Since we checked off a national park visit on Sunday, it only makes sense to hit an amusement park the next day right?! We had talked with the two older days before our trip, and they decided that Legoland California was on our must-see list, so they were very excited for Monday’s trip!
In retrospect I will say that December was a GREAT time to check out Legoland. While some of the rides were closed for annual maintenance and the water park was closed for the season, the complete lack of crowds was MORE than worth it! I wasn’t really sure what to expect from the park, since we had never been to a Legoland Park before. I discovered that it was actually a lot of fun for adults too!
When you enter Legoland California, you will find the Legoland Hotel on your right–it’s a great option if you want to spend more than a day at the park. I think it would also be fun to stay over and get to the park right at opening, and then have the luxury of going back for a nap in between all the fun!
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Imagination Zone
Since we were at the park during the holiday period, we walked through the main gates and saw Lego Santa front and center– ready to pose for pictures. We snapped a pic with the boys and then got started exploring. First off was the Imagination Zone. The older boys went on the AQUAZONE Wave Racer (you ride around in a circle on your craft while spectators control the water blasts aimed at you!) and the LEGO TECHNIC Coaster (super fun with a steep little hill to get you started!).
Land of Adventure
We then made our way over to the Land of Adventure. All three boys loved Pharaoh’s Revenge— a fun attraction where parents AND children fire foam balls at targets and at each other. After Pharaoh’s Revenge, we went on the Lost Kingdom Adventure. I looked quickly at the height requirement, hoping we could take the 18-month old on a ride. I knew he was 34 1/2 inches, so when I saw 34 we went for it.
It was funny because the Legoland staff member double checked his height before we got on. I can imagine he was looking at this 18 month old wondering how he was possibly tall enough to ride! Anyhow, he sat next to me in the back, with the two older boys in the front, as we fired our laser guns at the targets trying to reclaim the stolen treasure! 🙂
The last ride we did was the Dune Raiders, because who can turn down a ride on a 30-foot high, 50-foot long slide? The older boys and dad did this one, and I love the pictures of their faces screaming down the slide!
Castle Hill
Next up was Castle Hill. We didn’t really do any rides here, but we did stop and play some Legos! Attractions in Castle Hill include the Hideaways play structure.
One of the things I love about Legoland is that they have a lot of interactive activities for the kids sprinkled in amongst the rides and attractions. If the kids need a break from the sun or the stimulation, they can head over to one of the little buildings where they can stay and build with Legos or construct a ship to run down a channel. If they want to run around, there are several play structures to help them stay active!
After Castle Hill and a short visit to the Lego Star Wars area, we were famished and ready for lunch. A quick trip to Pizza Mania (in the Imagination Zone) for some personal pizzas hit the spot. I love that they have some salad options to add on and honest juice and milk beverages, instead of just soda! 🙂
Miniland USA
Miniland is AWESOME! In my opinion, this is the best part of the park for adults. When you walk through Miniland USA, you will find the most intricately assembled recreations of seven different areas of the United States including Washington, DC, San Francisco, New Orleans, Las Vegas, and New York City.
There are over 20 million Lego bricks used in this display! Clarke and I spent quite a while ogling all of the different areas, complete with moving boats, cars, music, and more. If you want to pay a small fee, you can also steer your own remote control mini boat around Miniland.
In a separate area of Miniland USA, you will also find the busts of popular historic and cultural figures on the Block of Fame. Don’t miss this section of the park, you will be amazed at the level of detail!
LEGO Friends Heartlake City
If you kids are into the LEGO Heartlake City, this area is super cute! They have a stage where they do live shows and broadcast Heartlake City episodes. They Heartlake Stables where kids can build with Legos, a very cool Heartlake carousel, and Mia’s Riding Camp!
In my opinion, this was the best area of the park for quick service food. After our pizza “snack” earlier in our trip, Clarke and I were still hungry, so we hit up Wok ‘N’ Bowl Ramen for some SUPER delicious stir fry. I was honestly really surprised with the quality of our stir fry bow. We had marinated chicken with a ton of fresh veggies (you can choose fried noodles or sticky rice). They also have a creperie (City Park Creperie)!
30 Something Mother Runner received two complimentary tickets to Legoland California. All writing and opinions are 100% my own.
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