Legoland - How much time to see?

[honeymom]

I am going to Legoland at 10A Monday, August 19th. Later that day, we will drive up to Anaheim for our stay at the Disneyland Hotel. I'm trying to figure out about how many hours it will take us to do Legoland (kids 6 and 3) and whether we will make it out of there with enough time to drive to Anaheim for dinner at Goofy's Kitchen. Any guesses?

[Michelle]

Well, the drive will take you two hours if you hit rush hour, so that means you're going to need to leave Carlsbad by 3:00 at the latest. Even then you'll still hit traffic. What time is your dinner reservation? As long as you allow at least two hours to get there you should be fine.

I haven't been to Legoland in a few years but if you're there at 10:00 and out by 3:00 you will have had plenty of time to do the major attractions. It's hard to drag the kids away from the play areas, though.

Have fun! :D

[honeymom]

Thank you. I used to live in LA and do a lot of SoCal business, so I am plenty aware of the traffic. Have not made a dinner reservation at Goofy's Kitchen yet. Just trying to gauge whether it is even feasable. Figure we can always drive to the DLH, give bellman luggage and go straight to dinner before check-in if necessary. At same time, don't want to rush everyone. May just wait on Goofy's Kitchen for that night. Do you have a Downtown Disney recommendation - Good for small kids, no reservations needed and not the Rainforest Cafe (took the kids to one in Connecticut last weekend and my 3 year old would not come out of my jacket because he was so scared).

[mettlerca]

I'd make a reservation at Goofy's Kitchen for that evening. You can always not use it and they won't hold that against you. I'd recommend Naples in Downtown Disney. We go there all the time w/ our 4 year old. They serve pizza, pasta and a few other Italian dishes. They quality is very good and the place is kid friendly (menu for coloring, crayons and kid size drinks). It's not entertaining like Goofy's or Rainforrest but your kids will do fine especially after a long day at Legoland. Have fun!:D

[Michelle]

I agree with Mary, Naples Ristorante in Downtown Disney is a good choice. Another good choice is the Storyteller's Cafe at the Grand Californian...good food and a casual atmosphere.

Have fun! :D

[jlima]

Legoland is a really age-appropriate place for your kids!! With what you'll spend on park tickets are you sure you only want to spend 5 hours there? My DS7 & I were there for Labor Day weekend last year; we went in when the gates opened at 9:30am; and left at 9pm . . . then went back the next day as we were able to get a free return ticket with the park tickets we purchased at our hotel. On Sunday we had to leave by noon to make our flight, but in 2 hours we were able to ride everything that was too long the day before. I agree with Webmaster Michelle, you'll be able to do all the major attractions, but it's such a cool place you may wish you had more time. Hope this helps!!

:bounce:

[Tink33]

Depending on lines - I would say 6 hours. If you think you may hit traffic, I would eat dinner in Carlsbad or Oceanside and then drive after rush hour. With no traffic, you can be at Disneyland in 60 minutes.

Some family fun restaurants near Legoland are:

Ruby's at the Carlsbad Company Stores Ruby's (http://www.rubys.com/)

The Claim Jumper on Avenida Encinas http://www.claimjumper.com/


If you like caramel apples, the best I have found are at Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory in the Carlsbad Company Stores.


Here is the Legoland website with a list of attractions:

Legoland (http://www.lego.com/eng/legoland/california/default.asp?page=rides)