Spotlight: Legoland California

The name of the game at LEGOLAND California is discovery and wonder. Everywhere you look, there is a playful use of LEGO bricks and rides with mechanically-themed whimsy, whether it’s at Driving School, where kids learn the ways of the road in LEGO-esque mini-cars, or Safari Trek, where riders drive animal-striped Jeeps to wind around a world of life-size giraffes, elephants, and tigers (all made of—you guessed it—LEGO bricks). At Fairy Tale Brook, climb aboard a whimsical boat shaped like a giant leaf to float past recreated scenes from classic stories such as The Three Little Pigs (whose brick house is made of, yes, plastic bricks).

For your child’s first roller-coaster experience, take a spin on tot-friendly Coastersaurus, billed as a “pink-knuckle” ride—enough for a thrill but not white-knuckle, I-want-to-go-home-now-mummy scary. Expect to get wet on rides like Splash Battle, where riders not only shoot water from their own ships, but can get fired upon by the water cannons powered by spectators.

For quieter downtime, take the behind-the-scenes factory tour, which shows how LEGO bricks are made, or let your little builders get creative in hands-on Duplo Play. Sky Cruiser is always a crowd-pleaser (and crowds it often has), but who wouldn’t want to pedal colourful LEGO-themed cars on tracks overlooking the park? The two fastest coasters are the still-fairly-mellow Technic, in the park’s Imagination Zone, and the free-wheeling Dragon (but even on these two rides, the height minimums are just 42 and 40 inches, respectively). For shortest lines, aim to get to the park early, head straight for furthest-away rides and attractions, then work your way back towards the entrance.

LEGO animals. LEGO T-shirts. LEGO lunch boxes. And even LEGO wedding cake toppers. Shops are scattered around LEGOLAND California, offering anything from ready-to-build kits to The LEGO Movie and The LEGO Batman Movie memorabilia. 

Many stores reflect nearby rides and attractions, so if your child pines for a knight in shining armour (albeit one built out of plastic bricks), head for the King’s Market, adjacent to The Dragon and The Knights’ Tournament rides. You’ll also find Medieval-era costumes—including tiaras, foam swords, and foam shields—if that dress-up box at home needs some new items.

Indeed, there’s a shop for every kind of LEGO love, starting with the all-encompassing Big Shop and the Ninjago-related toys at Wu’s Warehouse. For LEGO Star Wars toys, check out the Empire Emporium, located just beyond the LEGO Death Star; fans of the LEGO Friends will want to peruse the Heartlake City Boutique. To go old school, go to the LEGO Club House, where you can buy non-kit sets of LEGO bricks, or just buy loose bricks by the pound from colourful bins.

Insider tip: Buy a few bricks at the LEGO Club House and build a few mini-figures, then look for the park’s “Model Citizens” (a.k.a. employees). If there’s a mini-figure dangling from their name badge, kids can use their own mini-figure to trade for it. 

Now you no longer just visit fantasy land, you live in it.  LEGOLAND California has two hotels right outside the Carlsbad theme park entrance, each with their own colourful themes, restaurants, pools and playful features, from a disco lift to a slide in the foyer.

Both properties are designed with travelling families in mind. The hotels’ junior-suite-style rooms are emblazoned with colourful walls and LEGO models as art and have separate sleeping areas for grown-ups and children. The children’s quarters have bunk beds, their own TV and a LEGO brick box for impromptu building. Both foyers feature giant mosh pits full of plastic bricks, so the children can build away while the grown-ups check in. Plus, all hotel guests enjoy both complimentary breakfast buffets and early entry into the park (up to an hour, depending on the season).

Choose your hotel based on the theme: the original, 250-room LEGOLAND Hotel offers four room themes—pirates, adventurers, LEGO friends and Ninjago warriors and larger-than-life LEGO sculptures, made with more than 3 million bricks, all over the hotel. Head into the Bricks Family Restaurant and neighbouring Skyline Café, and check out the mini cityscape that has Spider-Man scaling a building and a wizard reading a book by a rooftop pool. Industrial-strength glue holds the sculptures together, so go ahead and touch. Outside, there’s a real pool, too, with soft LEGO bricks that can be used to build in the water. Don’t miss the hotel’s disco-themed lift, which is nearly a ride in itself.

The LEGOLAND Castle Hotel, meanwhile, opened in 2018 with 250 rooms based on three kingdom-orientated themes: wizards, knights and princesses, with LEGO art ranging from owls to cats and fire-breathing dragons, and tiny star lights embedded in the ceiling over the children's bunk beds. The Castle’s foyer offers its own diversions, from the slide that runs parallel to a flight of stairs, to a Knock Knock Door that tells jokes and a small 'dungeon' ready for photo ops. Its courtyard area has its own pool, a LEGO-stocked playground and a big screen TV set on a small lawn, playing LEGO films daily. The hotel’s Dragon’s Den restaurant has live entertainment (jesters who take requests when you spin the wheel on the wall), and a parent-friendly bar.

With either hotel, remind your children to pack their LEGO Mini Figures, which they can trade with staff at the hotels or in the park.

LEGOLAND California makes things extra-lively for events and holidays throughout the year—whether it’s annual celebrations or special occasions, like a week highlighting a new Star Wars display in Miniland, or perhaps celebrating the enigmatic LEGO Batman. The Carlsbad theme park shows its national pride in July for its patriotic Red, White & Boom celebration, with games, dance contests, and early-evening fireworks for July 4. For Halloween, the goal is to entertain—not frighten—the smaller set. There’s a “Brick-Or-Treat” party every Saturday night (and some Fridays) in October, with special entertainment, costume contests, giant LEGO Halloween models, fireworks, and of course plenty of sweet treats.

At Christmastime, the park brings snow—yes, real snow—to Southern California, using it to dress up various sites around the park, including the world’s largest all-LEGO Christmas tree (a cool fact, but how much competition does it have?). Build a snowman using LEGO bricks, sing carols with the Jingle Jammers, and stock up on LEGO brick gifts too. Come right after Christmas and you can take part in a family-friendly version of New Year’s Eve, with live music and a bedtime-friendly “brick drop” at 6 p.m. On special nights in December, add festive fireworks and light shows to the mix.