LEGOLAND
One LEGOLAND Drive, Carlsbad
(760) 438-5346
www.legoland.com
LEGOLAND's schedule varies by season, and they are closed midweek during the off-season. Check their Web site or call to find out their schedule when you plan to visit. See Chapter 6 for a summary of admission prices and options.
Based on the immensely popular LEGO building-block toy products, LEGOLAND is a kid-oriented theme park. It's specially designed for younger children aged three to twelve, with over forty rides and attractions. LEGOLAND is an hour's drive south of Disneyland and a half-hour trip north of SeaWorld.
One of LEGOLAND's most charming characteristics is that many of the rides and all of the sculptures in the park look as if they've been created from oversize LEGO blocks.
RAINY DAY FUN
On a rainy day, you can head for the indoor play areas, but expect everyone else to be in there, too. You could also buy a big bag of LEGOblocks from one of the shops and go back to your hotel for some building fun.
LEGOLAND covers 128 acres and expertly mixes education, adventure, and fun in this first park of its kind in the United States. In fact, there are only three other LEGOLAND parks in the world: the original park in Billund, Denmark; LEGOLAND Windsor outside of London; and LEGOLAND Deutschland in Günzburg, Germany (near Munich).
LEGOLAND combines hands-on interactive attractions, family rides, and shows with restaurants, shopping, and landscape features. Thirty million bricks were used to create the 5,000 models that decorate the park, adding to its charm and delight. For kids who enjoy building with these blocks, this park will be a life-size inspiration.
LEGOLAND structures their height restrictions differently than other theme parks. They often limit riders to a minimum height just as other parks do, but they may also list a second, shorter height to ride, but only if a taller person goes along. For example, riders must be 48 inches tall to ride Safari Trek alone, but if they are at least 34 inches tall, they can ride with a “taller companion” who is over 48 inches tall. The companion doesn't have to be an adult but does have to meet the taller height requirement listed. The following descriptions refer to this as a “taller companion.”
JUST FOR PARENTS
Even though LEGOLAND was designed for smaller children, many of the rides still have height restrictions. If your children are less than 52 inches tall, measure them before they go so you'll all know which rides they can go on. If you're traveling with very small children, the LEGOLAND Web site includes a special section called “What 2 Do When You're 2.”
Dino Island
The highlight at Dino Island is the Coastersaurus, a railed roller coaster that flies around a bunch of life-size LEGO brick dinosaurs. Kids can also dig for “dinosaur remains” in a giant sandbox. Bring your own sand toys or rent them.
Explore Village
Explore Village provides a lot of soft adventure in a whimsical garden setting. You'll also find shops and live entertainment shows in Explore Village. The kids will like watching Ristorante Brickolini's pasta machine turn flour and eggs into pasta before their eyes, although they may prefer to eat one of their wood-fired pizzas.
Amusements in this area include:
Fairy Tale Brook
A lovely ride in a leaf-shaped boat through favorite childhood fairy tales, recreated with LEGO bricks. No minimum height, but anyone shorter than 48 inches must ride with a taller companion at least 48 inches tall.
LEGOLAND Express
Kids ride in a colorful train. No minimum height but those shorter than 34 inches tall must ride with a taller companion at least 36 inches tall.
Playtown
A play area geared for the park's youngest guests (preschoolers). It includes buildings, slides, and fire and police stations.
Safari Trek
The LEGO creations here are the animals of Africa, and riders take a safari drive to see them. Minimum height is 34 inches, and anyone less than 48 inches tall must bring along a taller companion.
Water Works
An interactive water play area.
Fun Town
A kid-size town in the center of LEGOLAND, Fun Town offers several rides and attractions, including:
Adventurers' Club
Search for the Seven Keys as you travel on a mysterious journey where you'll meet inhabitants of the Amazon rain forest, ancient Egypt, and the Arctic.
Flight Squadron
Ride in spiffy biplanes, in a LEGO interpretation of a traditional carnival ride. Minimum height is 34 inches, but anyone shorter than 48 inches must bring a taller companion.
Fun Town Fire Academy
The whole family will have fun racing to the fire in a LEGO fire truck and pumping enough water to put out the simulated blaze. Minimum height is 34 inches, and anyone less than 48 inches tall needs a taller companion.
Kid Power Towers
The self-propelled ride takes you to the top of a tower where you can see the entire park and all the way to the ocean. It's capped with an exhilarating free-fall to the bottom. The kid-oriented thrill ride is suitable for kids over 40 inches tall, but if they're shorter than 48 inches, they need a taller companion.
Skipper School
Learn boating skills as you navigate through the “skipper's” watery course. The ride is very popular, but lines are shorter first thing in the morning or late in the day. Minimum height is 34 inches, and anyone shorter than 48 inches needs a taller companion.
Sky Cruiser
The vehicles look like snazzy pedal cars, but it's actually a tame roller coaster. The popular ride is less busy right after the park opens or late in the day. Minimum height is 36 inches, but anyone shorter than 48 inches needs a taller companion.
Sky Patrol
Maneuver your own LEGO helicopter on a semi-thrill ride for pintsize pilots, who fly straight up and back down. Minimum height is 34 inches; anyone shorter than 48 inches needs a taller companion.
Volvo Driving School
A “real-life” driving experience for children aged six through twelve, who drive a real electric car through a controlled course that simulates city streets.
Volvo Jr. Junior Driving School
If your three-to five-year-old is dying to drive, too, they can follow a more controlled path but still get to “drive” their LEGO cars.
You'll find live entertainment (and learn about fire safety at the same time) at Fun Town Stage. You can also take a tour through a simulated LEGO factory to see how the bricks are made and then stock up LEGO bricks by the pound in the LEGO clubhouse.
Pirate Shores
Pirate Shores is LEGOLAND's water play area that features:
Soak-n-Sail
The play area sports all kinds of gadgets pumping and spraying water, and occasionally gives visitors a surprise soaking. Kids must be 36 inches tall to enjoy the water slides.
Splash Battle
Riders drive a boat-shaped vehicle equipped with water cannons that they can fire at spectators and other riders. Minimum height is 36 inches; but up to 44 inches tall, riders need a taller companion.
Swabbies Deck
The smaller set can get wet in gentler water play with water jets, fountains, and squirt cannons.
Treasure Falls
A mini-flume ride with a 12-foot drop. Check with the park for height requirements.
Knights' Kingdom
This area re-creates the time when kings and queens reigned supreme. The main structure in this area is a castle. Rides include:
Enchanted Walk
A nature stroll through a landscaped setting, exhibiting LEGO models of animals native to the San Diego area.
Knights' Tournament
Riders can select how much they want to be twisted and turned as they ride at the end of giant, six-passenger robotic arms. This ride is for the bigger kids, who must be at least 49 inches tall and need a taller companion if they're shorter than 55 inches.
Royal Joust
On this gentle ride, youngsters ride LEGO-themed horses through an enchanted forest. Riders must be at least 36 inches tall, younger than twelve years old, and weigh less than 170 pounds.
The Dragon
The kid-oriented roller coaster is housed in the castle. Merlin the Magician is the host on a ride down to a cave, where a fire-breathing dragon guards the crown jewels. Minimum height is 40 inches, but those less than 48 inches tall need a taller companion.
The Hideaways
An outdoor playground area that contains rope climbs, cargo nets, and slides.
You'll find food in Knights' Kingdom at the Knights' Table Barbecue and Granny's Apple Fries. Kids will also enjoy playing with the thousands of LEGO bricks at the Builder's Guild.
Miniland USA
Miniland USA will appeal to guests of all ages. Here, dozens of LEGO Master Builders show their skill by recreating five areas of the United States, constructed one-twentieth of life size using 20 million bricks. You'll see famous landmarks from Washington D.C.; New Orleans; New York City; Florida; San Francisco; and Southern California. There's also an animated New England harbor scene. You can see even more LEGO creations in the Block of Fame, a 3-D art gallery, and watch the Master Builders at work in the Model Shop.
The only ride in Miniland is the Coast Cruise, a floating tour through the heart of the park that provides a prime viewing opportunity for many of the LEGO models such as the Eiffel Tower, Sydney Opera House, Mt. Rushmore, the Taj Mahal, and the Statue of Liberty in front of the New York City skyline. There's no minimum height for this ride, but riders less than 48 inches tall need a taller companion.
FAST FACT
LEGO building blocks are one of the most successful toy products in history, currently sold in more than 138 countries throughout the world. Thus far, over 300 million children and adults have bought LEGO bricks, resulting in several billion hours of creative play.
Imagination Zone
This is the place to find some of the more exciting rides at LEGOLAND. They include:
aquazone Wave Racers
Riders are sure to get wet on this simulated Jet Ski ride, especially if their younger siblings or mischievous parents are manning one of the spectator-driven water cannons. Minimum height is 40 inches, and anyone shorter than 52 inches has to bring a taller companion.
bionicle Blasters
Riders combine their arm-power to make the vehicles in this ride spin. Minimum height is 42 inches, and anyone shorter than 52 inches needs a taller companion.
LEGO technic Test Track
Guests ride a roller coaster in life-size versions of LEGO technic vehicles. Kids must be at least 42 inches tall to ride and need a taller companion if they're shorter than 52 inches.
LEGO Show Place shows a thirteen-minute-long, 4-D movie that spins tales of sorcerers and magicians, and there are a lot of opportunities for interactive play at bionicle Evolution, Build & Test, and Maniac Challenge.
You'll also find a handful of paid activities at LEGOLAND, including a kid-size golf course, water balloon battles, panning for treasure, and wall climbing. The kids can get a temporary airbrush tattoo and have their face painted, and have their portrait or caricature drawn.
To see everything, be prepared to spend one full day at LEGOLAND. If your kids want to enjoy the water play at Pirate Shores, be sure to bring a change of clothes so they aren't wet and miserable.
