We planned a trip to Legoland around our son’s school fall break. We went from a Wednesday through Sunday and flew on Allegiant airlines. Allegiant is a discount airline but it was great! I especially appreciated when we landed back home, got our checked bag and was at our car in 10 minutes. Plus the cost of the tickets started at $39 one way. Not a bad deal! I should mention that our sons were 4 and 6 at the time and these were perfect ages for them to finally visit Legoland.
The Hotel
As soon as you arrive you are immersed in the land of all things legos. They have done a great job of incorporating the lego theme into every aspect of this hotel. My favorite part was that it took about one minute to walk next door to the LegoLand Park!
The hotel itself was enough to entertain our kids. Every time you get in the elevator it is a dance party! Also, The lobby is a big play area with games, a castle, and of course tons of legos. Every night there is a Pajama dance party at 8:30 which was a big hit. Also, there are always characters roaming around saying hello to the kids, playing hide-n-seek and taking pictures! Hotel guests get to enjoy free master-builder classes which was a great activity for the boys while it was raining. I should note that you do have to sign-up for the classes ahead of time.
Of course there is a pool that doesn’t get too deep, which is a plus. There are life vests available to use for free. Lets not forget the foam legos in the pool that float. That was a lot of fun for the boys….and my husband. The pool was never too busy and we often had it all to ourselves which was great!
They also have a little mini golf course. We played this almost everyday, I will warn you that it is an extra cost. They even have little animals around the course that are made out of legos. Near mini golf is also a fire pit where you can make s’mores at night. Our favorite was the Boardwalk. We would take a walk down there a couple times a day. We found a ton of wildlife from fish and turtles to a gator!
The hotel has 2 restaurants. Bricks is a buffet restaurant and breakfast here is free for hotel guests. It was perfect for kids with waffles, pancakes, fruit, muffins, tater tots! It was fine for adults. I am obsessed with buffets, especially for breakfast but this was more geared toward the kids. I guess happy kids, happy parents now? On Friday we went down for breakfast about 9:00 and it was jam packed with a long line. The earlier you go the better! Again, dinner here is good for kids with chicken nuggets and mini corn dogs. It is just OK for adults. The skyline lounge is across from Bricks and we ate there a couple times. They have a decent menu and also serve adult beverages. They had great options for kids as well. The food here was probably one of my least favorite things but it was adequate.
The rooms were very cute for the kids. They ran inside screaming with excitement as all the rooms are themed. There is a scavenger hunt that was super cute for the kids. Once they figure out the combination they get to open a safe to find little lego sets and juice boxes. We were on floor 5 in an Adventure room. I loved that the kids had their own separate area with bunk beds and a TV. The bathroom left something to be desired. It was very small for a family of 4 to share and was a little run-down. I am still waiting for a hotel to offer a room with a separate mom-only bathroom. Sharing with the boys is just gross!
The Park
We headed to the park Friday morning just after it opened. It was amazing to find the park was almost empty at this time. We were able to get on most of the rides with no wait that day. The kids were able to ride everything with the exception of Mia’s Riding Adventure which was a 48 inch minimum. The Great LEGO Race was their favorite ride as well as my husband’s. While you are on the roller coaster you wear a Virtual Reality headset. My youngest was too little for the headset so he went without and I joined him. We still had fun!
Even for kids that are smaller there are rides available. There is a duplo area for younger kids. Also, the park has many play areas spread-out that offer entertainment for kids of all ages and a nice break for parents!
I should warn you that the Battle of Bricksburg in LEGO Movie World is a water ride. Be prepared to get soaked! The kids absolutely loved it but you almost need a change of clothes after the ride. They do have dryers you can pay for near the restrooms.
Miniland was fascinating! This was the heart of the park and included replicas of cities such as Vegas and NYC, all made from legos. There was also a Star Wars themed area that was amazing. I don’t think the kids appreciated the complexity and man hours that must have gone into creating Miniland but they did have fun with some of the interactive exhibits like the pirate ship and space shuttle!
We went back to the park on Saturday early again. The park opened at 10 and we arrived about 9:40 to wait in line. Just before the park opens, they play music and have a couple characters entertain and dance around. Then raced into the park to get on a couple rides before the lines got too long. It was much busier on Saturday and we went on a couple rides and headed out to relax at the hotel for the afternoon. We went back in the evening for Brick-or-Treat. It was a little area next to the ski show pavilion with about 8 little huts setup. The kids walk through and get candy from each one. It took about 5 minutes but the kids got a ton of candy so they were happy campers.
Later that night there were fireworks at 8:00. We went back to the hotel to watch these as we were getting tired. The hotel hands out 3D glasses. The kids loved watching the bricks appear in the fireworks with the special glasses. The fireworks last about 5 minutes and then we stayed for a fortune teller show right behind the pool. It was really fun, lasted about 20 minutes and they passed out more candy at the end!
As we left Sunday morning the boys were sad but excited to come back next time….hmmmm. I am extremely glad we went and got to see the excitement through our boys’ eyes. I am not sure there will be a next time as I feel they will soon out grow this place. However, there is a new pirate themed hotel opening soon there so I guess you never know!
Tips
- Get to the park early
- Shoot for weekdays
- Probably best for kids under 10
- Take a small backpack for wallets, phones, baby wipes, etc.
- Go to breakfast at the hotel before 9am
- Join the dance party at least one night at the hotel at 8:30pm
- Sign-up for Master Builder Classes once you get there
