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It's tough to be Santa at Legoland's Holiday Block Party

By Robert Niles
Published: December 23, 2008 at 7:42 PM
The kids are off from school this week and next, so we all packed into the Prius today for a drive down to Legoland California for its annual Holiday Block Party.

Like many theme parks during the holidays, Legoland has its own massive Christmas tree...

...but this one's made of Legos, of course.

The kids got to have the pictures taken with Santa Claus...

Frankly, other than the tree and Santa near the front entrance, there wasn't much holiday decor around the park. The big events at the Holiday Block Party were ones we couldn't stay late for: a tree lighting and fireworks. But I did find a few holiday gags in Miniland, where I couldn't resist snapping a picture of my favorite scene.

Yep, that's a Lego guy getting arrested in Lego New Orleans. While another Lego tourist videotapes the arrest. Nice. Legoland offers a sly sense of humor to those parents willing to take the time to look for it.

Over at the Houmas House in New Orleans, the Lego Santas are getting ready for the holidays with their annual convention.

Unfortunately, throughout Miniland, it seems that the Santas are not finding a Merry Christmas. On a Beverly Hills rooftop, Santa's the victim of a Christmas heist.

And it seems that an earthquake's knocked Santa off the roof in San Francisco. The reindeer are doing their best to haul St. Nick back up.

Only to have Santa detained by the Secret Service when he tries to deliver his presents to the White House. Oh well, the president was getting only 24 percent of his presents, anyway.

The rest of the day? We had lunch at the Knight's Table Barbecue, where, I am sad to say, I can no longer recommend the ribs.

The tasted as though they'd been sitting on the steam table too long: tough at one end, rubbery at the other and devoid of flavor throughout. My wife recommended the beef stew in a bread bowl ("It looks awful, but tastes great!"), while the kids reported the chicken breast nuggets and fries quite tasty. Especially when dipped in the variety of available barbecue sauces.

I am happy to report that we finally did get Laurie and Natalie to ride the Knights Tournament robocoaster. (They opted for Level 2 of 5.)

And Brian got his first chance on the "big kids" Driving School.

Where he proudly earned his Legoland license.

Readers' Opinions

From Anthony Murphy on December 23, 2008 at 10:42 PM
Excellent!

Though it looks like Santa is having problems. Hope the kids get the jokes and are not too upset.

From Mitchell Sentinella on December 23, 2008 at 11:09 PM
I'm glad you were able to stop by Legoland. Did you get a chance to see the Sea Life aquarium? We just reopened it after a few modifications because of guest comments during summer.
From Larry Zimmerman on December 24, 2008 at 6:14 AM
Thanks for sharing your (tax deductible) family photos of a fun day at Legoland. Merry Christmas, Happy New Year, and Wonderful Coastering!
From James Rao on December 24, 2008 at 7:57 AM
Thanks for the report and photos. I just love watching people have fun in the sun while I get ready to shovel snow off the driveway!

On a side note: I can only imagine what Universal is cooking up for a narrative, themed "robo-coaster" experience with their Harry Potter addition! The possibilities are endless!

From Robert Niles on December 24, 2008 at 10:49 AM
FWIW, Brian thought that "Santa getting robbed!" was the funniest thing he'd seen all day. Of course, he is my kid. :-)

Didn't have time for SeaLife on this trip. When we arrived, a huge line-up of cars as the parking booths and an already half-filled lot had me worried that we wouldn't be able to see much in the short time we'd devoted to the visit. But Legoland's expanded so much over the past few years that the park absorbed the crowd well.

Now, if only they could put out some fresh ribs....

From Ted Heumann on December 24, 2008 at 10:53 AM
I love Legoland and especially Miniland. There are always little hidden jokes throughtout. Have you seen the guy on the toilet in New York's Grand Central station?
I also like how they add little holiday touches throughtout Miniland. I was there during Halloween and they had quite a few little hidden scenes that were very funny.
I rode the Robocoaster and did level 5. I wouldn't do that again. :-)
From Joshua Counsil on December 24, 2008 at 12:00 PM
Wish I could have seen this when I was a kid ...
From Robert Niles on December 26, 2008 at 3:24 PM
Two cycles before Laurie and Natalie rode, an older teen girl rode on the arm right next to the bridge, where I was standing. She did level 5. At first, she yelled with excitement, but by the middle of the ride you could here fear creeping into her shouts. And toward the end, she was muttering pleas for mercy ("please, please make it stop.")

Level 4 is not for the timid. Level 5 is tough on the strong.

By the way, when the young lady got off the ride, she paused over her shoes for a good while (you have to take them off on the robocoaster), then regained her composure (and balance). By the time she got back to her friends, she was all trash talk. ("Oh, yeah. That was great. No problem.") Hey, she earned that right. ;-)

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