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Legoland California

4 star rating
based on 129 reviews

Categories: Amusement Parks, Aquariums  [Edit]

Neighborhood: Carlsbad
1 Legoland Dr
Carlsbad, CA 92008
(760) 918-5346
Good for Kids:
Yes

129 reviews for Legoland California

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Photo of Me D.

 

9

93

Me D.

San Diego, CA

4 star rating
11/15/2009

Legoland is good for young AND older!  We are in our 30s and we had a great time.  We went at 3pm with a couple of hours until close, so admission was half the price.  The mini cities are REALLY cool and the busts of famous people (Hollywood Block of Fame) was fun to look at.  The rides are great for the kids that have to ride and see everything.  But even for adults, this park is really nice.  Enjoyed it a lot.

Wish they could do a cover on some of the models...some are fading.  Sad!

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Photo of ruby a.

 

13

14

ruby a.

Pomona, CA

5 star rating
11/12/2009

This place is great! Even my friends that went had so much fun.  Plenty of hands on things to do which made you feel like a little kid again.  Good place to interact with your child and just have fun.  My 3 year old loves this place.  Been here like 4 times already so getting good use out of our season pass.

The Pirates splash battle was the favorite ride, but everything was cool.  A lot of places to take cool pictures all around the park.

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Photo of Matt S.

Elite '09

62

210

Matt S.

Queen Creek, AZ

5 star rating
10/29/2009 7 photos

What a blast!!  I think I have more fun then my kids here. I love watching them enjoy themselves here. Worth every penny.  So many rides even the 36 inch 2 year old can ride.

All the negative one star reviews here seem to be the same type. They don't have kids. Well DUH .. Why would u come here without kids???

THE POINT OF GOING HERE?

Kids.  If you have kids, they will love it and beg to go back.  Fun rides, and smaller then Disneyland so the lines are not bad at all.  

We go back every year and will continue to!

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Photo of eric k.

Elite '09

19

798

eric k.

Hayward, CA

3 star rating
10/11/2009

Ya know.... it was ok.....

I'm starting to get the feeling that this place, along with Bonfante(Gilroy) Gardens are leaning towards being "the local amusement park," from the standpoint that they jack up their one-time-entry fees, drop the season pass prices, and really try and get the recurring business of the locals.

I actually don't believe that this place is worth multiple re-entry fees in the span of 1-3 years... I don't believe the attractions are that spectacular that would warrant that much spend.  But from a local perspective of being able to go to multiple special events, a pseudo babysitting-outing, I guess the value is there for the season pass.

The food here is marginal at best, being both high priced and not great quality.

The attractions are pretty cool, but it's not like you are going to go see mini-land over and over and over again.

There are some pretty cool ones, where your little ones will be able to drive the cars on the mini-city and stuff... and for the most part, given the fact that we went on a saturday, it wasn't nutz busy as I would expect disneyland to be.

In the bay area, we have a multitude of zoos,discovery museums and science centers.... maybe due to the SD sprawl, this is what they have?  

Not a bad alternative, but not something that I can justify the one-time-price, nor the season pass.

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Photo of JAYSON C.

Elite '09

13

95

JAYSON C.

San Jose, CA

4 star rating
9/30/2009

I went here the same week I went to Disneyland this past summer.  Trying to compare LEGOLAND with Disneyland just isn't fair as LEGOLAND doesn't come close to what Disneyland is and that's not necessarily a bad thing.

I'm not saying this place isn't fun and that all depends on the things you really like.  I have friends who have been there who have children and they said it was 'OK'.  Then I also have friends who breathe, eat and sleep LEGO who don't have children and love the place.

Fortunately for me, I have a 3-year old son and I've been a fan of LEGOs since my childhood.  So, to say this place is boring for adults is a bit exaggerated.  If you have an inner child, you'll appreciate this place for what it is.  I like this place because it had a lot of things to do for my 3-year old and thank God he barely made the height requirement to for some of the rides.  Obviously, there's also rides out there that he's not old enough to get on, but the ones he did get on he loved.  The most favorite one for me that was for him was the race track.  They actually have an oval track for kids ages 3 - 5 years old that they can ride on their own (with park employee supervision of course).

Other things to note:

- If you're looking to buy LEGO sets and can wait, then don't buy them here.  I thought LEGOLAND would have some exclusive sets, but everything they had you can buy at Target, Walmart, TRU and the LEGO store.  You might was as well wait for a sale and get them cheaper.
- Try their hamburger (if you eat meat) because they're pretty juicy and big!
- Race the fire trucks in Fun Town Fire academy
- Go on the Factory Tour where you'll see how LEGO bricks are manufactured.  At the end, you'll get a free exclusive duplo brick.
- Check out Miniland USA.

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Photo of Josh M.

Elite '09

33

240

Josh M.

San Diego, CA

3 star rating
9/2/2009

There's two halves of Legoland.  No, I'm not talking about the aquarium thing.

For the kids, there are rides. Most are upsold carnival-type timed loader, spin-in-a-circle jobs, but there are a few
continual feeder "big" rides sprinkled in.  Big being relative:  most of which are, at best, scaled like Mickey's Toontown attractions.  For example, Gadget's go-coaster would be a premier ride at Legoland.  

Legoland's theft from the best does pay some dividends, they do have a fine knockoff Lego version of Tomorrowland's Buzz Lightyear ride, complete with target shooting.

Ironically, the "lego" part of legoland is probably most attractive to those of the parent, grandparent ages.  The miniature recreations of national and international landmarks are, frankly, amazing.  I only wish there were binoculars to get a better look at some of the detail, as the dioramas are sprawling big.

At $65 a head, plus parking, Legoland is overpriced by a third, if not half, for an adult.  Even as parent or guardian, you're 75-90% watching the fun.

This is a park that urges you to wait for a discount.

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Photo of Amy S.

 

14

28

Amy S.

Los Angeles, CA

2 star rating
9/6/2009

A little maintenance goes a long way. They should rename this place Dust-City.

Summary: Really boring for adults. OK for kids (4-9 ONLY). Teens would hate you if you took them here. Overpriced for the value, dusty and not enough ride options.

Went with the family and took our 9 year old nephew and his 6 year old sister to the park in it's 10th anniversary year. For a park that's only been only for 10 years it's a real surprise that it looks so old.

The ADULT review: For me the most memorable thing was the cobwebs. Man, everything was so dusty and unkempt. I really wanted to enjoy the Lego sculptures but they were so faded and dirty. I'm sure at the park's opening 10 years ago they had vibrant colors and were clean, but it appeared they hadn't bother to clean them off since. I overheard other adults complaining too. Some kids were grossed out and were taken out of the "magical experience" when they found holes, torn walls and broken sculpture pieces while waiting to get on the rides. The employees looked hot and bored and sounded like insincere robots. Note to the park: Give the employees just standing around a feather duster or a hose and give them something to do!

The KID review: Our 6 year old barely made the height requirements. It would have been a very different day (crying and boredom) had she not made it through as so many of the (dinky) rides had such silly height limits. Our 9 year old had fun just cause he loves Legos so much, but after going to a real park like Six Flags or Disneyland he was hesitant to go on any of the rides cause even he knew they were for little, little kids. We spent most of the time convincing him to go on.

The best part for the kids was the two bigger (not very big) coasters and the splash area. We spent the most time here in the water games and even the adults went down the slides and got wet. However for the over priced tickets, to do that, it would have been better to just be at a waterpark.

TIP: Don't go. But if you must, go during the weekday and only if you have a coupon. We went on a Thursday and there were virtually no lines. It would not have been worth it on a weekend to wait 45-60 minutes for a ride that lasts 3 minutes and felt like a street carnival ride. It was pretty weak.

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Photo of Lauren B.

Elite '09

34

92

Lauren B.

Long Beach, CA

5 star rating
Updated - 8/4/2009 1 photo

Damn, I might be coming back here w/o the little man! This place is awesome.

FYI COSTCO MEMEBERS: Go to the costco in carlsbad before your trip and purchase the 3-month Legoland Resort memberships instead of the park hopper tickets. The resort membership includes both parks and like a 15% discount on food...
Child/Senior: $54.99
Adult: $63.99

I live in Long Beach and our "Aquarium" sucks. I found this to be worth the money. As with Legoland, they have cute little characters made of Lego bricks throughout. We were able to see all of the animals, read the stuff, and run buck wild in pretty much an hour which is GREAT! This place is ill because it's not presented in a boring way and it's pretty lively.

For those saying it is "boring" that's probably because you didn't actually do shit here. It's not about looking, reading, and walking through. Try getting down to your child's level...Shit, I was able to get down and go into those little kid areas...live a little!

The Ocean Journey Cafe has a great selection of food (mostly healthy). I actually prefer it over the ones in Legoland.

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1 Previous Review: Show all »

  • 5 star rating
    8/3/2008

    I would say Legoland is good for kids 12 and under. I know for sure it is good for kids under 5… Read more »

Photo of Yvette B.

 

7

29

Yvette B.

Cypress, CA

5 star rating
7/31/2009

I was raeding other peoples reviews and i was a little surprised on the ratings...

Let me start out by saying that this is a child's place to be. The name say's it all.

Great fun for smaller kids possibly under 12.. There are many rides and water acitviteis in the park. I really loves this place and would rate it much higher than Disneyland and Knotts.. Yes i said it.

There is so much to do here for smaller kids. (you see how i mentioned smaller kids) Of course if your a grownup your not going to enjoy it because there are no ride for you here... There are other family avtivities for adults.

For innstance the Fire Truck. That looks like fun but i didnt get a chance to get on because my little stubborn niece didn't want to watch my 1 year old daughter.. Yes I am talking about you SUNNY!!! GRRRR!!

Yes, yes, yes. Go, have a great time. I did. There are a lot of pieces to enjoy.

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Photo of Geno R.

 

4

138

Geno R.

San Jose, CA

3 star rating
8/22/2009

Ok first of all, let me just put this out there, anyone over 12 will be bored of this place rather quickly.

This place is truly for the kids. However keep in mind the retail cost on entrance is extremely expensive. Myself and the rest of my party were all seeing Legoland for the first time. There were constant remarks about the price they would rather go to Disneyland.

Regardless, the place is enjoyable. One day when I have kids I know they will enjoy it. And perhaps seeing the enjoyment from your kids is what makes adults enjoy it as well.

The 4D movie attractions were low budget. Something the kids will overlook, but perhaps that is what sets it apart from Disneyland. Everything there, even if it's for kids, has very high quality and production value.

What I really appreciated, as well as the older crowd, is the replica cities built all in legos. This is what legos are all about. Building things out of them. As an adult what I really appreciated in this park were all the builds.

As for the rides, they were definitely all for kids. Nothing extreme.

The park itself was very clean, the lines were not that long of a wait.

The only time I would go back here is when I have young kids of my own.

**HUGE TIP**

I would suggest getting a San Diego GO card which is cheaper than the cost of a ticket to Legoland. It gives you admission to Legoland and the Sealife attraction, as well as the many other attractions in San Diego.. (exp. San Diego Zoo, Wild Animal Park, etc)

If you go to Legoland right when they open, there is no need to have a multiple day pass. You can see and do pretty much everything in a day.

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Photo of Vanessa M.

Elite '09

14

113

Vanessa M.

Escondido, CA

3 star rating
7/24/2009

Pretty fun place, but definitely more directed towards the kids. I would very much like to take my god-daughter here one day, if not for the rides, but for the pure bliss of being surrounded by a favorite childhood toy.

My friend and I (we're both 24 years-old, by the way) went today and had a great time. Within six hours, we made two and a half laps around the park, riding the dragon ride twice.

The food there is pretty good, and no trip is complete without getting their famous apple fries.

Admission is expensive, but thankfully, in this economy, it's not hard to find bargain prices (ie. 2-for-1 deals, $10 off one's admission, etc.).

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Photo of Nicole K.

 

2

9

Nicole K.

Honolulu, HI

4 star rating
11/4/2009

After reading the reviews, there are many who don't have much good to say about Legoland.  And, okay I went there years ago, but I was in my early 20's. Out of my whole family we only had 1 child with us, but we all had a blast!  I pretended I was "13" to ride with my younger cousin the in Legoland Race Cars!  Even got a picture license to prove it!  Hey, the workers believed me when I said I was "13"!  Yes, the rides are for kids - shorter kids - but, the amazing thing about it all are the Lego structures and little villages and cities of different places.  At the time the Harry Potter phenomenon was just coming out - so they had built life sized Legos of the characters - how cool was that?  And, of course, yes today you can purchase the Lego systems in almost any store - but, it's the pure magic of the building creations out of little plastic colored bricks that makes this place such fun.  It's for the kids and the kid in you.  Yay Legoland - looking forward to going back one day again.

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Photo of Shannon A.

 

1

28

Shannon A.

La Habra, CA

4 star rating
8/7/2009

CLEANEST AMUSEMENT PARK I'VE EVER SEEN, BUT ALSO VERY PRICEY!!!

This place was SPOTLESS!  We were so pleasantly surprised.  We went with some friends and we didn't have any expectations.  We were so impressed with the entire park.  The staff was friendly, the restrooms were immaculate, and the rides were very well maintained.  Be aware though, that It is VERY age and height restrictive.  We have a 6 y.o. and a 3 y.o.  The 6 y.o. had no trouble getting on any of the rides, however our 3 y.o. was either too young or too short for several (even the tea cups??)!!  I could see older kids being bored, and younger kids being upset because they can't ride several things.  I would say the key age is 4 - 10 for legoland....give or take.  Teens would go NUTS!  I would NOT recommend this park for teenagers.  

The only reason I would give legoland 4 stars instead of 5 is because admission is PRICEY!!  Wayyyyy to expensive for what you get.  Yes, the park is fabulous, but NOT $65 each fabulous.  Look for deals/coupons or tickets elsewhere.  DO NOT pay full price at the gate, it really is too steep, and there are lots of deals out there!

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Photo of Paul S.

 

24

150

Paul S.

San Diego, CA

4 star rating
6/9/2009

Goofy fun. Tiny Town! Take pics up close and it's like you were there. My friends on FB are all "when were you in NYC" and "when were you in LV?"

Manageable size, kids rides, not too crowded. Discounted tix at Costco are still a lot of $$ but have other discounts included once at the park.

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Photo of Ric B.

Elite '09

58

254

Ric B.

San Diego, CA

3 star rating
7/13/2009

I went here with my nephews last week and they enjoyed it.  They liked the Pirate ride, they also enjoyed all the play areas.  

I was pretty bored and the food seemed pretty gross, so for an adult, I think they still need some work.  But I guess it is all about the kids.

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Photo of Bhondhu K.

 

0

9

Bhondhu K.

Sacramento, CA

2 star rating
7/17/2009

Expensive entry, food and parking.  Not sure who and how the prices in these kind of parks can be controlled.

Go only if you have a kid who is taller than 42 inches (Hello Legoland -Get more rides for kids who are shorter than 36 inch.  For god's sake, you are a kids park).  There are 2 or 3 adult rides which are kind of thirilling.  Kids between 5 and 10 ( I guess) might love this place.

You need to buy atleast two or three to eat one meal.  Ridiculous prices.  Not worth it for the price.  I would have gone to Disney instead.

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Photo of Lori R.

 

2

15

Lori R.

San Francisco, CA

3 star rating
4/1/2009

Although my 4 year old had a blast here, it was hard not to feel as though we'd been ripped off. $63 for adults & $53 for kids 3-12 is quite steep. I think adult admission in the range of $40 would be more reasonable. Additionally, it cost $12 for parking... and the food was outrageously priced.

My son loved the water park area (I am thankful I brought his swimsuit and a towel!) and several of the rides. We went to Legoland on the first day of our vacation and the only thing our son wanted to do each day the rest of the vacation was go back to Legoland.

We went on a Friday in late March 2009. We were happy it was not crowded but, if you go during a weekday, be prepared for some of the exhibits to be closed most of the day to students visiting on school field trips.

I was livid that one of the indoor play rooms (the one with the balls) has more than one exit, unbeknownst to me until it was too late. I was standing in the doorway waiting for my son to come back out. After several minutes and not catching sight of him, I became worried and started looking around for him... and that's when I noticed the additional exit! Thankfully, I found him outside the play room but he was crying hysterically by that point. Legoland really should post some signs warning parents of the additional exit!

The ride queues go excruciatingly slow. You'd think they'd have a better system down by now after being open for approx 10 years.

I wish we'd had more time to explore the park. We were there from 10 to 5 (opening to closing) and still didn't have time to see everything. We will probably return in the future when our infant daughter is old enough to enjoy it plus we will search beforehand for admission coupons and pack our own food & drinks to hopefully cut down on the exorbitant costs.

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Photo of Shu L.

 

16

54

Shu L.

San Francisco, CA

3 star rating
4/23/2009

I went to Legoland with my boyfriend and I just couldn't help but feel embarassed the whole time there lol. We were one of the few couples there without children! This place would be great if I had kids. They would enjoy it so much especially the rides. We actually went to those 4D shows and I didn't think Bob the Builder was all that. I actually prefer the racer one even though it's not as new.

The highlight of the whole trip was the MiniUSA showcase. Everything was so real especially the San Francisco one! They even got the hills right lol. That section was really worth the $25 ticket we paid for. Yes we used the coupon and I just can't imagine paying full price to get in. No questions asked when we used it either. I think it depends on which ticket booth you go to because I heard it didn't work for other people.

Legoland seems pretty big on the map but it's actually not that big. It's probably different if you are with kids... waiting for the rides and stuff. Every ride seems to have a long wait even though there doesn't seem to be that many people waiting in line. I think it's because they don't fill up all the rides. One thing about Legoland is that it's not too crowded and there always seems to be a place where you can sit. Also get those apple fries when you are there! So good and fresh!! Is there somewhere else that I can get them?

To sum everything up, I would probably not go again without children or paying the full price. Not much to do except for taking pictures of the displays. Kids will love it though!

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Photo of Jeff L.

Elite '09

24

108

Jeff L.

Irvine, CA

3 star rating
4/20/2009

Im torn.
my kids (5 and 1) both loved this place.  interactive games kept them entertained throughout the short "park"  takes about 1 hour to go through...
I didn't find it particularly impressive.  
I think they'd give it a 4 star.  I'd give it a two.  therefore, im giving it an average 3 star

parking $12.  damn.  this ain't no disneyland!

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Photo of Rick D.

 

32

73

Rick D.

Pleasanton, CA

1 star rating
4/17/2009

If I had the choice of going to Legoland one more day or living in Barstow the rest of my life, I'd pick Barstow without even thinking twice.  At least Barstow has the first Del Taco.  

This place costs almost as much as Disneyland, just as much as Sea World, and sucks so hard that I'm surprised that no one has tried to plow the place under.  Remember that guy who drove on to the freeway in Orange County inside of a tank all those years ago?  If that was me, Legoland would have been the first place I headed.

No, I don't hate this because I've lost my inner child.  I hate this place because it sucks. I freakin' LOVE Legos.   If you're taking a vacation to San Diego, go to the zoo, go to the beach, go to Sea World twice if you have to, but stay away from Legoland.

Most amusement parks have a 2 or 3 to 1 ratio of rides to stores.  Legoland has about 9 to 1 and none of the rides were interesting enough for me to even want something from the stores.  Even my kids, who beg for everything, walked on by.  

Do you know that area at the county fair that has those little kids rides?  You know, the ones that fit on the back of the truck?  That's Legoland in a nutshell, except they made them permanent and shorter.  At least at the fair you can ride them long enough to throw-up.  Legoland cuts them plenty short.  The lines are long, move slow, and the rides are so short, that by the time you've buckled in, you have to get out.  

The models they have of all the stuff that they made out of Lego's ARE pretty damned cool.  But not Price-Of-Admission cool.  And just because you tell me how many hundreds-of-thousands of Lego's are in there doesn't make me not-pissed because I stood in line for 45 minutes for boring ride that's not even long enough for me to fall asleep on it.

Oh, and how about some rides that are only for 3-5 year olds.  Some that are for older kids, and some that don't even allow adults on them so you CAN'T take your 3 year old on it.  I hope your family only has twins in it, otherwise you might as well split up for the day.

All of this, and they charge you $65 for the adult and $55 for the kid's ticket.  Legoland has you sucker.

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Photo of Chan-Hua L.

 

3

23

Chan-Hua L.

San Jose, CA

5 star rating
8/20/2009

Just came back from our 2nd time visit. My 4-year old son loved it so much that he kept begging us to stay for many, many more days. We stayed in Sheraton Carlsbad Resort so that we could enter from the back door and went direct to those hottest rides! Two hottest rides are Lost Kingdom Adventure and Sky Cruiser, and we were just the first to take the ride. What a relief! Just make sure that do not take any rides near the entrance around the noon since they can be crowded. We took all the rides (even many times for the same ride) and watched all the shows, spent lots of time in Miniland USA and several playgrounds in two days. It was really, really worth it.

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Photo of Jessica M.

 

5

55

Jessica M.

Oceanside, CA

2 star rating
2/20/2009

Okay my opinion of this place is biased for a few reasons.

1) I used to work here.
2) Because I used to work here I've seen every damn thing in this park at least 50 times if not more.
3) I'm 25 and there's not much to do here but walk and sight see if you're over the age of 12.

The admission is ridiculously expensive and if I'm going to shell out that much to get in somewhere I'll get a discounted ticket to Disneyland or something. Come to think of  it the whole park is ridiculously expensive.

That said it's great if you've got little kids or really, really like Legos, neither of which apply to me.

Reason for it being a 2 star and not 1: APPLE FRIIIIIES.

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Photo of Lili K.

Elite '09

28

88

Lili K.

Oakland, CA

3 star rating
2/23/2009

This place is cute, but like everyone's saying, it's just for the family.  I don't think I'd even bring a date here, although they did have a sweet model of Vegas, and the Venetian which is the place to be *ahem.*  I did love seeing the miniature cities of Vegas, Washington DC, LA, and SF.  Since I've been to all these places, it was great to see their historic sites and buildings.  Too bad I never acquired the lego skills of even creating a tiny structure that wasn't just random blocks thrown together.  The possibilities would've been endless.

The random food-court-type food was very mediocre, but I've never really been to an amusement park where it's known to appease one's appetite.  The rides were standard, although since I'm not much of a rollercoaster fanatic, being on a couple of those rides was enough to get my heart pumping.  All in all, the place is filled with cute statues and blown up or miniature models that just make you want to whip out your camera and click ten pictures of the same structures of legos.

There is a mini fireworks show at the end (though I think it's only during the holiday season) that was okay, but again, I've been spoiled by the Fantasia shows at Disneyland.

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Photo of Cher B.

Elite '09

71

156

Cher B.

San Diego, CA

3 star rating
1/26/2009

Kid Friendly Zone!
Went here over the weekend for my nephew's 5th birthday; he loved it. The park opens @ 10am but most of the rides/attractions didn't open until noon! Very inconvenient. What's the point? The park itself closes early (at 5pm) so I thought it was pretty lame. I think the highlights of my visit were the Granny Apple Fries (so yummy!), and Miniland USA. I think this theme park is excellent for children, but adults who aren't so into legos should pass on this one.

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Photo of Veronica B.

 

0

21

Veronica B.

Encinitas, CA

5 star rating
1/27/2009

It's hard to review this place since I've worked here for almost three years, but I have to recognize it for being a wonderful theme park for kids. It's easy to get jaded working at a theme park because of how ridiculous people can be, but just listening to people I can here how much they love it. I've seen little kids jump into the air when they get there and yell, "I LOVE LEGOLAND!" But, I must tell you, you'll be sorely out of luck if your crowd doesn't have any kids twelve or under. This place was designed for kids, and it isn't like Disneyland where the rides appeal to all ages. So here's a guide to navigating the park, no matter who you bring.

For kids 2 and under:
Most of the rides here have height limits, so unless you have older kids in your party as well, I wouldn't recommend bringing just a baby or two. But for the little ones in your party, pick up a little flier at Guest Services (to your right when you enter the park) that's called "What to do When You're 2" because this little piece of paper will answer all of your questions. It lists every ride, show, and attraction that doesn't have a height limit. Highlights include Fairy Tale Brook (a ride that recreates classic storybook scenes with Legos) and The Big Test (a fun firefighter show that's been there since the park opened).

For the 3-5 crowd:
Assuming they meet the height limit (check the Legoland CA website for height limits and measure your kids at home), rides like Beetle Bounce (located in Land of Adventure), the airplanes (Land of Adventure), the helicopters (Fun Town), driving school (Fun Town), Safari Trek (Dino Island), Royal Joust (Castle Hill) will all keep the kids happy and entertained. Plus, they're all outdoors so kids won't get freaked out by the dark!

For the older kids:
Project X (Imagination Zone), The Dragon (Castle Hill), Lost Kingdom Adventure (Land of Adventure), Driving School (Fun Town), Coastersaurus (Dino Island), Aqua Zone (Imagination Zone), and Captain Cranky's Challengeare all popular rides for those older kids. X, Dragon, and Coastersaurus are all roller coasters, but Coastersaurus is tamer than the first two and a good starter coaster.

For everyone:
Miniland is a MUST see. It has cities like Las Vegas and San Francisco built entirely out of Legos, and it's awesome. Take the boat cruise to the right of The Beginning to see more Lego creations. If it's hot outside, definitely head over to Pirate Shores, which has a water area that's like a mini-water park and tons of cool rides. Beware of Sky Cruiser, the peddle ride you'll see across the water when you come in, because it usually gets the longest line in the park.

As far as shows go, the 4D shows are pretty popular: Spellbreaker and Racers are geared towards older-ish kids, and Bob The Builder is for little ones. Journey to the Lost Temple, located in Playtown Theatre, can take almost 40 kid volunteers per show. Get there early and ask one of the ushers to pick your kid. Doors at every show open 15-10 minutes early. There's a princess face character on weekends and during holidays up at Castle Hill.

Food wise: Brickolini's pasta is great, The Garden has nice healthy options, and Fun Town Market has the most variety. For a simple burger, try Castle Burger. During the summer, the Pirates Feast at Castle Hill gets a lot of compliments from guests.

And as for prices, it is expensive. However, there are discount tickets available at CostCo and at grocery stores.

That's about it! Have fun! :)

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69

361

Billie B.

Oxnard, CA

2 star rating
2/28/2009

I agree with CB.  Kid friendly...not for anyone over 12?  aha.  idk.  It was ok.  

Gets kinda boring after an hour or so.  LOL.

Miniland is really cool.  They got tons of things you can take pictures of for sure.  They even got Darth Vader and R2-D2 made of legos. And Spongebob and Bob the Builder.  There's more...that's pretty cool.  That's all I can really say! hahaha.  Sucks.

Prices are wayy too much...like $60 bucks a person.  Like are u serious right now?  For legos?  for plastic colored blocks...?  whack!  I mean legos are cool en all.....but so not worth the price.  They do have some rides like a fairy tail one I enjoyed...the slow boat ride kind and there is one for Miniland.  

If you are looking for more of an andrenaline rush...you won't find that here.  Definitely not!

If you have kids you want to take...sure!  If not ditch this place.

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0

18

Jay J.

Sedona, AZ

5 star rating
6/12/2009

It was wonderful. We were there 1st week of June, not crowded and wait time for the rides no more than 5 min.
I was very pleased with the food at the restaurant inside the park "Sports Cafe" had the best bergers.
We had a 2 day pass and we all enjoyed the visit. Being cloudy and cool was a blessing that made the visit more pleasent.
Better than Disney !

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32

382

John L.

Los Angeles, CA

4 star rating
1/26/2009

It's pretty good if you're a young kid. My nieces enjoyed it a lot. I enjoyed it with them but probably would not go on my own.
Miniland USA is quite amazing, could not find CASTRO neighborhood in SF tho, need to represent!!!!
Oh another thing, it might not be PC to say this, but emmm it's very white bread, workers and all.

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Elite '09

343

363

Diana L.

Seattle, WA

4 star rating
12/29/2008 1 photo

Internal Monologue of the Early AM: The Misanthrope Stage.

I would so LOVE to sleep in on my fucking vacation. Really. What the hell are grandparents for if not to allow me ONE GD MORNING TO MYSELF?? Why haven't they volunteered to take the Mini to Legoland and allow me to run from Encinitas to Solana Beach and back? Because that's all I want to do  - and then go sit in the meditation garden at Swami's - every single spot so I can be sure that my ass has kissed the same patch of ground as John Lennon's. But no. I have to go to Legoland and be assulted by primary colors and long lines for LAME RIDES. Fanfuckingtastic.

Internal Monologue of the Noon Hour: The Forced Polly Anna Stage

Why is my father already bitching about what a nightmare this is going to be? For the love of GOD - we're not even in the parking lot yet! Fine, I was thinking the same thing, but I KEPT IT INSIDE WHERE IT BELONGS. Fucking GOD he is a CURMUDGEON OF THE HIGHEST DEGREE.

Me: Hey, Guy Smiley - it's going to be OK, and the Mini is going to love it, so that will serve as your thanks for wading through the masses of average Americans doing average American things. Later this week we will leave and you can go back to Mexico and curse all things commercial as you ride off into the sunset with a big old sack of happy plants - K?
Pop: *grrrrrrr* Yes.
Me:  Love of Christ.....*grrrrrr*

Internal Monologue of Around 2ish: The Regression to Age 7 Stage.

OH MY GOD LOOK AT THE PIRATE SHIP RIDE!!! Can we squirt the people in the other boats with those water guns??? WE CAN???!!! AWESOME!!! I WANT TO GO FIVE TIMES!!!!!  What's that? Miniature Land??? OMG!! CUTE!!!!!! I LOVE TINY THINGS SO MUCH!!!! Tiny San Francisco!!! Huh - where's the tiny Casto? No tiny Gayborhood.... OMG!!! LOOK AT THE TINY NYC!!  There are actual Rockettes! Is that a crackhead?? AWESOME! They have BANSAI TREES EVERYWHERE IN TINY LAND!! OH!!! Santa is on top of the tiny White House being held at gunpoint by the Secret Service!!! Can they do that? I mean, they can't can they? HE'S SANTA!! And LOOK!!! They've updated tiny Pennsylvania Avenue to show people standing behind barricades for when President Badass takes office!! CLEVER!!!! I LOVE IT HERE! I WANT TO LIVE AT LEGOLAND FOREVER AND EVER!!!

I'm fairly certain the kid had a good time; he said it was the best place he's ever been in his life. The Pops enjoyed himself too - at least it seemed like it when he was soaking little kids to the bone on the pirate ride.

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1

4

Laurisa V.

Vista, CA

3 star rating
6/4/2009

I've been a Legoland annual pass holder for almost 3 years....

WHAT A DISAPPOINTMENT...

This is better than Birch Aquarium... however, the price to get into Sea Life or upgrade my pass is NOT worth it to me. My daughter loved it but we played in that place for an hour! WOAH! REALLY? I almost wanted a refund for our free passes. LOL.

If you go... get FREE passes or CHEAPY passes. dont pay full price. the kids will LOVE IT. I was bored....

LOVE LEGOLAND but i have no intention of upgrading my pass for Sea Life.... =/  booooo...

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Elite '09

165

143

alice c.

Santa Monica, CA

3 star rating
1/6/2009 1 photo

Can someone tell me why there are so many rides that require intense manual labor in this amusement park?  Like pumping this lever in a fire truck?  or.. something like pedaling in a giant lego cart around the track? or.. pulling yourself up so that you can experience a 10 ft free-fall? I thought you go to an amusement park to smooth-sail in automatic operated rides?!?  

I'm giving it an "A-OK" only because kids really do get a kick out of this place.  The lego city was actually pretty cool.  Legos don't make sense to me.. so I give it a thumbs up for the Lego engineers who were able to form curves with straight edges on those Legos.  

P.S. Life-sized Lego people are scary :/

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14

124

Jen L.

San Francisco, CA

1 star rating
8/12/2009

Legoland completely sucked out all the energy from me and everyone over 12 yo.  Not only are a lot of rides man powered, they also charge a hefty entrance fee and add on fees for a round of mini golf and the sealife attraction.  Good thing we bought our tix from Costco which included admission to all 3 parks for $55.  The highlight of my visit was definitely Mini Land where they build replicas of cities and towns out of lego.  That was definitely impressive, unfortunately, I think I'm gonna stick to time Disneyland for my next visit to So. Cal.

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6

98

stephanie p.

San Rafael, CA

5 star rating
10/4/2009

Okay we have been here 6 times and what can I say, we LOVEEEEE Legoland, so much fun for all ages! no long lines and the staff is so nice! We really enjoy everything at legoland!

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Elite '09

63

195

Diana L.

Gardena, CA

4 star rating
1/11/2009 5 photos

I am a fan of most aquariums, but this aquarium was particularly interesting because it caters to kids' short attention spans!  Random facts and trivia are displayed colorfully throughout the place, and exploration is encouraged.  They give you as many opportunities as possible to quite literally be completely surrounded by water and fish...  Especially if you're willing to get on your hands and knees (you'll have to go to see what I mean)!  All these opportunities to be as immersed as possible in the oceanic world without getting wet is what makes Sea Life into a unique experience, and not just a place to look at fish.

My favorite room in the whole place is what I call the "blue room".  it's just 360 degrees of silver fish, accented by surreal blue lighting, and benches for you to sit on so you can take in the subtle beauty of it.  Way cool.

Word of advice: don't bother eating at Legoland!  Sea Life has its very own BOMB ASS cafe that is both cheaper and better than any cafe you can find in Legoland!  Paninis, grilled cheese, fish tacos, fresh tossed salads made to order, GOURMET MAC N CHEESE (my weakness), soups, rice pudding... even their fruit cups were better than Legoland's.

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Elite '09

24

214

Trevor T.

Colorado Springs, CO

4 star rating
Updated - 8/2/2009 4 photos

This aquarium, located right next to Legoland, is worth the 10 clams (pun intended) upgrade to a regular park ticket. There's several displays and lots of interactive learning. There is also two tide/touch pools for young hands. We had a really fun time here, spending about an hour to 90 minutes walking around.

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1 Previous Review: Show all »

  • 4 star rating
    8/2/2009

    Great place to visit if you have kids under the age of 12. Or, say, if you're watching your… Read more »

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14

190

princess l.

San Jose, CA

5 star rating
Updated - 8/8/2009

Definitely worth going to especially when its just right next to Legoland. I'm from San Jose so I don't normally come to SD due to hectic busy schedules I have back home, so going to two parks; Legoland & SeaLife was totally worth it.. we only paid $10 more extra dollars for SeaLife..

if you have kids, do it. you can't imagine the facial expressions they get on their faces.. its unbelievable how excited & intereste they get! they have different stations & each are different. i'm an adult, & still gets me interested. in each section of the aquarium, you'll see at least a scuba diver lego man that is part of the scene, its so awesome!!

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1 Previous Review: Show all »

  • 5 star rating
    8/8/2009

    Day #1 of the trip in San Diego was spent @ Legoland! both my hubby & i shared our first time in… Read more »

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1

4

C C.

Fullerton, CA

3 star rating
5/24/2009

Yesterday was my first time to enter this theme park. I grew up with a bucket full of legos and i can still smell those plastic building toys from my cabinet. So to cut the long childhood story short, i am a fan of legos.

But I didn't pay to go here. The department of the company where I work has a strong connection to all theme parks in southern california so once in a while we get free tickets to experience it first hand.

So today I did. One thing I am sure, after experiencing Legoland. It is a "one time in my life" destination meaning I can say that I was able to experience the place and maybe wont go back unless we get more free tickets next year. But for me to pay? I dont think so. This is 75% for kids. The attractions are not well done and the workers are not effecient and friendly. I like it because there are so many photo opportunity for me and I love the lego miniland of the different iconic places in the US. Its cool.

So will I recommend it? I would say yes, if you havent been there. It is one thing that you should experience. At least "ONCE IN YOUR LIFE" and after that, your good.

And by the way their main souvenir shop sucks. They have limited things and believe it or not, I had a hard time getting the right souvenir on a good cost. I got a personalized mug and a magnet. I was hoping for Classic lego people on a keychain. But all they have are starwars and indi ones. Boo.

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31

169

Jennifer P.

Los Gatos, CA

5 star rating
3/23/2009 1 photo

Legoland is an amusement park for children and their parents to enjoy fun and games with them. It's also for adults who have an inner child and love Legos. It is not for adults who have no appreciation for building and construction or no inner child. It is also not for adults who dislike families and children.

If you have a young child from toddler age on up, there is something here for almost every age group. The park is clean, well laid out, accessible, well maintained, safe, and more importantly, fun and educational. Legoland is much more relaxed and laidback experience than Disneyland perhaps because it is smaller and less crowded.

I had a great time there and am already planning next year's visit. I would recommend the preferred parking instead of regular parking; of course it's more expensive, but it helps your repeated trips to the car to get things or put bags away.

Re: expense, is Legoland expensive? Well, not really if you have planned it as a vacation. You can look for discounted deals online. Of course the food inside is rather bland and overpriced, but in any kind of indoor venue, the food is automatically overpriced (museums, stadiums, movie theaters); it's not a huge shock. Going to an amusement park and expecting gourmet food is just not realistic to begin with.

Miniland was absolutely one of the highlights of Legoland. You can't miss it if you go. Well worth seeing at the end of the visit when you need something down-tempo and stroll-worthy. On our trip, we saw a re-creation of President Obama's inauguration -- nice details all around!

Good fun for families, highly recommended!

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Elite '09

118

150

Annie C.

Lewisville, TX

3 star rating
10/10/2008 3 photos

Let me start by saying there were no children in our cozy group of two. We just LOVE LEGOS!

Here is my list of both the good and the not so good of Legoland!

(+) LEGO ART!!  it was the coolest part of the park but very hidden.

(-) lack of food options: all the carts across the park were the same...and all ran out of churros and the more 'upscale' food was overpriced and flavorless.

(+) quick lines for the rides that made us smile

(-) for early birds, the park closes at 5pm so we had to find other stuff to do in SoCal.

(+) mini-land was cool...i liked the mini-Vegas strip

(-) the park is way smaller than the map makes you believe

When it comes to theme parks, I'm always prepared to put up with annoying kids. But for some reason, the parents of the kids were the obnoxious ones...weird.

It was tons of fun fo' sho'!

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0

11

Two n Half Gophers S.

Honolulu, HI

5 star rating
1/2/2009

We (parents and grandparents) weren't overly impressed with the place due to high admission price and some of maintenance issues.  

However, our 8-year old L-O-V-E-D it.  He is a huge Lego fan and he built cars, bought toys, rode Indiana Jones ride (which did not scare him as Disneyland's did), enjoyed the boat cruise around the mini-land.  It's a perfect place for an 8-year old boy who loves Legos.  For that, it gets 5 stars...

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