While I’m a few months late with this post, I figure better late than never.

As if our schedules weren’t hectic enough as we made the drastic transition from tropical Hawaii to frigid Alaska (especially in March), we decided to squeeze in a quick trip to the Sunshine State. And while our whirlwind getaway may have left our heads spinning, it was most definitely worth it.

Rewind 18 months…I was booking a hotel for a conference I’d be attending in Seattle. Somehow I allowed myself to be talked into purchasing a vacation package for 4 days/3 nights in Orlando at the value price of $199 + tax, for any dates of my choosing. I suppose theoretically it would have been a good deal, except the promotion included a one-bedroom condo, and I needed at least three. By the time I finished upgrading, I’m pretty sure I’d spent the equivalent , if not more, of an entire house on Airbnb. On the flip side, the upscale suite certainly made our stay more comfortable and I managed to escape without buying a timeshare, much to the dismay of the salesman.

Our trip also coincidentally coincided with the North American winter storm that caused widespread havoc throughout much of the US. We packed our bags and headed south just hours before Mother Nature pelted the Midwest with ice and snow.

Now I realize when most people think Orlando, Disney World automatically comes to mind. But having been to DW numerous times in the past, we decided to try something new. Years ago when the kids were much younger, Abby and Anna couldn’t get enough of Dora the Explorer and Gabe thought he was going to grow up to be the next Ang, the Last Air Bender. We booked a stay at the Nickelodeon Resort and the kids had a blast. Fast forward to now. Sam (9) LOVES Legos. So much like before, we decided to maximize this moment in childhood and headed to…Lego Land!

Here’s what we thought:

Lego Land is considerably smaller than Disney World (as are most theme parks). It is also significantly less expensive, including the concession food. We spent the entire day exploring the park and riding almost every ride. Our experience was one day was plenty of time, as the lines were short (of course, that may have been related to the time of year we were there). It is also most certainly geared towards younger children, 2-12 years old, although my teens still really enjoyed themselves. You won’t find heart-stopping, stomach-flopping roller coasters here, but the rides were exhilarating enough to thrill all my kiddos. The park is broken up into 14 different worlds, including Ninjago World, The Lego Movie World, Pirates’ Cove, and Duplo Valley.

While Sam’s favorite part was the gift shop, brimming with Legos from end to end, mine was the apple fries! Imagine slices of Granny Smith apples, coated with cinnamon and sugar, deep fried, and served with vanilla ice cream! They were DELICIOUS…and I don’t even like apples!