We Sent Our Editor-in-Chief To LEGOLAND New York With Her Kid & It’s Become Her Full Personality

We’ve always been a LEGO® family. My younger son, Sam, in particular, has always loved playing with LEGO®, especially the 3-in-1 sets where he can make a variety of figures. So when the two of us got the chance to spend a day at the new(ish) LEGOLAND® New York, we jumped at the chance.

The park is located in the heart of the Hudson Valley in Goshen, New York, just over an hour from our home. Since we haven’t done many theme parks with our kids, I didn’t entirely know what to expect. But having spent a day at the park, I can now confidently say that if you’re looking for an easy, fun summer getaway the whole family will enjoy, look no further than LEGOLAND® New York. There are plenty of attractions for every age level, the food is yummy, and the masterminds at LEGO® seem to have thought through every. little. detail. to ensure you and your family have a fun time. Keep reading to see what I mean.

First Impressions

Sure, the park is big — it’s on 150 acres — but it never felt overwhelming. Sam and I gawked — literally — at the awesome LEGO® structures, which are handmade by Master Model Builders, that welcome you to the park. My son was particularly gobsmacked by the huge purple llama (IYKYK).

The park is laid out in different sections; you walk onto Brick Street, head towards LEGO® NINJAGO World and weave your way through the rest of the park. It’s all very clean and very well-marked, and the lines were never overwhelming — although they do offer a Reserve & Ride feature for those hoping to skip the whole “waiting in line” thing.

The Rides

First up was the LEGO® Factory Adventure Ride, which served as a great intro to the park and got us pumped to spend our day amongst LEGO® bricks. It’s incredibly well-animated and during the ride you turn into a Minifigure. So cool!

Sam has been begging for a driver’s license (he’s 8!), so the Driving School in LEGO® City was a huge hit. I loved watching the kids obey the real-life rules of the road in this miniature world. Since it was a hot and sunny day, our favorite rides were Rogue Riders (the breeze those little boats get was welcome on a day like we had) and Splash Battle (be forewarned, you WILL get wet!), both in LEGO® Pirates.

I also really appreciated the Nature Trail on the way from LEGO® NINJAGO World to LEGO® Castle. I was told that it’s meant to be a sensory calming experience (there was an herb garden and everything), and it certainly felt serene and well-tended. In LEGO® Castle, we rode The Dragon’s Apprentice, a more introductory roller coaster for little kids, which had us both squealing with delight.

The Water Playground

The biggest hit of the day was the LEGO® City Water Playground. You play in 20 minute increments — which from a parent’s perspective is the perfect amount of time — and the kids all went hogwild. Like so much in parenting, it’s such a delight to see your kid’s happiness through their own eyes. Sam LOVED the water slides, and the humongous bucket of water that drops on the playground every few minutes thrilled every kid in the park. I loved that they had seats for parents to hang out in, and that it was equipped for little kids (there were babies walking around the smaller water features with huge smiles) and bigger kids (who were tearing up the water slides). It was a total blast.

A Moment For MINILAND...

Sam has always loved miniature versions of things, so I knew MINILAND would be a hit. But we were both blown away by the scale and attention to detail. It’s in the Heart of the Park, and when the Master Model Builders created the New York section (it’s organized geographically across the country), they even built the subway along with accompanying sounds. MINILAND is made of up eight different clusters that represent different parts of the US. There’s even a section for Goshen, NY, where the park is located. It’s a really stunning achievement to see all those beautiful buildings in LEGO® form, and to see Sam identify landmarks and learning about new ones was a highlight of my day.

...And Also The Food

Ok, I love me some theme park food and LEGOLAND® New York did not disappoint. While we ate lunch in the hotel (more on that in a bit), Sam and I chowed down on the Mr. Gold Ice Cream Sundae, which is delicious vanilla ice cream with bits of vanilla creme sandwich cookies in it, along with whipped cream on top. Heavenly. I also loved that all the ice creams come in fun LEGO® colors like yellow, green, and blue.

The real winner, though, were the exclusive Granny’s Apple Fries. They are exactly as they sound: slices of fried apple in the shape of a French fry, which you dip in whipped cream. I could have eaten three boxes of them. Delicious.

The Hotel

Sam and I got a tour of the LEGOLAND® New York Hotel, which conveniently sits right beside the park. I loved that all 250 rooms are themed, but from a parent’s perspective, there are two standout things about this hotel: First, each hotel room, whether a suite or a regular room, has not only a queen size bed for parents or caregivers, but also a set of bunk beds with a trundle for kids. Sam LOVED them. (In the suites, kids even have their own area with a TV and a LEGO® bricks playing area.) And second, the elevator is a “disco.” So once the doors close, the disco ball turns on and music starts pumping. It’s such a fun touch for kids and I bet it quells many a post-park meltdown.

The hotel also has an awesome pool area with its own snack bar and, much to Sam’s delight, soft, floating LEGO® bricks that kids can play with in the pool. The hotel also has two restaurants – we ate at the delicious Skyline Bar – each with a view of a castle play structure in the lobby, where kids can climb, build, and play while waiting for their meals.

The TL;DR

LEGOLAND® New York truly has it all (I haven’t even mentioned how the parking is RIGHT by the entrance). It’s clean, easy to navigate and has something for kids of all ages — and plenty of shady benches for parents to hang out on while the kids play. Sam and I had a blast, and I know you and your family will, too.