Going to LEGOLAND California? Consider leaving on a Friday afternoon
LEGOLAND California with Kids: Our Six-Year Guide to Making the Most of Your Visit
We've been getting annual memberships to LEGOLAND California for the last six years, and every year, we somehow manage to make sure we get our money's worth.
At this point, LEGOLAND isn't really a once-a-year destination for us. It's more like our family's reliable go-to when we want a full day of fun without having to plan an entire vacation around it.
It's about 2 hours from our home in LA, and after 6 years of trying different ways of visiting - from arriving right when the park opens to staying overnight and going back the next day - we've finally figured out the strategy that works best for our family in terms of time, energy, and money: go on a Friday afternoon.
And after all these years, we've also figured out which annual membership makes sense for us, what kind of stroller - or wagon - you really want to bring, where to eat, which attractions our boys never get tired of, and how to get two exhausted children into bed at the end of the day.
Here's everything we've learned from six years of LEGOLAND with kids.
Our Annual Membership Strategy: One Platinum, Everyone Else Gold
Over the years, we've tried different combinations of LEGOLAND annual memberships. We've done all Platinum. We've done all Gold. And eventually, we settled on what has worked best for our family: one Platinum membership and Gold memberships for everyone else.
The Gold membership does come with significantly more blackout dates than Platinum. But if your work schedule is somewhat flexible like ours, and you don't have to limit your LEGOLAND visits to weekends or school holidays, Gold can be more than enough.
In fact, it was hard for us to justify paying the extra $50 or so per person for Platinum when we knew that we would actively avoid going to LEGOLAND on weekends and major holidays anyway.
My husband and I strongly believe that pretty much everything is better with less crowd.
Restaurants are better with fewer people. Beaches are better with fewer people. Museums are better with fewer people.
And theme parks?
Absolutely.
We would rather go on a random Friday afternoon when the park is relatively quiet than fight our way through the crowds on a holiday weekend.
That said, having at least one Platinum membership in the family has been extremely beneficial for us.
The Platinum membership comes with perks that we actually use, including bigger discounts on merchandise and food throughout the park and at the LEGOLAND hotel restaurants. It also includes free parking and two free tickets that you can use to invite people outside your family - grandparents, friends, or whoever else you want to bring along.
So for us, one Platinum plus Gold for the rest of the family has been the sweet spot.
If your schedule is flexible, don't automatically assume you need Platinum for everyone. Take a look at the blackout dates and think about when you're realistically going to visit.
Our Secret to Avoiding the Crowds: Go on a Friday Afternoon
For us, this is probably the single biggest LEGOLAND strategy we've figured out over the years.
We don't go in the morning.
Instead, we try to finish work a little early on Friday, pick the kids up from school a little early, and hit the road around noon.
We pack an easy lunch - rice balls, sandwiches, or whatever can be eaten without creating a complete disaster in the car - and have the kids eat while we drive down to Carlsbad.
If traffic cooperates, we can usually make it there in a little under 2 hours.
That puts us at LEGOLAND around 2 p.m.
You might be thinking, Wait, you're driving two hours to get there at 2 p.m.? Why would you do that?
Because we've found that Friday afternoon is a completely different experience from Saturday morning.
The park is generally much less crowded, and that means shorter lines, less walking through crowds, easier access to playgrounds and LEGO-building areas, and frankly, much less stress for everyone.
We've tried arriving first thing in the morning. We've tried staying overnight and going back into the park the next day.
For our family, the Friday-afternoon day trip has won every time.
Of course, special events, holiday, summer crowds, and other factors can change the equation. But when our schedules allow it, we'll take a quieter Friday afternoon over a packed Saturday every single time.
The First Time We Went: A Toddler, a Baby, and a Terrible Stroller Decision
The first time we went to LEGOLAND, my boys were only 2.5 years old and 5 months old.
Looking back, this was probably the hardest LEGOLAND visit we ever had.
Not because the park wasn't great for young kids - it actually was - but because having a 5-month-old and a toddler at an amusement park is basically a full-time logistics operation.
Our baby was so little that we had to carry him around in a stroller and constantly tend to him, while our older son, being a toddler, also needed our full attention every second. I was also breast-feeding my baby at the time, which made everything so much harder.
And then we made the rookie mistake of bringing an umbrella stroller.
Huge mistake.
There was almost no storage, so we ended up carrying all the kids' stuff in backpacks. After a few hours of walking around an amusement park while carrying heavy diaper bags, we were exhausted.
The stroller wasn't particularly comfortable for the baby either, so he couldn't get a proper nap. And as any parent knows, a tired baby at an amusement park is exactly as fun as it sounds.
But despite all of that, our older son had what was probably the best day of his 2.5-year-old life.
And that is one of the things I love about LEGOLAND: there are surprisingly many attractions that even very young kids can enjoy.
MY husband and I took turns going on rides with our older son while the other stayed with the baby. His favorites were the Toddler Driving School, Fun Town Fire Academy (no longer operating), the helicopter ride that goes up and down called Sky Patrol (now they converted it to something else, but similar), and Deep Sea Adventure.
Toddler Driving School: The Thrill of Independence
The Toddler Driving School was an especially huge hit.
It was probably the first time he had ever been able to sit on something, steer it himself, and feel like he was completely in control.
He loved the thrill, but I think he loved the feeling of independence even more.
He went on it four times in a row.
That pretty much tells you everything you need to know.
Deep Sea Adventure: Still a Family Favorite Six Years Later
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Photo: Deep Sea Adventure
Another ride he loved was Deep Sea Adventure, where you climb into a submarine and travel underwater to see real sea creatures, including fish, sharks, and stingrays.
But because this is LEGOLAND, they couldn't just give you real sea creatures.
Underwater, you'll also find LEGO-built fish, divers, treasure, swords, art pieces, and all sorts of other things to discover. Inside the submarine, there are screens where you can touch the images of treasures you spot along the way.
I remember our then 5-month-old baby was screaming excitedly every time he spotted a LEGO diver. Ah, yes, you can bring your tiny babies on board too if you carry the baby on your wearable baby carrier!
It's one of those attractions that is genuinely fun for adults, too. It makes you feel like you're actually exploring an underwater world rather than simply sitting on a theme-park ride.
Six years later, now that my boys are 7 and 5, they still love this ride.
And honestly, I get it. There's something pretty magical about watching a shark or stingray swim right past the submarine window.
Forget the Umbrella Stroller. Bring a Wagon.
After that first disastrous umbrella-stroller experience, we learned our lesson.
For the next few visits, we brought our full-size UPPAbaby Vista, which was a huge improvement. It had plenty of storage underneath and two seats, so we could comfortably accommodate both kids.
But the we discovered something even better:
A wagon.
Oh, it's a game changer.
A wagon is probably our number-one piece of gear recommendation for LEGOLAND if you have younger kids.
With a wagon, you can bring a cooler filled with snacks and drinks, throw in jackets, extra clothes, diapers, whatever else you need - and still have enough room for kids.
And apparently, the fact that the kids can sit facing each other and snack together is incredibly entertaining.
They can talk, play, eat snacks, and take a little break from walking while we pull them around.
It's basically a mobile children's lounge.
If your kids are still young enough to ride a wagon, I would take one over an umbrella stroller any day.
For Our Kids, LEGOLAND Has Always Been About More Than the Rides
The rides are great, especially because there are so many attractions that younger children can enjoy.
But if you ask my boys what made them want to go back to LEGOLAND year after year, I don't think the answer would necessarily be the rides.
It would be the playgrounds and LEGO-building areas.
When they were little, DUPLO Playtown was basically the definition of fun.
They didn't say, "Let's go to LEGOLAND."
They said, "Let's go play at that DUPLO place!"
Located in the middle of the park, DUPLO Playtown is an interactive play area where kids can build with giant DUPLO bricks, climb and slide on play structures, pretend to be police officers or firefighters, and ride trains.
Even our 5-month-old baby could enjoy being there.
Honestly, during our first few visits, I think we spent more time in DUPLO Playtown than we did on the actual rides.
It's basically a LEGO-loving toddler's dreamland.
As the boys got older, and as LEGOLAND went through several renovations, their favorite playgrounds gradually shifted from DUPLO Playtown to places like Hideaways and the NINJAGO Training Camp.
But even at ages 7 and 5, they still like to make a quick stop at DUPLO Playtown whenever we have time.
And this is one of the biggest advantages of having annual memberships: we don't feel like we have to do everything.
We don't need to squeeze every ride, attraction, and show into one exhausting day.
If the kids want to spend an hour playing in one area, we can.
If they want to skip a ride they've already done ten times, we can.
And if we only have a few hours in the park, we can focus on the things that actually love.
LEGO Building: The Activities My Boys Never Get Tired Of
Throughout the park, there are several areas where kids can stop, sit down, and build whatever their imaginations come up with using LEGO bricks.
My boys' longtime favorite has been the Ferrari Build 7 Race area.
More recently the Rocket Assembly Bay in the new LEGO Galaxy area has become a serious competitor.
Ferrari Build & Race
Photo: Ferrari Build & Race
As you walk into Ferrari Build & Race, you're greeted by a life-size red Ferrari made entirely out of LEGO-bricks. It even lights up and make sounds.
Naturally, you have to take a picture.
Then you move into the building area, where kids can create their own LEGO Ferrari race cars and put them on several different race tracks - both physical and virtual.
The whole space is designed like a real car workshop. There are wheels and LEGO Pieces laid out for building, along with sample cars displayed above the different building stations for inspiration.
But the part that really makes the kids go wild is the racing.
There are several mini race tracks throughout the room where kids can race their cars against other people's creations.
Each race only lasts a few seconds, but that doesn't matter.
To a kid, those few seconds are EVERYTHING.
If they win, they're over the moon.
If they lose?
They take the car back to the building station, modify it, race it again, modify it again, and repeat the entire process indefinitely until they can finally beat someone.
And then, of course, they have to race again.
There's also another room with a virtual race track where you can scan your LEGO car and put it into a digital race.
I don't know about your kids, but my boys love anything involving a screen. If there's a screen in front of them, they immediately assume they're playing a video game.
This one actually is kind of like a video game because they get to control their cars to some extent.
So yes, they absolutely love it.
Rocket Assembly Bay
And now they have another favorite.
The new LEGO Galaxy area has a rocket-building station where kids can build their own spaceships and then put them on a screen to complete different missions.
It's not as large as the Ferrari Build & Race area, but I actually think its location makes it especially useful for families.
It's right next to the one of the popular rides, Galacticoaster.
So while one parent or family member waits in line for the ride, the kids can build their spaceships nearby instead of standing around doing absolutely nothing but driving you crazy for 40 minutes.
For parents, this is what I call strategic LEGO deployment.
Anything that prevents my kids from asking "How much longer" 37 times while standing in a ride queue is a win.
Food at LEGOLAND: What We Actually Eat
Now let's talk about food.
We mentioned that we pack lunch and have the kids eat in the car on the way down.
Well, apparently eating an entire meal an hour ago does absolutely nothing to prevent children from announcing that they're starving the moment they walk into an amusement park.
So our typical LEGOLAND day begins with a stop at Pizza Pit Stop.
And I have to say, the pizza is surprisingly, really, really good.
We've tried the burgers before and immediately regretted that decision after the first bite.
We also tried the ramen place once and came to the conclusion that whoever cooked the ramen must have never actually tried proper ramen before.
So these days, we stick with the pizza.
But the snacks?
That's a completely different story.
LEGOLAND has some seriously good snacks.
Are they necessarily the healthiest things you'll eat that day?
Absolutely not.
Are they delicious?
Absolutely.
The churros with chocolate dip are a crowd-pleaser for the entire family, but the real star, in my opinion, is the apple fries.
Oh my goodness.
Just thinking about those apple fries makes my mouth water.
They're one of those LEGOLAND snacks that you really should try at least once.
There's also a barbecue restaurant inside the park that I heard is pretty good, but for some reason we've never really felt the need to sit down for a heavy meal in the middle of our theme-park day.
We'd rather spend that time going on one more ride, one more LEGO-building session, or one more playground.
For us, pizza + snacks is the perfect LEGOLAND combination.
Dinner at the Castle Hotel: More LEGO, Obviously
After a day of rides, vigorous LEGO building, playground time, pizza, and enough snacks to fuel a small army, eventually everyone reaches the point where we need an actual dinner.
But dinner doesn't have to be boring.
LEGOLAND has LEGO-themed hotels right at the entrance to the park, and they have restaurants inside that continue the LEGO theme.
Our family's tradition is to have dinner at Dragon's Den Restaurant & Bar inside the LEGOLAND Castle Hotel.
The food and drinks are decent, and the prices aren't too crazy, but what keeps bringing us back is the little LEGO play area at the front of the restaurant.
Kids can sit around the play area and build whatever they can come up with while you wait for your table.
This is a genius setup for families.
Because sometimes, especially around prime dinner hours, there can be a longer wait then you'd like after a long day of non-stop walking and dynamic activities.
Instead of trying to entertain tired, hungry children at a restaurant table, when you're also tired and hungry, you put your name on the waiting list and send the kids to play with LEGO.
Meanwhile, you can finally check the 258 emails and text messages you missed while spending the entire day inside an amusement park.
Before you know it, your name is called.
Dinner is served.
And everyone is happy.
This system has worked so well for us that my boys now refuse to go anywhere else for dinner.
But honestly?
I don't want to go anywhere else either.
Our Ideal LEGOLAND Day
After six years of visiting, our typical Friday day trip to LEGOLAND looks something like this:
Around noon: Leave LA with lunch packed
Around 2 p.m.: Arrive at LEGOLAND
2:00-3:00: Start with a few rides while everyone still has plenty of energy
3:00-4:00: LEGO building, depending on what the boys are currently obsessed with
4:00-5:00: Playground time. Because apparently, after spending two hours at an amusement park, children still need to run around
5:00-6:40: More rides and attractions
Around 6:30: Dinner at Dragon's Den
After dinner: Brush teeth, change the kids into pajamas, and get ready for the drive home
Drive home: Kids fall asleep approximately 12 minutes after leaving the parking lot
This schedule isn't rigid, of course. That's another benefit of having annual passes.
We don't feel pressured to maximize every minute.
We just follow the kids' interests and let the day unfold.
Is LEGOLAND Worth It With Young Kids?
After six years of visits, I'd say one of the biggest misconceptions about LEGOLAND is that you need to wait until your kids are old enough to enjoy it.
Our experience has been the opposite.
Our boys enjoyed it at 2.5 and 5 months, even though that first visit was definitely more work for us than it was fun for the adults.
There are rides for toddlers, plenty of playgrounds, DUPLO areas, LEGO-building stations, and attractions that don't require kids to be particularly tall.
And the experience changes as they grow.
When they were toddlers, DUPLO Playtown was the main attraction.
Then came the driving rides, playgrounds, and LEGO-building activities.
Now that they're 7 and 5, they're increasingly interested in roller coasters and more sophisticated building experiences, while still happily playing in areas they loved when they were little.
If I had to generalize, I'd say:
Under 1: More fun for older siblings, although there are still plenty of attractions babies can enjoy too, such as SEA LIFE aquarium, Deep Sea Adventure, Explorer River Quest, Coast Cruise, MINILAND USA and DUPLO Playtown
Photo: SEA LIFE Carlsbad Aquarium
1-3: An excellent age for DUPLO Playtown, playgrounds, and toddler-friendly rides such as Toddler Driving School, Carousel, DUPLO Little Dino Trail and everything listed above for ages 1-3
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Photo: MINILAND USA
3-6: Probably one of the sweetest age ranges for LEGOLAND, when kids can participate in a huge variety of attractions
6-9: Still fantastic, especially as kids become more interested in bigger rides, NINJAGO, LEGO building, and theme attractions
Of course, every child is different, and height restrictions vary by attraction, so it's worth checking the current requirements before your visit.
What We Wish We Knew Before Our First Visit
After six years, here are the things we'd tell a first-time LEGOLAND family:
Bring a wagon if your kids are still young enough to use one.
We started with an umbrella stroller, upgraded to an UPPAbaby Vista, and eventually realized the wagon was the ultimate solution for us.
Don't feel like you have to arrive at opening.
If your schedule allows, a Friday afternoon can be a much more pleasant experience for a family that doesn't enjoy crowds.
Check the annual-pass blackout dates before choosing your membership.
If you can visit on weekdays and avoid major holidays, Gold may be plenty for your family.
Consider having at least one Platinum membership.
The food and merchandise discounts, free parking, and guest tickets can make the upgrade worthwhile even if the rest of your family has Gold.
Let your kids play.
Don't spend the entire day rushing from ride to ride. The playgrounds and LEGO-building stations are a huge part of what makes LEGOLAND special.
Check height requirements before you go.
Knowing which rides your kids can actually ride can save you from disappointing conversations once you're standing in line.
Pack snacks and drinks.
Even if you feed your children a full meal in the car, they will somehow be hungry again five minutes after entering the park.
Try the apple fries.
Trust me.
Wear comfortable shoes.
You will walk. A lot. Although on warm days, it'll be a great idea to bring a pair of crocs or other sandals too, so your kid can play in the splash zone inside the park.
Photo: Splash zone
Change the kids into pajamas before the drive home.
This one sounds silly until you realize you can carry two sleeping children straight from the car into their beds without having to wrestle them into pajamas at 10 p.m.
After dinner, there are clean restrooms right outside the restaurant, which gives us one final opportunity to get everyone ready for the drive home.
We brush the kids' teeth, clean them up a little, change them into comfortable pajamas, and head to the car.
Most of the time, the boys are asleep within minutes.
By the time we get home, they're completely passed out, and all we need to do is transfer them from the car to their beds.
Sometimes we're lucky enough that they wake up right as we pull into the driveway. In that case, we give them a quick shower and put them straight to bed.
And this is one of those rare parenting moments when exhaustion actually works in our favor.
They're too tired to fight us.
No bedtime negotiations.
No "I'm not sleepy."
No "Can I have one more snack?"
They just go straight to sleep.
And so do we.
That's probably why, after six years, we keep going back.
LEGOLAND isn't necessarily the cheapest or easiest family day trip from LA. But when we can leave after lunch, spend a few hours riding, playing, and building LEGO without fighting massive crowds, have a fun dinner, put our kids in pajamas, and drive home with two sleeping children in the back seat...
For our family, that's pretty close to a perfect day.
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