This is your sign to book a summer weekend at LEGOLAND New York

Alright, let me just put this out there – if you’re looking for an unforgettable family vacation that’ll have your kids losing their actual minds in the best way possible, you’ve got to put LEGOLAND New York on your radar. I’m about to break down our recent getaway there, but the TL;DR is this place honestly exceeded all my expectations as a mom just trying to keep my two wildly different kids entertained. Whether you’ve got a thrill-seeker, a creative maker, or both kid flavors in your crew, Legoland has the whole package on lock. 

Personally, finding a spring break trip to keep my totally different 6-year-old daughter and 8-year-old son happy is a quest I take on every year. This time, LEGOLAND (the New York park in our case) seemed like it could be the sweet spot–my son gets his ride fix while my daughter explores her creative side. I wasn’t totally sure what to expect, but we’ve only been back a couple weeks and I’m already booking our next trip for this summer.

What we loved about LEGOLAND New York

The planning was incredibly easy with LEGOLAND’s website and app. I knocked out booking tickets, the iconic hotel, even paying for parking all online ahead of time. When we rolled up in April, everything was squared away so we could just focus on maximum fam fun.

Pulling up to the hotel was already a whole experience. The bright colors and LEGO decor had my kids’ eyes bugging out the windows. But the real draw was the lobby– it’s basically a gigantic life-sized LEGO playground with a climbing castle, slide, and more bricks than you can imagine scattered everywhere. My kids hadn’t even seen the real park yet and were already going buck wild.

The highlights just kept on coming once we made it through the gates of the park itself. While I expected my daredevil son to beeline for the rides, he was ironically obsessed with the hands-on lego activities like the amazing Bricktopia zone where kids design and race lego vehicles. My daughter was in miniature wonderland exploring the sprawling Miniland exhibit filled with mind-blowing LEGO cities and hidden easter eggs.

Who says the other place is the happiest place on earth?

We all found thrills on the awesome rides too–the Dragon roller coaster and Ninjago rides were a huge hit with my son. I loved that my daughter could get her adrenaline fix on the cute Driving School experience in LEGO City. The playgrounds scattered around the park were also a nice break to let the kids just…be kids.

Now for the real talk–the food sitch was pretty meh. Unless you want to spend an arm and a leg on mediocre burgers and pizza, I’d recommend packing your own snacks and drinks. The one restaurant in the hotel (which, just a heads up, requires reservations) has a limited menu and the food itself wasn’t great. On the plus side, the kids were able to leave the table and get their wiggles out in the lobby castle, giving my husband and I some chill time. 

The LEGOLAND hotel lobby castle

Besides getting to lounge, we loved seeing the kids have an absolute blast meeting lego characters, catching shows, and joining in on evening dance parties!

Speaking of the hotel, that’s where LEGOLAND really leveled up for an incredible overnight stay. Our room was literally built for little lego lovers with a separate kids’ area decked out in bricks, bunk beds, a TV with LEGO shows/movies, and even a scavenger hunt! The kids had to figure out the code to open the safe, which had a lego package for each of them. My kids could have spent the whole trip just hanging in there.

Even the restaurant is entertaining!

My best tips for planning your LEGOLAND New York trip

My top tips? Plan for two days so you can fully experience the park at a relaxed pace. Book that hotel stay–it’s worth every penny for the awesome amenities and having a LEGO paradise just an elevator ride away. And make sure you pack ample lego products because your kids are going to be living, eating, and breathing those little bricks by the end of this trip!

At the end of the day, our LEGOLAND trip delivered way more than I even hoped for. From the park itself to the surprisingly awesome hotel experience, my kids were just endlessly entertained and stimulated in the best ways. We’re already looking at dates to go back and do the water park this summer because this place is an actual vibe. If you’re trying to plan an unforgettable fam vacay that’ll score you all the mom points, LEGOLAND is a no-brainer.

Ready to book? Thanks to a limited time deal, you can score $29 kids’ tickets and a 10% discount on stays through 6/30! (But book ASAP to lock it in.) BOOK NOW!