This past month, we had the luxury of joining my husband on a business trip to San Diego, California. As we were taking our two young children with us (ages 2.5 & 3.5), I thought I should look in to activities we could do while we were there.
After some internet research, I discovered LEGOLAND California.
On our first day at the park we explored DUPLO Village, Playtown, Funtown and the LEGO factory. Day 2 took us back to some favorite areas, and the SEA LIFE Aquarium.
On my third day, the kids and I returned for a visit on our own. This time we drove and parked at the Park. I thought $12 for parking was a little excessive, especially considering the cost of admission. This is also when I found out that if you arrived in a Volvo, you got Preferred parking.
Luckily the lot wasn’t too busy by the time we arrived. It opened at 10:00 and we were there by 10:40. The unfortunate part was that I needed to get in to the park to rent a stroller again, and had to cart the kids and their bags by myself. Our intention was to hit the Water Park, but I opted to leave our swim gear in the trunk and come back later, weather permitting.
We picked up the stroller for the third day and then headed off to prior-day favorite fun spots, as my son recounted every ride he had already experienced.
I thought a weekday would be quieter, but it ended up being busier than the weekend had been. Apparently it was still Spring Break in California. The lineups still weren’t too long, but it was early in the day. After a ride or two, we decided the weather was warm enough for the Water Park.
After a quick trip to the car to get our swim gear we headed to the Water Park, located at the rear of the park.
Thank goodness they let me leave the park with the stroller. I don’t think I could have managed, walking back to the car with the kids, and carrying them and our bags back in.
When at the gate, I realized that although my daughter(2) had free admission to LEGOLAND, it was $3 to get her in to the Water Park.
The water slides could be seen from a distance, as they towered like a castle above the rest of the park. My son was excited to finally get there. Once inside we found ample lockers and change rooms big enough for the 3 of us and the stroller. Not knowing where to go, we headed towards what I presumed to be the toddler area, parked the stroller at nearby lawn chairs and asked a staff member where the best place for little ones would be. Luckily, this was it.
Lifejackets were hanging on a stand nearby, and I confirmed that they were free to use. Nice (especially since we left ours in the car)! So I got the kids all set to go, but the wading pool was currently closed. They close down the pool once every 2 hours for 10 or 15 minutes and encourage parents to take their little ones for potty breaks or snack breaks. Great idea! After a short wait, it opened and the kids went nuts.
I say ‘wading pool’, but it was so much more than that. The Duplo Slash Safari had a bottom that was made from recycled rubber, so it was nice and spongy. The pool gradually got deeper towards the back, getting maybe 3 feet at the deepest spot. The shallow area had animals (an elephant, crocodile and a polar bear) that spouted water and had a steering wheel that controlled that water. They were permitted to sit/climb on the crocodile, as it was low to the ground but the other two were about 4 feet tall, so too dangerous for climbing. The kids danced in the sprinklers and screeched with delight.
The deeper end of the pool had three small water slides-just perfect for kids this age. My daughter, the younger of the two, was brave enough to try one out. She loved the slide, but got a shock when she went under the water at the bottom! My son thought Kid Creek was more his speed. The kids (under 42”) had their own lazy river, where they climbed aboard inner tubes (with bottoms, so they don’t fall through), and floated around the river path with Mom walking along side.
After a couple times around, they wanted to play more. The waded and splashed and pretended to swim on their tummies; they really had a blast. My daughter was cold (it wasn’t the warmest day), so I called it a day. My son cried because he wanted to stay all day and swim more. But we got changed and headed out.
We never explored the rest of the Water Park. There was much more to see – private cabanas for rent, restaurant/grills, shops, and of course the ‘adult’ side of the Park, with soakers, water slides, build-your-own Lego rafts and so much more. The toddler area was all that we needed for the day.
This was our last visit. We got to enjoy 3 days at LEGOLAND, and loved every minute. Had we known it would be such a big hit, we would have spent our whole trip in the area, and used the pass every day. If we ever have the opportunity to return to California, LEGOLAND will be at the TOP of our list! We have been home for a couple weeks, and my son is still telling me he is sad, because he didn’t want to leave LEGOLAND.
how many slide they have