first time to LegoLand & SDZoo??? About This Page:

[CTGirl]

Hi all,

We (me, DH, DD 11, DS 9) are planning our first trip to So Cal. We fly in to LA, then spend 3 1/2 days in DL, then drive to Carlsbad for a little beach, and a day at LegoLand, then on to the SDZoo, and fly back to the east coast from San Deigo.

DS is a Legomanic, and DD is not a big ride kind of girl, so I think they will love LegoLand even though they may be a little older than the target audience.

So, I'm looking for one day touring tips for both LL and the Zoo, and if anyone ever stayed at the Grand Pacific Palisades resort? It looks almost too good to be true. Also, any hotel suggestions for our last night, either near the SDZoo, or the airport.

Thank You!

[MelissaL]

We've been to Legoland twice (once in May when DS was 3 1/2, and once in August when he was almost 7 and DD was 2 1/2). It's an adorable park, much less frenetic than Disneyland. As long as your kids know that a lot is geared to younger kids, they should be OK. There are a handful of attractions targeted to older kids, but we didn't pay them much attention so I can't remember what they are.

You should have no trouble touring in one day, especially if you arrive early before it gets more crowded. Be sure to check which days the park is open -- in off-season, it may be closed on Tuesdays and Wednesdays.

If your son is a Lego buff you may already know this, but if you join the Lego Brickmasters Club (currently $39.99) you get a free child's admission ticket to Legoland as well as a CD-ROM and several Lego sets.

Happy planning!
Melissa

[cirquelover]

My son was 8 or 9 when we went to LL and he had a blast. Don't forget the 3(4)D show, my son loved it. I think it was Bionicles or something. There are some small coasters and other rides. I think that is where he panned for gold/stones to get a medallion there. We enjoyed it all and it was a nice park.

For the zoo I highly recommend the pass with the tram/bus access. It was a godsend to not have to walk everywhere and just get on and off the tram. I think we took one whole loop first, then decided where to start. There is so much to see, you really can't cover it all in a day but we had fun trying.

My son loved getting the photoshopped picture! He picked the one that looked like a rhino had him by the pants! It was a neat touch and really didn't cost that much, well after paying Disney prices anyway!!
We also loved the nursery with the baby animals. The panda bears were worth the wait for us. We even bought a few panda items. It is a beautiful zoo. I'd love to go back.

[IdahoDisneyMom]

I just wanted to tell you that yes, we've stayed at Grand Pacific Palisades. It's a really nice hotel, and it's only about 1/2 mile down the road from Legoland. You're real close to the ocean too (just a short drive away). I hope you like it as much as we did!

[PixieeDust]

I agree that you should get the zoo pass with bus privledges. The zoo is located on top of and on the slope of and on the bottom of a canyon so there are some intense uphill hikes once you get down in. With the bus you can hop on and off at diffrent points. There is also a skyway that goes from the top near the main entrance down into the lower canyon and drops you off near the polar bears. It's fun and you get a great view of the zoo and Balboa Park and downtown too. Don't miss the pandas but go to that exhibit first thing (or as soon as it opens...the panda hours are usually posted at the park entrance) because I've seen huge lines here and they don't move fast either. Also be sure to check out the giraffes as they let you get right up next to one for a picture.