Our family made its first visit to Legoland in the city of Carlsbad in northern San Diego County this weekend. Although the park has been open for almost ten years, we just didn't have a reason to want to visit because of the distance from Los Angeles and the fact that Legoland is aimed at children. But our children are getting older and more able to enjoy this kind of amusement area (not just for younger kids) and my wife's friend invited us to join them, so we made the trip down together.My wife's friend's husband remarked that the signage for Legoland is really minimal--one simple directional sign at the freeway exit, and a few more directional signs leading you to the park. Unlike amusement parks like Magic Mountain or Disneyland, you can't see the park at all from the freeway, so unless you know that Legoland is an amusement park located in northern San Diego County, you'd probably drive past it. It's almost as if they're not trying to get passing motorists to want to stop by on an impulse, but only people who have planned their visit in advance and know they want to visit Legoland.
As you might expect, most visitors to the park during our visit were parents (or grandparents) with their children. Once you enter the main gate, you pass by some Lego-themed stores and into a central area. The park is fairly well-themed, with areas related to dinosaurs, medieval times, pirates, archaeology in desert-like areas (a la Indiana Jones), and other child-friendly themes. Unlike parks like Knott's Berry Farm or Disneyland, you walk around the park in a pretty tight circle at Legoland, and there's no way to cut between themed areas or ride a train or monorail and get an overview of what's there.
On the plus side, some of the more popular rides have benches along the waiting areas and play areas with Lego blocks on the side for children who don't want to wait in long lines. My friend also commented that the rides and attractions at Legoland seem more interactive for kids, at least more so than Disneyland, where the visitor is a more passive spectator as the 'show' goes on around you.
There are a handful of thrill rides, including smaller roller coasters and thrill rides with height restrictions. But there are lots of gentle rides and some more imaginative attractions like an elevated car that goes around a hillside near the entrance with bicycle pedals for the riders that will go slightly faster as you pedal.
The prices were fairly comparable to other major amusement parks in southern California: adult admission for the main Legoland park was just under $60, with children (3-12) and seniors ten dollars less. Legoland has also recently opened an aquarium next door called Sea Life which serves as a 'second gate' (like Disneyland's California Adventure or the water parks next door to Knott's Berry Farm and Magic Mountain) with a separate admission fee.
Or you can buy an annual pass for just Legoland for $115 for adults and $89 for children.
