Staying at one of the LEGOLAND hotels is one of the best ways to take your trip to LEGOLAND to the next level.

We’ve stayed at one of the one-site hotels several times now, and I can truthfully say I wouldn’t recommend it any other way.

With that said – at first glance, it can be expensive! We are always looking for ways to save on vacations, and when I first considered booking a LEGOLAND Hotel, it was so expensive.

Thankfully, there are some ways you can save, and in this post, we’ll share the best tips for booking a LEGOLAND hotel.

For the purposes of this post, I will be focusing specifically on LEGOLAND California and LEGOLAND Florida, as these are the locations we have personally been to.

Bottom Line: The best time to book the Legoland Hotel is during the off-peak season, midweek, and as early as possible. Keep an eye out for any special deals and promotions, and book at least six months in advance if you plan to visit during peak season.

Watch for Deals

On our most recent vacation to LEGOLAND California, we scored an AMAZING deal for the LEGOLAND Hotel and our tickets – it was 50% off. When I had looked just a few weeks previous to the deal. This was a Black Friday deal, and they have different promotions available throughout the year.

This was available directly through the LEGOLAND website. I even tried to score the same deal through our friends at Get Away Today, and it was still better to book directly through the website.

With that said, Get Away Today usually has the most up-to-date deals and promotions – so you should definitely check with them.

If you can’t find a deal for the hotel, you can usually find kids’ visit free tickets for LEGOLAND. These are typically available in LEGO-themed movies, certain food items, and you can often find them online as well. You CAN book the LEGOLAND hotel without buying tickets, so this may be something to consider.

Book Early

It’s important to book your stay as early as possible. The LEGOLAND Hotel is a popular destination, and rooms can fill up quickly, especially during peak travel seasons. By booking early, you’ll have the best chance of securing the dates and room type you want. Additionally, booking early can often lead to better rates and deals, so it’s a win-win situation.

Best Time to Book

When it comes to booking the Legoland Hotel, timing is everything. We recommend booking your stay as early as possible to ensure availability and to take advantage of any early booking discounts.

Off Season

Generally, the best time to book is during the off-peak season, which is essentially non-summer months – and avoiding any major holidays or the spring break vacation. By booking during this time, you can avoid the crowds and get a better deal on your room.

We have had great luck going in January, October, and early November.

Middle of the Week

The middle of the week is usually pretty empty, especially when school is in session. Even if you are going during peak season, I would suggest booking Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday. Many people will take trips over the weekend and may start them on Friday or flow over into Monday.

Peak Season Booking

If you are planning to visit during peak season, such as the summer months or school holidays, I recommend booking at least 6 months in advance to secure your preferred room type and to avoid disappointment. Even when we’ve gone during peak season, the best rooms have been already booked.

Booking Directly with Legoland

When it comes to booking a stay at Legoland Hotel, often the best way to do it is by booking directly with Legoland. Here are a few reasons why:

• Guaranteed Best Price: When you book directly with Legoland, you can be sure that you are getting the best price available. Legoland offers a price match guarantee, so if you find a lower rate on another website, they will match it.
• Exclusive Offers and Packages: Legoland often offers exclusive deals and packages that are only available to those who book directly with them. These can include discounted rates, free breakfast, and even free tickets to the theme park.
• Flexibility: When you book directly with Legoland, you have more flexibility when it comes to making changes to your reservation. You can easily modify or cancel your reservation without any penalties or fees.
• Personalized Service: When you book directly with Legoland, you can expect personalized service from their team. They can answer any questions you have about your stay, help you plan your itinerary, and even make recommendations for local attractions and restaurants.

Is the LEGOLAND Hotel Worth It?

This is a question that deserves its own post – but the short answer is – absolutely! Our boys all LOVE staying at the hotel, and it makes a trip to LEGOLAND feel so much more worth it.

Some of the things we love about staying at the LEGOLAND resort hotels include:

• Free deluxe breakfast – seriously SO yummy! At LEGOLAND California it is buffet style and in Florida it is family style. There are tons of options – I was so surprised at some of the items they had some mornings at the buffet. We love this!
• Super close to the park
• Early access to the park
• Fun surprises
• Activities/shows
• The Pool

What LEGOLAND Hotels are there?

Both the Florida and California locations have two different resorts that you can stay at:

• LEGOLAND Castle Hotel (California)
• LEGOLAND California Hotel
• LEGOLAND Pirate Island Hotel (Florida)
• LEGOLAND Hotel (Florida)
• LEGOLAND Beach Resort (Florida)

Booking a room at any of the LEGOLAND resort hotels is a great opportunity to make your vacation even more fun. By following a few of the tips we mentioned above, you are sure to find a great deal. Let us know in the comments if you have any questions or additional suggestions!

More Articles You May Enjoy:

• Legoland or Disneyland: Which is Better for Families?
• The Best Legoland Rides for Toddlers in Florida and California
• LEGOLAND California Tips: What to Know Before You Go (2022)

The post The Best Ways to Book Legoland Hotel: Tips and Tricks for Saving BIG appeared first on Magical Family Travel Guide.

Years ago, I had a friend tell me that her family preferred LEGOLAND over Disneyland.

My sister went to LEGOLAND and said the same thing.

We went a few years later, and it was really a miserable experience, and it left me wondering why anyone would like it more than Disneyland.

And then we gave it another chance, and we realized what a delight LEGOLAND could be. We’ve gone several times since then, and it continues to be a favorite family vacation.

The truth is, both of these theme parks are different. You can have an amazing vacation at either! But they serve different crowds and interests. If you are planning a trip to Southern California and you’re trying to decide which one to go to, this article should help you decide!

No matter where you choose, we recommend booking through our friends at Get Away Today. We have booked almost all of our vacations through them since 2008, and they never let us down. Use the code MFTG to get $10 off a Southern California Vacation package.

Cost

LEGOLAND is quite a bit less expensive than Disneyland, and you can often get second-day free tickets or a free kids ticket with the purchase of an adult. LEGOLAND California will often also include Sea Life Aquarium or the water park, or it’s a nominal fee to upgrade.

Disneyland gets less expensive per day the more days you pay for, but a one-day ticket is pretty expensive. For instance, we were looking at some yesterday, and it was around $95 dollars for a single-day ticket on Thursday – and this was for one park. If we wanted a park hopper, it was another $40+, and on the weekends, it was another $45 – making the one-day, park hopper ticket on a weekend nearly $200. This doesn’t even factor in the almost necessity of buying Disney Genie+, which increases the cost quite a bit, too.

Obviously, you get a lot more rides, and, of course, the “Disney” experience…but if you’re on a budget, it’s going to go a lot further at LEGOLAND.

Tickets and Reservations 

Food

Disneyland has MUCH better food and snack beverages than a landslide. LEGOLAND has a few different restaurants and food carts, but they aren’t always open, and I don’t find the food to be anything to write home about.

The food at any theme park will be expensive, but the kid’s meals are much more affordable, and there are better options at Disneyland. There is a lot more variety, it tastes better, and there are a lot more items available in various budgets.

We LOVE the Granny Apple Fries at LEGOLAND, but during our most recent visit, they weren’t even open for most of the day, which was a huge disappointment.

If you are a foodie and primarily going for food, Disneyland will win out. It has many more restaurants, and the quality of its food is top-notch. Disneyland is going to offer you a much broader selection and experience.

Disneyland also has a much better ordering system with its mobile ordering. At LEGOLAND, you can’t even see a menu with prices in the app – and I found it hard to find a menu when you go to the restaurant.

LEGOLAND is not a foodie destination – you’re probably better off bringing your food than dining on their pricey options.

Rides

Disneyland has a lot of amazing, state-of-the-art rides that you really can’t get anywhere else. They have rides for every age and type of person, and they are usually pretty reliable (though there are definitely always breakdowns throughout the day).

LEGOLAND has a lot of rides, and they are pretty fun – but few compare to some of the experiences you will have at Disneyland. I think kids under 11 aren’t going to care, but for the older kids and parents, they aren’t anything to write home about.

When our family talks about rides, we always mention ones from Disneyland like Web Slingers or Guardians of the Galaxy – LEGOLAND doesn’t usually dominate the conversation. We definitely enjoy them – but they aren’t usually as memorable.

With that said, they are generally well-maintained, which is good. There were a few rides down throughout the day during our most recent trip, but it wasn’t anything too crazy (unlike the first time we came years ago, when it seemed like at least half the rides were broken!)

Hands-on Activities

Both Disneyland and LEGOLAND have hands-on activities that you can participate in. I feel like they are more visible at LEGOLAND and easier to participate in (such as bins of LEGOs throughout the park). Here are some of the different hands-on activities at the different parks:

LEGOLAND

• Coast Guard Build-a-Boat
• Miniland
• LEGO Ferrari Build and Race
• LEGO Ninjago Training Camp
• Build Watevra You Wa’Na Build
• Dig Those Dinos
• Various large playgrounds – we LOVE these
• Mini figure trading

Disneyland

• Animation Academy
• Sorcerors’s Workshop
• Redwood Creek Challenge Trail
• Pirate’s Lair on Tom Sawyer Island
• Pin trading

Crowds

LEGOLAND can be busy, though that’s generally during peak season and on the weekends. I feel like when it’s crowded here, it does feel more annoying having to wait in line for a ride that is kind of lame.

With that said, out of all the times we’ve come, it was only busy once. The rest of the time, we rarely have had to wait in a line, we can walk for five or more minutes and never run into someone, etc. It doesn’t feel like it’s a constant mad dash from one place to the other.

Disneyland always has crowds. It’s an absolute must to take advantage of early entrance options if you have them. While there are times that are busier than others, I think I would put the Disney crowd categories as “crowded” “more crowded” and “intolerably crowded”.

Here are some tips for managing the busy season at Disneyland!

Entertainment

While both parks have entertainment, nothing can really compare to the parades, fireworks, and shows that you can watch at Disneyland. LEGOLAND has a 4D theater, random character meet and greets, various shows, and other offerings throughout the year.

I would say that Disneyland definitely has the best entertainment with options to keep you entertained throughout the day. Here are some of the best options:

• Parades
• Firework Shows
• World of Color
• Hyperion Theater Broadway Shows – This was closed during Covid and has yet to reopen. It’s rumored to have a new broadway show coming.
• Phillharmagic
• Disney Junior Show
• Street Performances
• Mickey and The Magical Map
• Royal Theater Story Telling

Employees

With a few exceptions, we’ve found the staff at LEGOLAND to be a lot friendlier, accommodating, and overall more pleasant than that at Disneyland. I think it’s partially because LEGOLAND has fewer people, so maybe the employees don’t have to deal with as many unruly guests. But overall, they’ve been helpful and kind and almost always have a smile on their face.

I have found a lot of Disneyland employees (especially the younger ones) to be grumpy and not very friendly. I am sure this is not the case for everyone that works at Disneyland, but it seems like many of them have the power of being a cast member go to their head a little bit (or they just have gotten fed up with annoying guests, which is entirely possible).

Age/Demographics

This one is tricky. While I think ages 0-100+, all genders, and individuals from all walks can find plenty to do and enjoy at Disneyland, LEGOLAND is suited to a specific audience.

I told my husband today that if it were just him and me, I would not come to LEGOLAND, and Disneyland would be my choice. However, with our boys being their age, it’s almost a no-brainer that this is a better option.

LEGOLAND is great for ages 4-12, though I think the prime age is 7-10 when most children can do all the rides on their own. We have gone with children between the ages of two and almost eleven.

Under four can be tricky, as there are some age limits, and the height limits can be frustrating if you have a shorter child. There are a lot of fun playgrounds and rides they can participate in, but if they have older siblings that they see going on more rides, it can make it less fun.

I think tweens and teens can have fun here, but they will likely find that it’s not as engaging or thrilling. Our almost 11-year-old had a great time on our most recent trip, but there were definitely times you could tell he wasn’t as amused with the rides.

Unless you’re an adult that absolutely LOVES LEGO products, I doubt you’re going to find

Accommodations

At Disneyland, there are plenty of hotel options that give you easy access to the park. The Disneyland Hotels are pricey but convenient and very magical, however, there are tons of other hotels that are close by and in various price ranges. Here are a couple of articles that might be helpful:

• 9 Hotels CLOSEST to Disneyland – That You Can ACTUALLY Walk To
• 20+ Hotels with Disneyland Shuttle (Free and Paid)
• 15+ BEST Family-Friendly Disneyland Hotels with Bunk Beds

LEGOLAND California has two hotels – The LEGOLAND Hotel and the LEGOLAND Castle Hotel. These are very fun, themed hotels and you can often find a decent deal to stay there.

There is also the Sheraton Carlsbad that gives you direct access to the park. Otherwise, you can find a hotel somewhere else in Carlsbad, but you will have to park your car and drive there.

Character Experiences

Both parks have a variety of characters. At LEGOLAND, I found we encountered them most in the hotel, with a few appearances in the park. They were engaging, and there were never any lines to interact with them.

Disneyland definitely has a lot more and a wider variety of characters. They might be more recognizable and exciting for kids (and adults) to see. The lines can get pretty long, though. We always enjoy doing a character dining experience, which allows you to have some more one-on-one experiences with the characters. To my knowledge, LEGOLAND does not have anything like this, though you may see a character walking through the restaurants occasionally.

Hours

LEGOLAND is typically open from 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM (this can vary depending on the time of year). Disneyland is usually open from 8 AM to as last as 12 AM, so there is a lot more time to spend in the park. Occasionally they will close early for certain events, but when that happens, if you have a park hopper pass, you can just go over to the other park.

Because we still have a child that takes a nap, the shortened hours at LEGOLAND can make it feel like a big chunk of the day is taken up by that, which is kind of a bummer. We typically have one of us go back to the hotel for naptime and the other stay in the park with the children that don’t take a nap.

We did like that the SEALIFE Aquarium was open for a little bit longer, so we were able to go over there and enjoy that for a little bit after the park was closed.

I believe there are extended hours during special times of the year at LEGOLAND.

Pace/experience 

Honestly, LEGOLAND is SO much less stressful due to the lack of crowds. Forrest commented, “You know what I don’t see any of here. Kids having meltdowns.” Of course, there are always exceptions, but I think the overall pace and experience is just a lot more laid back at LEGOLAND.

I feel like no matter when you go to Disneyland, with the exception of “after dark” events and early access hours, you are hustling to get from one place to the other. If you have a lot of days at the park, you may feel less way, but if you are just on a 1-3 day pass, hustling is the name of the game.

Line Hopping

Both parks offer “line hopping” options as a paid add-on. At LEGOLAND it is called “Reserve ‘n Ride” and at Disneyland, it is the “Disney Genie+”.

“Reserve ‘n Ride” is for specific rides, such as LEGO Ninjago or Safari Trek. You can purchase them when you get in the park. They used to have a pass where you could go to the front of the line on any ride, but this appears to be discontinued. The cost varies depending on the ride and day you are going.

Disney Genie+ is a complex system that replaced the FastPass/MaxPass systems of the past. It is $20 extra a day, per person, and it includes a variety of rides. There are rides you have to pay extra for if you want to go to the front of the ride, such as the car ride. You can learn more about Disney Genie+ here.

As long as you are going during the week, I have never found Reserve ‘n Ride worth it or necessary. On the flip side, Disney Genie+ is almost a necessity if you don’t want to spend half your day in line. I wish they’d have a better system, because even the last time I went, it felt like we were waiting forever in the Disney Genie+ line, too!

Best time to Go

For LEGOLAND, if you go during the week and avoid holidays/school breaks, you should be pretty happy with your experience. Wintertime is a great time to go as the weather is pretty mild in San Diego, and the park is practically a ghost town.

With Disneyland, it’s a little more complicated. There are tons of calendars claiming to tell you the best time to go, but I feel like the days we think aren’t going to be busy are always really busy. If you can happen to go on a day that is colder, that keeps away some of the local guests. Definitely avoid school holidays, the summer, and weekends, for your best chance at a low traffic day.

Mobile app

Both parks have mobile apps that tell you about ride wait times, entertainment, etc. Disneyland is definitely more robust, and I definitely appreciate their mobile ordering feature. I really wish this was something that LEGOLAND would have!

Atmosphere

Disneyland is obviously very magical and Disney-centric. There is magic to be found around every corner. It does take having the right attitude, though, to not get frustrated by all the people. I have found there are a lot more rude/impatient people at Disneyland than I would like!

LEGOLAND is very laid back and relaxed, which our family loves! It is also a very fun and detailed place to visit. The amount of detail that goes into the LEGO creations throughout the park is incredible. Miniland is something you just can’t explain!

How many days?

I usually recommend a minimum of three days at Disneyland to get the most of your experience, though if you can afford more, that will make it easier to not feel like you are constantly hustling.

At LEGOLAND, I think two days is great, though our boys would have loved if we had one more day in addition to that. ON the first day, I remember thinking, “Are we even going to fill this day” but by the end of the second, I thought, “Hey, we could totally make another day here!” If the water park is open, you might want to consider three days, though you can see everything in just one day if that’s all you have!

Overall

At the end of the day, LEGOLAND and Disneyland are great destinations, but they certainly have differences. Most of the negatives can be mitigated with appropriate expectations.

But overall, if you have kids between the ages of 5 and 10 who don’t care a ton about “Disney”, you want a more relaxed and laid-back vacation, and your budget is smaller, LEGOLAND is going to be a great option for you.

We love both parks for different reasons, and I hope that this article was helpful. Be sure to book with our friends at Get Away Today and mention MFTG to get a special discount on Southern California vacation packages!

What do you think about these parks and our comparison? Let us know your experience in the comments!

More Articles You May Enjoy:

• The Best Legoland Rides for Toddlers in Florida and California
• Legoland Florida: What to Expect During Covid-19
• The Best Disneyland Rides For Pregnant Women + Tips for Success

The post Legoland or Disneyland: Which is Better for Families? appeared first on Magical Family Travel Guide.

We’ve been to Legoland a few times with a toddler. While it can feel pretty non-toddler at times with lots of height requirements, there are actually quite a few rides and attractions that they can go on.

The key is making sure they know there are lots of activities they can do and to not make them spend half the day waiting for their siblings to get off rides they can’t go on! While they may not be able to go on a roller coaster, there are a lot of toddler-friendly things that younger kids can really enjoy.

This does mean that a parent or guardian might have to skip out on some of the fun, but really, some of my favorite rides at Legoland are the little kids’ rides.

In case you aren’t really sure where to start, here are some of our favorite rides that our toddlers have loved. We have short kids, so yours might be able to go on additional rides – but these ones should be accessible for most toddlers.

Since we have gone to both Legoland Florida and Legoland California, I thought we’d include attractions from both. Legoland can be the perfect place for kids of all ages, especially if you go at the right time of year. There was hardly anyone there when we went, and it was a blast! We could have spent more than one whole day there.

Be sure to check out our post about Legoland California tips!

Ready to book your trip? If you are heading to California, be sure to book with our friends at Get Away Today! They are the experts for all things family travel, and they’ll take care of you. Mention Magical Family Travel Guide or use the code MFTG to save $10 on a Southern California Vacation Package!

Florida

We spent a lot of time in Duplo Valley, which is specifically designed for youngsters. Because so much of Legoland isn’t really toddler-friendly, I really appreciate that they have this space available.

Grand Carousel

As soon as our toddler saw this, he was so excited and insisted on going on it over and over again. This is a two-level carousel with a variety of horses and seated options. It’s colorful and fun, and it’s perfect for toddlers.

A carousel may not seem that exciting, but for our toddler, it was the most fun thing we did that day! This is right outside of Duplo Valley and at the entrance of the park.

Duplo Train

This train ride was another favorite – it is inside Duplo Valley. Our son was really into trains when we went to Legoland, so it was a big hit. You get to ride around the track a few times. Very fun!

Duplo Tractor

We also really enjoyed the Duplo Tractor. Our toddler loved riding with his older brother on this ride in the front seat!

Boating School

Our son was barely tall enough for this one, but he loves water, so we were excited when we saw he was tall enough.

Safari Trek

This was one of my personal favorites. You get to go around a little track on a “Safari Trek” and see a bunch of different LEGO animals. Some of them make noise. Our son got a real kick out of this one!

Lost Kingdom Adventure

The majority of the rides I’ve mentioned are very young child-centered. Our older boys are good sports and went on them with our youngest, but we were excited when we found a ride that everyone could really enjoy!

It wasn’t too dark or scary. Our toddler obviously wasn’t that good at shooting with the laser pointer, but he thought it was so fun to try. We went on this one over and over again!

Pharoah’s Revenge Land of Adventure

I put this one with the caveat that if your toddler doesn’t like water, you might want to skip it. However, it’s a very slow-paced ride, and it’s pretty fun because you can shoot your water sprayer throughout it. This is in the Lego Movie area, which is my big kids favorite!

California

We haven’t been to Legoland since our now six-year-old was just two. It actually wasn’t the best experience, just because it was SO crowded the day we went, and our son was pretty sad he couldn’t go on a lot of rides. But there were a few stand-out rides, and if you make sure you hit these ones, your toddler will have a great time.

Queen Watevera’s Carousel

This is California’s two-layer carousel. Lots of fun for all!

Legoland Express

This is in Fun Town and very similar to the Duplo Train in Florida. I remember having so much fun on this with both our boys!

Sky Patrol

If you have a toddler obsessed with flying and helicopters, you won’t want to miss this one. You are in control of having the helicopter go up and down and side to side. It’s a lot of fun!

Skipper School

This is very similar to Boating School. It’s trackless, so it’s fun to go with other family members in other boats. A toddler can help you steer or just go along for the ride!

Fairy Tale Brook

When we went to Legoland California, this ride was broken down, and I was so sad! It looked like it would have been so much fun. You float around in Lego boats and get to see timeless fairy tale stories through Lego characters. It’s a fairly interactive ride that is perfect for young children.

Safari Trek

Very similar to the one in Florida, this is a great one for a toddler who loves animals!

Lost Kingdom Adventure

Just like in Florida, this one isn’t particularly geared toward toddlers, but the whole family can go on it and enjoy it!

Non-Ride Attractions

There is a lot more to do at Legoland than just ride rides – be sure to check out the Lego displays, play in the Lego construction areas, and see the Lego shows.

We had a great time at one of the shows in Florida that was done in the water. Our toddler absolutely loved it!

MINILAND USA

Both Florida and California have their incredible “MINILAND USA” displays with Lego models of different cities and tourist attractions across the country. We could spend hours here! While our toddlers have been less enthused about staying for long periods of time, they definitely get a kick out of the interactive displays, such as the water cannons. The interactive element of this area makes it a great fit for all ages.

In Florida, we really liked it because they have a huge canopy over it, which can give you some much-needed relief from the sun.

Playgrounds

There are several little playgrounds throughout each park that are perfect for toddlers. In Florida, they have the “Florida Prepaid Playhouse”, which we discovered way too late in the day! It had slides and other play structures inside which our kids loved – it was the perfect toddler play area, and I wish we had discovered what a great place it was earlier on! Sometimes there are larger Lego bricks available that the kids can play with.

Water Play

Both California and Florida have some really fun “Splash and Play” areas that have toddler-friendly water features, which are a lot of fun!

More Tips for Success

Stay On Site

This may not always be possible, but if you are able to stay on-site at a Legoland hotel. I would recommend you do! It was SO nice to be able to go give our toddler a nap during the day while letting everyone else keep playing. The Legoland Resort hotels are so close to the park, and it’s nice if you forget something, too! It makes your trip to the Legoland Theme Park just a little bit more special!

Take Breaks

Legoland can be exhausting for anyone – but especially toddlers! Give them regular snacks and water breaks. If you find they are getting a little unruly, take them back to the little kid zone and let them explore for a while. It can be hard to see everyone else going on lots of rides!

Know the Height Restrictions

This can help set you up for realistic expectations if you know the minimum height for different rides. The first time we went, my son was about 1″ too short for SO many rides, and we didn’t realize this until we got there. It was really disappointing for him and us!

Take Turns

It can be helpful to have someone assigned to the toddler, but let that person have a break every now and then, too!

Parent Swap

When we went, there were no lines, so we didn’t really need a parent swap. However, if there are bigger crowds, this might be something to consider. Some rides will let you do a rider swap, where one parent/guardian stays off the ride with the toddler, and then can immediately go back on when the other part is done.

Baby Care Center

I am always grateful when an amusement park has a baby care center. This is a place where you can feed your child, change their diaper, or just take a little break from a busy day at the park (maybe when people are going on bigger rides !).

Legoland has something for everyone, and that includes toddlers! With rides like the Duplo Trains and Carousels, even the youngest Lego fan will have a Legoland ride that is made just for them.

More Posts You Might Enjoy:

• 6+ BEST Toddler Shoes for Disney World and Disneyland Vacations
• 20+ Airplane Snacks for Toddlers + Expert Tips for Success
• The Best Rides for Toddlers at Disney World + Disneyland

The post The Best Legoland Rides for Toddlers in Florida and California appeared first on Magical Family Travel Guide.

LEGOLAND Tips and Tricks

LEGOLAND is a really great destination, especially for children between the ages of about 5-10.

We have gone to LEGOLAND in California and in Florida, and both times, our kids have had a blast.

It’s different than some theme parks, and if you are comparing it to Disneyland – you might be disappointed. But I actually think my kids prefer it over to Disneyland and Disney World in some ways, due to the lower crowds (most of the time).

Below you will find a review of our time at LEGOLAND a few years ago. We have since gone to the Florida location, and I am sure things have changed a bit. But regardless of when you are going and what location, I hope this will help you prepare to make the most of your trip!

We actually enjoyed our second trip MUCH more. There was almost no one in the park, and the kids had so much fun.

Be sure to book through Get Away Today to get the best deals and perks on your LEGOLAND California Adventure. We have used them for all our Southern California adventures, and they always deliver top-notch service. Use the code MFTG or mention Magical Family Travel Guide when you book your next trip for $10 off a Southern California vacation package.

LEGOLAND Deals

LEGOLAND often has some really good deals, including kids play free. I see vouchers for free kid tickets periodically (you can sometimes find them in LEGO movie boxes, magazines, etc.).

When we were buying our tickets, I think they had a deal that was 5 days for the cost of one…which, if you want to spend more than one day at the park, is a pretty great deal.

The best place to find the best deals for LEGOLAND California is through Get Away Today. Make sure you check out what specials they are offering before you book. They also offer combo tickets which can get you into other parks as well.  I think it’s best to book your tickets through them if you are booking a vacation.

LEGOLAND California Hacks and Tips

Go During the Week

So many people we talked to said that they just loved LEGOLAND because they were able to just walk on rides, there were no crowds, and it was just a laid-back place.

Well, I should have realized that these people went mid-week…and not over a holiday weekend (apparently we were in California over Canadian Thanksgiving weekend AND Columbus Day Weekend. Fail).

It was SO busy. The lines were insanely long, and because of that, we didn’t really get to go on a lot of rides. My sister went in the middle of the week in May, and she told us how her kids could get straight on the rides without any wait. So make sure you are careful about the time of year and week that you go!

Plan Accordingly for Children Under 34″

When we first went, our second son was about 32″, which made him ineligible for nearly every ride. He’s at an age where he’s not super content to just sit and watch his brother go and have fun.

He wanted SO badly to go on the rides our oldest was going on. But at the same time, I didn’t want to make it so our oldest didn’t have any fun.

Fortunately, there were a few places O could have fun that we discovered were great for younger kids who were under 32″:

• DUPLO Play Town – this area is specifically for small children. They have a little train, which both our boys loved, some slides, giant DUPLO blocks, and lots of things to climb on. We came here first, which I’m glad we did.

• Splash Pad – there is a great splash pad for all ages over in Pirates Shore.

• Block Area – there is a fun area with giant LEGO blocks right by the Skipper School. Oliver really enjoyed this place.
• Water Park – while young kiddos can obviously not go on most of the slides, this can be a fun place to take them.  Oliver loves the water, so I wish we had taken him in there (even though he was free at LEGOLAND, I believe there was a small fee had we wanted to take him in).
• Coast Cruise
• Fairy Tale Brook
• LEGOLAND Express (this is in DUPLO Play Town)
• Mia’s Riding Camp (carousel)

Download the LEGOLAND California App

Make sure you download the LEGOLAND app before you get to the park. It has a lot of helpful information and even some discounts.

You can see the approximate wait time for rides, find the closest places to buy food (as well as pinpoint where specific food you want), etc.

If you buy one of the passes that allow you to go to skip some of the lines, it’s helpful for reserving those spots. I found it helpful for navigating the park and figuring out where I was and where I wanted to be.

There are some discounts for food and merchandise in the app, so make sure you don’t miss the part. I did find it to be a little bit difficult to navigate the app at first (you have to toggle between family rides, just for kids, and I think rollercoasters.

I wished I could have been able to see all the rides at once). But I figured it out after a while, and it was helpful for making our day more enjoyable.

It was helpful for seeing which rides were closed; some for the whole day, some for just a little while. I did feel like there were a lot of rides that were closed for the majority of the day.

Stay at the LEGOLAND Hotel

I wish we had decided to stay at the LEGOLAND hotel while we were there. For some reason, when I looked up the prices initially, I was almost positive it said like $500 a night…which was insane.

However, a few days before we went, I saw that there were rooms for like $75 a night, so I must have been looking in the wrong place.

ANYWAYS.

Staying at the LEGOLAND Hotel gives you earlier access to the park, and it just makes for an even more magical experience for your kids. As you can imagine, there are LEGO figures and blocks everywhere, the rooms are themed, and it’s right next to the park.

Get Away Today does have some great deals on the LEGOLAND Hotel, so definitely check out what they have to offer.

They also have good deals on other hotels in the area. If you book two nights or more (and I believe this can be combined with other hotels and tickets in the area), you can get $10 off your vacation package using the code MFTG.

We ended up driving down and back from Anaheim on the same day, which made for a very long day! I wish we had stayed!

Check the Hours

Hours vary depending on the time of year and time of the week. We were a little disappointed that the park was only open until 5 PM when we were there! However, we were there from about 10 to 5, and I think that was the perfect amount of time.

I’m not sure what the rhyme or reason as to when it closes, but it’s good to check ahead of time.

There was a special Halloween event the day we went, so everyone who didn’t buy the extra ticket had to leave at five.

LEGOLAND Miniland USA

I have to say, my personal favorite part of LEGOLAND was all the amazing sculptures – but specifically, Miniland USA.

In this area, it’s America built out of LEGO blocks. There are all these incredible replicas of famous cities and monuments around the world.

Not only are they spot on with their details, but many of them are interactive, move around, and make sounds. I could have spent a couple of hours looking at everything here. I kept joking to Forrest, “Well, now we don’t need to travel anywhere. We’ve seen all that there is to see in America!”

This was the last place we went while we were there, and I”m glad we did. It really brightened my mood and made me feel a little less frustrated 🙂

Mom Lounge

I don’t really think this is what it is called, but there was a nice mother’s lounge available in the park. I went there to change Oliver’s diaper, and I was welcomed by a spacious (and air-conditioned) building. There were places to use a breast pump, change your baby’s diaper, feed your baby, as well as a place for your child to play if they just need a little break from the day.

More than just rides

There is definitely more than just rides at LEGOLAND. As I was walking around with Oliver and my mother-in-law while Forrest, Jack, and his dad were at the water park, we discovered a few interactive exhibits and areas. Definitely take a look at the map and descriptions of things before you go so you can make sure you don’t miss out on any of these fun things.

Bring Hand Sanitizer

There are a lot of giant LEGO blocks, as well as normal LEGO building stations, but I couldn’t help but think about how germy they were. I’m not sure if they regularly sanitize them, but I don’t think it would hurt to bring plenty of hand sanitizer.

I actually come home from our California trip super, super sick. I keep joking that I picked up every sickness possible at all the parks we went to.

Rider Swap

If you have a rider that is too small for certain rides, you can take advantage of LEGOLAND’s rider swap feature. This allows someone in your party to stay off the ride with the little one and then go on the ride immediately after everyone else is done.

Buy Minifigures beforehand

One of the fun parts about LEGOLAND is that you can trade mini-figures with park employees. I didn’t realize this until right before we got to the park, and Jack was a little disappointed when he saw that you could do this.

With that said, I wasn’t about to buy a couple in the park just for trading. You can buy some plain ones on Amazon or eBay before you leave that you can start trading with. I think this is a fun way to get your kids outside their comfort zone, and they can take home some fun souvenirs. Just make sure they don’t take their favorite mini-figures with them (unless they are okay parting with them!).

**Make sure you double-check what hours you can do this. My kids were so disappointed when we got to the place to trade them, and they had closed for the day!

Be Ready for “upgrades”

I felt like there was a decent amount of nickle and diming going on in the park. It felt like there were lots of “extras” throughout the park, which was kind of annoying at times.

A few examples:

• Getting a driver’s license after completing the driving school
• Navigating an electronic boat in the boat by the Minifigure land
• Lockers in the water park
• Electronic driers at the water park and splash pad
• Unlimited Digital Photo Pass (you just need one for the whole family; starts at $34.99 a day)
• Reserve ‘N’ Ride (more on that in a bit)
• VIP Experiences – these are PRICEY (we are talking 500+ per person), but it includes things like behind-the-scenes experiences, priority access to all rides, valet parking, lunch, a gift, and more.

Obviously, none of these things were deal breakers for us, but it did feel like we kept running into a lot of up charges.

I think the thing that annoyed me the most was when we arrived and realized that one of our tickets was only for the park and the aquarium – not the park and the water park.

The ticket prices between these two types of tickets was only a couple of dollars (and even when you got the water park, aquarium and park wasn’t very different).

However, if we wanted to upgrade, we would have had to pay $30, which I thought was crazy.

Reserve ‘N’ Ride

If you want to shorten your time in line and get a few other perks, there are line hopper passes available. There are three different tiers, which I’ve listed below. The prices are from 2017, but I had trouble finding current prices. I would suspect they are the same. or more.

• Express Reserve ‘N’ Ride: $25 per person; this reduces your wait time by 25%
• Deluxe Reserve ‘N’ Ride: $55 per person; reduce wait time by 50%
• Ultimate Reserve ‘N’ Ride; $100 per person; reduces wait time by about 90%

I wouldn’t get these until you get to the park so you can see how long the lines are. However, if you only have one day there, the lines are long, kids who really want to see as much as possible, might be worth looking into.

How it works is that you get a hand-held device that allows you to make reservations for eligible rides from anywhere in the park. It tells you when it’s your turn to go get into ride! It’s nice that you don’t have to wait in line!

I do wish there was a way to use this system without paying (like at Disneyland), but that’s okay!

Quadruple check your Tickets, What they are For, and How to Redeem them

Obviously, I mentioned above why you should check your tickets beforehand. When I bought my tickets through Get Away Today, for some reason, I just thought the water park was included with the aquarium + park ticket.

I wasn’t right, and because of it, not all of us got to go (because I was definitely not going to pay $30 more). So make sure you get the exact ticket that you want.

You should also double-check how you are supposed to redeem them. I thought I would just show my ID, and they’d be able to pull the ticket up (which is what they did at Disneyland, and what I could have sworn my receipt said when I bought the tickets).

I spent about an hour in the hot sun arguing with an employee about getting our tickets. I ended up having to call Get Away Today (who was amazing) and have them email the park directly my ticket voucher.

Obviously, I should have triple-checked our tickets and how we were supposed to redeem them…but I didn’t, and it was a frustrating experience, and it definitely soured my day (I don’t do well in the heat to begin with).

If you can, just order the hard copy of your ticket! But with that said, make sure you don’t lose your ticket. Forrest misplaced his once we were in the park, and unfortunately, it was one of our water park tickets!

LEGOLAND California Water Park

I didn’t go to the Water Park, but Forrest really enjoyed it and feels like everyone should consider getting it if you have time. Remember, it is not automatically included with a ticket.

It’s really only a difference of a few dollars, but it’s a great place for kids and adults to cool down.

There is a lot of unstructured play areas that are great for kids who just want to run around and have fun. Forest Lazy river has LEGO blocks in the river. Multiple water slides.

They didn’t really have a lot of time to get to do everything, and Forrest wishes they’d had more time there.

You have to pay $10 for a locker. There is a changing area, but there was a really long line for all the stalls. They had electronic body driers (they also had this in the splash pad I took Oliver to), but they cost money to use.

It was a hot enough day, though, that getting dried wasn’t too hard!

Water and Snacks

We were a little confused about the rules for bringing in food. In the end, we determined that water bottles and small snacks were okay. We brought in some different things to snack on throughout the day, and this was helpful throughout the day.

I don’t think you are supposed to bring in full meals though. However, our bags weren’t really checked very thoroughly, so if you want to chance it, have at it!

Best LEGOLAND California Rides

There are a lot of rides at LEGOLAND, but these were J’s favorites (he is five, in case you want to use that as a frame of reference):

• Fun Town Police and Fire Academy
• Kid Power Towers – Jack went on this a bunch of times with Forrest and Grandpa Clark. He loved it!

• LEGOLAND Express
• Junior Driving School – He wasn’t quite old enough for the regular driving school, but he still loved this.

They do have some coasters, but Jack really didn’t want to go any of those 🙂

Hotels near LEGOLAND California

There are quite a few hotel options near LEGOLAND California. Here are a few that stood out to me. These are all available through Get Away Today, so they would be eligible for our $10 discount (code MFTG) if you book two or more nights with two or more tickets. Remember that booking through Get Away Today gets you some great perks!

• LEGOLAND Hotel – this is an obvious choice. It’s right outside the park, and it gives you perfect access to the park. I already mentioned above some of the perks, so definitely consider this one. They are also currently building another LEGOLAND hotel right next door.
• Grand Pacific Palisades Resort and Hotel – This is just .2 miles from LEGOLAND. Rooms come with either a balcony or a patio, it’s easily walkable to LEGOLAND, and they offer daily activities to guests.
• Homewood Suites Carlsbad – This is 5.2 miles from LEGOLAND, so it is a bit further. It does include a free, hot breakfast, free dinner on Monday through Thursday, and an in-suite kitchen.
• Carlsbad by the Sea Resort – This is about 2.4 miles from LEGOLAND. It offers a free breakfast buffet, a free shuttle to LEGOLAND, and it’s close to the beach, too.
• Sheraton Carlsbad Resort and Spa – This is 1.2 miles from LEGOLAND. Get Away Today says that it offers a private entrance to LEGOLAND (not sure what that means?). It looks comfortable, though it doesn’t have a free breakfast which is a deal breaker for us 🙂
• La Quinta Inn & Suites Carlsbad – 3.5 miles to LEGOLAND. Free breakfast, free parking, and free WiFi! What more could you want?!

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