Our family is no stranger to LEGOLAND amusement parks. We’ve visited the Florida and California locations, and both have been favorites in our family. Hearing LEGOLAND New York was opening, was exciting news for us, especially for our daughter. This summer, after its long-anticipated opening, we finally had a chance to visit the place where “Everything is awesome.”
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LEGOLAND New York is a family-focused theme park with rides and attractions geared towards kids ages 2–12. However, based on our family’s experience at this park, I wouldn’t suggest bringing kids over age 10. LEGOLAND New York is similar to its sister theme parks, this one has something special. This New York-based park features the chain’s first trackless dark ride: LEGO Factory Adventure Ride. Park guests can be changed into Lego Minifigures.
The park is split into seven (7) themed areas, each with its own flair and attractions:
- Brick Street – At the entrance of the park, you’ll find the iconic LEGOLAND arch, perfect for taking a family photo to document your visit to the park. You’ll also see many hilarious minifigs dressed in different outfits and some awesome LEGO sculptures. The Big Store is also here, but I suggest hitting it up on your way out.
- Bricktopia – This is where LEGO enthusiasts want to be to unleash their creativity, building structures and testing their sturdiness. Kids can also sign up to take part in guided builds with adult builders. Bricktopia is also home to the exclusive LEGO Factory Adventure Ride.
- Miniland – Each LEGOLAND theme park has a Miniland which has amazing recreations of cities, landmarks, and other attractions built out of LEGO bricks. Millions of LEGO bricks. Many have interactive elements that allow you to make certain elements move or light up.
- LEGO Castle – This is where the parks only two rollercoasters reside: The Dragon (older children) and Dragon’s Apprentice (smaller children). There is also a Tower Climb Tournament ride.
- LEGO Ninjago World – This is the place for aspiring ninjas! Kids can go through a ninja training camp, and then test out their training on the interactive LEGO NINJAGO: The Ride. , where they put their moves to the test trying to defeat bad guys and earn points.
- LEGO City – This area is geared more towards smaller children, I’d say between 5-8. This is where they can learn to drive LEGO cars and earn their LEGO driver’s license. They can also learn to become heroes training to be firefighters, police, or members of the Coast Guard.
- LEGO Pirates – This is the place to be when you need to cool off because you’re going to get wet. On the SplashBattle ship ride, riders can squirt other riders or passers-by with water cannons.
How Many Rides Does the New York Location Have?
LEGOLAND New York has few rides. There are 17 rides in total. Two (2) of which are rollercoasters (Dragon and Dragon’s Apprentice) and four (4) water rides. The park is not really geared towards thrill-seekers and is more for smaller children and those who enjoy LEGO brick architecture. There are many amazing block structures – 15,000 LEGO models made with 30 million LEGO bricks.
Related: Our Favorite Rides and Attractions at LEGOLAND California
Our Favorite LEGOLAND New York Rides & Attractions You Should Check Out
The Dragon
Although we were disappointed that this was the only thrill ride for my husband and 10-year-old daughter to enjoy, we were excited to see this rollercoaster. It’s been one of our favorites at each LEGOLAND theme park. The good news is since the park wasn’t too crowded they were able to ride this rollercoaster multiple times before moving onto The Tower Climb Tournament, which is also in LEGO Castle Land.
- Kids must be at least 4 years of age and 42″ tall to ride.
- Kids under 8 years of age and 52″ tall must be accompanied by a supervising companion
The Tower Climb Tournament
This ride made sure they used all their muscles. On this ride, they had to pull on a rope to raise their chair high into the air. Letting go of the rope would slowly float them back down to the ground. Let’s just say they didn’t stay up in the air too long.
- Kids must be at least 3 years of age and 38″ tall to ride
- Kids under 8 years of age and 52″ tall must be accompanied by a supervising companion
LEGO NINJAGO The Ride
This fun interactive ride allows riders to live the Ninjago storyline. My husband and daughter enjoyed NINJAGO The Ride a lot! They came off excited and giggly explaining how much they had to use their hands throughout the ride battling evildoers using their Ninja powers.
- Kids must be at least 3 years of age and 38″ tall to ride
- Kids under 8 years of age and 52″ tall must be accompanied by a supervising companion
Splash Battle
If you’ve seen my previous LEGOLAND reviews you’ll know that Splash Battle is in our top three favorite rides at the park. It’s the perfect way to cool off on hot days like the nearly 90-degree day we had when we visited.
- There is no minimum height requirement.
- Kids under 8 years of age and 52″ tall must be accompanied by a supervising companion
Palace 4D Cinema
Speaking of cooling off. This indoor attraction is perfect for doing that. Prepare to join LEGO police go on a chase to capture a bad guy with added effects that bring you right into the middle of the action. Bring a sweater or even an umbrella. You’ll need it!
- There is no minimum height requirement.
LEGO Miniland
As a New York native and proud Brooklynite, I enjoyed seeing all five boroughs highlighted in the park’s Miniland. Being able to take in the sights of my city and its iconic buildings and landmarks like Yankee Stadium, the Guggenheim and the Brooklyn Bridge in a matter of minutes with my family is amazing!
Dining at LEGOLAND New York
In our experience, most amusement parks do not allow families to bring outside food or drink. However, at LEGOLAND New York, you are allowed to bring in some food items, such as bottled water, small lunch snacks, and meals that do not require heating, along with baby food and formula. Additionally, the park has water bottle refilling stations throughout, so make sure you bring an empty bottle to keep filled and ensure you’re hydrated on hot days.
If your kids are like my 10-year-old, packed lunches, especially when out at an amusement park are not cool. They’ll be happy to know that each of the seven LEGO lands has various kid-friendly dining options. She enjoyed a hot dog and soft pretzel. Other park classics like hamburgers, chicken tenders, fries, and popcorn, are widely available. In NINJAGO land, there is fast food-style Chinese dining, and near the Palace 4D Cinema, there’s an Italian-style restaurant where we each had pizza. The slices are very small, I ate at least four slices. Granny’s Apple Fries are a LEGOLAND original.
Prepare for the Heat
The day we visited the amusement park, the UV index was 9, and it was nearly 90 degrees. Needless to say, it was HOT! Be sure to wear sunscreen, pack a hat, or some type of UPF cover-up. Shaded areas are where there is dining, but can be crowded. Luckily, since I was wearing the baby and had a stroller, I drew sympathy from many who would either give up their seating or find seating for me. Also, some rides exit into a LEGO shop, which has air conditioning. I used that opportunity to cool off while waiting for my husband and daughter to get off a ride.
Where is LEGOLAND New York?
The LEGO-themed amusement park and resort is located in Goshen, NY. It is 60 miles Northwest of New York City. It was about a 2-hour drive from where we live.
Address: One Legoland Blvd, Goshen, NY 10924
How Much Does it Cost to Visit LEGOLAND New York?
Ticket pricing starts at $70 for a one-day child admission and $80 for one-day adult admission. However, you can find discounted tickets on various sites. We used our AAA membership to obtain discounted tickets. It saved us about $30 per ticket. Additionally, parking is not free. It costs $20 to park, which you’ll have to pay once you’re leaving the park. They call it an “Exit Toll”.
You can buy admission tickets and parking in advance online, or even through the LEGOLAND New York resort app. The app also allows you to view wait times for rides, which can be helpful. But when we visited, long lines were not an issue. My daughter and husband were able to ride the Dragon multiple times because there were so few people at the park.
How is the Park Handling COVID-19?
When we visited LEGOLAND New York, there was an equal mixture of mask wearers and non-maskers. Vaccinated guests are not required to wear masks while unvaccinated are. While they were not checking vaccination status at the gates, they were using the honor system, which I was disappointed in. I would have liked to see the park require masks for indoor attractions like the Palace 4D Cinema where people are sitting close together.
The park does have sanitizer around the park and signs asking people to stay distanced from each other, but social distancing is not reinforced by park staff. However, if social distancing is as important to you as it is to us, you’ll notice the markings on the ground for suggestions on where to stand while waiting in line!
The Park is Cashless
As a precaution due to the COVID-19 pandemic, LEGOLAND New York is a cashless park. Remember to bring credit cards to pay for in-park purchases.
Learn more about LEGOLAND New York here: http://www.legoland.com