Rollercoaster at Legoland Florida Resort.

Legoland or Disney World Florida Comparison

By <a href="#author-bio">Stuart Bak</a>
By Stuart Bak

Florida’s Legoland and Walt Disney World resorts require little introduction. These Orlando heavyweights come with significant boasts. Did you know, for example, that Legoland Florida is, at 145 acres, the second-largest Legoland on the planet (beaten only marginally by Legoland Windsor in the UK)? Or that Walt Disney World frankly dwarfs it (and every other theme park in the world for that matter), weighing in at a whopping 27,000 acres? Well, now you do. Read on for our comparison of this entertainment equivalent of David and Goliath as we put Legoland and Walt Disney World through their paces...

Legoland or Disney World Florida Comparison: Legoland

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Name: Legoland. Or, if we must be pedantic about it: LEGOLAND® Florida Resort.

Age: A mere whippersnapper next to Walt Disney World, Legoland Florida opened to the general public in October, 2011.

Legoland in a nutshell: This epic interactive theme park is a firm family favorite, with 150 acres in which to let kids young and old run riot. We’re talking Lego-themed rollercoaster rides, 4D movie theaters, water shows and more. Heck, there’s even a standalone Peppa Pig theme park, a water park and a botanical garden here. Add to that several restaurants and gift shops and you have all the ingredients for a great day out. Though technically aimed at kids aged 2-12, it’s also pretty great fun for grown-ups too! There’s easily enough to do here to justify a couple of days. Maybe even three.

Legoland: Vital Statistics

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  • Size: 145 acres
  • Number of zones: there are a whopping 12 themed zones to explore, and we’re not even including the Cypress Gardens, Peppa Pig Theme Park or Legoland Water Park in that count.
  • Number of attractions: there are somewhere in the region of 50 fun rides, theaters and other attractions in the main park.
  • Number of hotels: three.
  • Number of Lego bricks: 4m+
  • Visitors: around 1.5 million annually.

Unmissable Highlights at Legoland Florida

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Adrenaline heads will want to hit up the coasters in Lego Kingdoms and the Land of Adventure in which, respectively, The Dragon and traditional wooden Coastersaurus are among the most hair-raising. Meanwhile, fans of Lego Ninjago will find much to enjoy on the interactive Ninjago-themed dark ride. Kids can earn their Legoland driving licenses in Lego City, play video games and build Lego Mindstorms robots in the Imagination Zone, and meet Lego friends including Mia, Olivia, Andrea, Stephanie and Emma in Heartlake City.

For something a little bit... weirder, mosey on down to Pirates’ Cove, where the daily live action water-ski stunt show on Lake Eloise sees Captain Brickbeard, Calico Jade and the rest of the scurvy pirate crew put through their paces on wakeboards, flying boards and more. Meanwhile, over in the Land of Adventure, there’s a safari trek that takes in life-size lego lions, tigers and elephants. And in Lego Movie World you can get involved in the Battle of Bricksburg, in which participants spray down evil Duplo invaders and, well, get royally drenched in the process.

Legoland Florida: Information for Visitors

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Opening hours: Standard opening hours are 10AM-5PM daily, but these vary by season and on weekends and holidays. The Water Park tends to open a little later and close a little earlier than Legoland. Check the Legoland website for the latest opening hours.

Tickets: There are various options available direct, from multi-day tickets to VIP and annual passes. You’ll need separate tickets in addition to your Legoland ticket if you want to visit the Legoland Water Park. Alternatively, an Orlando attraction pass from Go City includes one-day entry to Legoland Florida, plus admission to dozens more top Orlando attractions for one money-saving price.

Legoland or Disney World Florida Comparison: Walt Disney World Florida

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Name: Walt Disney World Florida, to give it its full name. Initially just plain old Disney World, Walt’s first name was added posthumously in recognition that the whole project had been his idea.

Age: This stalwart of the theme park scene first opened its gates way back in October 1971, a shade under five years after Walt’s death.

Walt Disney World in a nutshell: Walt Disney World is a monster entertainment complex that’s truly worthy of its founder’s name. What was once a vast tract of Florida swampland now contains – deep breath – four separate theme parks, two water parks, four golf courses, several shopping complexes and multiple hotels. Frankly it’s more of a Disney city than a mere theme park: to give you some idea of scale, it’s approximately the same size as San Francisco. However, it is the theme parks here that are the main event, running the gamut from the classic Magic Kingdom to Epcot (a celebration of human technological innovation and achievement), Hollywood Studios and the vast Animal Kingdom – the world’s largest theme park at a humongous 580 acres, fact fans. With that in mind, you may find that one or even two weeks isn’t quite enough time to take it all in.

Walt Disney World: Vital Statistics

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  • Size: 27,000 acres or thereabouts, around half of which has been developed to date.
  • Number of parks: Magic Kingdom, Hollywood Studios, Epcot and Animal Kingdom makes four. There are also two water parks and several dozen additional satellite zones and attractions.
  • Number of attractions: there are around 170 rides across the four main parks.
  • Number of hotels: 32, of which 22 are owned and operated by Disney.
  • Visitors: around 58 million annually, making Walt Disney World the world’s most visited vacation resort.

Unmissable Highlights at Walt Disney World

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I mean... where to start? Can you even say you’ve been to the Magic Kingdom if you fail to grab a selfie at the iconic Cinderella Castle, ride the original Space Mountain rollercoaster or shake hands with Mickey, Minnie and the gang? Then there’s Epcot (or EPCOT, if you insist), where the Mission: Space thrill ride comes with complimentary motion-sickness bags and the World Showcase neighborhood contains pavilions representing the cultures, cuisines and architecture of 11 nations including Norway, Morocco, Japan and the United Kingdom.

Get a taste of the golden age of cinema at Hollywood Studios, where highlights include the Muppet-themed Grand Avenue, several Star Wars rides and the 11-acre Toy Story Land. And hit up the Animal Kingdom which is, in effect, one of the world’s biggest zoos. Go on an African safari, ride the Wildlife Express Train, catch a show at the Tree of Life Theater, and say hey to the resident anteaters, macaws, gorillas, hippos, crocodiles and other critters. Word has it you might even bump into the occasional overgrown mouse or duck...

Walt Disney World: Information for Visitors

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Opening hours: Hollywood Studios and Epcot generally open from 9AM-9PM; Magic Kingdom is 9AM-10PM and Animal Kingdom 8AM-7PM. However, timings will vary a little by season. Check the Walt Disney World website for the most up-to-date opening hours.

Tickets: Several options are available direct via the Walt Disney World website.

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Stuart Bak
Stuart Bak
Freelance travel writer

Stu caught the travel bug at an early age, thanks to childhood road trips to the south of France squeezed into the back of a Ford Cortina with two brothers and a Sony Walkman. Now a freelance writer living on the Norfolk coast, Stu has produced content for travel giants including Frommer’s, British Airways, Expedia, Mr & Mrs Smith, and now Go City. His most memorable travel experiences include drinking kava with the locals in Fiji and pranging a taxi driver’s car in the Honduran capital.

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