Wheelchair Accessible LEGOLAND Florida

and Pirate Island Hotel

There are places that try to get wheelchair accessibility right, and then there are places like LEGOLAND that could serve as a how-to guide for everyone else.

I was blown away by the attention to detail that made LEGOLAND Florida and the Pirate Island Hotel some of the most inclusive places we’ve had the joy of exploring. The staff are helpful, which means even if you don’t memorize everything I’m about to write out for you, you’ll still manage just fine.

(Two quick notes. #1. Masks are required in the park and lines are set up for distancing. I’m hoping I can delete this note in the near future, but for now, Covid is still kicking. #2. We were hosted, but I make nothing off of sharing my honest opinions below.)

Getting Started

As soon as you get to the park, you’ll want to get your hero pass. Guest Services is just inside the park entrance, you enter on the far side of the building. The hero pass enables you to skip the line on your first visit to each ride. You may continue to ride as many times as you’d like after that, but if there’s a wait, you can save your place in line and come back (just a time stamp of when to return). A Model Citizen (LEGOLAND employee) will initial your pass on each ride. If you want to ride the same ride all day, eventually you’ll just have to wait in line. The good news is, the lines are wheelchair accessible! The park was built with ADA in mind, so there are no annoying corners where you end up getting stuck.

Getting Around

You’ll want to download the app when you get there. There are no paper maps, some restaurants require you to order through the app, and you can get digital ride passes or even order your food before you get to your dining location.

The Rides

You can take your wheelchair right up to any of the rides, but every single one of them requires a transfer. There are no rides that will carry you in your wheelchair. Transferring is the responsibility of your own party, so make sure you’re comfortable getting on and off of rides.

The Food

We were kind of winging it and just eating whatever was near when we were hungry, but we missed out on too many good food options this way! So, please note that there are tacos in LEGO Movie World – which just makes sense, and you should eat them. Also, there a Granny Apple fries just before the carousel when you first come in. I just think everyone needs to pay attention to that…

Otherwise, yes, there are food options in every part of the park. Fairly typical theme park offerings at fairly typical them park prices.

The Deals

Because I know many of you are like me, and taking a family of five to McDonald’s, no less a theme park, can break the bank, I like to share the budget tips I find.

#1 Sign up for the emails. This is not a gimmick. I’m not being paid to say this. They send great deals that you will otherwise miss.

#2 Check out Black Friday deals. I realize that’s far away, but their best deals are offered over the holidays.

#3 See More. If you’re planning to do more in the area, check out Go City for a discounted pass to multiple destinations.

#4 Get a coupon. If your kids get the LEGO magazine (it’s free!), they often have BOGO coupons. I’ve also seen coupons at McDonald’s and Costco, but those seem to rotate and are not at all locations. You can also google “LEGOLAND coupon” and almost always find a deal.

#5 Get a package deal. LEGOLAND runs lots of stay and save offers. If you stay in the hotel, you can usually take a big chunk out of your ticket price. Their hotel options are phenomenal and add a lot to the experience. Actually, I would go back just for the hotel – allow me to explain…

Pirate Island Hotel

While both LEGO hotels offer similar deals, amenities, shows, play areas, and extended fun opportunities, Pirate Island is where we stayed, so that’s my focus, here.

First, let me say that the family voted and we all agreed this is the most fun hotel we’ve ever stayed in. It’s also number one for family-friendly. We put it in our top two for overall hotel experiences on the globe. We’ve stayed in a lot of hotels, so I think that says something. It’s also near the top of the list for accessibility.

Number One for Fun

Before you even make it to the door at Pirate Island Hotel, you’re surrounded by larger than life LEGO dragons, pirate ships, and other themed characters (including a pirate in a wheelchair). Once you enter (after passing the bellman made of LEGO), you’re greeted by walls of LEGO, pits of LEGO, play areas built of LEGO, and LEGO characters and shows. If you make it past all that fun, you can head to your own fully themed room, where you’re welcomed with a treasure hunt… and of course more LEGO play. Once the kids pick a bed, they’ll find their title for the stay (beware – the top bunk is captain!). The room is so themed that it feels like a giant playroom, and it’s equipped with Alexa, so the dance party can begin as soon as you walk in.

Of course, the hotel also has all the normal fun things, like a swimming pool, a mini golf course, a firepit for s’mores, and free master LEGO building courses. Wait, are those not all normal? We may never be able to stay in another hotel, again…

Number One for Families

It’s in the details.

In addition to keeping your children entertained with well themed rooms, bedtime stories, and Alexa jokes, the hotel experience is designed to be easy on parents.

Breakfast is included. One less thing to worry about. (And the coffee is just right – a rarity for a hotel stay.)

The restaurants have grown up food and drinks (with an in-restaurant play room). We had the family style meal at Shipwrecked and it was unbeatable.

The bathroom has a stool, so that all hands can reach, and even a kiddie seat for the potty. The toiletries are in fun LEGO containers so kids don’t complain about bath time. The kids’ side of the room has its own TV, in case you want to soak in some news on your own screen (totally kidding – you shouldn’t watch anything so gloomy when you’re having such a fun experience).

Number One for Accessibility

This is another one that’s made up of tiny details that make a huge difference. If you’re not a wheelchair user, you won’t notice these things, but we were grateful to find doors that swing the right direction and a sink that you can actually roll up to. The roll in shower even had a reachable shower head, handles on the wall, and a foldable shower chair. There was nothing difficult here. There were none of those little moments where you say to yourself, “clearly a wheelchair user was not consulted in this design process”.

Top Rated Overall

Customer service was excellent, dinner was impressively delicious, breakfast was way beyond what you associate with a free hotel breakfast, and the coffee was just right (not the hotel norm). Every detail was thought out in their theming – from cute little jugs for the chocolate milk, to the pirates chanting “heave-ho” as they hoist you up in the elevator and a LEGO newspaper delivered to your door in the morning.

We enjoyed it so much that I’m seriously considering just staying at the hotel again on our way home (it’s insanely reasonable when you’re not adding in the cost of five people in a theme park).

Let me know if I missed anything, or if you have any questions!