The first time we visited a Legoland park, it wasn’t really even on our radar.
It happened to be next to the brand-new Peppa Pig amusement park in Florida that my husband and I wanted to take our kids to. Our kids loved the show, and the park seemed age-appropriate for our then 4-year-old and 2-year-old twins.
The park was next to Legoland Florida, and tickets for both parks were pretty affordable, especially compared to Disney World, so we went there, too.
Our kids loved the Legoland park so much that we ended up taking them to the one in California and New York in later years.
Here’s how the three parks compare, and which I love the most.
The parks have some overlap, though they offer slightly different experiences.
As parks from the same franchise, all three Legolands feature very similar attractions.
Although the layouts are different, and the order in which you enter each world may vary, you pretty much can expect very similar experiences in all three.
They all have a land that features miniature versions of iconic places in the world. All three have different landmarks, but kids still get to walk around and explore the miniature buildings.
The “Ninjago” ride is exactly the same in all three parks (ask me how I know — it’s my oldest’s favorite show), and it’s a crowd-pleaser.
All three parks also have The Dragon, a coaster for kids ages 6 to 13.
However, each seemed to have at least one notable, unique attraction.
In California, the one ride that stood out the most for both my oldest and myself was a submarine ride called LEGO CITY: Deep Sea Adventure. We got to enter a submarine and explore real and Lego block creatures underwater.
In New York, we rode The Dragon’s Apprentice, a roller coaster for younger kids (3 to 5 years old). It was as much of a thrill as my twins could handle.
In Florida, we all enjoyed hiding from the sun and heat at the Pharaoh’s Revenge Land of Adventure, an indoor play area where kids can climb, run through tunnels, and load foam balls into tubes.
There’s more to do in all three parks than just go on rides.
When we visited our first Legoland, my twins were just a little over 2 years old. I worried there wouldn’t be much for them to do at the park. Thankfully, I was wrong.
All across the three parks, there are tons of things for kids to do and discover beyond the rides.
First of all, they all have figurines from Lego shows that are ready to pose with for photos. My son has a photo of the same punk-rocker sculpture in all three parks.
The parks also offer seasonal events. We visited Legoland New York during its Brick or Treat Halloween special. The park was full of skeletons and pumpkin decorations the kids could pose with and play with.
Plus, each has building stations throughout the property where kids can build with Lego blocks and earn badges.
It’s worth staying at the hotel no matter which location you choose.
I won’t lie, I’m a sucker for a themed anything, so when we first walked into the hotel adjacent to Legoland Florida, I was sold.
The hotel is decorated with Lego blocks and even has pools of blocks kids can get into and play with.
After that stay, we stayed in the Legoland hotels in New York and Orlando as well.
It’s clear that the rooms in all three were designed with family in mind. This was especially important for me as standard hotel-room layouts usually don’t easily accommodate a family of five like mine.
For example, the bunk beds have a roll-out bed to fit three kids in one room — which is rare in my traveling experience.
The rooms we stayed at had a kid’s area separate from a space for adults, so my husband and I could watch television or read a book without fear of waking the kids.
The hotels all helped keep my family fed and entertained.
Walking into the rooms, my kids squealed in excitement. While there are different themes, we were always assigned the pirates’ room. There are also Lego Dreamz and Ninjago-themed rooms.
My kids loved that the rooms had a safe, where we had to crack a code by answering questions about the space (for example, how many ladybugs were hidden in it). Inside the safe, there was a complimentary Lego set for each of them.
There’s a restaurant at all three hotels that’s also fully decorated with Lego characters which my kids loved.
The food wasn’t that impressive, but I appreciated that we could get a quick bite after a long day of playing without having to leave the premises.
All that said, my favorite park was Legoland Florida.
Although all three parks kept my kids entertained and busy, my personal favorite was the one in Florida.
The California park is the first Legoland to open in the US, in 1999, so certain parts of it feel a bit outdated and old. It’s also smaller, and although that allowed us to explore the entire property (except for the water park area) in half a day, I left wanting more of an experience.
We saw fewer characters walking around, and the stores felt pretty bare bones — but this could also be because our visit was near closing time.
The New York park in Goshen is the newest, having opened in 2021. I like that it’s just a short trip away from New York City. We visited on a Friday, thinking it would be less crowded than the weekend, but we were wrong.
The lines were incredibly long, and we barely got to do any attractions. We later found out that day was a school holiday in New York, which partially explained the chaos.
However, the crowds didn’t feel like such a big deal in the Florida park — maybe because it’s the biggest of the three. It opened in 2011 and has over 50 rides for a wide range of ages.
Legoland Florida reminded us of Disney parks the most in a few ways, like its larger size and wide range of activities. I also found its gift shops had a bigger variety of items to purchase.
Plus, Legoland Florida being next to Peppa Pig Land is a huge plus for those with younger kids.
The post I’ve taken my kids to all 3 Legolands in the US. They all have perks, but one has totally won me over. appeared first on Business Insider.
