LEGOLAND California: Your Guide to Fun
My youngest son HATES playing with LEGO bricks. We were surprised when we asked him where he wanted to go for his “Eight-Year-Old Parent Trip” and he said LEGOLAND California. We asked him every day for a week if that’s really where he wants to go before we finally booked the trip to Southern California.
After spending two days in LEGOLAND California, he helped me put together this guide so others – even those who HATE playing with LEGO bricks – can have a fantastic time at the popular theme park.
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Thrilling (and Relaxing) LEGO-themed Rides
My opinions of LEGOLAND California made a complete 180-degrees from my first visit several years ago. During this visit, the lines moved quickly and I didn’t see LEGO animals covered in cobwebs. And while I enjoyed all but one of the rides, my son quickly developed his list of favorite rides.
We had fun on several roller coasters. From ones meant for young children to others that had twists and turns that kept my wife from doing a re-ride.
But LEGOLAND California offers more than just roller coasters and spinning rides. The Coast Cruise was a relaxing boat ride around the lake, looking at LEGO structures like the New York City skyline, Mount Rushmore or the Taj Mahal.
One area of the park seems to have a collection of kiddie rides – from Cargo Ace (flying planes) to Dune Raiders (a slide you ride wearing a potato sack). My son even tried Beetle Bounce.
If you want a ride or two to help you cool off, try Splash Battle or Pirate Reef. You don’t have to have admission to the water parks to experience those water rides.
Download the app to keep an eye on wait times throughout the park.
If you’re interested in reducing the amount of time you have to spend in line, you can pay extra per person with Reserve ‘N’ Ride.
Restaurants, Food Stands and Desserts
We almost always bring food with us into theme parks – and LEGOLAND California was no exception. But near the end of our second day, we splurged and feasted on Granny’s Apple Fries (pictured above). Don’t they look delicious?
You don’t have to walk very far around LEGOLAND California to find something to eat. It’s easy to grab something from a small stand selling beverages and sweet snacks. But if you’re looking for something more substantial, some of the options include:
- Hickory smoked ribs
- Wood-fired pizza
- Homemade pasta
- Barbecue chicken
- Burgers
- Salads (because there are healthy options there, too)
- Sandwiches
Download the app and search under Dining Options for a complete list and locations of where these spots are at in the park.
Hotel Options at LEGOLAND California
If you want to stay close the resort, there are two LEGO-branded hotels you should check out – the LEGOLAND Resort Hotel and LEGOLAND Castle Hotel.
Both hotels offer themed rooms – from pirates and royal kingdoms to LEGO Ninjago and LEGO Friends.
Registered guests to the hotel also get complimentary breakfast and early admission to the park. The early admission allows you to explore two areas of the park roughly 30 minutes before it opens to the general public: Ninjago and Explorer Island.
For the adults (okay, and the kids, too) there are pools at both hotels. So when the park closes, you can relax by the pool while your kids squeak out their last little bit of energy before bedtime.
If you’re looking for other hotels in the area, the search GetAwayToday.com to explore hotel options.
Photo Opps and Souvenirs
For a kid who doesn’t like playing with LEGO bricks, it was a little challenging to get him to pose by the cool LEGO photo opp stations. But when he saw a live-action character, like Kai from Ninjago or Emmet from The Lego Movie, he seemed more willing to join his parents for a photo.
The key to having fun at LEGOLAND is being silly when you stumble across a photo opp. In Heart Lake City, we found a large LEGO car. So I drove and my beautiful wife waved to passersby like Miss America. Our son was willing to be the cameraman and did a decent job capturing the photo.
Even in some of the stores, we found a few photo opps. The little guy enjoyed sitting in the chair next to Harry Potter and Hermione, with the sorting hat looming overhead. He also took a turn “driving” the Duplo school bus.
If you’re looking for a souvenir, you don’t have to walk far to find them. Stores carry little items like pins, keychains or lipstick. They also carry large LEGO sets from across the LEGO line. We didn’t notice any sales on them, so in my opinion, it’s okay to wait and buy a LEGO set from the LEGO Store or even other retailers. But that’s just my opinion.
Cool off in the Water Parks or Visit the SEA LIFE Aquarium
One of the biggest reasons to us getting Two-day Resort Hopper tickets to LEGOLAND California was to play in the water parks. You can spend one full day enjoying the rides – especially if your kid wants to re-ride his favorite roller coasters.
But in the heat of the summer sun, floating around the lazy river and splashing each other – or pushing their tube into the spraying water – was a blast. When we got bored of the lazy river, we hit up some of the other shallow pools and splash pads. There were also water slides that were a ton of fun.
If you want to get out of the sun, but don’t feel like getting wet, head indoors to the SEA LIFE Aquarium. Don’t forget to pick up a Dive Log and capture the stamps during your visit – there’s a prize at the end for completed logs.
In addition to seeing real sea life, you can check out LEGO figures – like a life-sized sea turtle made out of LEGO bricks. When you’re ready to head back to the rides, you can walk right back into the park.
NOTE: SEA LIFE Aquarium is not part of a single-day ticket to LEGOLAND California.
Tips, Tricks and Tickets. Oh my!
Like any theme park, a family vacation there can be expensive. Here are a few tips to help you save a little money on your visit to LEGOLAND California.
- Try and book a vacation package. Sometimes bundling your hotel, airfare (if you need it), and park tickets can give you added deals or better prices than purchasing things separately. But sometimes it doesn’t. Do your research.
- There are plenty of things to do with two days at the park – and sometimes you can find a deal on multi-day park tickets. But if your plans only allow for a single day, guess that’s how the cookie crumbles.
- Bring your own picnic lunch with you into the park. Dining, like with any theme park, can cost an arm and a leg. But finding a table in the shade and whipping out some sandwiches, bags of chips, granola bars, crackers and bottles of water (or Powerade) can help you save a little money.
- Be sure and bring your own water bottles. Summer in southern California can be hot. If you aren’t drinking enough, you can easily get dehydrated. There are drinking fountains to help you refill your bottles when needed. But please stay hydrated.
- If you’re staying at a partner hotel, see if they have a free shuttle to and from LEGOLAND California. If not, you’ll end up paying $25 just to park your car there. Bring your daily items in a backpack – just note it will get checked as you enter the park, so don’t bring any weapons or glass bottles with you.
The Details
Address: LEGOLAND California Resort is east of the I-5 Freeway, just 30 minutes north of San Diego and one hour south of Anaheim. Exit the I-5 Freeway at Palomar Airport Road.
Cost: Admission tickets are cheaper online, and range from $89.99 to $135 with different variations (single day to LEGOLAND California only; LEGOLAND + SEA LIFE Aquarium; LEGOLAND + SEA LIFE Aquarium + Water Parks). Check out their ticketing website for full details. Parking is $25 per vehicle.
Hours: Depending on the days of the week and the seasons, LEGOLAND California’s hours vary. Generally speaking, they open at 9:30 (although some of the rides don’t open till later). The closing time varies from 5-9 p.m. Check their website for the hours of operation associated with your planned visit.
Website: https://www.legoland.com/california/
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