LEGOLAND Part 1 ~ Tips/Review

This is part one of a three part series on LEGOLAND.  Our family LOVES Legos!  Seriously, we love them.  We have an entire room in our home filled with LEGO sets.  We have so many LEGOS, I have them listed on our insurance.  I. Am. Not. Kidding.

These blog posts will tell you the good, the bad and the ugly of traveling to LEGOLAND California.  Part 1 - Tips/Review, Part 2 - The Hotel, Part 3 - The Park.

Here are my tips and reviews of LEGOLAND Park.

CHECK THE HOURS:
LEGOLAND is not open 7 days a week.  Make sure to check the days of operation before planning your trip.

STAY AT THE LEGOLAND HOTEL:
It was the highlight of our trip and so awesome!  It was probably only $40 more than other hotels in the area, well worth it.  I really wanted to stay another day and just enjoy the hotel.  It is brand new built in 2012.  Check out part two of my post for all of the cool details of the hotel.  Including video starring my son as the tour guide.

DO NOT PAY FOR CHILDREN:
There are a TON of promotions and coupons for a free child entry with an adult ticket.  Going before June 30, 2014?  Here's your deal:  Go to this link and enter Promo Code 13035.  This coupon code is good for one free 'One Day Child Hopper' ticket with the purchase of a full price 'One Day Adult Hopper' ticket to LEGOLAND California.  One free child per adult ticket.  We have one child.  What I ended up doing was buying a full price park hopper for Jason, got Gabriel's free ticket, and then I bought for myself a LEGOLAND only ticket, as I knew we weren't going to the other parks.  Other places to find these coupons are by joining The LEGO Club, sometimes in the LEGO Club Magazine and Shutterfly.  Just keep your eyes peeled, I see promotions all the time for free child's admission.  Ask your friends or post online, they really are everywhere.

WIN A TRIP!:
Click here to enter to win a trip for four to LEGOLAND.

DON'T EXPECT GREAT SHOPPING:
We had just come from Disneyland where there is THE coolest LEGO store in Downtown Disney.  My husband wanted to shop there but I insisted he wait until we got to LEGOLAND, expecting to find the most awesome selection.  Well, here's some ugly for you.  The stores sucked, they really did.  There was nothing exclusive to the park, no hard to find sets, not even cool Christmas ornaments. (We went in November.)  The only cool thing was a build your own mini figure display where Gabriel got to create and even package his own mini figures.  (There is a cooler make your own mini figure display in Star Trader in Disneyland.)  The clothing was worse.  No cool LEGOLAND clothes with mini figures on them or anything.  The clothing selection reminded me of a sad California t-shirt stand in the mall. 

WHAT I GOT SCOLDED FOR:
Yeah, I'm a trouble maker, you all know that.  We had just come from three days at Disneyland where the answer is always "Yes!"  Well, LEGOLAND wasn't quite as friendly.  They have small "roller coasters."  Nothing too big or exciting by any means.  Yet they would make you remove hats on some rides, sunglasses on others, - never consistent, would yell at you in the microphone if you took your camera out on a ride, they made me feel like a bad child.  Don't even THINK about trying to take a picture of your ride photo with your phone.  That is a super no no.  Let's just say, Disneyland staff they are not.  They are like a step up from a mid state fair carnie.

DON'T EXPECT THRILL RIDES:
There are only a few roller coasters, and only children would consider them "roller coasters."  There was one that had a pretty good drop and Gabriel enjoyed all of the rides!  Many of the rides are to simply take you through LEGO displays.  It's all about the LEGOS.  LEGOLAND is for younger children and the LEGO enthusiast.  It is a nice, calm, uncrowded, small park.  We took Gabriel when he was 10 and he loved it.  I don't know if he will at 11 and probably for sure not at 12.  It's great for 10 and under!  It was also the perfect way to end our vacation.  It was more like going to your local zoo than a theme park.  At least when we went in November.  After the crowds and craziness of Disneyland, it was nice to just walk around and enjoy the scenery.  *Update, Gabriel was just polled and said he can't wait to go back to LEGOLAND.  ;-)

FOOD:
We did not try to bring too much food into LEGOLAND, as I couldn't find people online that had done the same.  Might not be a good idea, or just be ready to take it back to the car if they deny you.  They are much more sticklers than good ol' Disneyland.  We did bring water bottles.  The food in the park is lacking, very.  Not exciting at all. Although everyone was talking/raving about the Granny Apple Fries.  I guess they're deep fried apples you dip in a vanilla sauce.  Worth checking out.

STAFF:

Like I said above, they're a step up from a carnie.  We did stumble upon some staff that had great LEGO facts about the park and were very friendly.  But on the whole, I was not impressed.  Especially on one ride where the two ride operators kept asking each other safety questions on how to properly load people.  Seriously. They all just seemed tired, depressed and not happy to be at work.  They also staff rides alone.  You would never see a lone Cast Member operating a ride at Disneyland.  By our last ride of the day at LEGOLAND, it was very cold.  We walked up to no one in line and a lone, freezing ride operator.  The whole thing just seemed sad.  No one in line, doesn't have a warm uniform, no coworker around.  Even a little weird.

These displays could look all the more impressive with the leaves picked up.

CLEANLINESS OF THE PARK:
LEGOLAND is, well... dirty.  There is dust and cobwebs on all of the rides and LEGO models & displays.  Even the gardening seems a little unkempt.  Dead leaves scattered everywhere on walkways and LEGO displays, sad flowers gardens.  Paint on all of the line handrails is chipping, faded LEGOS in the displays.  It just wasn't that well cared for.  Which is a shame, because it could be really awesome.

SUMMER:
LEGOLAND has an entire wet ride and play area that was closed when we went in November.  Summer/warm months are clearly the months to visit this park.  The Water Park will also be open during those months, although it does require a park hopper ticket.  I also just learned that they will be opening a Chima themed water park this summer. 

LEGO VIP:
Before you go or make your first purchase at a LEGO store, become a LEGO VIP.  You can earn points for every dollar spent online or at a LEGO store and earn coupons.  I assume you can earn points at the stores in LEGOLAND, although I wouldn't count on it.  It's a good program to join regardless, if you buy a lot of LEGOS.

I hope this helps in the planning of your family trip to LEGOLAND.  Stay tuned for parts two and three of this series,  The Hotel and The Park. 

Don't forget to click here to enter to win a trip for four to LEGOLAND!