Legoland California Waterpark

Ratings: Child Friendliness: More about the ratings... Contact Information 1 Legoland Drive Carlsbad, CA 92008 Phone: (760)918-5346 www.legoland.com/

Watchful lifeguards assist little rafters

Legoland’s newest $12 million addition, simply dubbed the Waterpark, opened in July 2010. At first glance, the colorful structures like Splash Out, the 240-foot open body Slide, and Orange Rush, a family tube slide, appear to be a thrill-seeker’s paradise. Upon closer examination, however, the waterpark, like Legoland itself, caters mainly to the comforts and likings of the pre-school-elementary aged set and their moms. For family’s seeking safe and relaxing recreation, this is a great thing!

Needless to say, Legoland really knows its clients. To even gain admittance to this park requires first Legoland admission, and then an extra $10.00 per person on top. We know then that, right off, most of the waterpark’s visitors are going to be Legoland junkies and frequent visitors, which usually makes for families with children 0-10 (maybe up to 12). It is less likely that high-schoolers want to shovel out the $67.00 Legoland admission plus $10.00 to go to this 5.5 acre waterpark, about one-third to one-half the size of other widely known Southern California waterparks. This admittance situation significantly cuts down on the presence of racing teenagers and college kids who might inadvertently push or knock down the little ones as they play. The little kids have the floor, bringing peace of mind for the moms who bring them there!

The setup and structure of the park are also appropriately geared for this younger set. The centerpiece of the waterpark is a 45-foot tall Lego-themed tower loosely resembling a castle with slowly corkscrewing tentacles. Legoland has always been graced by ocean breezes from the nearby coast. The heated water pumped into this waterpark keeps the little kids from getting chilled by these breezes. The park is packed with watchful lifeguards. The most memorable aspect for my kids was the Build-a-Raft River, a languid river that wraps around the park, allowing the kids—and parents-- to hang out and just float. Kids can customize their own rafts with giant legos and even attach their raft to a friend’s prior to floating. Again, while this may not be a 16 year-old’s cup-of-tea, it is quite appealing to moms and their little ones. There are several "beach" areas with authentic-feeling sand where families can relax.

Kids also enjoy the Joker-soaker, a water play platform with water cannons periodically shooting down, and the Duplo Splash Safari, a smaller water park for preschoolers, with slides leading to a shallow play area, all decorated with penguins and other safari animals. There is also a stand up heater that kids can warm off in afterwards for $5.00. My kids, aged 10 and under, had a great time at this waterpark! It is refreshing to know that a waterpark, like Legoland itself, was designed especially with their age-group in mind.