I’m going to be honest here - I live near Legoland and when they said they were going to build a theme park back in 1999 in an area more known for flower fields and strawberries I was highly skeptical. Now I will date myself here and say that as a kid we didn’t have Legos. In fact, my own kids who are now grown also didn’t have Legos. I was thinking that perhaps they just weren’t popular yet but I just read that in 1971 they were one of the best selling toys in the US and today Lego is one of the largest and most profitable toy companies in the world.
So damn, I guess I just wasn’t in the loop. I guess they have been very, very popular for a very, very long time and I’m the idiot who didn’t know. But can a theme park based on Legos really be any good? Is it a rip off, or an alternative to Disneyland?
Entrance to Legoland
Is Legoland a Rip Off?
If you go to the official Legoland site there are currently tickets for $84. I’m writing this in January 2024 so if you’re coming in Summer it might be different, but that’s what it is right now. If you go to the official Disneyland site the tickets for ages 3 to 10 are $160 and $169 for 10+, nearly double the price. If you put yourself into your kid’s head they don’t see Legoland versus Disney the way you do as an adult. At the end of the day they just want to have fun and either park does that so if you have kids 10 and under it’s a no brainer, go to Legoland. Not a rip off!
Lots of kiddie friendly rides for sure, but some pretty decent roller coasters as well. The Ninjago ride is also super fun for older kids, so if you have a 12 year old you don’t have to worry too much about them being too old. By 13, hmmm, they might want Disneyland so start saving up.
Legoland is also adult friendly with a parking lot that isn’t so huge you need a shuttle bus to get you to the entrance and GPS to find your car later. And when it’s time to go there are lots of good restaurants and breweries and bars close by so you can take your mind off plastic blocks and come back to adultland if only for a while.
For more info on Legoland prices and events go here!