Promise on all tickets. If weather causes ride delays or closures "for an extended period," you can visit Guest Services to pick up complimentary tickets the next time you return. You can do this within a year of the date on your original ticket. You will not be able to change your date before you arrive unless you purchase the additional "Cancel for Any Reason" coverage. Legoland Florida keeps track of dates that have been officially classified as a "Rainy Day" on its website, so you can double check if the day of your visit qualified.

Getting Around Legoland Florida

Upon entering Legoland, guests will pass through The Beginning and Fun Town to reach a crossroads; turn left for Heartlake City or right to reach Duplo Valley, The Lego Movie World, and Lego Kingdoms. All paths lead back towards Miniland USA, an enticing homage to American cities and sights filled with “minifigure” residents, and guests can go on to explore Land of Adventure, Lego Technic, and Lego Ninjago World. Once you arrive at Lake Eloise, you’ve hit Pirates Cove and its enticing waterfront entertainment. From here, guests can explore the Cypress Garden botanical gardens (a lush 30-acre expanse of trees, gardens, and plants), visit the indoor Imagination Zone, or take a path past Lego City to Legoland Water Park. The Peppa Pig Theme Park is a standalone park, located outside the park but only a few steps away from the main entrance.

The Best Legoland Florida Rides

With more than four dozen rides and attractions, Legoland Florida specializes in kid-friendly experiences rooted in real-life adventures. Trek through a safari of Lego animals, board cartoonish horses on the two-tier Grand Carousel, or glide past Lego dinosaurs on the aptly named Coastersaurus — there are plenty of experiences perfect for guests of all ages.

The Lego Movie World brings its namesake blockbuster animated film to life. Ride The Lego Movie Masters of Flight, an innovative attraction that’s hands-down Legoland's best ride, spin around on Unikitty’s Disco Drop, or face off against Duplo invaders on the Battle of Bricksburg. You’ll get completely soaked, making this ride perfect for a hot day. The movie-themed area also offers experiences straight from the films, including meet-and-greets with Emmet, Wyldstyle, and even Rainbow Unikitty.

Though Legoland is intended for kids, there are still proper thrill rides that everyone in the family will enjoy. Take a ride on the suspended Flying School coaster, or enjoy the park's best offering, The Dragon, a hybrid indoor-outdoor ride with some serious turns. The Great Lego Race multi-directional coaster is a virtual reality experience, making this one of the most unique rides in the park.

On Lego Ninjago The Ride, riders wield virtual fireballs within a blazingly fun, interactive shooting gallery, while the Lost Kingdom Adventure offers a shoot-em-up target game with mummies and skeletons that react to your every move.

Child-friendly rides put the little ones behind the wheel piloting boats and driving cars on attractions like Coast Guard Academy, Aquazone Wave Racers, and Duplo Tractor. There’s even a full-blown driving school within a makeshift city sponsored by Ford. Whether you’re working together to put out a three-story fire in Rescue Academy or watching the kids ride a Lego horse on the adorable Royal Joust, there’s enough fun to go all day.

The Best Legoland Florida Attractions

Meet characters and catch a rotating selection of films at the Fun Town 4D Theatre — there are plenty of shows and performances at this theme park. The shows range from the crime-fighting adventure of "Officer in Pursuit!' to the antics of the "Ninjago" training session in "Master of the 4th Dimension."

Many of the park’s areas, like the indoor Imagination Zone, provide plenty of Lego entertainment, but perhaps the best display of Lego prowess is within the ornately detailed Miniland USA. This expansive display features recreations of New York City and the Las Vegas Strip enhanced with delightful touches, like tiny launches of the Kennedy Space Center and window washers on a mini Mirage hotel. Cypress Gardens provides calm respite from energetic attractions and crowds. Whatever you do, make time to walk over and experience the enveloping canopies of its signature banyan tree, planted in 1939.

The Best Legoland Florida Water Park Rides and Attractions

Maximize your vacation time by visiting the whimsical water park located inside Legoland Florida. Activities include a Build-a-Raft Lazy River for relaxing fun, a Build-A-Boat activity center for hands-on creativity in the shade, and the Joker Soaker slide tower with water activities, splash zones, and dunk buckets. The large Lego Wave Pool is the highlight of the park, but with a double-occupancy raft slide, a trio of slides with 60-foot drops, and a Duplo Splash & Play exclusively for kids six and younger, the whole family can find their own aquatic fun, and walk right back to Legoland's attractions when done.

The Best Peppa Pig Theme Park Rides & Attractions

The Peppa Pig Theme Park is a standalone park based on the world-famous children's show. Best for younger children eager to meet the famous pig herself, the park boasts attractions like a cinema, fun fair, and a maze — plus rides and a splash area. Kids can take a go on Daddy Pig's Roller Coaster or ride along the Tricycle Trail. Unlike the Legoland Water Park, you do not need to purchase regular admission to the theme park to visit Peppa. One-day tickets start at $34 per person, and annual passes are available as well.

The Best Restaurants At Legoland Florida Resort

Fun Town Pizza & Pasta Buffet is one of the most popular on-site restaurant options, but the Ultimate Sandwich Builder food truck and Pepper & Roni’s Pizza Stop draw crowds as well. (Don’t miss the Lego figures outside Pepper & Roni’s — kids love them!)

Taco Everyday is a fun food option in The Lego Movie World that includes kid’s tacos served on colorful tortillas. Firehouse Ice Cream, Kingdom Cones, and Heartlake Ice Cream Parlor are hotspots for sweet scoops, but there is one signature dessert that takes the cake. Granny’s Apple Fries, a mainstay from the park’s Cypress Gardens days, remains a popular, deep-fried favorite.

Drinking Alcohol at Legoland Florida

For nearly 10 years, Legoland Florida was a dry park — meaning it did not serve beer, wine, or cocktails inside its grounds — but that changed in 2018. Now, the Florida park sells beer (including craft beers from local breweries), wine, and cocktails inside both the resort and its hotels.

Special Events at Legoland Florida

Legoland Florida offers seasonal events year-round, all of which are included with theme park admission. Brick-or-Treat offers candy treat trails, character meets, and themed fireworks shows on select fall weekends. For the festive season, Holidays at Legoland boasts live entertainment, Lego Santa, a Christmas tree, and more from late November through the end of the year. You can also enjoy Pirate Fest Weekends from late January through February, which includes themed scavenger hunts, pirate shows, and boat rides through Cypress Gardens.

Legoland Florida Resort Hotels

The Legoland Florida Resort offers three hotels, all of which come with an included breakfast buffet, nighttime entertainment, pools, in-room activities, and meet-and-greets. For these reasons, we recommend staying on property at Legoland Florida.

Legoland Hotel, which is conveniently located steps from the theme park entrance, serves as an extension of all the fun you’ll find inside. Unlike other theme park hotels, the rooms are designed with families in mind, with delightful decor from floor to ceiling and kid’s bunk beds separated from the adult’s quarters. Choose between Pirate, Adventure, Kingdom, Lego Movie, and Lego Friends-themed retreats upon booking.

For more of a traditional vacation getaway, there’s Legoland Beach Retreat, which offers lakeside bungalows with outdoor patios, separate children’s sleeping areas, and colorful decor themed to Lego minifigure characters. Though not within walking distance from the parks, Legoland Beach Retreat offers a free shuttle service to and from Legoland Florida and Legoland Water Park, as well as free parking.

Then, there's Lego Pirate Islands Hotel, which has pirate-themed rooms and a pirate restaurant sure to please young buccaneers. Little pirates will love the daily in-room treasure hunts and nightly pajama parties. There is also a workshop where you can build your own souvenir, and families can head out to the adjacent Lake Eloise for a ride on a pontoon boat or a stroll on the boardwalk.