We were in southern California over Christmas. And if you have LEGO enthusiasts, like us, then it is only natural that you would want to make a trip to LEGOLAND California. Our recent freebie LEGO event event at Toys R Us in October and November scored us some buy one adult ticket get one child free tickets. With two adults and two kids going for a one-day visit, it was a great way to save on admittance.
LEGOLAND California was open on Christmas Day, but we decided to go on Boxing Day. Much to my surprise, it was packed on Boxing Day (December 26th). I thought more people would be interested in after-Christmas shopping sales, but no. Californians and travelers alike made a trip on such a beautiful, sunny day.
MINIFIGURES Galore
LEGO Ninjago characters, Kai, Jay, Cole, and Zane were on display. People frolicked to take photos with these life-size minifigures.
Even life-size LEGO Bionicles were on display.
Waiting Lines Made Easy
Because we enjoyed a weekend visit to the original LEGOLAND in Billund, Denmark, we didn’t push ourselves to ride a bunch of rides. As you can see, the lines were long at 10 am, but LEGOLAND California designed the waiting lines around LEGO play areas.
Simply genius!
In Billund, on a day with no lines, Prof and Piano Man had written this ride at least three times. In California, with Linus finally old enough to join in the fun, we rode the ride once. But the difference was Linus. He was old enough to go on rides! It was glorious to see their happy faces, and I cannot tell you how much fun Linus had siting next to big brother on this ride. Good thing Linus didn’t keep score.
Star Wars Mania
With The Force Awakens out in movie theaters, Star Wars MINILAND was a busy place.
More LEGO Minifigures.
Captain Rex, Linus’ Halloween costume, was a favorite.
A close second would have to be Chewbacca and Han Solo.
Recreations of Star Wars battles were a huge hit!
And take a look at the ginormous Death Star!
Snacks Made Easy
Fried foods are the norm here. It is the way amusement parks are designed and planned, and of course, we ate meat and a few veggies near King’s Castle.
If we were going to indulge in fried foods, which we did, my sis-in-law highly recommended the apple fries. You know what? It was delicious!
Everything is Awesome at MINILAND
Who doesn’t enjoy seeing LEGO displays? It’s detailed and ornate. And it is so fun to press a button and see LEGOs move an object.
I spotted Santa Claus making this way through New York City.
Christmas Time at LEGOLAND California
Californians have the best of both worlds – beaches and snowy mountains. They can drive 30 minutes to an hour to the nearest Pacific water, or they can drive an hour or so to the nearest snowy mountain for some fun in the snow. But from what I was saw, LEGOLAND visitors were playing like happy children who had never seen snow. Young and old enjoyed snow ball fights and making snowmen.
The larger than life LEGO Christmas Tree had to be a highlight for me. I really liked this design. Too bad our little one does not like being in photographs… No photo worthy selfies from us this year.
LEGOLAND Gift Shop
Of course, if you are going to visit LEGOLAND, it is hard to pass up a gift shop. There is a gift shop at nearly every corner of LEGOLAND. But if you missed one of the smaller shops, the massive gift shop at the front entrance will offer you anything and everything.
LEGOLAND Hotel
Since we made a one-day visit, it didn’t make sense to stay at the hotel. But if you are out of town and looking to make memories at LEGOLAND California, I would highly recommend staying at the hotel. Our hotel stay in Billund gave us early access into the park before other visitors, and it also gave us the freedom to go back to the hotel room and relax with our little one. The break is what helped us to make a morning and afternoon/evening trip without the pressure of having to do “everything.”
We didn’t do everything. We saved on ticket prices. And we had fun in the process.
Our other LEGOLAND Visits:
TRAVEL: LEGOLAND Discover Center Chicago
TRAVEL: LEGOLAND Billund Resort
LEGO Legends of Chima Tutorials
Amazon book recommendations for travel around California:
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