Family Vacay 2014 – LEGOLAND

Any theme parks were out of the question when initially planning our family vacay. We were looking to relax and unwind, not stand in lines and fight crowds. Plus, at only two-years old, we thought our daughter would be too young to enjoy it.

Several good friends recommended we hit up Legoland since we were going to be in Carlsbad. I did a little research and decided we should give it a try. Jax does love Legos so why not make it her first amusement park experience.

Since our vacation fell after Labor Day, it is off-season for parks and I have to tell you it is the PERFECT time to visit Legoland (or any place in SoCal for that matter). There were no lines at all, absolutely no crowds and no rush. We were able to explore all the sights, sounds and excitement at our own pace, we weren’t swept away by the masses.

I was completely wrong about Jax being too young, she loved it! She was too small for many of the rides but she was able to get on a few — her favorite being Fairy Tale Brook (a slow boat ride winding through familiar scenes from classic fairy tales – all built out of Legos) and Safari Trek (an adventure through a “jungle” filled with wild Lego animals). She also spent a good deal of time shooting balls and running around in the enclosed attraction called Pharaoh’s Revenge.

It was unseasonably warm (HOT) the day we visited and although our family resides in the desert, we are not used to humidity. The Duplo Play areas offered fabulous air conditioning and a place to relax and cool off while Jax carried on with her day of fun playing with tons of Legos. A kind woman working in the Duplo Play area gave Jax a Lego Mini which she was able to trade throughout the day with other park employees. I really thought that was a cool idea and I was totally more into trading up for cool Minis than anyone else.

The hubs and I truly marveled at all the structures and models built out of Legos. The different cityscapes and American monuments were breathtaking and so fun to see built with such detail on a miniature scale. Various scenes from Star Wars were on display and was so dang cool I felt inspired to rematch a few of the movies when we got home! It was all truly awesome and the only way to do it justice id to visit Legoland yourself. It’s amazing what can be built out of these childhood favorite toys!

The unanimous favorite of our visit was the Sea Life Aquarium at Legoland. Jax has discovered the awesomeness of the ocean through her many viewings of The Little Mermaid so she was truly mesmerized with this attraction. Had we let her, she probably would have spent the entire day gazing at the marine life in the ocean tank. She sat in wonder pointing out the sharks and rays and squealing when they came close to her area in front of the glass. She delighted when touching the Starfish in the “tide pools” and was hypnotized watching the undulating jellyfish. She threw her only tantrum of the entire trip when it was time to leave the aquarium.

There is also a water park at Legoland which was closed the day we visited but there was interactive water attractions and a splash pad in the park so I suggest packing a change of clothes and/or swim suits for the littles so they can get wet…because they will!

Our little family had a great time at Legoland and we hope to make a weekend trip there next month for their “Brick or Treat” Halloween festivities. We definitely can’t wait to bring her back for years to come with her being able to experience more and more each year!

Be sure to add Legoland to your list of adventures next time you plan a trip to the San Diego area! It’s tons of fun….or as they say at Legoland…bricks of fun!

I was not financially compensated to write this post. I received complimentary passes to Legoland to help facilitate my review. All opinions and photos within this post are entirely my own.