LEGOLAND CALIFORNIA
by Randy Martinez
Going to an amusement park during the winter is a luxury that
California families enjoy. Everyone is familiar with the big three:
Disneyland, Knotts Berry Farm and Universal Studios.
Occasionally, the adventurous will make a sojourn to Magic
Mountain. However, for an incredible adventure and just 90
minutes south towards sunny San Diego is Legoland USA.
Legoland was founded five years ago in Carlsbad, California as
a showcase for the timeless plastic bricks known and loved
world over. Legoland is perfect for a family-it gives everyone a
chance to play-while providing a meaningful and educational
experience for everyone. Mostly, the constant pressure exerted
by other amusement parks to buy something is just not there.
MINI-LAND AT LEGOLAND
A must-see is the fantastic "Mini-Land". Several cities, including
an awe-inspiring model of the New York City skyline, make this
the showplace of the park. Made out of twenty million Lego
bricks, Miniland offers a "brick's eye view" of the Sydney Opera
House, the Taj Mahal, and the White House. Anyone who has
ever used Lego bricks will appreciate the meticulous detail paid
to every aspect of Miniland's buildings. Take the 30 minute boat
ride to see Mount Rushmore. New for this year is a perfect
rendition of the Cape Canaveral Space Park.
KNIGHTS KINGDOM AT LEGOLAND
Another area is Knights Kingdom. This area is more of a
traditional theme park, with "The Dragon" coaster appealing to
teenagers and adults. There is also the "Builders Guild", which
tempts older builders with millions of Legos. The "Hideaways"
allow parents to catch a needed break while their kids climb on
rope ladders. The "Knights Challenge" show portrays epic
battles to defeat the Dark Knight.
FUN TOWN
After the older kids have had their fill, walk on over to Fun Town.
This area is made for younger kids. Kids will get a taste of
driving by taking on the Volvo and Volvo Driving school course.
The drivers license they get makes them feel a little bigger.
The LEGO Factory Tour is a must. It demonstrates the actual
process of how Lego's are made. Slide on over to the Sky
Cruiser and Kid Power Tower rides. Unlike most amusement
park rides, the kids provide most of the energy. The Kid Power
Towers feature a rope pull up ride (this is much harder than it
looks and will make you break a sweat). However, make sure
you go early because these are two of the most popular rides.
SKIPPER SCHOOL
The "don't miss" ride is the Skipper School. This boat ride is fun
for every age group and safe enough for even smaller children
to ride. Kids get to drive a boat through a beautiful winding
course at a very slow rate of speed. My 14-year old son still
can't get enough of this ride.
DINO ISLAND
After Fun Town, go directly to Dino Island. Older kids can ride
the Coastersaurus. This roller coaster dives and swoops amidst
life-size Lego figures. While the older kids are riding, the young
kids can play in "Dig Those Dinos", a sandy area where they
can dig for dinosaur fossils.
Adventurous families can even stage a water balloon fight at
"Raptor Splash".
EXPLORE VILLAGE
By this time, everyone will need a break. Take a detour to
Explore Village so that the youngest kids can play. My favorite
is "Safari Track",
a drive through Darkest Africa with detailed life-sized replicas of
safari animals. Legoland does concede a little to the other
theme parks through the Village Theater. Your youngster can
have their pictures taken with Lego characters like Johnny
Thunder and the Bionicle hero, Tahu Nuva. There are magic
shows and smaller rides featuring Legoland's amazing animal
replicas.
IMAGINATION ZONE
By that time, Imagination Zone beckons. This hidden gem
features every conceivable type of Lego in small bins for kids
and adults alike to build whatever their Imagination allows. My
son and I build huge racer cars and challenge each other to
races. Several exhibits and multi-media round out this exciting
area.
Legoland is a wonderful mix of rides for adults, teens and
children. Everyone has a chance to experience a wide variety
of rides in a fairly non-commercial setting. Most of all,
Legoland comes across as a place where imagination and
curiosity are allowed to flourish and thrive without the endless
commercial pressure so present at many other amusement
parks.
For more Legoland Information:
www.legolandca.com
by Randy Martinez
Going to an amusement park during the winter is a luxury that
California families enjoy. Everyone is familiar with the big three:
Disneyland, Knotts Berry Farm and Universal Studios.
Occasionally, the adventurous will make a sojourn to Magic
Mountain. However, for an incredible adventure and just 90
minutes south towards sunny San Diego is Legoland USA.
Legoland was founded five years ago in Carlsbad, California as
a showcase for the timeless plastic bricks known and loved
world over. Legoland is perfect for a family-it gives everyone a
chance to play-while providing a meaningful and educational
experience for everyone. Mostly, the constant pressure exerted
by other amusement parks to buy something is just not there.
MINI-LAND AT LEGOLAND
A must-see is the fantastic "Mini-Land". Several cities, including
an awe-inspiring model of the New York City skyline, make this
the showplace of the park. Made out of twenty million Lego
bricks, Miniland offers a "brick's eye view" of the Sydney Opera
House, the Taj Mahal, and the White House. Anyone who has
ever used Lego bricks will appreciate the meticulous detail paid
to every aspect of Miniland's buildings. Take the 30 minute boat
ride to see Mount Rushmore. New for this year is a perfect
rendition of the Cape Canaveral Space Park.
KNIGHTS KINGDOM AT LEGOLAND
Another area is Knights Kingdom. This area is more of a
traditional theme park, with "The Dragon" coaster appealing to
teenagers and adults. There is also the "Builders Guild", which
tempts older builders with millions of Legos. The "Hideaways"
allow parents to catch a needed break while their kids climb on
rope ladders. The "Knights Challenge" show portrays epic
battles to defeat the Dark Knight.
FUN TOWN
After the older kids have had their fill, walk on over to Fun Town.
This area is made for younger kids. Kids will get a taste of
driving by taking on the Volvo and Volvo Driving school course.
The drivers license they get makes them feel a little bigger.
The LEGO Factory Tour is a must. It demonstrates the actual
process of how Lego's are made. Slide on over to the Sky
Cruiser and Kid Power Tower rides. Unlike most amusement
park rides, the kids provide most of the energy. The Kid Power
Towers feature a rope pull up ride (this is much harder than it
looks and will make you break a sweat). However, make sure
you go early because these are two of the most popular rides.
SKIPPER SCHOOL
The "don't miss" ride is the Skipper School. This boat ride is fun
for every age group and safe enough for even smaller children
to ride. Kids get to drive a boat through a beautiful winding
course at a very slow rate of speed. My 14-year old son still
can't get enough of this ride.
DINO ISLAND
After Fun Town, go directly to Dino Island. Older kids can ride
the Coastersaurus. This roller coaster dives and swoops amidst
life-size Lego figures. While the older kids are riding, the young
kids can play in "Dig Those Dinos", a sandy area where they
can dig for dinosaur fossils.
Adventurous families can even stage a water balloon fight at
"Raptor Splash".
EXPLORE VILLAGE
By this time, everyone will need a break. Take a detour to
Explore Village so that the youngest kids can play. My favorite
is "Safari Track",
a drive through Darkest Africa with detailed life-sized replicas of
safari animals. Legoland does concede a little to the other
theme parks through the Village Theater. Your youngster can
have their pictures taken with Lego characters like Johnny
Thunder and the Bionicle hero, Tahu Nuva. There are magic
shows and smaller rides featuring Legoland's amazing animal
replicas.
IMAGINATION ZONE
By that time, Imagination Zone beckons. This hidden gem
features every conceivable type of Lego in small bins for kids
and adults alike to build whatever their Imagination allows. My
son and I build huge racer cars and challenge each other to
races. Several exhibits and multi-media round out this exciting
area.
Legoland is a wonderful mix of rides for adults, teens and
children. Everyone has a chance to experience a wide variety
of rides in a fairly non-commercial setting. Most of all,
Legoland comes across as a place where imagination and
curiosity are allowed to flourish and thrive without the endless
commercial pressure so present at many other amusement
parks.
For more Legoland Information:
www.legolandca.com
FAMILY TRAVEL FUN.COM
LEGOLAND
LEGOLAND
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