A first theme park visit with the kids is a rite of passage for new parents. But you don't have to go to visit Mickey or the Minions. Don't sleep on what might be the best park for children - Legoland.
You can find 10 Legoland theme parks around the world, but today I would like to talk about my home Legoland park, Legoland California. Located about an hour south of Disneyland, in the seaside town of Carlsbad, Legoland offers eight great reasons why you should consider a trip there this year.
Lots of parks build kiddie lands. But only Legoland is designed for children throughout. These are not all off-the-shelf kiddie rides, however. The Lego theme and spirit imbues everything in the park. You can settle down and focus by building the Lego race car of your dreams in Lego Ferrari Build & Race, or go wild are run and climb around a big playground like The Hideaways. A child can enjoy the independence of riding by themselves, perhaps for the first time, on the kid-sized Royal Joust. Or get behind the wheel of a car for the first time on Lego Driving School.
People don't stop loving Lego when they grow up. Sure, you're riding with your kids on the Coast Cruise, but I'll bet that a lot of parents are low-key enjoying the chance to see all those impressive landmarks built in Lego form. And more than a few moms and dads have picked up some bricks to "help" their kids in the park's abundant build opportunities. Ultimately, the park might be built for kids, but Legoland is filled with attractions that children and grown-ups can enjoy together, such as Fun Town Police and Fire Academy, where families compete together against other families.
Lego City Deep Sea Adventure delivers the real undersea adventure that other parks promise but only Legoland delivers. These aren't pretend, cartoon characters, they're more than 2,000 real sea creatures that you can watch from inside your comfy sub.
When Disney opened its Spider-Man ride in 2021, many Legoland California fans smirked because they'd been enjoying pretty much the same ride experience since 2016, when Lego Ninjago The Ride opened. It's not Spidey, it's "Spinjitzu" - but you're waving your hands for points just the same.
Summer vacation season will bring a rethemed land to Legoland California with the debut of Dino Valley. The park's old Explorer Island land reopens in the spring and will include the Duplo Little Dino Trail track ride and Explorer River Quest boat ride, as well as the park's Gerstlauer junior coaster, Coastersaurus.
This year also will welcome Legoland California's first parade, the Lego World Parade. If you love parades, obviously that's a plus for you. And if you don't, the show should attract plenty of fans to the parade route, clearing ride queues for everyone else.
The highlight of any Legoland park is its Miniland. It's an experience you will not find at any other theme park - a masterclass in themed entertainment design with model after model of iconic sights, built from Legos. And do not overlook the details. Lego's Master Model Builders fill the streets of its Miniland with abundant Easter eggs, including a few intended for the grown-ups instead of the kids.
Legoland California offers two Lego-themed hotels within steps of the park entrance. A few other parks offer hotels at their entrance, but none are as well-themed for kids as Legoland's. The Legoland Hotel offers Pirate, Adventure, Kingdom, Lego Friends, and Lego Ninjago-themed rooms, while the Castle Hotel has Knights & Dragons, Magic Wizard, and Royal Princess-themed rooms. All include immersive decoration as well as Lego building areas. You can check rates via our partner's Legoland California Resort Hotels page.
Those are just some of the reasons to consider a Legoland visit on your next theme park family vacation. If you've been to Legoland recently, please share your experiences with us, in the comments.
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Should you visit it without kids? We never got a chance to go - my kids were already young teenagers when it opened and we never made it.
I am thinking someone is going to think I am a pedo.
No one cares - just go. Heck, I just assume that any solo parents in Legoland are trying to find their lost kids. Or maybe just enjoying a moment of freedom from them, instead.
And remember, it’s not the kids who are lost at theme parks, it’s the parents.
I've never been to a Legoland only because the rides don't appeal to me too much but the Mini lands I've been told are totally worth it. Going to San Diego in February so maybe will drive up to check out this park.
If you have kids below first grade, there's a good chance they'll enjoy Legoland more than the Disney or Universal parks. Not only is the park designed specifically for younger visitors, but many of its attractions also contain interactive elements rather than the more passive experiences found at most other theme parks. Even kids in grade school may prefer Legoland depending on where their interests lie, but older kids who need a bit of a thrill factor will likely find the parks boring as the most extreme ride at any of them is a wild mouse.
For adults, Legoland is absolutely still worth a visit if you're never been, especially if you played with Legos as a kid and/or are interested in model building. The numerous displays show how intricate one can get with Lego bricks, and a majority of the attractions are quality themed rides that accommodate adults perfectly fine. It's probably more of a one time, half day outing for adults rather than a full day experience that's repeatable, but is somewhere worthy of inclusion on a trip to California or Florida if it fits your schedule and budget.
I actually think Legoland California is not a terrible park for adults. Sure, there are a lot of attractions specifically for pre-schoolers and early grade school children, but there's also plenty for adults. Knight's Tournament (Kuka arm attraction) is actually designed to up the thrill for larger/older guests, and while that's probably the only ride that's truly "thrilling" for adults, there are plenty of other attractions at the park that are up there with attractions at Disneyland in terms of appeal and entertainment value. I feel that The Dragon coaster is on par with Space Mountain or BTTMR when it comes to theming, and as Robert notes, Ninjago is a solid attraction and doesn't need you to buy extra stuff to cheat on the ride to better your score.
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There’s another great reason to visit Legoland in 2024: the 4D theater. Sure, this type of attraction became passé in theme parks once theaters around the country started offering 3D flicks (and some even with 4D effects of their own), but Legoland keeps it fresh with a constantly evolving lineup of movies that demands repeat visits. Either to re-experience a favorite classic or discover a new one.