How to Visit LEGOLAND California: Step-by-Step Guide

This updated guide explains how to Visit LEGOLAND California through clear steps, practical examples, and important checks that help prevent common errors.

Part 1 of 11:

Preparation

Purchase your "LEGOLAND California" tickets online (or over the phone) before visiting the park, particularly if you are visiting from outside the US. This will save you time when you arrive at the park - you won't have to wait in any queues at the ticket offices!
Preview the attractions in the park before your visit. Try previewing each attraction or show on YouTube, or take a peek at the ride-through photos from others. Learn from what others see. This can help decide which rides and attractions will take priority during your visit.
- Recognize that there are few other real theme park options in Carlsbad, CA (near San Diego, CA) with the only real exception being SeaWorld of San Diego, but if you are willing to drive for about an hour or so, a wealth of other choices exist in the nearby Los Angeles and Anaheim, CA area.
- Recognize the sections of the park that exist here. When you first walk through the gates, you'll enter into several different areas called "The Beginning" and "Explorer Island", DUPLO Village, Fun Town, Pirate Shores, Castle Hill, Land of Adventure, Imagination Zone and this all happens around one final great big land around a final pond in the center in an area many know called Miniland USA.
Drive and park to the parking lot for Legoland. The address to this park is located at 1 LEGOLAND Drive, Carlsbad, CA 92008.^{[1]XResearch source} The cost to park your car at Legoland will run you about $15 for cars and upwards from there (depending on the complexity of your vehicle).
Enter through the turnstiles.

Part 2 of 11:

The Beginning

Get to know this area. This area is the primary shopping and guest services area for the park.
Become friends with the 9 foot tall, green (as of real pictures) dinosaur (though the LEGOLAND website says it is fire-engine red) who is completely made of Lego blocks at the front of the park. If you can like, you can make up his own name for your own records as you get there.

Part 3 of 11:

Explorer Island

Ride on Coastersaurus, if you love roller-coasters. Although short, the ride operators will send it's guests around this out-and-back coaster track twice before returning to the station.
Have your child dig in the Dig Those Dinos pit. Much like a few digging areas of some of the Disney parks, this digging pit will allow your child to dig for dinosaur bones in the sand pit.

Part 4 of 11:

DUPLO Village

Get used to this area, if you have children younger than 4 years old(for some rides) and about 8 years old (for others). Much like what DUPLO is meant to be for, this DUPLO-based area is designed to work in the age factors of those younger than 4 years old.
Get to see the revised tales of many fairy tales you might have told your kids on the Whimsical ride in Fairy Tale Brook. This whimsical ride is fairly slow and is easy to explain to your kids as they ride around in this slow-moving boat.
Get your children to ride on the "LEGOLAND Express". This super-slow moving train will bring your children on a ride that will make them think they've taken a real train ride through the countryside - only to find out that the residents of this countryside are DUPLO block residents who don't particularly move a lot.
Watch your kids laugh on Safari Trek. This Jeep safari will have your kids laughing at the cute bricked animals made completely of Lego/DUPLO blocks.
Look at a real movie set from the movie The Lego Movie in an exhibit called The LEGO Movie Experience . Look at the fine craftsmanship of the area to see just what detail goes into making the famed Lego Movie on such a small size. With the magnifying glasses, you can see anything that is too small to see all of the finer points.
Have your kids play in the fun park areas of "Water Works". With all the water games happening here, it'll be hard to steer your children away from all this fun.

Part 5 of 11:

Fun Town

Walk through the walk-through exhibit of the "Adventurer's Club' to find the keys to the secrets to the ancient lands of Egypt and the Arctic.
Obtain a LEGOLAND Driver's License after you've driven in an official real electric LEGOLAND car at (LEGOLAND) Driving School. Much like that of the Tommorrowland Speedway in Walt Disney World (Florida) or Autopia at Disneyland nearby, this will have you and your kids driving these LEGOLAND cars around like a pro.
- If your kids aren't up to driving cars yet, walk up to the Junior Driving School instead. There, they don't even have to worry about driving, and can be left up to sit in the car and watch it move around a circular track by themselves, looking at all the other LEGO stuff nearby.
Fly a biplane at the "Flight Squadron" attraction. Being similar to the Dumbo ride at Disneyland but styled to portray an airplane, this will have you and your kids exploring the rest of the park's outside attractions in a real fun way for a few minutes.
Get used to the exhilaration of freefall in "Kid Power Towers". This fun attraction, although a minimum height is set, can be ridden by many and can be fun to teach your children what happens during a freefall event. This colorful ride towers are attractive to many kids and can easily make most children's eyes spot them quickly.
Take a tour of a LEGO Factory in the LEGO Factory Tour building, and nearby, stock up on some of your missing LEGO parts arranged by color and type.
Get healthy with the Police and Fire Academy as you help pump levers to help put out fake fires and help stop bad guys with water guns that can shoot far distances.
Hop aboard a LEGO boat in the Skipper School and see what interesting LEGO creations can be spotted by your children. However, arrive early (at rope drop time) to this attraction, or come later in the day when lines have significantly cooled down.
See all of Fun Town in a different respect from above in whimsical metal railed LEGO creative transport vehicles in the Sky Cruiser attraction. This motorized vehicle is much similar to PeopleMover in Walt Disney World. However, due to the transportation of this vehicle being by foot power (and by the same method as a bicycle), guests should be in shape enough and have some knowledge of bicycle riding to ride this attraction.
Ride the Sky Patrol attraction once. To get an idea of what it takes for this ride, watch it once or twice. As the helicopter spins around in a circle, you can change it's direction via the steering wheel in front of you. However, these helicopters move around super-slowly that this really isn't a great place to go if you are psyched for faster-action items to try.

Part 6 of 11:

Pirate Shores

Realize that this area is a seasonal-only area. Most of these attractions in this area/land are only open during a certain season, due to the fact that most of this area is devoted to water attractions that squirt water and sometimes soak the visitor.
Ride the 'pirate boat' attraction, called Captain Cranky's Challenge, which swings in circles and back and forth in a medium cyclic speed. This attraction is open all year long.
Pass by the Treasure Falls attraction, which is their rather dull log flume ride. Not only is the attraction out in the outside during the time, but the drops aren't that high or powerful. This attraction is the only other ride in this area that is open year-round.
Get completely soaked at Soak n'Sail . All of these attractions feature water-attractions. And if that's not enough, they even have a piece that can come pouring down on you at all times of the year. The bad thing is: it's a seasonal attraction.
Ride the log flume ride known as Pirate Reef when it is open (it is seasonal). This ride has larger drops and even has a bridge near the drop-zone when people pass under it. This ride is more popular than Treasure Falls in terms of intensity, but even those LEGO enthusiasts will love it for it's LEGO creations near the border of the track.
Shoot water from the cannons at the innocent bystanders or the other ride boats who decide to shoot water back at you at the slow water ride known as Splash Battle, as you take a look at some of the LEGO creations near this attraction. This attraction is a seasonal attraction.
Let the younger guests soak up some cool water to cool them off on Swabbies Deck. This is a seasonal attraction.

Part 7 of 11:

Castle Hill

Walk through the LEGO garden to see what LEGO creations have been made in the "Enchanted Walk attraction.
Let your kids draw out their energy in the Hideaways attraction. With all the catwalks and rope ladders, and play areas and what, there's no telling when the kids will want to stop. This attraction has one area where there are many larger-than-life LEGO blocks that your kids can play with. However, with all the energy-busting of this attraction, keep an eye on your kids for when they tend to lose strength and break free for becoming cranky for the remainder of the day. Don't over psych your kids on this attraction otherwise you may lag behind the rest of the day.
Hope to not become dizzy on Knights Tournament. This robotic arm will spin you around, upside down and close to inside out (with safety barriers in place). And with a selection of intensities to choose from, there's no telling how wild your particular ride can be until you choose one of the predetermined levels.
Let your younger riders take part in their own medieval joust on Royal Joust. This attraction can be amusing to the parents, but it is especially meant for the children.
Ride The Dragon. This part roller coaster, part LEGO looking attraction will leave you baffled before you even realize it's over. Although this ride features several corkscrew turns at a moderate intensity level, it doesn't get much beyond that. However, out of the starting gate, this attraction doesn't accelerate much to show you all the LEGO items that have been constructed to show you.

Part 8 of 11:

Land of Adventure

Ride Beetle Bounce with your kids. This attraction, though not wild in the least, will leave your kids jumpy for a few minutes and want to make them become more like the beetle that all kids think they are. This ride raises them about 15 feet in the air, then bounces them back to earth rather gently.
Ride the classic, whip-style, amusement park attraction called Cargo Ace . On the suspended fixed track, you and your kids can soar round and round for a few minutes to make your children think they've taken flight in the airplane-themed ride vehicle, which will raise them no higher than 6 feet above the ground.
Pass on Dune Raiders. Although featured to be a LEGO-styled wave slide, it is just that: a slide. It might have a few pairs of double-helix corkscrews, but it won't rock your roller-coaster mind when you get up to the top, and later end up at the bottom there for many enthusiasts.
Explorer a Lego-themed medieval Egyptian castle in the Lost Kingdom Adventure ride. Although not fast, most people find it rather interesting to see all the LEGO creations here. Each room tells it's own story, so explore each room as the ride unfurls.
Let your kids join in on "Pharaohs Revenge". Styled much like Hideaways (as you learned about earlier), this area will keep your kids thrilled that they've enticed some Pharaohs. The only LEGO creations you'll see are in the queue for the attraction on the outside.

Part 9 of 11:

Imagination Zone

Ride the "AQUAZONE Wave Racer". Ride a power ski around a small moat as you dodge water blasts from water blasters positioned on the outside of the moat looking in. Be careful though, as on this ride, you'll be standing on the wave runner the entire time.
Ride the Scrambler-styled ride called "BIONICLE Blaster". Shaped like BIONICLE creations, these ride vehicles will keep your mind spinning for several minutes after the ride actually stops.
Build a LEGO car and test it out in the "Build and Test" exhibit. However, careful; as this attraction isn't open long to suit school hours nearby. It is open from 10am til 2pm Pacific Time.
Let your child play among many pounds worth of DUPLO blocks in the DUPLO Playtown exhibit.
Try to build and program a LEGO Mindstorm robot in the LEGO MINDSTORMS attraction. For many, you'll need to make special reservations at the building inside the Imagination Zone area. Also, again, this attraction also tries to suit school hours nearby (10am til 2pm Pacific Time).
Ride the LEGO Technic Coaster, a full-blown roller coaster. This attraction, though themed as being in the LEGO Technic style, is actually nothing like a LEGO Technic complexity and is full-blown metal on metal!
Get your family together and play in the Xbox WB Games Family GameSpace center.

Part 10 of 11:

Miniland USA

Find this section. It is located around the lake near the front of the park. If you were looking at your map, it would be on your right hand side, near the bridge that crosses from Fun Town/DUPLO Village.
Recognize that this section is the one section that makes LEGOLAND parks so famous to anyone and everyone who visits. It is this famous, thanks to the creations that are created here... they are so notable and all.
- Look at all the minute details of each LEGO block item that has been constructed. Each item has so much detail - and it was all made to be so... realistic.
Look for historical figures and pop icons in the Block of Fame section of Miniland. This section houses not only George Washington, but other famous people as well.
Look for lakeshore villages in the Coast Cruise section nearest the lake section of the park.
Visit Las Vegas' famous sights - LEGO styled - in the Las Vegas section of Miniland.
Look for some famous New England harbors and lighthouses in the New England Harbor section of Miniland.
Look for the famous New Orleans riverboat and French-reconstruction styled New Orleans house in the New Orleans section of Miniland.
Look at the sights of New York (the city that never sleeps). Whether it's the Empire State building or its Freedom Tower or it's one of many other skyrises in LEGOs, the New York section should have it all.
Take a peek at the San Francisco section. You'll get to see the Golden Gate Bridge in LEGOs along with other things that make San Francisco stand out from all the other cities in the country.
Come see some of Southern California's finest pieces in the Southern California section of Miniland. Whether it's the Griffith Park Observatory or it's Graumann's Chinese Theater, the intricate details is intense and what makes this section stand out.
Look into the elaborate work in the Washington DC section. The designers even tried to portray the election outcomes of each of the last few presidents we've had since the park opened in 1999. The Washington DC section houses such sights as the Lincoln Memorial, the Capitol and Washington Monument.
Look in the Model Shop, to see just what other ideas are on the horizon for the team, as they build some new models for the park.

Part 11 of 11:

Water, Water Everywhere - Water Parks

Look for their older water park called the LEGOLAND Water Park. Sometimes classics are great, and this classic is no different than the mainstream phrase.
Look for LEGOLAND's newest waterpark in LEGOLAND California: LEGOLAND CHIMA Water Park. Having opened in July 2014^{[2]XResearch source}, this area will be adjusted over time.

FAQ

What is the easiest way to Visit LEGOLAND California?

Start with the requirements in this guide, then follow each step in order. Check the result after every major change so problems are easier to identify.

Can beginners follow these instructions?

Yes. The process is organized into practical steps, and you can repeat any step before moving forward.

What should I check if the method does not work?

Confirm your software or device version, permissions, settings, file format, and internet connection when the task depends on online services.