My children have always loved playing with Lego products-Duplo’s, Lego’s, and Bionicles. So when we decided to go to California I knew that a trip to Legoland’s amusement park was a must do!
We decided to go for one full day as it is only a 30 minute drive to its location in Carlsbad from San Diego. As a bonus we were able to get the tickets at 50% off the full price at the local Ralph’s grocery store.
The excitement grew as we pulled into the parking lot and found ample parking spaces. The line to enter the park was minimal, and since we were traveling with a family member who needed to rent a wheel chair we took care of that quickly too. I also found out that they have a kennel on site in case you are traveling with your pet, so you do not have to leave it in the car all day.
To describe the park in one word it would be-charming. The park is very well maintained, and clean. The park map you obtain when entering the park shows the different theme areas to visit like Dino Island, Imagination Zone, Knights Kingdom, and Fun Town. There is something for boys and girls of all ages in each of the areas. There are rides for the smaller children and several roller coasters for the older kids. These roller coasters are tame compared to others, but do provide an enjoyable time especially for those who are new to thrill rides.
Each theme area has its own unique rides, games or attractions to enjoy. Knight’s Kingdom has a wonderful playground area that the children enjoyed, as well as one of the most hilarious rides I have ever seen called the Knights’ Tournament that utilizes a robotic arm to twist, swoop and dive with two people strapped in to side by side chairs. The kids loved that ride the best and I enjoyed watching the adults being whipped around with their hair and limbs flailing about uncontrollably due to high speed and centrifugal force.
There are water rides for hot days, a 4-D animated movie that has a few surprises for the viewers, areas to create Lego cars and race them, make Bionicles, Duplo play and Lego Mindstorms. Miniland shows some incredible miniature replica’s of famous cities, regions and landmarks made out of what else but-Lego’s!
Unfortunately you cannot bring food from the outside in to the park, but the food choices are much better than what one could normally expect to find at an amusement park. There are hamburgers and the usual fare, but also the Fun Town Market, which has a nice salad bar, and the Garden Restaurant, which is geared toward the health conscious diner.
Currently, the California park is the only Legoland in the United States. It was a wonderful experience and I highly recommend Legoland to anyone who lives near or will be traveling to the west coast. For more information go to www.Legoland.com