“Price is what you pay. Value is what you get.” So how much do you pay to visit LEGOLAND Florida, and what value can you get from it? In the four days I’ve spent at LEGOLAND Florida so far, I’ve surveyed prices of various things — everything from park passes and meals to strollers and umbrellas. Here is a list of the prices I’ve gathered, along with the personal value I’ve assigned to them. The price is objective (at the time of writing), the value is subjective (based on what I felt I got out of it). Your mileage may vary.

Please Note: None of the below prices include the 7% sales tax.

Miscellaneous Prices at LEGOLAND Florida:
Umbrellas (#4624047 or $4598393) – $14.99
Sunscreen – $8.99
Ponchos – $5.99/adult, $4.99/child
T-shirts – $20/kid-size or $30/adult-size
LEGO Shoulder/shopping-style bag (#4623801) – $6.99
Minifigure plush doll (Buddy – #4556081) – $16.99
LEGO Wallet (#4623799) – $9.99
Carnival Games – $3-$10
LEGO Scrapbook Kit with 75 pieces (#23412) – $14.99
Face Painting – $10-$15
Caricature – $14.99 (black & white face), $19.99 (b&w body or color face), $24.99 (full color body)
LEGO Driving School License – $14.99
RC Truck Tokens – $1 (gives you two tokens)
Handimals paintings – $15/hand
Photo souvenir frame – $24.99
Build-a-mini – $9.99

What do you think of the prices, and the value you get for what you pay? Let me know!

Balloon Over LEGOLAND Florida

I’m pleased to report that I now have a whopping 200 photos of LEGOLAND Florida, all with titles and full descriptions, for you to search and browse in the PassPorter Photo Archive. I have photos of everything from the rides and shows to LEGO sculptures to menus and prices! Here are some of my favorite photos from the collection:

Princess Lily

Lost Kingdom Adventure

The Last, Golden Brick in Place!

Click here to view the 200 photos of LEGOLAND Florida!

Highlights from today’s tour of Miniland USA inside LEGOLAND Florda. Miniland USA is the heart of LEGOLAND Florida, national landmarks and Florida cities have been recreated out of 30 million Lego bricks! This short video includes Kennedy Space Center (shuttle countdown), Daytona (speedway and racing cars), New York City (Central Park, Downtown), Las Vegas (The Mirage, The Venetian), and Pirate Shores (ships and pirates!). This is only a sampling of the amazing things here in Miniland — there’s TONS of detail here.

The LEGOLAND Florida theme park is located 45 minutes south of Walt Disney World in Florida. Most people will probably drive down from Orlando (or up from Tampa), but there’s also a shuttle available. The park’s street address is One LEGOLAND Way, Winter Haven Florida 33884. Here are the details on getting to LEGOLAND Florida:

Many signs point the way to LEGOLAND

By Car  From Orlando

From Orlando, take I-4 west to exit 55 (Highway 27 South). Turn right off Highway 27 at State Road 540/Cypress Gardens Boulevard. LEGOLAND Florida is four miles on the left.

Alternate Route from Orlando: take I-4 west to exit 55 (Highway 27 South). Turn right off Highway 27 at County Road 550/Overlook Drive, turn left onto Cypress Gardens Boulevard.

Navigation Tip: Signs to LEGOLAND are prevalent along the way — I counted at least six signs and billboards. Follow the signs and you’ll find the park without trouble.

Money-Saving Tip: Stop at the Tourist Information Center, available right after you turn onto Highway 27 (it’s about a mile down on the right). When I visited, they had discounted park tickets for $10 off the gate prices.

By Car From Tampa

Take I-4 East to Exit 27 (Polk County Parkway), then take exit 14 Winter Haven (2nd Toll Booth) at S.R. 540 and follow eight miles to Hwy 17 North. Take Hwy 17 North two miles over the bridge to Cypress Gardens Boulvard and turn right. LEGOLAND Florida will be on your right.

Parking Note: LEGOLAND Florida’s huge parking lot can hold 3500 cars. Should that parking lot fill, there is another a parking lot down the street. Parking prices: Cars are $12, motorcycle is $6, RV is $15, and Preferred (closer) is $20.

By Shuttle From Orlando

You can also take a low-priced shuttle from Orlando Premium Outlets (currently $5 per person, roundrip). The shuttle picks up from the north side of Orlando Premium Outlets (near where the other buses and trolleys are located) at 9:00 am (park opens at 10:00 am, so you should arrive in time for opening). You should be at the Orlando Premium Outlets to check in 30 minutes in advance. The shuttle leaves LEGOLAND Florida at park closing. Note that you need to book your seat(s) on the shuttle in advance.

Tip: Look here for directions to Orlando Premium Outlets. The outlets are only about 5 minutes away from Downtown Disney, so guests staying at the Disney resorts could consider taking a bus to Downtown Disney and then a taxi to Orlando Premium Outlets. If you’re staying off-property, your hotel may offer a free shuttle to the outlets.

AVOID a taxi — a round trip would likely cost over $200, according to taxifarefinder.com.

I checked with Mears Transportation to see if they offered their own shuttle services to LEGOLAND Florida, but they said, “not yet.” So it may be worth checking back with them after the grand opening of the park.

Alexander, Kid Reporter for PassPorter, tests out the LEGO Technic Test Track, a “wild mouse” coaster at LEGOLAND Florida. This is a short little video and includes a look at the ride vehicle, queue, boarding, and some POV on-board footage. If you have younger kids (must be 42″ or taller to ride) and you’re not sure they’ll like this coaster, watch this video first! I’ll note that the first drop at 49 feet was pretty scary, even for me, and we screamed the whole way down! I might ride it again (emphasis on might), but Alexander would not.

Alexander, “Kid Reporter” for PassPorter, tests out the new Ford Driving School at LEGOLAND Florida. The video includes the full experience, from the queue and getting your photo taken for your license, to driver orientation and your hands-on driver’s test. Alexander gives his commentary on the ride and we offer tips for a great experience.

If you’re anything like me, you like to be prepared. Well, here’s some good news for you — LEGOLAND Florida doesn’t really require a great deal of preparation. It’s a low-key, easy “walk in the park” when you compare it to other adventures you could go on in Florida. Still, there are a number of things you should consider bringing with you to make your day the best it can be.

Entering the park with a ticket print-out

1. Your Park Tickets. Yes, you should try to get these in advance. Why? To save money and save time in line that you could be spending out in the park. To get park tickets in advance, you can visit the LEGOLAND Florida web site — once purchased, you just print the tickets out and bring the print-out with you. There are other ways to get discounted tickets in advance — here are examples:

• You can buy gift cards redeemable for one-day tickets to LEGOLAND Florida at any Publix in Florida. Price is $64.20 for adults and $53.30 for children 3-12 (regular prices are $75/$65). And, conveniently enough, there is a Publix right across the street from LEGOLAND Florida!
• Free LEGOLAND Florida child ticket (with purchase of adult ticket) discounts are available in a number of places. For example, there’s a Pepsi Special Offer — go to http://www.legoland.com/pepsi and use code 11090601. You’ll also find free child tickets in some LEGO kits, such as the Birthday Party Kit and Fun Favor Pack. And every LEGO Club magazine (which you can subscribe to for free) has a buy one adult get one child free ticket!
• More discounts for LEGOLAND Florida are listed on the most excellent MouseSavers.com web site, and the page is updated regularly! Be sure to check it out!

Tip: If you print out your ticket in advance, and use an inkjet printer, keep your print-out in a plastic sleeve or something else that protects it. You don’t want your print-out to be destroyed by an accidental spill, or even just moisture condensation from a water bottle.

2. Sun Protection. Bring your hats, sunscreen, and sunglasses. While you can purchase these in the park, they are pricey. I spent $9.99 for a bottle of spray sunscreen, $12.99 for a pair of sunglasses, $16.99 for a child’s hat, and $18.99 for an adult’s hat on my most recent trip. That’s $63.09 that I could have saved (or spent on LEGO souvenirs) had I thought ahead to bring these items.

3. Rain Gear. Toss your umbrellas and ponchos in with your sun protection. Again, it’s available at the park, but expensive. And it’s so much easier to pull out an umbrella than to go hunting one down in the park.

4. Camera. Even if it’s just your smartphone, you’re going to want to snap photos of all the cool LEGOs in Miniland. Bring your favorite camera and make sure it’s well charged!

LEGO Minifigs are fun to trade!

5. Minifigures. Bring your LEGO minifigs from home and you can trade them with one’s you spot on Model Citizen (employee) name tags! This is a great way to get new minifigs, and it gives you an excuse to chat with the Model Citizens. I know my son has a number of duplicate minifigs that he wouldn’t mind trading! (If you don’t bring them from home, you can purchase one at the park for $2.99 to get you started.)

By the way, LEGOLAND Florida asks that guests not bring in food or beverages, with the exception of items needed for infants and those with special media needs. They do not have a security checkpoint inspecting bags, however.

Enjoy your day at LEGOLAND Florida!