Best Tips for Visiting LEGOLAND California

LEGOLAND California is about kids’ imagination and is specifically designed for children ages 2-12. With more than 30,000 LEGO models created out of more than 60 million LEGO bricks, over 60 family rides (including 3 roller coasters), “hands-on” attractions, shows, a water park, and an aquarium, LEGOLAND California provides education, adventure, and fun for all ages. Let’s face it, though, you always have tons of questions before visiting any amusement park with kids, especially if it’s your first time. You want to make the most of your time and be as prepared as possible. Here are our Best Tips for Visiting LEGOLAND California.

Tips for Visiting LEGOLAND California

Download the Free LEGOLAND App
One of the best tips for visiting LEGOLAND California is downloading the LEGOLAND App. The cost of a weekend at LEGOLAND can be expensive and you’ll want to make the most of your time. The app features a wait time board where you can see live, up-to-date wait times for each attraction so you can plan your day accordingly. Download today at m.LEGOLAND.com! We checked the app for the longer wait time rides like Sky Cruiser.

LEGOLAND California Resort does provide play areas full of LEGOS near the lines of their most popular rides so children can play while parents wait in line. They also provide pagers for some rides, so you don’t have to stand in line.

Purchase Your Tickets in Advance, Online, & Early
Buying online from LEGOLAND in advance will be cheaper than buying at the ticket window. Spend some time on the resort website researching different options that work best for your family and time frame. Buying tickets early will save you from price increases as you get closer to your visit date. Kids under 3 are free at LEGLOAND, but you will have to buy them a separate ticket for entrance to the water park.

If you’re a AAA member, bring your card along and get a 10% discount on one-day admission tickets for up to 6 guests.

Use Coupons
If you don’t yet subscribe to the Lego Club Magazine and are planning your trip a couple of months in advance, make sure to subscribe to the bi-monthly publications, which include “Kids Go Free” coupons where one child can go free with a full-price adult admission. Coupons include a discount code that can be used when purchasing online. You can join the LEGO Club free of charge. Subscribe well before your trip because it may take weeks for your first magazine to arrive.

Target Audience – 2-12 Years Old
LEGOLAND’s target audience is 2-12 years old. Most of the rides are built for guests of all ages and some require adults to ride with young children. Some rides have minimum height requirements of 34-42 inches; however, even the roller coasters are toddler-friendly.

Consider Staying Off Site
For accommodations, you could try a vacation package the nearby Sheraton, which has its own entrance to LEGOLAND. If you’re looking for a different price, Visit Carlsbad website offers great accommodation options from camping to luxury resorts.

LEGOLAND Hotel is worth checking out even if you just go in and ride the elevator. There are open places everywhere for kids to play and unique sites to see around every corner. We stayed at Sheraton but visited LEGOLAND Hotel for lunch at Skyline Cafe and to explore the property.

Visit for Two Days But Pay for One
LEGOLAND California Resort also has a water park, an aquarium, and a hotel. While our 1-Day Pass was enough for our family to enjoy our favorite rides, we didn’t have enough time for the aquarium on day one. Luckily, we were told in advance that we could visit the aquarium the next day with our 1-Day pass.

Don’t Miss Miniland
One of the most popular areas of the park is Miniland and adults and children will be amazed at the impressive models of iconic cites such as San Francisco, New York, New Orleans, Las Vegas, and Washington D.C.. There are even models of each episode of Star Wars. To see all of the Miniland LEGO models, you can take the Coast Cruise ride. We did the cruise first and then walked around for 20 minutes exploring our favorite mini cities.

Bring or Buy a Minifigure to Trade
Many LEGOLAND employees wear LEGO minifigures on their badges and they will trade if you give them one of your minifigures. It was a fun thing to do between rides and it distracted Athena while we explored Miniland. She was always on the look out for employees.

Bring a Bathing Suit
There are several water places at LEGOLAND even if you’re not visiting the water park. It’s a good idea to have your kids wear bathing suits under their clothes and bring a towel, extra undies, and a sweatshirt in a back pack. We had so much fun at the water play areas outside the water park that we didn’t actually visit the water park. If you have younger children, it might be worth considering avoiding the water park completely. It will save you money on activities that you can still experience in LEGOLAND.

If you didn’t pack a towel or a change of clothes, there are family dryers that cost $5. Your entire family can stand inside the dryer and warm up. We thought $5 was costly, but we might have felt differently if it was a cold day.

Have you visited LEGOLAND California? Do you have any additional tips for visiting LEGOLAND California? Add them in a comment below to help make visiting LEGOLAND California the best experience possible.