helenb
Wishing for the World...
- Joined
- Oct 26, 2005
- Messages
- 1,612
I wanted to write a quick review of our stay at Legoland before I forget details. We are still in the road so my Internet access is spotty. I'll be happy to answer any questions, but it will probably have to wait until I get home.
Background: my kids are ages 10 and 12. While they are a little 'old' for Legoland they are still very much children and interested in Lego toys. I recognize that other 10 and 12 year olds might not be as interested in this park. We had been at Comic Con in San Diego the previous weekend. We left San Diego Monday morning to drive to Carlsbad.
Hotel: we arrived about 10 am and were able to check in, even though the room was not ready. They put us in a queue for rooms of our type. So it was a good idea to check in, even though it was so early. They send a text or email when your room is ready. When we came back from the parks we just had to go to the concierge to pick up our key cards. It was quick and easy and we did not have to wait in the registration line again.
When we first walked into the lobby the kids' jaws dropped. They made a beeline for the 'Lego pit' and wanted to sit there all day. Later they explored the pirate ship/castle area just behind the lobby but they enjoyed the building the most.
The room was fan-freaking-tactic. I basically knew what it was like from looking at the pictures on the hotel website, but the kids had no idea at all. They literally squealed when they saw the bunk bed room, which was right at the entrance door to the room. We had a castle themed room. I have been to many different Disney hotels (DL and WDW) and Vegas Strip hotels, but never have I seen such intense theming. Literally *everything* in the room was Lego or castle themed. The bedding, the wallpaper, the carpets, the hangars, the ice bucket, the lights, the mirrors, the furniture, the TV cabinets, the shower curtain... Everything. We were in awe. We had a horrible view (being on the ground floor) but none of us cared. We just wanted to be in that room! And this was a basic standard room. I have no idea what they offer in the deluxe rooms.
The beds were comfy and there was a wide range of heating/cooling temperatures on the thermostat. There was a step stool in the bathroom and a toilet seat insert built into the toilet lid (for toddlers). There was a mini fridge which made things quite cold and free wifi in the room (included in mandatory resort fee). They also left us 2 bottles of water and 2 juice bags 'with compliments'. The curtains were serious blackout curtains. It was so dark in there! And since the kids' bunk bed area was at the opposite end of the room and around a corner, light from the curtains (after I opened them in the morning) didn't wake them up. This is some good design planning! There was no treasure hunt, but there were 2 mini figs and a bag of chocolate coins and a Lego magazine in a little 'safe' for the kids.
The only negative about the room was that the door to the bathroom was a sliding door with no lock. I'm okay with the sliding door, but the lack of privacy may be an issue for some people. We quickly decided to leave the door open if the bathroom was empty and if it was closed that meant someone was inside and not to enter. Not sure how this system would have worked with younger kids.
There was a lot of theming in the hotel as well. On the ground floor in front of the elevators is a floor activated whoopee cushion that amuses kids while they are waiting. We went up and down the elevator a few times just for fun, even though we were on the ground floor. The walls are covered with dancing Lego mini figs and there are disco lights that turn on when the elevator is in motion. One of the elevators (the one on the left) plays The Hustle and YMCA as well. Everyone loved the musical elevator. I saw adults and kids alike dancing during the rides.
All floors have themed entrance areas where you can access the rooms.
The pool was not as themed, and did not have a whirlpool. However it was a quiet place to relax after the crowds of the parks and the kids enjoyed playing with the floating bricks in the pool.
We ate dinner at Bricks and all enjoyed the food selection and service. It was reasonably priced (for a theme park) at $20 per adult and $10 per child. It was far better than the pizza/pasta buffet in the parks which is about the same price.
Self-parking was included in the daily resort fee.
One of there perks of staying at the Legoland Hotel is the early entry. You must enter the park between 9:00 and 9:30 but you have between 9:00 and 10:00 to enjoy the open areas. Be sure to ask for VIP lanyards (free) for your kids at the front desk when you check in. (See below for early entry procedure.)
We had 2 day resort hopper tickets, so since we arrived so late on our first day, we did not head straight to the main park. Instead we went to the aquarium while we waited for our room. Sure enough, by the time we were done the room was ready. We went back to check in and change into swimsuits.
We wanted to go to the water park and were surprised to learn that you have to walk through the main Legoland park to get there. But it gave us a chance to scope out things for the next day. The water park itself was small and crowded, but the kids liked it for awhile. It has a private entrance into the Pirate area of the main park, and the line for the flume ride is shorter on that side. We spent an hour in the water park, an hour in the pirate area and then walked back to the hotel and spent an hour in the hotel pool. It was fun to 'water hop'! A tip: there are no towels at the water park but it is easy to take hotel pool towels with you.
The next day we took advantage of the early entry. There is a distinct sign between the main entrance and the aquarium. We were in line by 8:40 and about 8:45 a lady came by to check our credentials and let us into the park. Incidentally, our 'credentials' were my kids' VIP lanyards and me flashing a hotel room key,which was a generic Lego design with no dates on it. I'm guessing we could have used these 'credentials' for days after checkout. Not a good system.
We went inside and the was a brief wait for a rope drop. Unfortunately, the rides open during early entry are primarily for the smallest kids. They are all on the left side of the park (Coastersaurus, safari ride, fairy tale ride,Sky Cruisers, etc.). However the Mindstorms building is open too, so we were able to get over there right off and sign up for the first session. Then we went back and rode a few rides before 10 am. We had a second rope drop at 10 am right outside of Funtown and we were able to be on the first round of the day at the Volvo Driving School. The line built up fast and was already huge by the time my kids were done.
Unfortunately by the time we finished this and hoofed it over to the Technic coaster, there was already a half hour wait. So it seems as if you cannot do both of these rides in the morning without waiting for at least one of them. However the other rides had minimal lines for the first 90 minutes or so. We were able to get on the Adventure ride, the Dino coaster and the Bionicle 'teacups' rides multiple times with minimal waits. The park really started to fill up at about 11:30. We went to the play structures (castle and pharaoh themed) until our Mindstorms reservation.
After Mindstorms we had lunch, then spent the busy hours walking around Miniland and going on the Coast Cruise (small lineup even at the height of the day). The only downside was how faded many of the Lego sets are now. But it was definitely the right move during crowded park hours!
The park started to clear out again about 4 pm or so. The ride lines melted away. They also have a special deal going where kids eat free at the restaurants after 5pm, so this gives you an idea of the drop in crowd levels. I had multiple MCs (model citizens - their term for park employees) tell me that 12 to 4 pm are the worst hours, because all of the locals with annual passes come with their toddlers. The park is much emptier after that time on weekdays. It's a little different on weekends, of course.
Well I guess this wasn't short. Let me know if anyone has questions!
Background: my kids are ages 10 and 12. While they are a little 'old' for Legoland they are still very much children and interested in Lego toys. I recognize that other 10 and 12 year olds might not be as interested in this park. We had been at Comic Con in San Diego the previous weekend. We left San Diego Monday morning to drive to Carlsbad.
Hotel: we arrived about 10 am and were able to check in, even though the room was not ready. They put us in a queue for rooms of our type. So it was a good idea to check in, even though it was so early. They send a text or email when your room is ready. When we came back from the parks we just had to go to the concierge to pick up our key cards. It was quick and easy and we did not have to wait in the registration line again.
When we first walked into the lobby the kids' jaws dropped. They made a beeline for the 'Lego pit' and wanted to sit there all day. Later they explored the pirate ship/castle area just behind the lobby but they enjoyed the building the most.
The room was fan-freaking-tactic. I basically knew what it was like from looking at the pictures on the hotel website, but the kids had no idea at all. They literally squealed when they saw the bunk bed room, which was right at the entrance door to the room. We had a castle themed room. I have been to many different Disney hotels (DL and WDW) and Vegas Strip hotels, but never have I seen such intense theming. Literally *everything* in the room was Lego or castle themed. The bedding, the wallpaper, the carpets, the hangars, the ice bucket, the lights, the mirrors, the furniture, the TV cabinets, the shower curtain... Everything. We were in awe. We had a horrible view (being on the ground floor) but none of us cared. We just wanted to be in that room! And this was a basic standard room. I have no idea what they offer in the deluxe rooms.
The beds were comfy and there was a wide range of heating/cooling temperatures on the thermostat. There was a step stool in the bathroom and a toilet seat insert built into the toilet lid (for toddlers). There was a mini fridge which made things quite cold and free wifi in the room (included in mandatory resort fee). They also left us 2 bottles of water and 2 juice bags 'with compliments'. The curtains were serious blackout curtains. It was so dark in there! And since the kids' bunk bed area was at the opposite end of the room and around a corner, light from the curtains (after I opened them in the morning) didn't wake them up. This is some good design planning! There was no treasure hunt, but there were 2 mini figs and a bag of chocolate coins and a Lego magazine in a little 'safe' for the kids.
The only negative about the room was that the door to the bathroom was a sliding door with no lock. I'm okay with the sliding door, but the lack of privacy may be an issue for some people. We quickly decided to leave the door open if the bathroom was empty and if it was closed that meant someone was inside and not to enter. Not sure how this system would have worked with younger kids.
There was a lot of theming in the hotel as well. On the ground floor in front of the elevators is a floor activated whoopee cushion that amuses kids while they are waiting. We went up and down the elevator a few times just for fun, even though we were on the ground floor. The walls are covered with dancing Lego mini figs and there are disco lights that turn on when the elevator is in motion. One of the elevators (the one on the left) plays The Hustle and YMCA as well. Everyone loved the musical elevator. I saw adults and kids alike dancing during the rides.
All floors have themed entrance areas where you can access the rooms.
The pool was not as themed, and did not have a whirlpool. However it was a quiet place to relax after the crowds of the parks and the kids enjoyed playing with the floating bricks in the pool.
We ate dinner at Bricks and all enjoyed the food selection and service. It was reasonably priced (for a theme park) at $20 per adult and $10 per child. It was far better than the pizza/pasta buffet in the parks which is about the same price.
Self-parking was included in the daily resort fee.
One of there perks of staying at the Legoland Hotel is the early entry. You must enter the park between 9:00 and 9:30 but you have between 9:00 and 10:00 to enjoy the open areas. Be sure to ask for VIP lanyards (free) for your kids at the front desk when you check in. (See below for early entry procedure.)
We had 2 day resort hopper tickets, so since we arrived so late on our first day, we did not head straight to the main park. Instead we went to the aquarium while we waited for our room. Sure enough, by the time we were done the room was ready. We went back to check in and change into swimsuits.
We wanted to go to the water park and were surprised to learn that you have to walk through the main Legoland park to get there. But it gave us a chance to scope out things for the next day. The water park itself was small and crowded, but the kids liked it for awhile. It has a private entrance into the Pirate area of the main park, and the line for the flume ride is shorter on that side. We spent an hour in the water park, an hour in the pirate area and then walked back to the hotel and spent an hour in the hotel pool. It was fun to 'water hop'! A tip: there are no towels at the water park but it is easy to take hotel pool towels with you.
The next day we took advantage of the early entry. There is a distinct sign between the main entrance and the aquarium. We were in line by 8:40 and about 8:45 a lady came by to check our credentials and let us into the park. Incidentally, our 'credentials' were my kids' VIP lanyards and me flashing a hotel room key,which was a generic Lego design with no dates on it. I'm guessing we could have used these 'credentials' for days after checkout. Not a good system.
We went inside and the was a brief wait for a rope drop. Unfortunately, the rides open during early entry are primarily for the smallest kids. They are all on the left side of the park (Coastersaurus, safari ride, fairy tale ride,Sky Cruisers, etc.). However the Mindstorms building is open too, so we were able to get over there right off and sign up for the first session. Then we went back and rode a few rides before 10 am. We had a second rope drop at 10 am right outside of Funtown and we were able to be on the first round of the day at the Volvo Driving School. The line built up fast and was already huge by the time my kids were done.
Unfortunately by the time we finished this and hoofed it over to the Technic coaster, there was already a half hour wait. So it seems as if you cannot do both of these rides in the morning without waiting for at least one of them. However the other rides had minimal lines for the first 90 minutes or so. We were able to get on the Adventure ride, the Dino coaster and the Bionicle 'teacups' rides multiple times with minimal waits. The park really started to fill up at about 11:30. We went to the play structures (castle and pharaoh themed) until our Mindstorms reservation.
After Mindstorms we had lunch, then spent the busy hours walking around Miniland and going on the Coast Cruise (small lineup even at the height of the day). The only downside was how faded many of the Lego sets are now. But it was definitely the right move during crowded park hours!
The park started to clear out again about 4 pm or so. The ride lines melted away. They also have a special deal going where kids eat free at the restaurants after 5pm, so this gives you an idea of the drop in crowd levels. I had multiple MCs (model citizens - their term for park employees) tell me that 12 to 4 pm are the worst hours, because all of the locals with annual passes come with their toddlers. The park is much emptier after that time on weekdays. It's a little different on weekends, of course.
Well I guess this wasn't short. Let me know if anyone has questions!
