We took the boys to Legoland on Monday. Here is a full review...
We went to Legoland yesterday (Monday, October 24, 2011). It was a blast. By far one of the best parks we've been to!!
A few things to note about our trip:
-we stayed in Orlando the night before and drove over to Legoland for the day.
-it was a school holiday for the county that Legoland is in. So I am sure the crowds were more b/c of this (although as you'll read below, I did not find them to be bad).
-it was the first day that Legoland was offering their "free VIP" ticket. That line was insane. Hopefully, they've come up with a better system.
-the park opened at 10, so we got there at 9:45. I would recommend getting there at 9:30 if the park opens at 10. It takes a while to park, buy your tickets, etc.
The good:
-Almost everything! We had a great time!
-Many of the lines have Lego Centers on the middle where the kids are gated in and can play with Legos instead of waiting in line with mom and dad. SO SMART!
-It is built on a lake and the surroundings are just beautiful.
The bad:
-The park says it is for 2 to 12 year olds. However, almost all the rides have height and/or age restrictions. Maddox is 3 (soon to be 4); he couldn't do a lot of the things. I don't think you should take a child under 3-1/2 years of age. If we didn't have Brewer (who is 6), I think we would have missed out on a lot of things.
-The park is huge...so be ready for A LOT of walking. The park hours were 10 to 5. They stayed open for an extended hour until 6. We got there at 9:45 and left when the park closed at 6. We didn't get to do everything...it's just massive and a ton to do!! (Sounds like a reason to go back soon!!)
The rides:
-We waited in line for about 30 minutes for the Coastersarus. Poor Maddox...it was a roller coaster with two very big drops. He hated it. But it was the only coaster that had a minimum rider height of 36”. So I thought it would be appropriate. I was wrong. BTW, you couldn't see the coaster from the line...so I had no idea.
-We waited in line for 5 minutes or less at Lost Kingdom Adventure (a laser shooting type ride), Safari Trek, AquaZone (but then once up to the front, Brewer decided he didn't want to ride b/c you get wet), Kid Power Tower, & Boating School.
-We walked right on Beetle Bounce, Big Rig Rally, Granny's Jalopies, The Dragon, Royal Joust, Merlin's Challenge, Test Track, Technicycle (kind of lame for Maddox b/c even though he met the height requirements, he couldn't reach the pedals), Rescue Academy (I was a rock star on that ride), Ford Driving School (for Brewer), & Ford JR. Driving School (for Maddox).
-Junior Fire Academy ride was closed for the day.
-We didn't make it on Flying School or Island in the Sky. Again, just ran out of time.
 |
| Maddox at the Jr. Driving School |
The playgrounds:
-The park has awesome playgrounds. My kids loved Pharaoh's Revenge where they could fire the soft foam balls at other guests.
-The Forestmen's Hideout is a great climbing playground. Another area where they played and played!
-DUPLO farm was for ages 2 to 5. And Brewer was okay with not going in this area.
The Imagination Zone:
-Hero Factory, Build & Test, and Lego Mindstorms were a good break in the day from rides to have the kids inside to just play and use their imaginations.
-Miniland is amazing. You could spend a ton of time looking at all the Lego cities. Very neat!
The shows:
-We saw Pirate's Cove Live Water Ski show. It was cute.
-The park has a lot of shows but we ran out of time and couldn't see them all. In fact, we only made it to this one.
Things the park doesn't tell you:
-There is a ticket called the HERO TICKET. This is sold at the gate and will take you to the front of every line. The lines weren't bad when we were there. So I do not have firsthand knowledge on whether or not this is worth it.
-The employees wear minifigurines on their name tags. Have your kids take 2 to 3 minifigurines to trade with the workers. Lots of fun.
The food:
-It is a Pepsi property. YUCK! I don't even like the Pepsi brand bottled water. I wish I had known. I would have packed some water bottles of my own.
-There are no full-service restaurants. I thought the food was blah.
Hope this review helps. Feel free to ask any questions. Lou and I were both impressed. It is a great park! Loved it! You should plan a trip sooner than later for your family.
