Little Lego fans and families who are so, so ready for a fun theme park adventure should know that Legoland California reopened to guests on April 15th. Adding to the excitement, the Carlsbad park just announced that its brand-new Lego Movie World will open on May 27, 2021. Advanced reservations are required, and capacity is reduced along with other Covid-19 regulations, so families can plan a visit with confidence. Plus, visitors will enjoy the benefits of a considerably less-crowded park.
Legoland Reopening Details
Legoland California fully reopened on April 15th, after more than a year of being closed to the public. The theme park, the adjacent Lego Chima Water Park, Sea Life Aquarium and two Legoland Hotels are all open with limited capacity and advanced reservations required. Tickets are available on a first-come, first-served basis through a new online Booking Portal. The resort recommends limiting visitation to California residents within a 120-mile radius.
Click here to read about reopening details and health and safety measures. They include reduced capacity, cashless payments, enhanced cleaning regimes, sanitizer dispensers throughout the resort, and required social distancing practices. Face masks are required for guests aged 2 and older. Expect temperature checks at entry.
Overview of Legoland California
Legoland California, one of nine Legoland Parks worldwide, is in Carlsbad, a coastal city in northern San Diego County. Carlsbad has beautiful beaches and plenty of hotel and dining options. Legoland is approximately 30 minutes north of San Diego, 1 hour south of Anaheim, and 1.5 to 2 hours south of Los Angeles. The resort includes Legoland Park, the Sea Life Aquarium and Legoland Water Park, all with separate admission. There are two on-site hotels: Legoland Hotel and Legoland Castle Hotel. Money-saving packages are available.
The park is designed for families with children ages 2 to 12, with even its most hair-raising rides falling short of a “thrill-ride” rating. Various age, height and other safety restrictions apply to rides. You can use this tool on the park’s website to input your child’s height and see which rides they will be able to enjoy. Teens and adults who aren’t looking for thrill rides, and anyone who appreciates the artistic construction of Lego at its finest, will also find a lot to love at Legoland.
The park offers more than 60 rides, shows, and attractions throughout 12 themed areas. These include Pirate Shores, Land of Adventures, Fun Town, Lego Ninjago World, and Miniland USA, along with the soon-to-open Lego Movie World. There are ample dining and shopping options throughout the park, along with face painting, seasonal stage shows, and life-sized Lego characters to meet. Allow a full day to experience the park at a leisurely pace, although half a day might be enough for toddlers. If you want to visit the water park or aquarium as well, a second day at the resort is ideal.
Legoland California Highlights
Half a dozen or so rides are at the more adrenaline-rousing end of the spectrum of Legoland attractions – suited to children closer to 12 than 2. Some are even thrilling enough to give more cautious parents pause. There’s the classic swaying pirate-ship ride, Captain Cranky’s Challenge; the vertical climb-and-drop Kid Power Tower; and Coastersaurus, a winding roller-coaster overseen by enormous Lego dinosaurs in a prehistoric jungle setting. Others include the dizzy-spinning Bionicle Blaster and the Lego Technic Coaster. Joining them in the new Lego Movie World will be Emmet’s Flying Adventure.
On the serene side, take an enchanted boat ride along the Fairy Tale Brook to see scenes from classics like Cinderella, Red Riding Hood and the Three Little Pigs played out in Lego. The Safari Trek takes you around a Lego-brick version of the African savannah, packed with exotic animals. Lego Ninjago The Ride is exciting without being scary, taking your team past a series of awesome video-game screens. You get to use individual controls to join the fight to defeat the Great Devourer.
A definite highlight is the truly charming Lego City Deep Sea Adventure. Descend into the depths of a real aquarium on a submarine, admire exotic sea life and take part in an interactive treasure hunt. Kids love driving their own cars – and receiving a special driver’s license – at the Driving School and Jr. Driving School, and taking to the water at Skipper School.
A few of the attractions at Legoland California with no height requirements are Cole’s Rock Climb climbing wall, Dig Those Dinos paleontological dig, and the expansive Duplo Play playground with thousands of bricks to build with.
Don’t miss Miniland USA, Legoland’s intricately created miniature versions of world-famous landmarks and cities. Destinations including San Francisco, Washington, D.C., New Orleans and New York City are created in impressive detail with mechanically moving pieces. This area, along with the amazing models and giant Lego statues throughout the park, might even inspire you to go home and create miniature worlds with your own Lego set.
Details
One LEGOLAND Drive, Carlsbad, CA 92008
(888) 690-5346
Looking for more family fun near San Diego? Read “Three Amazing Marine Life Attractions in SoCal“
