LEGOLAND California Tips

My boys love LEGOLAND California. We’ve been several times over the past few years and have learned a few things in the process. Today I am sharing a few LEGOLAND tips and tricks to help make your trip to LEGOLAND California easier and more fun.

Headed to LEGOLAND California in 2018? Read these tips and secrets including what extra outfit to pack, food ideas, how to avoid long lines on rides and how to decide if you need a park hopper for the LEGO water park! — Save this post for when you are planning your next LEGOLAND California Trip

LEGOLAND California Tips

What kind of tips do you need? I have all kinds of LEGOLAND tips listed below:

LEGOLAND Souvenirs
LEGO Minifigure Trading
Save on LEGOLAND Tickets
LEGOLAND Ride Lines
LEGOLAND Food tips

Buying LEGOLAND Souvenirs

The most important piece of advice about buying LEGOLAND souvenirs is to not wait until LEGOLAND is closing. Let me state this again. Do. Not. Wait. Until. The. Park. Is. Closing.

LEGOLAND GIFT SHOP

Everyone and their mother will be shopping in the big LEGO store when LEGOLAND closes. The main LEGOLAND gift shop can be overwhelming crowded and the lines can be very long.

If you are saving money by staying at an offsite hotel that offers a shuttle, be aware of the return shuttle times. One time we literally had 15 minutes after the park closed before the shuttle would pick us up. There was no way we would have had time to shop and make it to our shuttle in time.

If you plan on shopping at LEGOLAND take a break earlier in the day and buy souvenirs before the park closes. If you don’t want to carry bags around the park, utilize LEGOLAND’s free package service. You can pick up your purchases as you leave the park.

We have also briefly browsed the store during the day and then ordered the same LEGO sets on Amazon. With free 2-day Amazon Prime shipping, the LEGO sets were already at our house by the time we drove back to Tucson. No worries about luggage space on the way home.

LEGO Minifigure Trading

Did you know you can trade minifigures at LEGOLAND? Simply bring complete LEGO mini figures from home and trade with any Model Citizen (aka LEGOLAND employee). Each LEGO minifigure must include a head, body, and legs.

Trading minifigures is a fun way to bring home a “souvenir” without spending money. Treat trading minifigures as a fun scavenger hunt as you explore LEGOLAND. If you forget to bring minifigures to trade, you can purchase minifigures at LEGOLAND. They even have a fun build-your-own minifgure station, customize 3 minifigures for $10. I think it’s a pretty reasonable souvenir idea.

Skip the water park

If your kids aren’t super into water parks, I’d skip the park hopper options and stick to single park tickets to save money on admission. LEGOLAND offers some water rides and splash pads to get your kids wet without a visit to the LEGOLAND water park.

I recommend bringing an extra set of clothes and a towel for your kids. My boys wear swim clothes to LEGOLAND and then change into a dry set of clothes after we are done playing in the water area. LEGOLAND does offer those huge dryers you can stand inside to dry off as well. They cost around $5 to use but several people will fit inside.

LEGOLAND California is located just steps from LEGOLAND Castle Hotel — Buy LEGOLAND tickets online before you arrive to save time and money.

Save money on LEGOLAND Tickets

I am proud to partner with Get Away Today and share their deals on LEGOLAND California tickets and Southern California vacation packages. You can often find coupons or promotions for free kids tickets with an adult ticket purchase in the LEGO Life magazine. Plus San Diego venues like LEGOLAND offer free kids tickets during the month of October during Kids Free October.

LEGOLAND Ride Lines

If you stay at one of the LEGOLAND hotels, take advantage of early entry into LEGOLAND. You can ride select attractions before the park officially opens to everyone else. Even if you don’t stay at the LEGOLAND hotel, plan on being at the park a little early. Start by riding the most popular rides first, the lines will only get longer as the day goes on.

Another trick is to ride popular rides during live shows. As people flock to the shows, the ride lines will be smaller. Besides waiting in line for rides, don’t miss these others ideas on what to do at LEGOLAND on a busy day.

LEGOLAND Food Tips

Officially LEGOLAND doesn’t allow outside food but we’ve never had a problem bringing in water bottles and a few small snacks. If you are a soda drinker, consider buying a souvenir cup. They offer ones that include drinks for the length of your stay (1 day, 2 days, etc) just like at Walt Disney World resort or single use ones with cheap refills.

Everyone touts the iconic apple fries as a must buy at LEGOLAND but I’m not a fan. I think the better deal and more extravagant treat is the churros with chocolate dipping sauce. For about $5 you get 3 good sized churros making it a perfect treat to share (or not share) with your kids. You can find the churro cart at the back of the park by the entrance to the Star Wars Miniland area.

If you plan on eating an early dinner or late lunch, make sure you download the LEGOLAND app. We often see a ‘kids eat free’ offer pop up during the late afternoon. Similar deals may pop show up for dinner at one of the LEGOLAND hotel restaurants as well.

Where to Stay when Visiting LEGOLAND:

If you are looking to splurge, we’ve enjoyed our stays at both the LEGOLAND Castle Hotel and LEGOLAND Hotel. With free breakfast, extremely fun themed room and early access to LEGOLAND, they are a great place to stay for families who want to be within steps of the LEGOLAND entrance.

There are quite a few hotels nearby that aren’t as expensive though, many with shuttles to LEGOLAND which helps you avoid the daily parking fee. We really liked the West Inn & Suites Carlsbad and Hyatt Place Vista/Carlsbad.

If you go a few minutes down the freeway, you can stay right on the beach at the
Carlsbad Beach Inn Resort. There is no shuttle but it’s a really lovely property with beach access and some condo style rooms are available. You can really save money on meals with a full kitchen!

Save on LEGOLAND California Packages

I am proud to partner with Get Away Today and share their deals on LEGOLAND California tickets and Southern California vacation packages. My family has booked Disney vacations through Get Away Today since I was a kid, so I know it’s a well-established travel agency. They pride themselves on saving families money and helping plan your perfect vacation. Book online or call Get Away Today at 1-855-GET-AWAY. Mention my promo code DCHICA to get the best prices and you can even save $10 on any 2-night or longer Southern California vacation package.

They also sell Southern California City Pass tickets which are perfect if you planning on visiting several Southern California attractions like the Disneyland Resort, LEGOLAND California, and SeaWorld San Diego.