Legoland: The Ultimate Mecca for Lego Lovers (plus Tips for Parents)
Written: Aug 27 '03 (Updated Jan 15 '05)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Cute, gentle rides, perfect for kids who love legos
Cons: Awful food, crazy height restrictions, long lines
The Bottom Line: Legoland is a great park if you know what to expect.
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| modernmarvel's Full Review: Legoland |
I told my kids about Legoland six months ago when we were planning our trip to California and they had been talking about it ever since. I am not sure what they envisioned exactly, but they were not disappointed upon arrival. There were lego sculptures, gentle rides, cute theming and junk food. All in all, they spent a perfect day and a half there.
LEGOLAND OVERALL WITH A FEW REFERENCES TO ITS MAIN COMPETITOR
The first thing to admit is that, although we did love this park, it is not Disney. The rides are not as intense. Legoland has not created all kinds of licensed characters so there are no character greetings. Legoland is themed and had different "lands" or parts to the park. However, while the theming is good, it doesn't come close to the attention to detail that Disney provides.
On the other hand, there were a lot of things I liked about Legoland that I thought were better than Disney. Legoland is not nearly as over-stimulating as Disney. There is some nice landscaping and broad paths to walk down. The rides are usually gentle and the music is low key. It was more pleasurable for adults to take the kids here than to rush around from long line to long line at Disney. The kids were not as overwhelmed and exhausted at the day's end.
An important thing to know about Legoland is that it is not all about rides. There is a water playground and another cute town-themed playground. There are also many models to view and lots of opportunities to play with legos. I liked this mix better because it was more enjoyable than just standing in line for rides. However, thrill seekers and those who don't care for legos will be very disappointed here.
The other thing I liked about Legoland is that there is some really good shopping but the number of stores is limited. Of course, there is a giant store right near the entrance. However, other than that store, there are only a few other stores and those are generally tucked away. Luckily, my kids don't ask for too much, however, the limited shopping eliminated any begging for goods.
My only real complaint about Legoland is the crazy height restrictions. Each ride had different height requirements and sometimes they were different for riders and drivers. The attendants enforced the height restrictions and it was a pain to have to remember to check the height restrictions before we got on each ride.
WHAT IS THE PARK LIKE?
Legoland is quite large and you will do as much walking here as any other major theme park. The park is organized into areas that I will discuss below. There are broad walking paths so the park doesn't feel crowded or congested. There are cute lego statues everywhere for photo ops. While rides are a big part of the park, there is also a great playground and lots of opportunites to build with legos. The one thing Legoland does have in common with other theme parks is long waits for popular rides.
THE ENTRANCE
This is where you get started. You can rent single or double strollers and wheelchairs, shop in the biggest lego store I have ever seen and eat at a large restaurant. The entrance area is relatively small for a theme park although the biggest store is here. Shop on your way out so you don't have to lug your packages around.
FUN TOWN
This is one of the largest and busiest areas of the park. It is designed to look like a town with attractions, restaurants and shopping inside the various buildings.
My favorite store was tucked in a building in the back of this area. In this store you can make lego creations with piles of bricks they store in bins like jelly beans. You can buy your creation, although you don't have to, or just buy bricks by the pound. We bought roof pieces and lots of cool pink and purple pieces that are hard to find in sets. The legos are expensive: about $6.85 per 1/4 pound. However, it is a good way to get cool pieces or replace lost pieces.
One of our favorite rides here was the Kid Power Towers. Two people sit on a bench seat and have to pull themselves up on a rope. The ride does some lifting so you don't have to pull your full weight but it was still a lot of work. You can go up about 3 stories for a great view of the park and then gently free-fall down. The wait was about 15 minutes.
The Sky Cruiser was also in this area. This popular ride had long waits. Basically, it is another gentle ride around a track, this time up high in a colorful lego car.
There is a car driving attraction for little kids where you do actually steer the car. There is also a helicopter ride for the littlest kids where the helicopters only move up and down.
CASTLE HILL
This area has the best theming of the park. It had a cute fairy tale castle kind of theme. Be sure to check out the lego gargoyles on the castle walls. My 3 year old was fascinated with the witch staring down the well statue.
This area had a cute ride called the Royal Joust. Kids ride rocking horses as they move around a track with scenes of knights and castles. Both kids liked this ride the best although we waited 45 minutes to get on.
The roller coaster is also in this area. We didn't try it because the line was long and it was near the end of the day.
This area also has a large outdoor store selling castle-themed merchandise including adorable dress-up clothes.
Castle Hill is the shadiest part of the park so it might be good to spend midday here.
EXPLORE VILLAGE
This area has several rides and a fantastic play area:
Safari Trek: These are small cars that seat two people and go around a track. There are lego animals in high grasses around the track and a couple of impressive elephants in the small lake adjacent to the track. The cars have steering wheels but they do not steer the cars which move automatically. We waited 45 minutes to get on this ride.
Fairy Tale Brook: A small boat takes you through fairy tale scenes made out of legos. This was a cute, gentle ride. We waited 20 minutes for this one.
Water Works: An area where kids can play amid fountains, shoot water weapons, direct water around lego statues and otherwise get soaking wet. My 3 and 7 year old children spent an hour playing here. All of the kids seemed to love it from toddlers up to at least age 8 or 9. Bring bathing suits for kids so they don't have to spend the day in wet clothes.
Playtown: An elaborate playground designed like a town with a doctor's office, fire station, house, store, barn and other structures. Again, the kids loved it.
Legoland Express: This small train was hidden away at the back of the playground. It is for the smallest children only since it moves very gently along a little loop of track. Kids over 5 will find it extremely boring. There was only a 5 minute wait.
IMAGINATION ZONE
The main attraction of this area is several buildings filled with legos. My 3 year old would have been content to play in the duplo building for hours. However, the weather was nice and we insisted on moving on. The only downside is that, if you have siblings of different ages, they will want to play in different buildings, making it hard to supervise them. In addition to duplos, there were buildings with Bionicle, Mindstorms and regular size blocks. This area would be best in bad weather.
MINILAND USA
This area is primarily for walking and viewing. It is primarily a large plaza with lego models outside for everyone to stroll by. There is a great replica of New York City, Washington DC and New Orleans. The models are set near the lake on broad paths and both my 3 year old and 7 year old loved looking at all the details. You could easily spend half an hour here.
EATING
The food in Legoland is generally awful. I had the worst pizza of my life in this park. There are kids meals for $6.50. The kid meals come in a paper box similar to a Happy Meal. You can choose a slice of pizza to add to the chips and cookies already provided in the box. The meal also includes a fountain soda with a reusable cup to bring home. I was disappointed that there was no toy included in the kid's meal box. Come on, they could have thrown a few legos in there.
Some restaurants had a few healthy offerings for sale including salads and fresh fruit. We brought in juice boxes and sandwiches in our bags. This didn't appear to be a problem.
SECURITY
We expected to have our bags searched prior to entering the park. They weren't. There were a few security guards walking around, but it looked like pre - 9/11 days.
PARKING
Parking cost $12 for the preferred lot which is right outside the entrance. General parking is $7 which is a longer walk away. There are no trams. We arrived one day at noon and still got the preferred parking.
TIPS FOR VISITING
Bring bathing suits and towels for kids. There is a fun water area and kids get soaked.
The food is awful. Consider sneaking in some food and bring water bottles.
There is limited shade so bring sunscreen.
Measure smaller children before you go so you know which rides you can go on. Check height requirements before you get in line.
The hours of the park vary so check before you go. In the winter, the park is only open 5 days a week.
You can see most of the park in a day. A day and a half would be best.
Lines get long. Unlike Disney, there are no fast passes. There were limited express passes to the Sky Cruiser only and those were being given out on an "experimental basis" whatever that means. Try to get there early and ride the most popular rides before the lines get out of hand.
MORE INFORMATION AND LOCATION
www.legoland.com
(760) 918-LEGO
Legoland is located in Carlsbad, California. It is about 1 1/2 hours south of Disney.
FINAL RECOMMENDATION
I liked this park as much as Disney parks. It was far more relaxing to visit and my kids did not get exhausted and over stimulated like they do in Disney. Lego lovers will be in paradise here, however children over 9 or those that don't like legos won't find as much to do. Since our family had a fantastic time, I am giving the park 5 stars.
MY REVIEWS OF OTHER THINGS TO SEE IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
Disney's California Adventure
Disneyland
SeaWorld San Diego
Birch Aquarium at Scripps
The San Diego Zoo
The San Diego Wild Animal Park
Balboa Park
The Museum of Making Music
Recommended:
Yes
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modernmarvel
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