If you have a kid who loves LEGO, at some point you’ve probably wondered: Is LEGOLAND actually worth it?

Is it worth making it part of a Southern California vacation? Is it worth taking a day away from Disneyland or the beach? And maybe most importantly, how old is too old for LEGOLAND?

Well, we’ve been a couple of times, and I have some thoughts.

For about a year, we lived around 30 minutes south of LEGOLAND California, so we had the chance to visit the park a couple of times. Trooper was 10 at the time, and I think that actually gave us a really interesting perspective on LEGOLAND because he liked it.

But he didn’t LOVE it.

And I think if we had taken him three or four years earlier, he absolutely would have loved it.

So today, we’re talking about whether LEGOLAND California is worth it, what we loved, what we didn’t, the things I wish we had known, and the age I think is the absolute sweet spot for visiting.

And just to clarify, we are talking specifically about LEGOLAND California in Carlsbad. There are LEGOLAND parks in other places around the world, and some of these tips may work at those parks too, but our experience was at LEGOLAND California.

So, is it worth it?

Let’s talk about it.

First, Who Is LEGOLAND For?

I actually think this is the most important thing to know before planning a LEGOLAND trip.

LEGOLAND is definitely geared toward younger kids.

Trooper was 10 when we went, and he’s always been tall for his age. He still had fun, but a lot of the rides felt young for him.

And that's the thing I wish we'd done differently.

I wish we had taken him when he was about 5 to 7.

I think at that age, he would have thought LEGOLAND was the greatest place on Earth.

At 10, he enjoyed it. There were things he really liked. But we could tell we were getting toward the end of the LEGOLAND window.

So if you have a kid who is 5, 6, 7 or 8 and they love LEGO, GO.

Don't wait because you're thinking you'll take them when they're a little older and can do more.

This isn't necessarily a park where older automatically means better.

And I wouldn't go into LEGOLAND expecting Disneyland.

The rides aren't really the whole point.

There are rides, obviously, but what makes LEGOLAND different is how much there is to DO.

You build.

You race things you've built.

You explore.

You hunt for things.

You trade things.

And for our family, some of the best parts of LEGOLAND weren't rides at all.

The Building Areas

Brent and Trooper both loved these.

There are places throughout the park where you can just stop and build with LEGO.

And we love that.

Theme parks can sometimes feel like you're constantly trying to get somewhere.

Get to this ride. Get in this line. Hurry over here. What's the wait time over there?

At LEGOLAND, you can stop and build something.

For kids who love LEGO, that's not wasted park time. That's part of the attraction.

And Trooper could have spent a LONG time in some of these areas. (And honestly, he did!)

So if you're going, don't make a schedule so tight that you're constantly pulling your kids away from the building areas because you have to get to the next ride.

Let them build.

That's kind of the point.

Our Favorite Rides

Now, that doesn't mean we didn't like the rides.

My favorite was Lost Kingdom Adventure. It's an interactive ride where you're going through an Egyptian-themed adventure and shooting targets along the way.

I also really liked Deep Sea Adventure.

You're in a LEGO submarine traveling through an aquarium with actual sea creatures swimming around you. It's just really different, and I thought it was fun. 

Trooper really liked Driving School.

The kids actually drive little LEGO cars around streets with intersections and traffic lights, and they get a LEGOLAND driver's license.

At 10, he was still young enough to think getting his own driver's license was pretty cool.

Although now that he's 13, we're getting uncomfortably close to an ACTUAL driver's permit, and I don't like that nearly as much.

Our Favorite Rides

Now, that doesn't mean we didn't like the rides.

My favorite was Lost Kingdom Adventure. It's an interactive ride where you're going through an Egyptian-themed adventure and shooting targets along the way.

I also really liked Deep Sea Adventure.

You're in a LEGO submarine traveling through an aquarium with actual sea creatures swimming around you. It's just really different, and I thought it was fun. 

Trooper really liked Driving School.

The kids actually drive little LEGO cars around streets with intersections and traffic lights, and they get a LEGOLAND driver's license.

At 10, he was still young enough to think getting his own driver's license was pretty cool.

Although now that he's 13, we're getting uncomfortably close to an ACTUAL driver's permit, and I don't like that nearly as much.

There was one ride, though, that completely surprised me.

Emmet's Flying Adventure.

It's a flying theater ride, and if you've been to Disney, think Soarin'.

I can ride Soarin'.

I like Soarin'.

Emmet's Flying Adventure?

NOPE.

I got so motion sick. It was the closest I’ve been to having to excuse myself in a long time!

I don't know what the difference was, but my brain apparently decided we were not going to enjoy that one.

So if you're prone to motion sickness like I am, just know that one got me even though Soarin' doesn't.

One Thing I Wish LEGOLAND Did Better

There's one other ride-related thing I want to mention because I wish I had known about it before we went.

Some of the ride restraints aren't particularly accommodating for larger people.

On the Technic Coaster, they couldn't get my restraint to click.

And I had to get off.

I don't really want to spend a lot of time talking about this because it was embarrassing, but I do think it's useful information if you're planning a trip.

There wasn't anything outside the ride that warned me it could be an issue, and there wasn't a test seat where I could have figured it out privately before waiting in line.

What bothered me most was how it was handled. The employee basically yelled that I needed to get off in front of everyone.

LEGOLAND did give us a pass that allowed us to skip the line on another ride, which I appreciated.

But I wish there had been a test seat or some other way to know ahead of time.

So if you're a larger person, that's just something I would keep in mind.

Okay. Moving on to much more fun things.

Because we haven't even gotten to Trooper's FAVORITE part.

TROOPER'S T.I.P.S.: Minifigure Trading and Pop Badges

TROOPER:

My favorite thing at LEGOLAND wasn't actually the rides.

It was minifigure trading.

Before you go to LEGOLAND, bring some LEGO minifigures from home that you're willing to trade.

They have to be complete minifigures, so you can't bring just a head or a body or something.

Then, while you're walking around the park, look at the LEGOLAND employees. LEGOLAND calls them Model Citizens, and a lot of them have minifigures on their badges.

If you see one you want, ask if they'll trade with you.

You give them your minifigure, and they give you theirs.

And then you can keep trading.

So you might start the day with a minifigure you don't really care about and then keep trading until you find one you really like.

There are also minifigure trading posts around the resort where you can look for ones to trade.

My tip is to bring more than one minifigure from home because once you start looking for them, you're going to want to keep trading.

The other thing I really liked collecting was Pop Badges.

They're little LEGOLAND badges that pop open so you can put them on your shirt or a lanyard.

You can find different ones around the park at rides, shops and other places. There are also special badges, like ones for your first visit, your birthday and different events.

There's even a really rare one called Mr. Gold. You have to look at the Model Citizens to see if anyone has him and ask them if they have Mr. Gold. LEGOLAND only releases a few of those each day.

I never got Mr. Gold, but I had a lot of fun looking for different Pop Badges.

So my tip is: don't just go from ride to ride.

Look for minifigures to trade and ask about Pop Badges while you're walking around because that was one of my favorite parts of LEGOLAND.

ASHLEY:

And I think that's a perfect example of why LEGOLAND is different.

At 10, Trooper was starting to age out of some of the rides.

But he LOVED this stuff.

Minifigure trading basically turns the entire park into a scavenger hunt. And the Pop Badges give kids something else to look for and collect.

LEGOLAND still offers both activities today. Complete LEGO minifigures can be traded with Model Citizens and at trading posts throughout the resort, and Pop Badges can be found at rides, attractions, experiences and shops.

Miniland

Another thing you shouldn't rush through is Miniland.

This is one of those parts of LEGOLAND where I think the adults may appreciate it just as much as the kids.

There are entire cities and landmarks made out of LEGO.

And don't just look at the big buildings.

Look at the tiny details.

There are cars and people and trains and all sorts of little scenes happening. (Even dinosaurs)

It's one of those places where you can walk through quickly and say, "Wow, that's cool."

Or you can slow down and really look at everything and realize how ridiculous it is that someone BUILT ALL OF THIS OUT OF LEGO.

Take your time here.

And Then There Are the Apple Fries

We have to talk about the apple fries.

Because if you're going to LEGOLAND California, you need to get the apple fries.

They're basically Granny Smith apples cut like French fries, fried and covered in cinnamon sugar, and you can get them with whipped cream.

Are they healthy because technically you're eating an apple?

I'm going to say yes.

Don't fact-check me on that.

Just get the apple fries.

SEA LIFE Aquarium

LEGOLAND California also has the SEA LIFE Aquarium.

And we really enjoyed it.

I wouldn't necessarily plan an entire Southern California vacation around this aquarium. It's not that kind of aquarium.

But as part of a LEGOLAND trip?

Absolutely.

It's a really nice change of pace from the theme park, especially if you've been walking around all day.

And if you have a kid who likes animals and LEGO, it's kind of a perfect combination.

What About the Water Park?

LEGOLAND California also has a water park.

We did not go.

We're just not really water park people.

So I'm not going to sit here and tell you whether it's worth adding because we haven't done it.

But it is an option if your family loves water parks. Currently, LEGOLAND recommends two days if you're trying to experience both the theme park and water park, and the water park requires admission that includes both parks.

For us, we spent two full days at LEGOLAND without the water park, and I liked having that much time.

Partly because...

Check Those Park Hours!

LEGOLAND can close EARLY.

When we were there, I remember normal park days closing around 5 p.m.

And coming from Disney, where apparently we're willing to wander around a theme park until we're barely conscious, 5 p.m. feels VERY early.

Current hours still vary quite a bit by date, so definitely check the calendar before you plan your trip rather than assuming you're getting a full evening in the park.

This is also one reason I wouldn't try to cram everything into one day.

If this is a big vacation for your family and you really want to experience LEGOLAND, give yourself some breathing room.

Should You Stay at a LEGOLAND Hotel?

This is one thing I can't personally review.

Because we lived 30 minutes away.

We went home.

But every single time we walked into LEGOLAND, we walked right past the hotels and thought they looked SO FUN.

There are two themed hotels right by the park, the LEGOLAND Hotel and LEGOLAND Castle Hotel.

And if we had been coming from out of town, I would have seriously considered staying there.

Current hotel stays include things like early park access, breakfast and nightly kids' entertainment.

I think this would be especially fun if you have a 5- or 6-year-old who is completely obsessed with LEGO.

We didn't need the hotel because our beds and Roger the Adventure Kitty were just 30 minutes away.

But I kind of wish we'd had an excuse to stay there.

But Our FAVORITE Visit Was Halloween

Okay.

If you have any flexibility about WHEN you go to LEGOLAND California...

Go during Halloween.

We LOVED Brick-or-Treat.

And one of the things I loved most about it when we went in 2023 was that it wasn't a separate Halloween party ticket.

We already had admission to the park.

We didn't have to pay extra for a special Halloween event.

You could dress up if you wanted to, but you didn't have to.

There was Halloween music playing.

They had trick-or-treat stations.

And they gave out SO MUCH CANDY.

Seriously.

So much candy.

And at some of the stations, we even got DUPLO bricks.

They also gave us these really cute candy bags.

We have this picture of the three of us wearing LEGO skeleton paper masks, and it's one of those pictures that just makes me smile because we had such a fun time that night.

Brick-or-Treat is still an annual event at LEGOLAND California, although obviously the specific activities and ticket policies can change from year to year, so check the current year's information when you're planning.

But if you asked us which of our LEGOLAND visits we'd do again?

Halloween.

Absolutely.

So...Is LEGOLAND California Worth It?

Yes.

With a giant asterisk.

LEGOLAND California is absolutely worth it if you go at the right age.

If you have a 5-, 6-, 7- or 8-year-old who loves LEGO?

I would go.

I think they're going to have a blast.

If you have a 10-year-old like we did, especially a tall 10-year-old, I think they can still have a really good time.

Trooper did.

He loved building. He loved Driving School. He loved trading minifigures and collecting Pop Badges.

But I could also see that we'd missed that window when LEGOLAND would have felt absolutely magical to him.

And that's my biggest piece of advice from our experience.

Don't wait too long.

I think sometimes with family travel we have this idea that we should wait until our kids are older.

Wait until they'll remember it.

Wait until they have more stamina.

Wait until they can ride everything.

LEGOLAND is one of those places where I think the opposite might be true.

Go while they're still little enough to think getting a plastic driver's license is the coolest thing ever.

Go while they could spend an hour building a LEGO car and racing it over and over.

Go while spotting a minifigure they desperately want on an employee's badge feels like finding treasure.

Because that's what LEGOLAND does really well.

It's not Disneyland.

It's not a thrill park.

It's a place built around letting kids play.

And if you catch your kids during that sweet spot?

Yeah.

LEGOLAND California is definitely worth it.

That’s all I have for you today! And as always, let's keep making traveling with your family easier, one trip at a time. See you next time.