LEGOLAND Florida

If you need something fresh for the family vacation this year, look no further than LEGOLAND Florida with its theme park and water park, and Peppa Pig Theme Park, just 45 minutes west of Orlando in Winter Haven.

A two-day ticket that includes the water park, LEGOLAND and Peppa Pig Theme Park with cost you approximately $124 per ticket (check website when you go for any pricing changes. This is at the time of this article). You can also buy just a theme park ticket and create the add-ons you want. And of course, there are bundle options that include a hotel stay.

Can we say, It’s AMAZING! You don’t have to love LEGO to enjoy! More great news is that everything is close together here, relatively speaking. For those with little ones, pushing strollers, etc., this can make the experience much more enjoyable. 

LEGOLAND proper – the theme park – is full of great rides for all ages. You’ll find all your favorite LEGO characters here for meet and greets, great shows, plenty of fun, imaginative play, good park food, and of course, gift shops full of LEGO you can take home. 

Also, it’s not just for smaller children. Sure, there is plenty for the young ones here, but there are roller coasters and thrill rides, too! There are more than 50 rides, shows and attractions designed for kids to take the lead in your vacation adventure. We were amazed by the intricate LEGO displays throughout the park, some even animated, and coming this month is the all-new Pirate River Quest. Don’t let your little pirate miss the Pirate Fest Weekends in January 2023.

The LEGOLAND Water Park, which is an optional part of your park ticket, has a LEGOLAND wave pool, lazy river, tube slides, body slides and interactive water-play structures like the Joker Soaker and DUPLO Safari. It’s great for all ages. The water park is also a world-famous botanical garden, famous in Florida since the 1930s as Cypress Gardens. While that park is no more, it remains as an important part of the LEGOLAND water park today and can still be enjoyed. 

Right across the parking lot is Peppa Pig Theme Park that opened in February 2022. For the very young, this park is amazing and adorable. The rides here are meant to be for the littles, and Daddy Pig’s Roller Coaster might well be the most “exciting” ride here, with a minimum rider height of 36 inches and must be accompanied by someone age 14 or older. There are rides, mazes, forts, games and lots of opportunity for free play at Peppa Pig Theme Park, and characters galore! You’ll see shows and can meet and greet Peppa Pig characters. There’s even the Muddy Puddles Splash pad for when it gets too hot. 

You can take a break from the outdoor fun and relax on a beanbag with your little “piggy” in the indoor cinema and watch some of your favorite episodes of Peppa Pig. Great for naptime or some unwind time for all.

There are two hotels at the LEGOLAND Resort on site that are great, as well as a lakefront beach retreat with free transportation, but if you need something more budget friendly, there are plenty of chain hotels nearby. On site you have Pirate Island, LEGOLAND Hotel (where we stayed) and the Beach Retreat. There are perks for each, and of course, all the LEGO a child (or adult!) can imagine!  Our pirate themed room at the LEGOLAND hotel included LEGO galore, as well as a bunk room with separate television for the kids. Some packages include a great breakfast, and our dinner at the LEGOLAND Hotel was impressive and delicious.

SPECIAL NEEDS

One exciting part of visiting LEGOLAND Florida is that it recently became the first theme park resort to become a Certified Autism Center (CAC). This resort-wide CAC designation includes LEGOLAND Theme Park, LEGOLAND Water Park, LEGOLAND hotels and beach retreat and Peppa Pig Theme Park.  

Many people with autism and those with sensory sensitivities can find it challenging to visit new places or go on family trips due to lack of staff training and understanding on the part of destinations. The International Board of Credentialing and Continuing Educational Standards (IBCCES) created training and certification program for just this, says LEGOLAND officials, and LEGOLAND Florida participated and earned this certification.

What does it all mean? LEGOLAND Florida Resort will provide: 

• Training, helpful, front line team members equipped to better assist guests with sensory sensitivities and enable them to enjoy the resort.
• A sensory guide for every attraction that provides how the attraction may be affected by each of the five senses.
• Low sensory area for guests to take a break.
• An updated Accessibility Guide at http://www.legoland.com/florida/ and at Guest Relations.

You can check out days/hours of operation, current ticket and vacation bundle pricing, attractions and more at https://www.legoland.com/florida/.  

To learn more about the city of Winter Haven, Florida, log onto https://www.winterhavenchamber.com/visit.html.

Carol Muse Evans is publisher of Birmingham Parent and visited LEGOLAND in June 2022 – without kids – and had a blast!