San Diego Area Attractions: Legoland, Sea Life Aquarium - 2

Tips for Getting the Most From Your Legoland Visit

1.    Visit both parks with age-appropriate companions. These are enchanting places for young children, but kids past 10 will probably not be excited by the tame rides and sometimes corny attractions, unless they are huge Lego fans.

2.    Beware of height restrictions in Legoland, which range from 34 to 48 inches for even the tamest rides. Waiting in a hot line only to be told your little one is too little is an experience better skipped.

3.    Bring bathing suits for your children to change into on warm days. There are a number of water-play zones throughout Legoland, including an extensive water playground in the Pirate Shores area that features a hanging 600-gallon bucket that periodically dumps water on anyone below.

4.    When the attraction lines get long and your child’s patience gets short, head to The Hideaways, a multilevel playground at the back of Legoland. This enormous wooden structure is housed in a fully enclosed area that allows kids to climb rope ladders, slide, and explore the forts and playhouses up top. (Don’t worry about losing kids here. There is one way in and one way out. When my daughter was younger, I let her loose and parked myself on a shady bench next to the only exit.)

 

• A group enjoys one of Legoland’s 4-D shows.

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5.    Check show times when you arrive at Legoland, and make sure to see at least one live performance. “Journey to the Lost Temple” is a half-hour musical performance with ample audience participation, and it is designed to hold the attention of youngsters. The silly “Big Test” in Fun Town is another kid pleasing live-action romp, featuring a real fire truck and the accompanying water works (don’t sit in the first few rows unless you are willing to get soaked!).

6.    If the rides put your youngster on sensory overload, head to the Imagination Zone in Legoland, where there are numerous Lego-building opportunities, including a station that allows older kids to build their own Lego robots and vehicles, and race and battle against others’ creations. Toddlers can climb in a vat of Duplo blocks (bigger building bricks meant for tiny kids) and go to town.

7.    Take a break midday to refuel. Grab a pretty picnic table overlooking ponds and waterfalls at the Garden Restaurant in Miniland. This café serves surprisingly healthy fare, including delicious oversized salads, sandwiches served on whole wheat bread, and kid meals featuring peanut butter and jelly and fruit. (Or, throw the diet out the window and try my all-time favorite snack at Granny’s Apple Fries in Castle Hill: a pile of fried apple slices served with fresh whipped cream and dusted with sugar and cinnamon.)

8.    It’s difficult to visit either of these parks without purchasing Legos to take home. There are numerous shops throughout the parks that offer Lego building kits you won’t find in local stores. One of the best bargains is the chance to buy Legos in bulk: For $7.99 per quarter-pound, you can pick out the colors and shapes you need to create your own masterpiece.