Legoland?

[arehopsveggies]

The kids are begging for a Legoland trip this summer. The prices make me want to cry. We don’t ever do big vacations. Maybe we should while they are big enough to enjoy it and little enough to want to?

Any advice?

[cricketwife]

How old are your kids?
I went with my kids when they were 5 and 7. It was November 2021 and I booked when we were still coming out of Covid so the prices were high, but not crazy like they are now. But my kids LOVED it. You only need a few days. We did three nights- it was “buy 2 nights and get one free.” For us it was perfect, but I think 2 night so would be ok too if you wanted to keep costs down.

The one thing to know is you really need a parent per kid. We went without H and my kids couldn’t ride many rides because I needed to be with the younger one but then the older one would have to be by himself (most rides were 2 seats together.) there may have been more we *could* do but DS1 was always a sort of clingy kid who would not be separated. And some we just could not. Nevertheless, we had a great time. They LOVED the hotel pool and the Lego classes at the hotel. It’s absolutely worth it to book the hotel on property. For us, they had as much fun there as they did in the park itself.

We have never done Disney and probably never will, but Legoland was a great trip and checked that box for us.

[statgirl]

My kids loved Legoland from 2 to 10 (my 11 year old
would still go if we took him!).

If you do Florida, all the hotels are fine—the resort is across the street but has a shuttle. We usually airbnb rather than the hotel, but have stayed at all of them. The hotel lego classes are fun. You can find the link online and book before you arrive.

I won’t do Disney, but Legoland is great. If you are connected to the military, MWR sells tickets if you don’t do a package. Sams Club also sells tickets in their app.

[scribellesam]

My kids were obsessed with Legoland from about 3-10 years old. We live near the San Diego location and used to go often and had annual passes for a few years. It’s such a good time for little kids and Lego enthusiasts. I think it’s a lot easier to navigate than a bigger park like Disney or Universal and everything is very little kid friendly with lots of build areas and playgrounds in addition to rides and shows.

If you can swing the Legoland hotel it is so cute with tons of things for kids to love. We used to do weekends there for the boys’ birthdays and I have many happy memories of drinking cocktails at the outside bar while they play at the playground or build sets we got in the park. Only you can decide if an amusement park vacation is worth the exorbitant cost but I think this one is worth it.

[noodleoo]

We haven’t been to Legoland but were considering it and my friend told me there’s a coupon in the Lego magazine for Buy 1 adult admission, get a free kid admission. I don’t subscribe but they have it at the library and I was able to find the coupon link in there. I think the magazine may be free anyway tho if you want to sign up.

[arehopsveggies]

Apr 7, 2024 21:23:44 GMT -5 noodleoo said:

We haven’t been to Legoland but were considering it and my friend told me there’s a coupon in the Lego magazine for Buy 1 adult admission, get a free kid admission. I don’t subscribe but they have it at the library and I was able to find the coupon link in there. I think the magazine may be free anyway tho if you want to sign up.

The Lego magazine is what got my kids started on the begging !

They are 6 and 9. We would be going to the California one.
I was looking at the Lego hotel. It is so much money but it seems like it would be amazing for them…

[lilac05]

We went when our kids were 4 and 7. They STILL talk about it and want to go back at 10 and 13.

We stayed at the then brand new Castle Hotel and it was worth it for us. We’re generally the family who will happily stay anywhere that cockroaches and bed bugs don’t, so it was a huge splurge for us. The theming throughout the hotel was so great & the kids got a new little Lego set every day. Being literally just a handful of steps from the gate was great and gave us so much more time in the parks. Plus we could just go back to the hotel for 30 min if needed.

I LOVE the pace of Legoland vs Disney and Universal. When we were there, you could pretty easily see and do everything in 2 days, so everything just feels much more laid back. Parents aren’t nearly as stressed, so the kids are happier, too.

If your kids are asking now & you can swing it financially, go ASAP. The rides aren’t huge or great for thrill-seekers, but are great for the 10 and under group.

[Poppy]

We went to the San Diego one. We stayed offsite and did 2 days. I kinda wish we would have done the hotel, but then again we had such a fantastic time that it wasn't necessary. My biggest tip, if you can manage, is to stay till the park closes. The last few hours are way less crowded and you can walk onto lots of great rides then, unlike the morning when you have to wait in lines for everything.

We did the water park which was fun but I think we somehow missed most of it?? Didn't thoroughly explore. But the water park was not integral to the experience for us. I think if you stay offsite, and do not add on the water park, you can have an amazing time with lower costs.

My kids still talk about it and ask to go back. I also wish we could go back, but my H wants to explore other places instead.

[sdlaura]

I work right next to the San Diego one (in Carlsbad). It is sooooo much cheaper than Disneyland so I almost see it as a bargain I can get an annual pass to legoland for the same price as a one day park hopper ticket to Disneyland. My kids love it but my older kids will age out soon (they are 10 and 11). The water park is fun if you go in summer.

[pandora89]

We did Legoland in Windsor, UK and the kids LOVED it. They were able to get on all the rides since it is geared towards kids and everything was quite immersive. They were 3 & 5 but would also be great for kids your age.

[dcn]

We did the Florida park when the kids were 4 and 7 and they loved loved loved it. They are 8 and 11 now and still talk about it. Agree that it is slower paced and great for kids under 10. When we went there was a buy one adult get one kid ticket free deal. It’s also much more affordable than Universal or Disney I think.

[tennisgal]

We just did legoland CA over spring break 2 weeks ago. If you are planning to do other San Diego things, there is a City Pass program that will get you discount tix to a few of the other main San Diego attractions. (We did get the City Pass) Kids are 11 and 7 and they enjoyed it. We did not end up adding the waterpark. We stayed a bit south in a VRBO so I'm no help on the hotel

[quesyrah]

Which one are you going to? We live around 2 hours from the one in Carlsbad, CA. My kids are 10 and 14 now but still love it.

I’ve never thought the prices were all that bad. It’s pricey but I feel like everywhere is just as pricey.

If you’re going to the Carlsbad one, check out the Mar Brisa hotel.

[mainelyfoolish]

With a 6 and 9 year old, I would go now.

We went to the Legoland in New York when my DS was 9 and I felt he was borderline too old for it. It had been planned as an 8th birthday trip but we had to reschedule due to COVID.

[jewel]

We live in northern CA. We had Legoland annual passes last year. My boys are 6 and 9 now and they loved Legoland. We are mostly disneyland people, but i actually really like the LL experience. There are decent rides, but there are also a lot more activities and experiences to do too. The parks are smaller than disney and so much easier to navigate. It’s the most (relatively) relaxing theme park trip we’ve taken. I like that you can do everything in 1-2 days, but you can also be entertained for 3-5 days if you wanted to stay longer.

LL frequently has deals going. Black Friday is the best time, but they run others throughout the year. Most of our trips have been during off-peak times so we could stay on site for pretty cheap, but there are a number of cheaper hotels nearby that also have free shuttles. You can get park tickets at Costco and other discount places. You can bring food into the park if you’d like, but their food is decently priced.

[clairebear]

Apr 7, 2024 19:53:14 GMT -5 arehopsveggies said:

The kids are begging for a Legoland trip this summer. The prices make me want to cry. We don’t ever do big vacations. Maybe we should while they are big enough to enjoy it and little enough to want to?

Any advice?

We are local to the FL Legoland and have had annual passes for about 5 years now. I absolutely love it! Although at 6 and 7 I think my girls are getting a little bit too old, plus we've done it a bunch! The park is great for the 10 and under crowd. I would absolutely do it. They are the perfect age to enjoy it. The hotels are supposed to be amazing and encompass a lot of the experience (themed pools, pajama parties, treasure hunts in the room etc). There is a unofficial FL Legoland Facebook group that has a ton of tips, suggestions and deal alerts. I would find the CA version.  Black Friday always has the best deals, but they typically run random deals as well. Sam's Club has discounted tickets as well. 

[arehopsveggies]

I think ya’ll have convinced me. It’s a stretch while I’m still paying grad school tuition, but I CAN manage it. My poor kids said the other day they can’t even remember what hotels are like, they haven’t stayed in one since Covid. We should do a real vacation!

[pinkpeony08]

arehopsveggies - the valpak coupon that comes in the mail always has a Lego Land coupon in it - www.valpak.com/legoland

We went last fall - it was fun. I wished we had gone to see the Lego cities earlier - we saved it to the end and didn't have much time.