LEGOLAND Florida Resort Grand Opening!

*Please note that LEGOLAND resort compensated me with tickets to the parks and accommodations at the new hotel in exchange for this post.  ALL opinions are 100% my own!

If you could’ve seen the looks on my boys’ faces when we told them that we were going to LEGOLAND and were going to be one of the first families to stay at their brand new LEGOLAND resort – you would have died!

We thought the first thing that would give away our surprise was that I had to drop Sadie, our dog, off at the kennel the afternoon before.  They didn’t even realize.  It’s hard NOT to realize that an 81-pound Goldendoodle isn’t in the house (and we’re glad they didn’t) but that was odd.

LEGOLAND FLORIDA RESORT SURPRISE!

The morning of the surprise we got them up early and rushed them downstairs to have breakfast earlier than usual because I wanted to get on the road as soon as we could.  My youngest did ask me why we were having breakfast so early (but didn’t notice the disappearance of the dog…) and I chalked it off saying that Daddy and I had a meeting to go to early.

ON THE ROAD

We got in the car and started driving with the boys grumbling and pouting, complaining about not being able to do what they want to do, blah, blah, blah.  Finally, after I couldn’t take it anymore (and we were nearing the road that would bring us to the Turnpike), I told them that they were going to Legoland.  Total 360 in attitude, smiles from ear to ear, cheering, excitement – and some apologies for being grumps LOL.

WE’VE ARRIVED!

We arrived at the LEGOLAND Hotel and I explained to the boys that this is a brand new hotel!  Entering into the lobby, you are ensconced by LEGO everything…a LEGO pirate bed; a LEGO bellman and rolling cart; the front desk’s back wall is covered in LEGO minifigures (over 5,000) and has a cool Lego guy on a bike “riding” along the wall.  While I waited to check in, the boys played in a perfectly located LEGO pit.  No whining while I check in?! I was sold by that alone!

We went up to our pirate-themed room and couldn’t stop gushing about how awesome the set up was.  There were bunk beds for the boys with their own flat screen TV and pirate everything! LEGO characters (models) were incorporated into the wall designs, in the bathroom, even the cute monkey sitting atop the treasure box.  YES, there was a treasure box – for the in-room treasure hunt of course! The kids could also play with the box of LEGOs that are in every room.  The main sleeping area of the room was decked out – from the window coverings to the lighting fixtures – you could tell it was very well thought out!

This is where we slept…

and this is where the boys begrudgingly (haha) slept…

Off to the parks we went, although it was hard to drag the boys out of the room because they loved being there!  We rode almost every ride in the park, loving the fact that the rides are made with the kids in mind.

It took us 130 “kid steps” to get back to the hotel from the park – now that is convenience! We showered (using the GREAT Honest Company toiletries – two thumbs up for those), and headed down to dinner at the Bricks Family Restaurant.  The tables were covered with a huge word search page and coloring page with jokes printed all over them.  The buffet was great – something for everyone, especially the make-your-own-sundae station.  LEGO characters walked around and interacted with the diners as they ate.  Sir Phur spent some time with us, as did a princess and a jester.  After dinner the kids ran over to the main lobby’s attraction – the castle!  They sat there and built for hours, which allowed the hubby and I to grab a glass of wine at the Skyline Lounge.  (I wish we stayed longer because the Skyline Lounge’s menu looked great.)

We toured the hotel, checking out each of the four different themed rooms – pirate, LEGO Friends, Adventure and Kingdom.

Massive corner suites are also available.  Those were amazing – approximately 850 sq. ft – and were part of special packages that you could pre-book which included niceties such as a personal attendant that cared to your needs.  I’m talking reading bedtime stories for the kids, tucking them in at night, games…you name it.  Pricing depends on the number of guests in your party (check the website for exact pricing).

Ever been in a Disco Elevator? The interactive elevator features pulsating lights, music, ‘lava’ tiles, rotating mirror ball and sound effects that announce the arrival on each floor.

The Florida LEGOLAND Resort is the only one of the six in the world to offer a LEGO Friends SUITE! Another special feature only available at the Florida location is the in-house Model Shop where guests can build exclusively with Model Builders daily.

One of my husband’s favorite spots in the hotel was right by the elevator…

I have 3 kids, not 2! Once again though…this in-floor whoopie cushion is a testament to the hotel’s attention to detail and creativity.

Over 2,000 LEGO models were produced for this hotel alone (about 8 models per room), equalling about 2 million LEGO bricks!  The park, in total, has utilized over 58 million bricks so far – and all models are UV coated to help them last a long time in the hot Florida sun.

OUR DAY AT LEGOLAND

The boys were up super early, revving to go!  We enjoyed the breakfast buffet at Bricks (breakfast is included with each room) and were off to the LEGOLAND Water Park.  I loved that the boys could go on all of the attractions there – once again, this park was planned perfectly with kids in mind!

These past two days were perfect.  The boys were surprised with a vacation of their dreams.  My husband and I were thrilled to watch the boys building LEGO models in the resort, playing in their “own area” of the hotel room, riding the rides at both parks, and truly having a BLAST!