ALONG COMES MARY

When I was invited to head down to Legoland in Carlsbad, California (only 30 minutes from San Diego), I was skeptical to take my boyfriend. He had never been but I had back in 2011 and knew that its very ‘child friendly.’ I pondered if it would be a good fit for the blog. But, you know what? I am never one to turn down an opportunity to get out-of-town and when I read up on how GLUTEN-FREE the park is, I knew it was a definite GO!

While this is the perfect theme park to bring little ones to (10 and under), Legoland has quite a bit to offer for us big kids, too. Its Legos, come on! We enjoyed taking our silly pictures at the large Mini City USA, which boasts famous world landmarks all in a pint size, Lego form. Think New York City, Las Vegas, New Orleans and Washington DC. We were a little disappointed that some of the features at these exhibits were not in a working form. They looked to be in need of some maintenance, and Mike was a bit bummed that all the people were not the traditional Lego folks you’re familiar with in the Lego Movie.

An area I enjoyed much more this time around was the Star Wars Land! When I took my friend a few years back I had yet to become a Star Wars fan. Now with Mike, I have seen all the movies (even the Jar Jar Binks ones….why?!) so I really appreciated the models I was feasting my eyes on like The Millennium Falcon.

A new experience they have is an indoor soundstage that is completely pieces & props used in the recent Lego Movie. From Emmet’s laundry room & kitchen, to the Lego models used for the action scenes, you will all this & more at The Lego Movie Experience. I was bummed Emmett’s Lego lamp wasn’t for sale 😉

And, Legoland has to be one of the most accommodating parks I have encountered for food allergies, like gluten-free needs. We had a great gluten-free pizza at Pizza Mania, & if we had been more hungry, their Pizza & Pasta Buffet also would have been perfect with gluten-free options. A must have for me? Their gluten-free world-famous Granny’s Apple Fries! Mike said I like them because they taste like a churro, & while there may be some truth to that, they’re absolutely yummy & a great snack in between your rides & racing around.

Speaking of rides, there are many to check out. But, this is no Six Flags park, if that’s what you’re into. We tried out the Knight’s Tournament ride, where a long mechanical arm has a seat on the end, you sit on it, pick your extreme level from 1-5, & it spins you around, flips you upside down, & so on. We did level 3….I cried. I cannot handle anything with my feet dangling & being thrown around! At-least I can say I tried. We also did their famous Dragon Coaster, which was completely tame for me, but, for little ones, it could be terrifying at that sudden 25 MPH speed (no joke).

Whether or not you check out Legoland, I really recommend their spankin’ new Lego Land Hotel. We scoped out the lobby & bar & were so impressed. While Legoland might not be worth your time if you’re looking for a date weekend & sans kiddos, the hotel is. With a full service bar, restaurant & a gorgeous lobby of Legos, a nerdy couple would love this place.

Always celebrating the holidays, offering deals & never a shortage of Legos, get more info on their web-site HERE! xo

(*Disclosure: I was provided with tickets to Lego Land on behalf of this feature. All opinions are my own.)