#BuiltForKids LEGOLAND Florida is Definitely Worth a Trip to Winter Haven!

Disclosure: This is a sponsored post. All opinions stated are genuine and my own.

Last weekend we went to Winter Haven, Florida to experience Legoland, and what an awesome way to spend the day it turned out to be! Built on 150 acres, with more than 50 rides and a lot of interactive things for kids to get involved with, this park is a child's dream come true!

The LEGO creations they made were of course, amazing. There was a section of famous landmarks and cities all around the US that were on permanent display. They were instantly recognizable and nothing short of remarkable. I don't know what they use to keep the LEGOs preserved in the sunshine that smiles on them day in and day out, but they were in great shape. This was an area I was content to stay in for quite some time.

The nature all around us played no small part in my desire to stick around for a bit. I have a thing for trees. Nothing reminds us quite as quickly how huge and wonderfully made the world really is as an intricately designed, big, beautiful tree. The one in the photo above instantly captured my heart. Set in the middle of a postcard scene, complete with a body of water in the background, I actually could have stayed there for hours.

Everywhere you looked there were fun LEGO things to explore and experience. It was a never ending playground of fun things to do, and believe me, we enjoyed every single second of it.

Of course LEGOS were the main attraction, and you could find them most every place you looked.

DUPLO Valley was an entire section made just for the youngest crowds. There were play areas with houses, barns, slides and rides for the little ones. 

There were splash pad areas too, which kids of any age seem to love. I know my son is 9-years-old and he was delighted to run through a couple of these. It wasn't too hot the day we went, but if it had been, these would be perfect for cooling off the littles.

The MiniFigure Market was a HUGE hit with my son. There was an area where you could create three mini figures of choice and package them to go for just $9.99. You also go to choose accessories, and those are my son's favorite. He likes to make things 'custom.'

Someone put one of the minfigures on the huge LEGO guy's nose. Can you see it up there? Wonder if that was a kid or adult who did that? #funny

My son could have stayed in this area for a very long time. He took his time choosing his pieces and parts and made his mini figures just the way he wanted them to look. One of the accessories you could choose was a cat!! Of course, I wanted him to get one of those (because oh my goodness, cute!). The big surprise when my son laughed and agreed (imagine a grown woman excitedly saying, 'Oh! Oh! Pick one of the cats!'), was that he picked a brown one instead a gray one like the cat we have at home. He loves our cat so much, I thought for sure he'd pick the LEGO one that looked the same. ;)

That wasn't the only surprise of the day. There were carts around the park where you could trade any LEGO mini figure you brought for one they had on display (they were mini figures others had turned in for trade). My son had a girl LEGO with him that he'd gotten out of a surprise pack and didn't really want. He traded it for a police man with a gun. Score.

There was a movie theater, with The LEGO Movie playing, of course, and the huge golden statues out in the front were pretty appropriate. #awesome

The World of Chima was fun, but be forewarned, if you go on the water ride there you are going to get SOAKED and I mean absolutely wet through and through. That was probably the funniest part of the trip for my son, I guess, because when I got drenched, he couldn't stop laughing. ;)

You can grab a water cannon and shoot unsuspecting people who are on the ride too. We did that for amusement until we realized we were going to get shot back. We moved along...not wanting to get the camera wet, you know. ;)

We kept walking and came across a jousting ride on LEGO horses that was as cute as it could be. One of my favorite things about this ride, and every ride in the park was that you didn't have to wait very long at all in line. Lots of things to do and not a lot of waiting time? Yeah, that makes for a jam-packed day full of fun.

The buildings, structures and areas were all themed. The LEGO guards doing watch over this castle however, fell asleep. When you walked by them, they would snore. The first time I heard it, I thought it was a man on the bench next to them actually asleep and snoring, hahaha.

The Lost Kingdom Adventure Ride was fun for us. 

The walls that lined the entrance had hieroglyphics on them that incorporated LEGO building. Cute, right?

The ride reminded me of Buzz Lightyear's ride at Magic Kingdom. You had to shoot targets while sitting next to your opponent, racking up points to see who would win.

I refuse to say who had the high score in the game between my son and I (insert sobbing and tears here). ;)

Okay, I'll admit it, my son scorched me, lol. Above, you see the face of a victor (and I'm not talking about the LEGO camel). ;)

There were a few roller coasters in the park, but none that were ultra scary. It was perfect for kids around my son's age. Though he's been on bigger and faster, his comfort zone is more along the lines of these. ;)

In fact, the scariest thing about the coaster above was the dino peeking through the fence at us as we made our way to the line.

Even the coaster that suspended you in air was proportionate to the youth-set. It was fun for the adults, but only caused a tad bit of apprehension for my boy, and that was just because he'd never been on one quite like it before. 

I thought the coasters were a nice touch to help keep the older kids and adults invested. This one that was reminiscent of carnival-built coasters was my fave. :)

There were other rides all over the park too, and each of them had great LEGO themes that accompanied them. The one above had little stations with buttons so people outside of the gate could push them and make water shoot out of marine life LEGOs situated under water. The kicker was the huge sound it made when it happened (it sounded like a missle or underwater bomb going off), which made everyone jump the first time they heard it. Those stations were good for lots of giggles. We watched kid after kid laugh as they made their way to them while we were riding the airboats above.

Ninjago was a hands-on area of the park that didn't have any rides, but it was still a lot of fun for the kids. There were bench seats all around for adults to rest while the kids took part in the activities.

Things like the climbing wall you see above were fun for so many of the kids who came through. You had to hit the targets as you passed, and make it all the way to the end. The middle had a cave to crawl through before you could continue.

My son and I each manned a side on the Lightning Drill and racked up a ton of points because of it. This is kind of like Simon, where the lights go and you have to press them before they move on to another area or pattern.

I'm not sure what these sticks that spin were called, but I am positive they made the kids (and adults) smile when they stepped on them and they began to whirl.

Of course, as with any amusement park, there were games to play as well. My son was sure he could beat the one above, but alas he went home without the Pikachu he was hoping to win (thank goodness because I know who would have ended up carrying it, and it was huge).

The driving area of the park was another fun surprise we came across while walking around, 

and it was complete with a muscle car model in the front. Something about a Mustang is always exhilarating, even if it's made out of LEGOs.

There was a fire station in that area too, and the younger kids could get on a ride of more of the same. It was the mini figure firemen out front that I thought were adorable though. What a great display!

Then just when we thought we'd explored everything LEGOLAND Florida had to offer, we stumbled across the water park! You can purchase tickets that have a double admission so that you can experience both the amusement park and the water park in one day. We had those, but for some reason I thought the water park would be located somewhere else. It was a huge surprise to me to come across it at the back of the actual park. 

I didn't have my swimsuit on, but my son had just the right kind of shorts to pass for swimming, so into the water park we went. We were there on a Sunday, and it was closing at 5pm. That gave my son about an hour to play, and play he did! There was a lazy river that you could follow around the park, an area for kids to run and play that had a bucket that dumped when filled, and a wave pool my son thought was a blast. There was also a separate area where the youngest kids could go to play away from the crowds, and where parents could better keep an eye on them. The seating in every area was ample and there were a lot of big umbrellas to shade those who didn't want to be in the direct sunlight or who just wanted to chill.

While my son thought me getting soaked earlier in the day was hilarious, I thought him trying to stay on the doughnut rafts was a hoot. They must have been pretty slippery because he had a hard time staying on top.

We closed the water park down and then headed back to one of the restaurants in Legoland to eat. Swimming apparently makes you famished. ;)

My son headed to Mia's Riding Adventure. He'd ridden this one earlier in the day but it was his favorite of the whole park.

You sat on your LEGO horse and it went up in the air on a circle that headed to the end of a short track. It actually looked kind of scary, and he had been apprehensive the first time he rode, but he kept going back to it. Like I said, the lines weren't long at all, and I think he rode this one about six or seven times (most of those in a row at the end of our day).

To get back to the front of the park, we had to pass by the big building displays again. I'd enjoyed that area so much when we arrived that I wanted to head back in to see what I'd missed.

Structures like the Golden Gate Bridge all made of LEGOs were a sight to behold.

Again, you could identify what they were meant to be instantly, though they did have signs all around for those who might need a little clarification.

It's pretty amazing to see the final results on structures as precise as these. I can hold my own on a square building, and even add a few surprises here and there but these...these are in a word, incredible. I've always been in awe of the things talented builders can make out of LEGOs.

We rode the carousel one last time before we left. The same one we rode when we first entered the park. You can't see it in the picture above, but it's a double carousel and you can ride on the first floor or the second.

On the way out we saw some celebrities running around, including none other than R2D2. You know you're in a cool place when R2D2 is out and about making the rounds.

We also stopped to get a photo opp with Emmet and WyldStyle. My son is joking around here, relieved that they're not real. For some reason he initially thought there were people inside of costumes (probably a thought influenced by YouTube) that were going to scare him when he got close. He was so convinced it made me nervous that they were going to jump, until I remembered we were at Legoland...the place of fun, not frights. ;)

This park was such a fun way to spend the day. My son was the perfect age to enjoy it, through and through. I'm glad we went. If you have kids, taking a trip to Winter Haven, Florida to visit LEGOLAND is a great investment and a great way to spend some quality family fun time.

I'd love to take my granddaughter and youngest son to the LEGOLAND Hotel
that is just steps away from the park!

If you're coming from out of state, know too that there is a LEGOLAND Hotel steps away from the amusement park. The 5-story, 152 room hotel has themed rooms and LEGO surprises everywhere you look. It's definitely a future goal for us, and if we stay, of course, we will let you know all about it! #travelgoals

You can learn more about LEGOLAND Florida by visiting their website. You can also follow them on Facebook, Instagram and/or Twitter.