Follow Madeline Hoskin as she explores LEGO in all its plastic glory, from the brand’s homeland in Denmark to the sunny shores of Florida.
LEGO stems far beyond plastic bricks and yellow men – it’s an institution of fun spanning theme parks and water havens, hotels and discovery centres. All parks are perfect for 12-and-unders (along with their obliging guardians), offering gentle rides and attractions, like the ever-popular Dragon Coasters or the DUPLO® Land for toddlers. Each also strives to amp up educational aspects: head to driving school and watch your little revhead obtain their first driver’s licence, get fire safe at Fire Academy and so on. A stand-out at each destination are the Minilands, showcasing icons from across the globe made to scale out of LEGO bricks!
The birthplace of LEGO sure knows how to deliver plastic-fantastic wonder. Imagination Zone at LEGOLAND Billund lets you take a safari, fly through the air and even discover a haunted house. Older kids will love the park’s largest, fastest attraction that lies in Polar Land, the Polar X-plorer rollercoaster, with its five-metre drop and a top speed of 65km/h… did a polar bear just whiz past? After a big day, recharge in the heart of the park at Hotel LEGOLAND which is guarded by a plastic dragon with themed quarters fit for any mini pirates, princesses or knights.
From rock climbing to a boating school to its thrilling fast-paced rides, LEGOLAND Florida is ready for anything. Drive a Wave Racer through jets fired from water canons, take the rollercoaster through prehistoric lands of the dinosaurs or perhaps enrol your little ones in a driving school lesson. If you’re feeling the heat after all that, head to the wave pool (or perhaps one of the enormous water slides!)
With a plethora of rides, shows and attractions, plus a nine-foot red LEGO dinosaur welcoming you in, LEGOLAND California is an instant hit. Once you’ve chomped your way through Granny’s Apple Fries you’ll be ready to explore. Its featured Water Park is perfect for soaking up that Californian sun; the DUPLO Splash Safari will have smaller kids clambering all over their fave African animals, while the Pirate Reef sees kids racing down a flume between battle ships. And yes, you can have a LEGO-themed sleep here too. In-room dragons and palatial stylings? Yes please!
In southern Germany, roughly halfway between Munich and Stuttgart, you’ll stumble upon LEGO’s Deustch delight. LEGOLAND here has a distinctly European vibe; its Miniland features a tiny Schloss Neuschwanstein, a miniscule Berlin, Venice’s Ponte Rialto and Munich’s Allianz Arena, home to Bayern Munich Football Club. Miniatures also aptly cover the brand’s love for all things ‘Star Wars’ and you’ll wander from Naboo to Tatooine with surprising ease. Make time for the King’s Castle at LEGOLAND Holiday Village where families can stay overnight and experience the royal treatment (from grand exterior to quirky themed insides).
Amid LEGOLAND Windsor Resort’s green countryside surrounds you’ll sample a little of the London life as you saunter through Miniland feeling like a giant next to London Bridge, Big Ben and the London Eye. A pirate theme is in the air here with the park’s Pirate Shores, where aboard log-rides and other adventures you’ll go up against the mean Captain Blackheart. Close by you’ll find Castaway Camp, which packs in high-ropes fun, slides, nets and playtime galore. At the heart of the park is the Resort Hotel with its interactive LEGO features, themed rooms (choose from Kingdom, Pirate or Adventure), lifts and (even more) pirate fun than in the hotel’s indoor water play area.
It’s the country’s first International Theme Park – and boy does it go down a treat. LEGOLAND Malaysia has over 70 hands-on rides, slides, shows and attractions that’ll have all ages pushing, pedalling, steering and splashing their way through a maze of interactive experiences. Its Water Park has everything from the Joker Soaker wading area with giant tipping bucket to space to build a custom soft-brick LEGO raft and float down the lazy river. At its LEGOLAND Hotel you’ll uncover secret whoopee cushions, marching guards on tight ropes, in-room LEGO treasure and much more.
Take all the joys of LEGOLAND, condense it down into a smaller indoor realm of hands-on fun, and you’ll have something similar to what’s on offer at the LEGOLAND Discovery Centres across the world. As well as in Melbourne Australia, they’re found speckling the globe in Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas, Kansas City and New York in the USA, as well as England, Germany, Tokyo and Toronto. Each varies somewhat in size and offerings, but what you can generally expect is brick play in abundance, a Factory Tour of how LEGO is made, 4D cinema experiences, and rides like the agility-training Ninjago or the baddie-zapping fun of a Kingdom Quest Laser Ride. They also offer cafe stops, birthday rooms, LEGO shops, Miniland creations and more – so you’re safe to expect a whole-day’s (or month’s) worth of entertainment!
This article originally appeared in Holidays with Kids magazine. To subscribe to the latest issue, click here.
Body images © LEGOLAND California
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