Legoland!

Legoland is an amusement park centered around, you guessed it, Legos! It is located in Carlsbad which is about an hour and a half south of the city, a bit further than Disneyland. Even though the name might imply it, this is not all just about Legos. Yes, it is very much Lego themed, but it is a true amusement park with rides, games and all sorts of things to entertain you and your kids.

On the surface, the idea of a whole amusement park based on a product may seem a bit cheesy and lame. But when we visited, we were pleasantly surprised. And lets face it, Legos are a pretty cool toy (even if they are made of plastic).

One of the nice things about Lego-land is that it is very child focused. If you are an adult couple looking to ride roller coasters, this isn't your place. There are a few bigger rides to entertain older kids and adults, but the focus here is more for the young crowd. That is a good thing because many amusement parks are really more appropriate for older kids and adults. Yes, places like Six Flags Magic Mountain have kid-friendly sections, but it is only a smallish proportion of the whole park. Here, things are truly aimed to entertain and educate kids.

One of the really cool spots here, and one that seems to be fascinating to kids, is the expanse of miniature cities made entirely from Legos! From New York to Las Vegas, these are truly huge installations with all the famous buildings and sites from each city. Each has an assortment of interactive displays with buttons visitors can press to activate music and movement of the model.

Most of the rides and play spaces are very kid friendly and many are interactive, allowing you to play with the rides rather than just sit and watch or ride. For those of you with young kids, you know how short their attention span can be. Having interactive things to do is great. At some ages, other Los Angeles amusement parks can be a nightmare because your 4 year old hits a wall after only a few hours of waiting in lines to get on rides. The interactive displays and games at Legoland help break up the monotony of lines and passive rides.

All in all, we like this amusement park and recommend it to families with small children. No, it will never compete with Disneyland for fame and popularity, but it is a nice alternative that caters to kids quite nicely.

When we were there, not long after Obama was elected president, there was a special display in the Washington DC installment showing the inauguration on the steps of the capital building...

Legoland California
1 Legoland Drive Carlsbad, CA 92008 (760) 918-5346

Hours:
Monday 10am - 5pm
Tuesday Closed
Wednesday Closed
Thursday 10am - 5pm
Friday 10am - 5pm
Saturday 10am - 5pm
Sunday 10am - 5pm Open daily (including Tues and Weds) during select holiday periods