Knights, Dragons, Dinosaurs, Bionicles and Your Kids "Play Well" at Legoland California
Written: Jul 16 '05 (Updated Jul 27 '07)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Imagination, playgrounds, rides, hands on exploration, a frightening new robot-powered interactive thrill ride.
Cons: Pricey, height restrictions may disappoint smaller visitors. Long lines on weekends and holidays.
The Bottom Line: Legoland California is ideal for its target audience: families with children over 34 inches tall and Legomaniacs. It's great family fun. Your child might learn some science, too.
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| hkwrites's Full Review: Legoland |
Legoland California had a rough start when it opened in 2000. It had few rides and was more of a Lego builder’s showcase than anything else. Five years later, it has become so much more. Last month they broke new ground when they introduced an “I’m way too scared to go on that” robot-arm-controlled thrill ride that’s unique in North America. In addition, they’ve renovated some old favorites, and are building at a record pace for the summer season.
Unlike Disneyland a few hours north in Anaheim, Legoland is interactive, manageable, and relatively calm and quiet.
Since your time at the park will likely be limited by a jam-packed vacation schedule, hopefully this review will help you plan your day(s) for your family’s maximum enjoyment at the park. The Legoland website (www.legoland.com) is also a must-see for current schedules, prices, closures, special events and special offers.
Lego bricks have long been a staple for budding engineers and imaginative kids (and kids at heart), but this place takes it to a whole 'nother level. The variety and size of animals, people, fictional characters, and entire cities constructed of Lego and Duplo bricks is astounding. Life size versions of Darth Vader, R2D2, Chewbacca, Hagrid, Harry Potter, and Dora the Explorer with her cousin Diego and her Monkey Boots are just a few of the familiar characters you'll see made completely of Lego bricks. You'll also see monkeys, space aliens, police officers, divers, workmen, fire fighters and just about anything else a kid could imagine made of -- you guessed it -- Lego bricks.
Each section of the park has a theme, and the Lego brick constructions match each theme. There's a town, a medieval village, a futuristic amusements section, a water play area, places to build your own models with Lego or Duplo bricks, and miniature replicas of some of the world's major cities and attractions. There's even a fully-constructed Freedom Tower, which is the building scheduled to replace the World Trade Center.
How old should my child be to get my money’s worth?
The consensus of San Diego Moms is to wait until your child is at least four years old to get maximum benefit from the park. Anything younger and you’re basically paying for a ramped-up playground, a couple of boat rides, a train ride, and a mini-waterpark in the summer. The Height Restrictions section below can help you decide if your child is big enough to enjoy the park.
Will my pre-teen or teenager have fun?
Your pre-teen will probably enjoy it, but your teenager will probably be bored unless he or she is really into Lego creations. Most of the rides are quite tame with the exception of Knight’s Tournament. There is no way you will get me on that thing. It looks like a mutant escapee from the robot-arm section of a japanese car factory. It spins around and goes upside down while the riders' legs dangle like a rag doll in a german shephard's mouth. Anyway, thirteen seems to be the upper limit for most of the kids I've seen in the park, and it’s the maximum age for the Volvo Driving School.
What if I have an infant or toddler?
The good news: kids under age 3 are free. The bad news: there’s not much for them to do. If you are bringing a toddler into the park with an older sibling, there are few rides for them. There are, however, other activities, and Legoland has thoughtfully published a brochure “What to Do When You’re 2: A Guide for Our Smallest Guests”, which is available at the front gate and the member services desk. If your under-two year old is at the stage where they are putting everything in their mouths, you will probably want to avoid the bins of Lego and Duplo bricks that are plentiful around restaurants, the playground in Explore Village and building areas.
Rides and Height Restrictions
This is a BIGGIE. All but three of the rides have a minimum height requirement, and most three year olds miss it. There are metal height posts at the beginning and end of the lines and there is no sneaking around it. Whenever someone fails the height test, everyone knows because the attendant immediately makes an announcement reiterating the requirement for the benefit of the people waiting in line. To avoid meltdowns and temper tantrums, measure your child’s height before you get there, and bring a pair of cowboy boots or wedge shoes if your child is just shy of the limit (that worked for us when we needed it). All limits were verified at www.legoland.com. Heights are listed in inches. Enjoy the complete listing of Legoland rides:
Rides with no minimum height requirement
Fairy Tale Brook (boat ride), located in Explore Village
Legoland Express (train ride), located in Explore Village
Coast Cruise (boat ride), located in Miniland USA
Rides with 34” minimum height requirement
Safari Trek (safari car ride), located in Explore Village Note: This ride stops abruptly and locks into place several times toward the beginning and end of the ride and could pose a risk to pregnant women and people with back injuries
Fun Town Fire Academy (fire engine ride), located in Fun Town
Lego Sky Patrol (helicopter ride), located in Fun Town
Flight Squadron (airplane ride), located in Fun Town
Skipper School (boat ride), located in Fun Town
Rides with 36” minimum height requirement
Coastersaurus (roller coaster), located in Dino Island
The Royal Joust (moving rocking horse ride), located in Knight’s Kingdom (maximum age is 12, maximum weight is 170 pounds)
Sky Cruiser (pedal on a track high above the lake), located in Fun Town
Rides with 40” minimum height requirement
Knights’ Tournament (robotic arm thrill ride), located in Knight’s Kingdom
The Dragon (roller coaster), located in Knight’s Kingdom
Aquazone Wave Racers (power ski race), located in Imagination Zone
Kid Power Towers (rope controlled freefall thrill ride), located in Fun Town
Rides with 42” minimum height requirement
Lego Technic Test Track (roller coaster) located in Imagination Zone
Bionicle Blaster (similar to Disneyland’s Teacup ride- spinning cars), located in Imagination Zone
Age Restrictions
Three locations within Legoland have minimum and maximum age restrictions:
Volvo Driving School (driving track), located in Fun Town, Minimum Age 6 Years / Maximum Age 13
Volvo Jr. Driving School (driving track), located in Fun Town, Minimum Age 3 Years / Maximum Age 5
Lego Mindstorms Robotics (interactive robotics), located in Imagination Zone, Minimum Age 10 Years
Playgrounds
There are two playgrounds for children at LegoLand, and they are both very well done. For toddlers and young children, the imagination-based playground at Explore Village looks like an entire small town. Everything looks to be made out of wood which is painted in bright colors and varnished. It’s in very good condition. There’s a fire station, hospital, a police station and jail with rope bars, stationary vehicles and a water table area (seasonal) that’s just right for the Duplo-aged children (age 5 and under). At each structure, there’s a button that plays a recording of the appropriate sounds or dialog for the “store.” For example, the doctor’s office has the sound of a beating heart, the fire station says something like “emergency, there’s a fire.” It’s all very interactive, and there are many bins of the large size Duplo bricks for the kids to use. There’s an interactive farm, barn, and a scarecrow that talks. There are also two obstacle courses, one for smaller children and one for larger children. This is also the location for the Legoland Express Train. Look carefully between the train tracks and you’ll see real strawberry plants, herbs, and a giant plant that looks like crabgrass on steroids but is actually an artichoke plant.
The Mom in me wants to caution you that there are many entrances and exits to the multi-level playground, so watch your children carefully. Also, the slides are steeper and narrower than the standard equipment at most American playgrounds.
For older children, there is the physical activity challenge playground at Knight’s Kingdom. This playground is a three-story wooden structure that features climbing nets, tube slides of varying heights, obstacle courses resembling the plastic mats from a car wash, a bouncing bridge, and horizontal netted tubes. In keeping with the medieval theme, there are coats of arms, treasures made of Lego bricks, and Lego wolves that howl. It’s a great place to let the kids get some of their pent-up energy out, and there is plentiful seating for parents.
Ride the Coastersaurus, Have a Physics Lesson...
Legoland can be educational. That's right, your kids might actually learn something. Really. Before you go, you can download age-appropriate Education Program Resource Guide curriculum plans at www.legoland.com/education and select "teacher guides." The worksheets are fun, and if you, as a parent, position them properly (uh, don't call them "homework") your child might actually learn some physics between playgrounds and roller coaster rides! Older children can harness their newfound knowledge at Mindstorms and younger children can learn about structures in the Fairytale Brook. Try it, you'll like it.
Shows
There are several fun shows around the park, most notably the Fun Town Fire Academy. We see this every time. It's an acrobatic, very funny lesson in fire safety that will have you singing all the way home. There's also a kids' comedy show, and there are occasionally knights swordfighting as they fight for supremacy and the king's favour. Be sure to pick up a show schedule since some of these shows are only once a day.
Food
Food is plentiful at Legoland California, and there are many healthy choices available as well as fast food. It’s a good idea to study the park map to decide where you’d like to be when it’s time to eat, as the selections vary by location. Several reviewers have reported that they don’t like the pizza, but I haven’t tried it personally. The Market near the Fun Town Fire Academy has the largest variety of meals and usually includes an Italian entry, a stir-fry, a kids meal (usually fried chicken nuggets and fries), a salad bar, and a Mexican entrée. Right next door there is a hotdog stand, and near the Volvo Driving School there is a burger stand. If you’re near the Bionicle Blaster in the Imagination Zone, there’s a pizza restaurant and a sports café (the chicken sandwiches are quite good). In Knight’s Kingdom there is an ice cream parlour, a burger stand, a barbecue restaurant, and a stand for something called “Granny Fries” which are deep fried apples with a vanilla cream sauce. In the Beginning near the front entrance there is a candy shop and a market with fresh seasonal fruit (usually locally grown Carlsbad strawberries), ice cream, yogurt, energy bars, and other snacks. There are soft drink, popcorn, ice cream and churros (a Mexican pastry with cinnamon and sugar) stands throughout the park, but the season pass discount doesn’t apply to them. I’m sure I’m leaving something out, but all of the restaurants are listed on the park map. Occasionally one of the restaurants will have a one-price all-inclusive dinner special, so be sure to ask about it at guest services inside the park.
Places to Spend Money
Legoland has plenty of places to buy things. Of course, there's food and snacks, assorted face painting and hair brading kiosks, and The Big Store which has the most up-to-date Lego merchandise. There's also a Clikits store. In case you haven't seen them, clikits are fashion-forward Lego flowers and hearts and stars for girls. They're used to decorate picture frames, hair accessories, jewelry, and anything you can make a holepuncher-size hole into to fit the two-part pieces. There's also a mini karoke recording studio, and for $18 you can pick a song and record your own CD. It's really small, though, so skip it if you're claustrophobic.
Here's where your day at Legoland can really pay off big: the Legoland Tent Sale. I hope my friends aren't reading this because they'll find out that I only paid half price for all those amazing clickit and Lego birthday gifts their kids have been getting all year. No retail store can match these outlet prices.
Special Event Weekends
Be sure to check the Legoland web site to plan your trip on a special event weekend. Our last special event (not including July 4th fireworks which were fantastic) was the Star Wars weekend. It was downright creepy to see "armed" stormtroopers stationed throughout the park. Darth Vader posed for a picture with us, and R2D2 was rolling around and keeping a lookout for the Jedi Knights. Dora the Explorer is here this week, and a few weeks back there was a Knights medieval festival.
What’s a Model Citizen?
Various places of the park are off-limits unless you’re a model citizen. Don’t feel left out – “model citizen” is Legolandspeak for a park employee.
Places You’re Likely to Get Splashed or Soaked
It seems San Diego parks are all on the designated “soak zone” bandwagon. Legoland is no different. At the Funtown Fire Academy show, if you sit in any of the concrete seating areas with a blue stripe, you could get sprayed with a fire hose, have a bucket of water dumped on you, or get caught in the crossfire of the volunteer fire department’s zany antics. Also, many of the water playground attractions have water hoses that kids can aim at targets. Nothing prevents them from making passers-by targets, however. A good rule of thumb is: if the ground is wet, you can get wet. Dino Island has an attraction called Raptor Splash that’s all about water balloons. Also, there is a likelihood of getting misted or waterbombed on any of the boat rides, and there are even areas where people viewing the attractions can press a button and cause an underwater “explosion” to get people wet at the aquazone ride, Knight’s Tournament and the Coast Cruise.
Places to Get Dry
If you got wet on purpose or by accident, fear not. Every bathroom has an electric dryer for your hands. The metal part of the dryer (usually painted a primary color) can be tipped to direct it to your face, hair, or clothes. Additionally, there are two large smokestack-like structures near the water play area outside the Clikits store. Originally, I thought these were underground ventilation fans, but they are actually heated dryers. There are no signs to tell you what they are, but they will turn on automatically if you stand in front of them. If worse comes to worst, most of the stores sell Lego or Clikit towels and clothing.
Wait Times
Depending on when you go, the average wait time for a popular ride or attraction is 45 minutes. On very busy days, the wait time can go to an hour. It’s best to watch the clock, especially on days where the park closes at 5:45 p.m. It’s a good idea to have a backup choice in the same part of the park. A helpful strategy is to start at the far side of the park and work your way forward, and try for the most popular rides at mealtimes. In the summer, the park is open for longer hours, sometimes as late as 8:00 p.m., so the wait times are less stressful because there’s more time to see everything.
Prices
If you plan to attend Legoland for more than two days in a year, consider buying an annual pass.
"1-Day Tickets
Adult $46.95
Children (3-12) & Seniors (60+); $38.95
Children (0-2) are free!"
"2-Day* Tickets
Adult $54.95
Children (3-12) & Seniors (60+); $46.95
Children (0-2) are free!
*Second day visit must be within 7 days of first visit."
(Price quotes, above, were obtained at www.legoland.com. For current prices, select Legoland California)
Passes
In addition to paying for itself by the third visit, an annual pass also eliminates the guilt of leaving early before the temper tantrums start and trying it again another day.
Model MOM (Thursdays Only)
If you are local to San Diego or are here for an extended stay, there is a special pass called the “Model MOM club.” This pass entitles a parent, grandparent or caregiver to accompany a child under four years old on Thursdays only for just under $50.00 USD. The Model MOM club includes a planned activity such as a stroller exercise class, a children’s expert, a stroller parade or other activity. Children three and over must have their own pass. You also get an email newsletter if you register for it online.
Regular Annual Pass or Plus Pass?
Since there are no blackout dates for the regular pass, most savvy San Diego parents buy one “plus” pass for the child who will attend the park most often and a “regular” pass for everyone else in the family. That way, any adult can take advantage of the free parking and discounts while saving the extra fee. This works especially well for us since either I, my husband, or any of the grandparents can go without me (how convenient). There's also a super-expensive Ambassador Pass that allows admission to all Legoland parks, platinum level parking spaces and other amazing benefits. Check the website for details.
Final Thoughts
It might be a little bit of a drive from where you're staying, but Legoland California in Carlsbad is good clean fun. It's good for your brain, too, so don't miss it.
To find out about more local events (many of them free), check out www.squidoo.com/sandiegokids.
Recommended:
Yes
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hkwrites
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Member: Holly K
Location: Southern California
Reviews written: 21
Trusted by: 8 members
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