Legoland - CA suggestions?

[jmdt]

My family is going to legoland in a couple of weeks. Are there any tips and suggestions for those that have gone in the past? I have two little ones - 2 (just started building) and 5 (avid builder - he built the sea cow).

 

Thanks!

Edited April 7, 2015 by jmdt

[gregpj]

1) Be prepared to spend money.

2) Be prepared to have fun.

3) Be prepared to spend money.

 

[wsuskee]

Dont forget the coupon on the back of most poly bags.

[jmdt]

Great suggestions! We are armed with our polybag coupons and prepared to have fun

 

For one of the adults (since the 2 year old is free), we paid an add on through the southern california citypass (http://www.citypass.com/southern-california - I don't know if we have an affiliate link for this).

[mlncs]

You can actually bring it food and water from the outside. Although prices in the park are not outrageous, may save you a few dollars.

[Darth_Raichu]

Bring change of clothes if you want to experience the park fully.  

IIRC most rides have minimum height requirements so your kids may or may not be able to ride all of them

[DadsAFOL]

The little ones will have a blast. The park is really geared for 12 & under. There will be lots to keep your 2 year old busy - there is much more interactive play opportunity than Disney. Food in the park is expensive, but not outrageous - and pretty good quality. Don't waste time on sky cruiser or lost kingdom, otherwise all the rides that are age/height appropriate will be fun. If you have time and budget, you can do the sea life aquarium in about 60-90 minutes. Enjoy!

[jmdt]

Thank you everyone for your great suggestions!

[Cross]

The new Star Wars area is up- should be killer!

[Alpinemaps]

As my family are regular annual passholders (with kids that are 3 and 7), I'd say DadsAFOL nailed it.

[johnwray]

How many people in your family? We just renewed our annual passes and got 5 complimentary passes as a perk. I can sell you however many you need and it'll save you a lot vs. the price at the door.

[jmdt]

Have any of you tried the minifigure trading at legoland before? We'll bring some minifigs for the kids to trade but I was wondering about first hand experiences that people might have had there.

[Mos_Eisley]

It's pretty straightforward. Most of the minifigures they have in the trade boxes are from build-a-minifigure or random thrown together parts, so i wouldnt expect much, but sometimes there are decent things. When The Simpsons first came out there were quite a few to be found. One weekend I got several classic castle minifigures so I guess someone's child was trading them throughout the park.

[jmdt]

Thank you for those that provided feedback and suggestions. Legoland was great and my kids had a blast!

[tballw32]

Any tips to save money on the Legoland CA hotel? Hoping to go in March

[thoroakenfelder]

7 hours ago, tballw32 said:

Any tips to save money on the Legoland CA hotel? Hoping to go in March

The sooner the better. Prices go up the longer you wait. Check if your work has a discount program with hotels. Do you have aaa? Look at a variety of travel sites.

[zak001]

The best money-saving tip would be "walk over from the park, ride an elevator up and down, go stay somewhere else," but if you're committed there are a couple of things to keep in mind. First, the food at the hotel is super-expensive - packing in a cooler with a meal, while unglamorous, will save a party of 3 (one kid) at least $60. Second, you can save a little by booking midweek - but the park itself is not open most Tuesdays and Wednesdays. Booking for a Wednesday arrival and going to the park the following morning might work best and give any children along a chance to partake in the hotel activities without being worn-out. Third, don't fall for any ticket + hotel package deals unless they're VERY good, as a little research should get you a better rate on park tickets (which are outrageously expensive). Lots of polybags have BOGO coupons on them.

[colossus]

My kids are about the same age so I'll just point out that there's a Costco that is just 1 mile south of the park (2 miles from the parking lot since you end up driving in a circle).  If you're driving your own vehicle it's very convenient to head to Costco before to grab some food and any supplies you might need (assuming you have a Costco membership).  That should save you a little money which you could spend on Lego

As noted above the park is closed on Tuesday/Wednesday during the slower winter season so make sure to check the park schedule before you book.

The park also closes earlier than most other theme parks - 5 or 6PM depending on the day so if the kids wants to enjoy everything you should try to start earlier in the day.

What I would usually do was to take a break around 1PM so the kids could take a nap while I drove over to Costco to grab a pizza and gas. If you're staying in the hotel then obviously it would be easier to take a break there.

Edited February 12, 2016 by colossus

[thoroakenfelder]

My kids traded for most of the Monster minifigures in the hotel and the park. I got a small handful of star wars pieces and a Fili as well as a bunch of CMF pieces that were in the minifigure store at the front of the park. The kids loved staying in the hotel, there was a lot of little neat things. Not really worth the premium, but once is a good splurge. The kids enjoyed the treasure chest each night. Several CMF and mixel polys. The separate sleeping areas worked to give us a little apart time while still in the same room. The 30 minute early entrance to the park didn't amount to much. We got stuck on the first ride that we came to.

One of my daughters loved the Pirate ride that was like a log flume. I don't know if most people can't find it, or if they avoid it because it is so incredibly wet. The wait time was practically none.