On a recent trip to San Diego with my five-year-old daughter, I came across a pleasant surprise in the form of Legoland California. I have known Legoland theme park for a few years now and on the recommendation of a good friend of mine, I decided to give the place a try. What a good decision because for any family with children under the age of ten, a day at Legoland is something not to be missed. I took more photos of my daughter during our visit to Legoland California than I did at Disneyland and The San Diego Wild Animal Park combined.
Legoland is divided into eight different areas, each with its own theme, with Lego-scale rides and attractions. And when I say Lego scale, I mean almost everything in the park is made from those famous toy blocks that many of us played with growing up. The best way to describe what to expect from a visit to Legoland is to play a game of Lego Star Wars with your child on their favorite video game system. The experience is something kids will love with enough fun for an adult. One of the main goals of a theme park, which Legoland accomplishes well, is to create attractions that parents and children can enjoy together.
The main thing that separates Legoland from most other theme parks is that most of the attractions offer kids a hands-on experience. There were several times during our visit that I had to interrupt what my daughter was doing to reach our goal of seeing the entire park. Every activity she participated in could easily have taken up our entire day if she had been allowed to do so. It’s not hard to see why when her son can play with thousands of Lego bricks, shoot water cannons at pirate ships, dig for dinosaur fossils, drive Lego cars and run around on big playgrounds. The most unique feature of Legoland, which I found interesting and clever, was the Lego play areas that were close to many of the attractions. It allowed children to play with Legos while parents waited in line. Anyone who has waited in line with her young son at Disneyland or Six Flags will understand what a great idea this is.
As mentioned above, Legoland offers many great photo opportunities because the attractions are, for the most part, interesting and easy to get up close and personal with. One area of the park that is a must-see is Miniland USA. It features Lego-built models of famous structures like the Washington Monument, the Statue of Liberty, the Golden Gate Bridge, and many others. The White House model even included a moving presidential motorcade that runs down a replica of Pennsylvania Avenue. My daughter’s favorite parts of Legoland were The Dragon roller coaster and The Hideaways playground, both located in Knight’s Kingdom. As for me, I couldn’t resist trying my aptitude as a firefighter at the Fun Town Fire Academy. This attraction reminded me of the physical challenges you see on reality shows today. Of course, I let my daughter help me drive the fire truck just a little bit.
Overall, our trip to Legoland California was a day full of fun and family togetherness. Legoland’s marketing, while not far-reaching, is excellent because it accurately portrays the excitement of the park. The Legoland employees were friendly and efficient, and the facilities, especially the restroom areas, were clean. Bring your wallet because Legoland is a bit pricey, but the wide variety of food is good by theme park standards and there are plenty of gift shops for souvenirs and every kind of Lego set you can think of. The next time you and your family visit the San Diego area, don’t forget to put a trip to Legoland California on your agenda, you won’t be disappointed.