Top 10 Things to Do When Visiting LEGOLAND CALIFORNIA

At the end of March, Frank, the boys and I all headed down to Carlsbad for the KIA Classic and for some fun family time at LEGOLAND CALIFORNIA.  The boys and I had never been there before and they had been asking for quite some time when they could visit LEGOLAND CALIFORNIA.  When I received the invite to attend the KIA Classic, I was beyond thrilled!  This would be my first (and certainly not last) auto event featured on The Mommy-Files!!!

As part of the trip, we had the opportunity to drive the gorgeous, reliable and comfortable 2014 KIA Sorento SX.  It is an awesome car and just thinking about it and writing about it right now makes me wish I still had it to drive around.  There are so many features I love about the KIA Sorento SX and it was the perfect road-tripping vehicle for my family, especially when it turned out to be a 5 hour drive!

I was so excited to tell the boys we were going to LEGOLAND CALIFORNIA and I wish I had videotaped their response when I told them!  We definitely counted down the days for the event in our home the week before!  Then the day had come – it was time to head to Carlsbad for the KIA Classic and LEGOLAND CALIFORNIA!  We head plenty of room to store our luggage and our family of 5.

After a day of traveling, drinks with friends, and a good night’s sleep, it was time to head to LEGOLAND CALIFORNIA!  I have to admit that I was almost as excited as the boys were because I had no idea what to really expect.  But the moment we pulled up to the park’s entrance, I knew we were gonna have a great day!

As we experienced a day in the park, there are 10 things I found that you should do when visiting LEGOLAND CALIFORNIA:

1 – Prepare Yourself for an Amusement Park Experience!  By this, I mean the following: (1) Wear comfortable walking shoes, (2) bring a camera with extra batteries, (3) bring a light jacket or sweatshirt to wear, (4) bring sunscreen, and (5) bring spending money (there will be plenty that you and your little ones will want to see and buy)!

2 – Check Out MINILAND USA!!!  I thought this was one of the coolest parts of the park!  I thought I was creative when I built a house made of LEGO’s, but that was until I saw Miniland USA.  Wow!!!  Included is the Coast Cruise, New England, Las Vegas, Washington, DC, Block of Fame, Model Shop, New Orleans, New York, San Francisco, Southern California, and Ferndale.  It’s awesome and you might easily find yourself spending an hour or more in Miniland USA!

3 – Take a Break and Enjoy Granny’s Apple Fries!  When we went to LEGOLAND, Frank picked up some of these yummy Apple Fries.  I had never even heard of such a thing before.  I mean, I’ve heard of dried apples, but never apple fries.  Oh my goodness, they were good!  Located on Castle Hill, Granny’s Apple Fries are a LEGOLAND original!  These warm Granny Smith apple fries are dusted with cinnamon and sugar and served with a vanilla ice cream dipping sauce.

4 – Have Fun with a Water Ride on the Bionic Blaster!!  The boys loved this ride!  The ride spins in circle like a boat going through the water.  You can control it by making go away from the platform and come back in.  Plus, every once in a while, the blasters will shoot water into the air and you just might get wet!

5 – Check out the LEGOLAND Water Park!!  We had a ton of fun at the LEGOLAND Water Park and I’ve written up a whole separate post just on the Water Park itself.  At the LEGOLAND Water Park, imagination really flows on Build-A-Raft River, where everyone floats on their own custom-built LEGO raft.  The Water Park also features six-person raft slides, single-person tube-slides and hands-on toddler areas, so there’s something for the entire family.  It is open seasonally, so be sure to check before you visit.

6 – Check out the LEGOLAND Sea Life Aquarium!!  I loved walking through the Sea Life Aquarium and it was so much better than I ever imagined!  My favorite parts included the Claws Exhibit, the Giant Octopus, and the Shark Tank!  The boys loved watching the LEGO Sea Life Cartoons in the mini theater as well.  It was an awesome experience and I would definitely go again!

7 – Grab lunch or dinner at the LEGOLAND CALIFORNIA Sports Cafe!  The kids loved it because they have an all-you-can eat Kids Buffet, complete with Macaroni & Cheese (Sammy’s favorite), Hot Dogs (Brian and Dallen’s favorites), Grilled Cheese, Hamburgers, Salads, and Oranges.  Plus their salads and burgers are pretty good as well!

8 – Let your little explore his or her imagination at the Build and Test Station.  The boys had a blast here!  They were each given four wheels and could go around to the different bins and build their vehicle. Once it was built, they could race it agains other enthusiastic LEGO builders.  They had a blast!

Photo courtesy of LEGOLAND CALIFORNIA.

9 – Ride the Medieval Dragon Coaster!  The boys LOVED this ride!  I rode with Sammy and the whole time he was yelling, “Oh yeah, oh yeah, oh yeah!”  I wish I had recorded it.  It was so cute.  Plus, there were a few parts that had me screaming – lol!  Don’t miss this ride when you visit!

10 – Stop by the LEGOLAND CALIFORNIA Big Shop for souvenirs, gifts and goodies to take home!  The boys LOVED shopping in the Big Shop at LEGOLAND CALIFORNIA.  Let me tell you – it is BIG!!!!  Plus, the prices were reasonable and comparable to those at our local stores.  So, we gave each of the boys a set amount to spend and they made the most of their money!

Be sure to check out my other Travel Related Articles on The Mommy-Files as well!

We received passes to LEGOLAND CALIFORNIA for our family as part of the KIA Classic Blogger Event.  We also had the opportunity to test drive a 2014 KIA Sorento SX to the event.  All opinions expressed in this post are 100% mine.