Orlando is commonly thought of as the epicenter of family fun, with amusement parks such as Disney World, Universal Studios and Legoland (in nearby Winter Haven). When I think of Orlando, however, I cringe. The heat, the crowds, the expense? No thank you.

Luckily, for Lego enthusiasts of all ages, there is an alternative. About four hours north of Baltimore is Goshen, New York, and it is home to a Legoland. This is the second year that I have made the late summer trip with my son, Maclin — who is 6 and a Lego fanatic — and we have learned a thing or two.

But we don’t gatekeep, so here are some pro tips.

The logistics

Take the long route. By mileage, I-95 is the shortest drive to Goshen. But unless you’re a glutton for punishment, taking I-83 up through Central Pennsylvania is a much more pleasant experience. No one likes sitting in stop-and-go traffic.

Download the Legoland app. It is essential for learning about wait times, ride closures and is a central place to host all your various vouchers and tickets. Keep an eye on promotions, too: This summer, kids’ tickets were $29 with the purchase of an adult ticket, which ranges from $79 to $84 depending on the day. The park is completely cashless, but you can purchase parking passes and make reservations in the app.

Skip the Legoland Hotel. It’s expensive and the perks just aren’t enough to justify the cost.

Don’t buy the preferred parking. It’s $50 — $15 more than regular parking — and doesn’t deliver on benefits. We arrived about 30 minutes early to the park and were able to get a spot almost right next to the gate.

Go early. While this Legoland never seems to get extraordinarily busy, it is a good idea to be there before the park opens. The hours are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., so arriving around 9:30 will get you through security and close to the gate for when Professor Brick entrusts a park attendee to “flip the switch” to open the park. Once the gates were open, my son and I were able to go in and get our pick of all the big rides without any waiting. If you’ve traveled with an impatient child, you know how important that is.

Make reservations for the water playground. At 7 a.m. the day of your visit, you can go online through the app and make a reservation for a 20-minute time slot for the water playground. Do it early because the sessions will book up quickly. It’s a short time frame, but worth it. There are multiple waterslides and a giant bucket that fills up and dumps a cascade of water onto guests periodically. It’s also a great way to cool down in the middle of the day. Just be aware that once you exit the water playground, kids must wear shorts, shirts and shoes on any other rides. I suggest bringing a towel and a change of clothes.

Bring water bottles and snacks. Food is predictably expensive at Legoland. Think $10 for two bottles of water, $18 for a grilled chicken sandwich or $21 for two hot dogs. Thankfully, the park allows you to bring in backpacks, reusable water bottles and small snacks. There are water bottle filling stations throughout the park and plenty of areas to sit, rest and enjoy a quick bite between rides.

What to buy (and not buy)

You know you want the ride photos. I’m not one to buy into all the gimmicks, but the daily photo pass is worth it. For $30, you can get digital copies of all the photos taken in the park, including ride photos and those taken by park staff.

The dreaded games. I know, carnival games are rigged and expensive, but hear me out. We discovered this visit that if you are the first person to play the game in the park, you are guaranteed a prize. The only problem is then you have to lug a 5-foot stuffed dog around the park. Good thing Legoland has free reentry; just get your hand stamped on the way out. Bella the husky spent the rest of the day in the trunk.

Skip Granny’s Apple Fries. The “signature treat invented at Legoland” is frankly not that great. We waited in line for 20 minutes for these apple fries so I expected them to taste divine, but they were bland and kind of soggy. Spend that $9.99 elsewhere.

Respite for the adults

Visiting Legoland is a one- to two-day activity, tops. You can easily get to everything in the park in that amount of time. But instead of going home, finish off your weekend in the nearby Sullivan Catskills and let the adults take a break.

There are many cabins, but I tried out the Highland Bungalow, a fully renovated 1950s cabin that has been featured in Dwell, GQ, Vogue and Field Mag (and is also owned by a dear friend). Located in Eldred, New York, it is well worth the $304 per night price tag. On the way there from Legoland, we passed through the little town of Port Jervis and went up U.S. Highway 6 that runs along the Delaware River. The views are stunning, and there are plenty of places to pull over for either a quick look or a picnic lunch.

When in the Catskills, there are plenty of places to hike, bike, raft and explore local towns. Plus, it’s a great way to unwind after a weekend immersed in kid activities.